GENERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 Marks)

Punjab Geography

GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF GEOGRAPHY OF PUNJAB

The Word Punjab:
Two Persian words:

(Panj meaning five)
(Aab meaning water)
The land of 5-rivers,
Population-wise the largest,
Area wise Punajb is second largest, (Balochistan Largest)
Punjab was once known as the Granary of East
Punjab is the lifeline of Pakistan.

2. LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES

Latitude 31°00′00.00″ North
Longitude 74°00′00.00″ East
To the North of the Punjab is the Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa Province and the federal capital area of Islamabad,
To the North-East is Azad Kashmir,
To its South-East is India (Indian Punjab & Rajasthan),
To the South-West is the province of Sindh
To the West are Baluchistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

3 . TOPOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL FEATURES

(Forms and features of land surfaces known as Topography) Punjab can be divided into 4 broad topographic regions as follows:
1. Mountainous and Hilly areas
2. Potowar Plateau
3. Plain Areas
4. Desert Areas
Most of the area is Leveled plain.
• In addition to some mountainous and hilly areas, which are mostly situated in its northwest and extreme southwest.
• Adjacent to these mountains is a plateau, known as the Potwar, Potohar, or Potowar Plateau.
• A desert belt, known as Cholistan, lies in the southeastern side of the province.

RIVERS OF PUNJAB:
All the major rivers of the country namely:
• Indus
• Jhelum
• Chanab
• Ravi
• Sutlaj
flow through this province.
They originate from the Himalayas and pass from North-West to South-West.

4 . CLIMATE & WEATHER PATTERNS:

The climate of Punjab is continental (These climates are characterized by extreme temperatures, large seasonal temperature ranges, and low relative humidity.), with marked temperature fluctuations both seasonally and on a daily basis.
Pakistan’s section of Punjab is characterized by a semi-arid climate. Punjab has 3 major seasons:

Hot season (April to June): Temperature rises as high as 44 °C (110 °F)
Rainy season (July to September): Average annual rainfall ranges between 96 cms (Sub-mountain region) to 46 cms (in the plains)
Cold weather (October to March): Temperature goes as low as 4 °C (40 °F)

Transitional seasons are as follows:

Pre-hot season (March to mid-April): This is a transitional period between the cold and hot seasons
Post-Monsoon (September to end of November): This is the transitional period between the rainy and cold seasons

5 . SOIL AND VEGETATION:

Mostly sandy and loamy (a type of soil that contains sand, silt, clay, and organic matter) soil.

6 . AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES:

It contributes a major share in the agricultural economy of the country by providing about 83% of cotton, 80% of wheat, 97% fine aromatic rice, 63% of sugarcane and 51% of maize to the national food production. Among fruits, mango accounts for 66%, citrus more than 95%, guava 82% and dates 34% of total national production of these fruits.

A world’s second-largest rock salt reserves (KHWERA SALT MINES) IN JEHLUM DISTRICT
Punjab is also a mineral rich province with extensive mineral deposits of coal, rock-salt, dolomite, gypsum, silica-sand.

7 . DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES:

As of the 2023 census, the population of Punjab, Pakistan was 127,688,922.

This makes Punjab the most populated province in Pakistan, with more than half of the country’s population.

Population density

The population density of Punjab in 2023 was 8 people per square

kilometer.

The annual population change between 2017 and 2023 was 5%

8 . ECONOMIC FEATURES:
Punjab economy is mainly agricultural, although industry makes a substantial contribution.
It contributes about 68% to the annual food grain production in the country.
51 million acres of land is cultivated and another 9.05 million acres are lying as cultivable waste in different parts of the province.
– Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer.
– Punjab has also more than 48 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 11,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 6,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries.
Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units.
The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods.

9 . ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:

Extreme weather events
Floods
Air pollution
Worst Air Quality Index (Lahore, Faisalabad)
Water in security
Food in security
Waste pollution

(ii) IMPORTANT PLACES IN PUNJAB:
Lahore Fort:
Lahore is the capital of Punjab province and is home to some wonderful monuments. Most popular of them is the Royal Fort or Shahi Qila that dates back to 1556 AD. The fort was founded by the Mughal emperor Akbar and houses some fine buildings that include Diwan-e-Aam, Moti Masjid, Khwahbgah-e-Jahangir, Diwan-e-Khas and also The Shish Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors. Lahore Fort is also a world heritage site.

Derawar Fort:

Derawar Fort is the oldest and largest fort of the desert that is part of the chain of forts built to protect the central Asian trade route to Indian subcontinent. The old fort existed more than 5000 years ago but the present fort was re-built in the 18th century with baked bricks brought from Uch Sharif 40 miles away. The circumference of this fort measures
1.5 km with 40 bastions all around.

