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82-525: This area, known as Namal Valley (وادی نمل) has been very ancient and inhabited for many centuries, which is evidenced by the oldest cemetery of Namal on the banks of the lake and the decayed graves here show how old this area is. There is a well-known tradition that before the British era, the ruler of this area was Raja Sarkap, who was very cruel. The 1915 Gazetteer of Mianwali, in a section entitled "Architectural Objects and Remain-Ruins of Sirkapp Fort", described

164-678: A "Chhatri" to honour Rao Bal Kishan at Karnal which still can be found. [1] In the wake of the Persian invasion, Sialkot fell under the control of Pashtun powerful families from Multan and Afghanistan – the Kakayzais and Sherwanis . Sialkot was crept upon by Ranjit Deo of Jammu , who pledged nominal allegiance to the Mughal crown in Delhi. Ranjit Deo did not conquer Sialkot city from the Pashtun families which held

246-479: A "ribbon-like" pattern along the cities main arteries, and are almost entirely dedicated to export. The city's sporting good firms are not concentrated in any part of the city, but are instead spread throughout Sialkot. Despite the city's overall prosperity, the local government has failed to meet Sialkot's basic infrastructure needs. Sialkot is a religiously homogenous city with 96 percent of its population being Muslim and following Islam . The principal minority

328-454: A dilapidated condition, but the enclosure, which must once have contained accommodation for a fairly large garrison, is now one mass of fallen houses and piles of hewn or chiselled stones . The series of lifts, made for carrying water from the bed of the stream to the top of the hill, have left their marks. 32°40′10″N 71°48′45″E  /  32.66944°N 71.81250°E  / 32.66944; 71.81250 This article about

410-535: A garrison. He also extensively repaired the Sialkot Fort around the time of his conquest of Punjab, and left the region in charge of Hussain Churmali while he returned to Ghazni . Sialkot was then quickly laid siege to by Khokhar tribesmen, and Khusrau Malik , the last Ghaznavid sultan, though he was defeated during Ghauri's return to Punjab in 1186. In the 1200s, Sialkot was the only area of western Punjab that

492-620: A location in Mianwali District , Punjab, Pakistan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sialkot Sialkot ( Punjabi , Urdu : سيالكوٹ ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan . It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the 12th most populous city in Pakistan . The boundaries of Sialkot are joined by Jammu in the north east, the districts of Narowal in

574-520: A major centre for Buddhist thought. Ancient Sialkot was recorded by Ptolemy in his 1st century CE work, Geography, in which he refers to the city as Euthymedia ( Εύθυμέδεια ). Around 460 CE, the Alchon Huns invaded the region from Central Asia, forcing the ruling family of nearby Taxila to seek refuge in Sialkot. Sialkot itself was soon captured, and the city was made a significant centre of

656-641: A region, the Mughals always sought to occupy a strategic fortress in some region, which would serve as a nodal point from which the Mughal army would emerge to take on any enemy that challenged the empire. This system was not only expensive but also made the army somewhat inflexible as the assumption was always the enemy would retreat into a fortress to be besieged or would engage in a set-piece decisive battle of annihilation on open ground. The Hindu Marathas were expert horsemen who refused to engage in set-piece battles, but rather engaged in campaigns of guerrilla warfare upon

738-651: A small Pakistani city that has emerged as a "world-class manufacturing hub." The relatively small city exported approximately $ 2.5 billion worth of goods in 2017, or about 10% of Pakistan's total exports. The city has been labeled as the Football manufacturing capital of the World , as it produces over 70% of all footballs manufactured in the world. Sialkot is also home to the Sialkot International Airport ; Pakistan's first privately owned public airport. Along with

820-418: A syncretistic mixture of Hinduism and Islam. Akbar allowed freedom of religion at his court and attempted to resolve socio-political and cultural differences in his empire by establishing a new religion, Din-i-Ilahi , with strong characteristics of a ruling cult. He left his son an internally stable state, which was in the midst of its golden age, but before long signs of political weakness would emerge. Akbar

902-473: A territory of more than 4 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles). Mughal power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II , was deposed in 1857, with the establishment of the British Raj . The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur , a Timurid prince and ruler from Central Asia . Babur was a direct descendant of Timur , the 14th century founder of

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984-516: Is Christians who make up 3.77 percent of the population. Sialkot is a wealthy city relative to the rest of Pakistan, with a GDP (nominal) of $ 13 Billions and a per capita income in 2021 estimated at $ 18500. The city was considered to be one of British India 's most industrialised cities, though its economy would later be largely decimated by violence and capital flight following the Partition . The city's economy rebounded, and Sialkot now forms part of