Rohtas Fort – Symbol of Grandeur and Defense:
Located on the historic Grand Trunk Road about 8 km from Dina (near Jehlum) are the ruins of majestic Rohtas Fort which was built by Sher Shah Suri during 1640-145 AD. Rohtas Fort has been included in the World Heritage Sites list.

Badshahi Mosque:
The Imperial or Badshahi Mosque is located in front of Alamgir Gate of Lahore Fort and is one of the largest mosques of the world. Built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir, last of the great Mughals. Its construction was completed by 1674 AD.
It is said to be the largest mosque courtyard in the world for outdoor prayers. The marble domes cover seven prayer chambers.

Golden Mosque or Sunehri Masjid:
Golden Mosque is situated in the Kashmiri Bazaar of Old Lahore. It was built in 1753 AD.

Pearl Mosque:
Built during Shah Jahan’s reign in the 17th century, Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque is located inside Lahore Fort beyond the audience hall. It was built for the exclusive use of royal ladies.

Wazir Khan’s Mosque:
Wazir Khan’s Mosque is in the old city, 300 meters from Delhi Gate Lahore. Built in 1634 by Hakim Ali-ud-din, popularly known as Wazir Khan, who was governor of the area during the period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Derawar Mosque:
Near Derawar Fort in Cholistan Desert, stands elegantly worth visiting Derawar Mosque, which is more than 100 years old and is built with white marble stone.

Bhong Mosque:
About 200 kms southwest of Bahawalpur in District Rahim Yar Khan is the extraordinary
Bhong Mosque, one of Pakistan’s most elaborate, and ostentatious mosques.

Allama Iqbal’s Tomb:

Outside the Badshahi Mosque, near its steps, lies the Tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938 AD), the poet-philosopher of Pakistan and then subcontinent. The tombstones are marble gifted by Afghan government.

Jahangir’s Tomb:
The tomb of the fourth Mughal emperor, Jahangir, lies three miles north-west of Lahore across the River Ravi. Built in 1637 AD.

Nur Jahan’s Tomb:
The empress Nur Jehan, ‘Light of the World’, was the only empress whose name appeared on the coins of the Mughal empire. She was buried in 1645 AD at Shahdara (Lahore) outside Jahangir’s mausoleum across the railway line.

Anarkali’s Tomb:
Named after the famous Anarkali Bazaar and the legendary character of Anarkali, this tomb is located in the Civil Secretariat premises of Lahore. It was used as first Christian Church in the British era after their arrival in the region. The octagonal tomb now houses an archives gallery of Punjab province.

Uch Sharif:
Situated 50 km west of Bahawalpur, Uch Sharif is one of the most ancient towns. It’s famous for its beautiful ruins and tombs ornamented with blue mosaic, and other embellishments. Among these tombs, the 15th century octagonal tomb of Bibi Jawindi is the best-known monument.

Shalimar Gardens:
The famous Shalimar Gardens laid out by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in 1642 AD located three miles east of Lahore. It is also a World Heritage Site.

Bagh e Safa:
Located near Kallar Kahar Lake, Bagh e Safa is the oldest Mughal garden in today’s Pakistan. Built by the first Mughal emperor Babur on his way from Kabul to Delhi, the garden also houses Takht e Babri from where the emperor addressed his army. The garden is famous for loquats, peacocks and water springs.

Kamran’s Garden:
Located amid River Ravi, Kamran’s Garden is the earliest Mughal garden in Lahore which was built in 1540 AD by Mirza Kamran, son of emperor Babur. Originally built across River Ravi at the outskirts of Lahore, the garden is now an island in River Ravi and is accessible by boats.

(iii) IMPORATNT PERSONALITIES OF PUNJAB:

Religious and spiritual figures:
Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism
Fariduddin Ganjshakar
Bahauddin Zakariya
Rukn-e-Alam
Shah Hussain
Mian Mir
Sultan Bahu
Shah Inayat Qadiri
Bulleh Shah
Waris Shah
Muhammad Channan Shah Nuri
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh
Khwaja Ghulam Farid
Meher Ali Shah

National figures

Allama Muhammad Iqbal
Rahmat Ali
Liaquat Ali Khan
Muhammad Zafarullah Khan
Jahanara Shahnawaz
Naseer Ahmed Malhi
Shaukat Hayat Khan
Ghazanfar Ali Khan
Zafar Ali Khan
Muhammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi

Pakistan Armed Forces

Zia-ul-Haq, former Army Chief of Staff and former President of Pakistan (1977– 1988)
General Raheel Sharif, former Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army
Major Tufail Muhammad, recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider (NH)
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, recipient of NH
Major Muhammad Akram, recipient of NH
Major Shabbir Sharif, recipient of NH
Captain Muhammad Sarwar, recipient of NH
Naik Saif Ali Janjua, recipient of NH
Lace Naik Muhammad Mahfuz, recipient of NH
Sowar Muhammad Hussain, recipient of NH

Politicians:

Amir Mohammad Khan, Nawab of Kalabagh, Governor of East Pakistan
Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Khan, longest serving parliamentarian of Pakistan from 1951 to 1999
Imran Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (2018–2022)
Pervaiz Elahi, first Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, former Chief Minister of Punjab (2002–2007)
Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, current president of PML(Q)

Writers and Poets

Fariduddin Ganjshakar
Shah Hussain
Sultan Bahu
Bulleh Shah
Ali Haider Multani
Lutf Ali
Waris Shah
Qadir Yar
Mian Muhammad Baksh
Khawaja Ghulam Fareed
Zafar Ali Khan
Muhammad Iqbal
Hakim Ahmad Shuja
Hafeez Jalandhari
Faiz Ahmad Faiz
Ustad Daman
Hasan Manto
Shareef Kunjahi
Ahmad Rahi
Habib Jalib
Anwar MasoodSportspersons
Arshad Nadeem, javelin thrower and Olympic Gold Medalist
Masood Fakhri, footballer
Amir Iqbal Khan, boxer
Abdul Khaliq, sprinter
Abdul Razzaq, cricketer
Wasim Akram, cricketer
Abdul Hafeez Kardar, cricketer

Scientists:

Abdus Salam, the first Pakistani to win a Nobel prize in Physics. Abdus Salam, theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner in Physics for his contributions to the Electroweak force
Riazuddin, theoretical physicist and one of the key developers of the theoretical designs of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons
Masud Ahmad, theoretical physicist and one of the key developers of the theoretical designs of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons
Ayyub Ommaya, neurosurgeon and inventor of the Ommaya reservoir
Mahbub ul Haq, economist and inventor of the Human Development Index (HDI)

(iv) PRE-PARTITION HISTORY OF PUNJAB:

The history of Punjab dates back to the Indus civilization.
The region has been invaded and ruled by many different empires and races including the:
• Aryans
• Persians
• Greeks
• Egyptians
• Afghans
• Mongols
The population of Punjab had been pre-dominantly Hindu with large Buddhist minorities before it was conquered by Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 AD.

He was the first to bring the message of Islam to the region. It was later spread through the teachings of various Sufi saints.

EHD E SALATEEN
KHANDANE GHULAMA
LODHI KHANDAN

IBRAHIM LODHI TO BABAR (FIRST MUGHAL EMPEROR)
The Mughals controlled the region from 1524-1739. It was their reign that saw the construction of the great architectural wonders such as the Badshahi Mosque and the Shalimar Gardens.
Following the decline and subsequent fall of the Mughal Empire,
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh was the most prominent ruler of the Punjab. He established the Sikh Empire that lasted from 1799-1849. after his death, political chaos ensued and two of his successor maharajas were assassinated in the succession struggle.
The British Empire took control and annexed Punjab in 1849 after two Anglo Sikh Wars.
By virtue of its geo-political position, Punjab was one of Great Britain’s most important assets in colonial India allowing it to execute control over the numerous princely states that made up the country.
The British rule saw a series of measures being introduced including the introduction of western education, a new revenue system and the establishment of a new administrative system. However, the increasing resentment of the people towards their colonial masters brought Punjab at the center of the rising rebellion.
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 took place in Amritsar and following the Pakistan Resolution of 1940, Punjab was at the heart of the independence struggle of modern day Pakistan.
The 1947 partition of the Subcontinent divided Punjab into two parts – the West Punjab, belonging to Pakistan and the East Punjab, which became part of India.
In 1947, the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into:

West Punjab
East Punjab

West Punjab was assimilated into the new country of Pakistan while East Punjab joined India. This led to massive rioting, as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees.

At the time of Independence in 1947, and due to the ensuing mass exchange of populations (accompanied as it was by rioting, murder and other atrocities committed against migrating populations), the Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus migrated to India, while the Muslims on the other side of the border migrated to Pakistan.
– Of the 7 million plus people who moved to Pakistan, approximately 6 million settled in Punjab.
During the partition of India in 1947, most of the Muslim dominated areas went on to form the present-day province of Punjab while the Sikh and Hindu dominated regions formed the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.

(v) POST PARTITION HISTORY OF PUNJAB:

In 1955 due to the rising tensions between East and West Pakistan, Punjab lost it province status. In 1972 however, following the secession of East Pakistan and formation of Bangladesh, it regained its standing. In 1965 and 1971, Punjab witnessed the two wars between India and Pakistan.
The Punjab province of Pakistan regained its status as a province after the One Unit policy was ended in 1970. The province was reorganized and renamed Punjab.

Explanation:
• In 1955, the One Unit policy was introduced to consolidate all of West Pakistan into one province.
• From 1955 to 1970, the province of West Punjab ceased to exist.
• In 1970, the One Unit policy ended and provinces were reintroduced.
• The area of the former Princely State of Bahawalpur was added to the province of Punjab.