1066-560: Is a well-applied child labour ban, the Atlanta Agreement , in the industry since a 1997 outcry, and the local industry now funds the Independent Monitoring Association for Child Labour to regulate factories. Sialkot is also the world's largest centre of surgical instrument manufacturing. Sialkot was first noted to be a centre of metalwork in the 1890s, and the city's association with surgical instruments came from

1148-477: Is made up of a few hundred small and medium size enterprises, supported by thousands of subcontractors, suppliers, and those providing other ancillary services. The bulk of exports are destined for the United States and European Union . Sialkot first became a centre for sporting goods manufacturing during the colonial era. Enterprises were initially inaugurated for the recreation of British troops stationed along

1230-792: Is observed as a public holiday in Pakistan . During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , when Pakistani troops arrived in Kashmir , the Indian Army counterattacked in the Sialkot Sector. The Pakistan Army successfully defended the city and the people of Sialkot came out in full force to support the troops. In 1966, Government of Pakistan awarded a special flag of Hilal-e-Istaqlal to Sialkot, along with Lahore and Sargodha in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 for showing severe resistance in front of

1312-430: The 2014 FIFA World Cup , 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup were made by Forward Sports , a Sialkot-based company. Sialkot's business community has joined with the local government to maintain the city's infrastructure, as the local government has limited capacity to fund such maintenance. The business community was instrumental in the establishment of Sialkot's Dry Port in 1985, and further helped re-pave

1394-575: The Akbar era, Sialkot's pargana territory was placed in the jagir custodianship of Raja Man Singh , who would repair the city's fort, and sought to increase its population and develop its economy. In 1580 Yousuf Shah Chak of Kashmir sought refuge in the city during his exile from the Valley of Kashmir. Paper-makers from Kashmir migrated to the city during the Akbar period, and Sialkot later became renowned as

1476-624: The Ghaznavid Empire in the early 11th century, the capital of the Hindu Shahi empire was shifted from Lahore to Sialkot. Ghaznavid expansion in northern Punjab encouraged local Khokhar tribes to stop paying tribute to the Rajas of Jammu. Sialkot became a part of the medieval Sultanate of Delhi after Muhammad Ghauri conquered Punjab in 1185. Ghauri was unable to conquer the larger city of Lahore , but deemed Sialkot important enough to warrant

1558-476: The Hindu and Sikh minorities migrated to India, while Muslim refugees from India settled in Sialkot. The city had suffered significant losses as a result of communal rioting that erupted because of Partition. 80% of Sialkot's industry had been destroyed or abandoned, and the working capital fell by an estimated 90%. The city was further stressed by the arrival of 200,000 migrants, mostly from Jammu , who had arrived in

1640-860: The Mahabharata for the "loose and Bacchanalian" women who lived in the woods there. The city was said to have been located in the Sakaladvipa region between the Chenab and Ravi rivers, now known as the Rechna Doab . The Anabasis of Alexander , written by the Roman-Greek historian Arrian , recorded that Alexander the Great captured ancient Sialkot , recorded as Sagala, from the Cathaeans, who had entrenched themselves there. The city had been home to 80,000 residents on

1722-582: The North West Frontier . Nearby timber reserves served to initially allure the industry to Sialkot. The city's Muslim craftsmen generally manufactured the goods, while Sikh and Hindu merchants of the Sindhi Bania , Arora , and Punjabi Khatri castes acted like middle men to bring goods to market. Sialkot now produces a wide array of sporting goods, including footballs and hockey sticks, cricket gear, gloves that are used in international games comprising

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1804-611: The Pakistan Movement . While Muslim refugees had poured into the city escaping riots elsewhere, Sialkot's Hindu and Sikh communities began fleeing in the opposite direction towards India. They initially congregated in fields outside the city, where some of Sialkot's Muslims would bid farewell to departing friends. Hindu and Sikh refugees were unable to exit Pakistan towards Jammu on account of conflict in Kashmir, and were instead required to transit via Lahore. After independence in 1947

1886-460: The Shah Jahan period, the city was placed under the rule of Ali Mardan Khan . The last Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb , appointed Ganga Dhar as faujdar of the city until 1654. Rahmat Khan was then placed in charge of the city, and would build a mosque in the city. Under Aurangzeb's reign, Sialkot became known as a great centre of Islamic thought and scholarship, and attracted scholars because of

1968-716: The Timurid empire on his father's side, and Genghis Khan on his mother's side. Ousted from his ancestral domains in Turkestan by Shaybani Khan , the 40-year-old prince Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass . Babur's forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow

2050-581: The United Arab Emirates . Sialkot is the world's largest producer of hand-sewn footballs , with local factories manufacturing 40–60 million footballs a year, amounting to roughly 60% of world production. Since the 2014 FIFA World Cup , footballs for the official matches are being made by Forward Sports , a company based in Sialkot. Clustering of sports goods industrial units has allowed for firms in Sialkot to become highly specialised, and to benefit from joint action and external economies. There

2132-536: The partition of India gave way to the establishment of Pakistan , a newly independent Islamic state in which Iqbal was honoured as the national poet . He is also known in Pakistani society as Hakim ul-Ummat ( lit.   ' The Wise Man of the Ummah ' ) and as Mufakkir-e-Pakistan ( lit.   ' The Thinker of Pakistan ' ). The anniversary of his birth ( Yom-e Weladat-e Muḥammad Iqbal ), 9 November,

2214-522: The 13th century, Imam Ali-ul-Haq , Sialkot's most revered Muslim Sufi warrior-saint, arrived from Arabia , and began his missionary work in the region that successfully converted large numbers of the native population to Islam , thereby transforming Sialkot into a largely Muslim city. The saint later died in battle, and is revered as a martyr. Sialkot was the capital of the Punjabi Muslim ruler Jasrat who reigned over most of Punjab and Jammu in

2296-406: The 13th century, Imam Ali-ul-Haq , Sialkot's most revered Sufi warrior-saint, arrived from Arabia , and began his missionary work in the region that successfully converted large numbers of Hindus to Islam, thereby transforming Sialkot into a largely Muslim city. The saint later died in battle, and is revered as a martyr. Sialkot became capital of Punjabi warlord and ruler Jasrat 's kingdom in

2378-599: The Alchon Huns around 515, during the reign of Toramana . During the reign of his son, Mihirakula , the empire reached its zenith. The Alchon Huns were defeated in 528 by a coalition of princes led by Prince Yashodharman The city was visited by the Chinese traveller Xuanzang in 633, who recorded the city's name the She-kie-lo. Xuanzang reported that the city had been rebuilt approximately 15 li , or 2.5 miles, away from

2460-748: The British following their victory over the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. During the British era, an official is known as The Resident who would, in theory, advise the Maharaja of Kashmir would reside in Sialkot during the wintertime. During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the two Bengal regiments based in Sialkot rebelled against the East India Company , while their native servants also took up arms against

2542-445: The British. In 1877, the Sialkot poet Allama Iqbal , who is credited for inspiring the Pakistan Movement , was born into a Kashmiri family that had converted to Islam from Hinduism in the early 1400s. British India's first bagpipe works opened in Sialkot, and today there are 20 pipe bands in the city. Sialkot's modern prosperity began during the colonial era. The city had been known for its paper making and ironworks prior to

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2624-662: The Khokhars. Sialkot was sacked by Malik Tazi Bhat of Kashmir, who attacked Sialkot after the governor of Punjab, Tatar Khan, had left the city undefended during one of his military campaigns. Sialkot was captured by armies of the Babur in 1520, when the Mughal commander Usman Ghani Raza advanced towards Delhi during the initial conquest of Babur . Babur recorded a battle with Gujjar raiders, who had attacked Sialkot, and allegedly mistreated its inhabitants. In 1525–1526, Alam Khan, uncle of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi , invaded from Afghanistan, and

2706-497: The Marathas. The Indian campaign of Nader Shah of Persia culminated with the Sack of Delhi and shattered the remnants of Mughal power and prestige, as well as capturing the imperial treasury, thus drastically accelerating its decline. Many of the empire's elites now sought to control their own affairs and broke away to form independent kingdoms. The Mughal emperor, however, continued to be

2788-421: The Mughal supply lines. The Marathas were unable to take the Mughal fortresses via a storm or formal siege as they lacked the artillery, but by constantly intercepting supply columns, they were able to starve Mughal fortresses into submission. Successive Mughal commanders refused to adjust their tactics and develop an appropriate counter-insurgency strategy, which led to the Mughals losing more and more ground to

2870-520: The Namal area as follows: Overlooking the village site of Nammal in the Khudri is a ridge of great natural strength, cut off on three sides by hill torrents. On the top of this ridge there are extensive ruins of what is said to have been the stronghold of Sirkapp , Raja of the country, who was a contemporary of Raja Risalu of Sialkot , by whom he was vanquished. The outer wall of the fort still exists in part in

2952-577: The Olympics and World Cups. Sialkot is also noted for its leather goods. Leather for footballs is sourced from nearby farms, while Sialkot's leather workers craft some of Germany's most prized leather lederhosen trousers. Sialkot also has a large share in the agricultural sector. It predominantly produces Basmati rice varieties, wheat and sugarcane . Its area is 3,015 km (1,164 sq mi), at least 642,624 acres (260,061 ha) are under cultivation. Potato and sunflower were evident among

3034-450: The authority of the emperor, accepting him only as 'King of Delhi' and removing all references to him from their coinage. After the Indian rebellion which he nominally led from 1857–58, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar , was deposed by the British, who then assumed formal control of a large part of the former empire, marking the start of the British Raj . Titular emperors Over

3116-693: The city being small and funded by family savings. Sialkot's Chamber of Commerce had over 6,500 members in 2010, with most active in the leather, sporting goods, and surgical instruments industry. The Sialkot Dry Port offers local producers quick access to Pakistani Customs, as well as to logistics and transportation. Despite being cut off from its historic economic heartland in Kashmir , Sialkot has managed to position itself into one of Pakistan's most prosperous cities, exporting up to 10% of all Pakistani exports. Its sporting goods firms have been particularly successful, and have produced items for global brands such as Nike , Adidas , Reebok , and Puma . Balls for

3198-509: The city greatly prospered as a major trading centre renowned for its silk. Menander embraced Buddhism in Sagala, after an extensive debating with the Buddhist monk Nagasena , as recorded in the Buddhist text Milinda Panha . the text offers an early description of the city's cityscape and status as a prosperous trade centre with numerous green spaces. Following his conversion, Sialkot developed as

3280-525: The city promised to pay tribute to the Persian crown . After that Nader Shah went to India where in Karnal , Rao Bal Kishan fought against him with their 5000 soldiers who hails from Ahirwal on 24, Feb 1739 . Seen this Nader Shah shocked but impressed by Rao Bal Kishan fighting skills. Lastly when Nadirshah reached Delhi he told Muhammad Shah about Rao Bal Kishan Bravery, on which Muhammad Shah ordered to make

3362-508: The city ruined by Alexander the Great. During this time, Sialkot served as the political nucleus of the North Punjab region. The city was then invaded in 643 by princes from Jammu , who held the city until the Muslim invasions during the medieval era. Around the year 1000, Sialkot began to decline in importance as the nearby city of Lahore rose to prominence. Following to fall of Lahore to

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3444-413: The city's dispersed residents back to the city. The Bhangi rulers engaged in feuds with the neighbouring Sukerchakia Misl state by 1791, and would eventually lose control of the city. The Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh captured Sialkot from Sardar Jiwan Singh in 1808. Sikh forces then occupied Sialkot until the arrival of the British in 1849. Sialkot, along with Punjab as a whole, was captured by

3526-533: The city's roads. Sialkot's business community also largely funded the Sialkot International Airport —opened in 2011 as Pakistan's first privately owned public airport. Sialkot is also the only city in Pakistan to have its very own commercial airline, Airsial . This airline is managed by the business community of Sialkot based at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industries and offers direct flights from Sialkot to Bahrain , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , and

3608-591: The city, but switched allegiance to the Pashtun ruler Ahmed Shah Durrani in 1748, effectively ending Mughal influence in Sialkot. The city and three nearby districts were amalgamated into the Durrani Empire . Sikh chieftains of the Bhangi Misl state encroached upon Sialkot, and had gained full control of the Sialkot region by 1786, Sialkot was portioned into 4 quarters, under the control of Sardar Jiwan Singh, Natha Singh, Sahib Singh, and Mohar Singh, who invited

3690-402: The city. Following the demise of industry in the city, the government of West Pakistan prioritised the re-establishment of Punjab's decimated industrial base. The province lead infrastructure projects in the area, and allotted abandoned properties to newly arrived refugees. Local entrepreneurs also rose to fill the vacuum created by the departure of Hindu and Sikh businessmen. By the 1960s,

3772-498: The colonial era, and became a centre of metalwork in the 1890s. Surgical instruments were being manufactured in Sialkot for use throughout British India by the 1920s. The city also became a centre for sports goods manufacturing for British troops stationed along with the North West Frontier due to the availability of nearby timber reserves. The British-Raj fought in The Second Boer War . A concentration camp in Sialkot held

3854-520: The court, however, began to exceed the revenue being levied. Shah Jahan's eldest son, the liberal Dara Shikoh , became regent in 1658, as a result of his father's illness. Dara championed a syncretistic Hindu-Muslim religion and culture. With the support of the Islamic orthodoxy, however, a younger son of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb , seized the throne. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, there

3936-458: The detained Boer Prisoners-of-War . As a result of the city's prosperity, large numbers of migrants from Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir came to the city in search of employment. At the end of World War II , the city was considered the second most industrialised in British Punjab , after Amritsar. Much of the city's infrastructure was paid for by local taxes, and the city was one of

4018-516: The dwellers of these cities. The armoured battles in the Sialkot sector like the Battle of Chawinda were the most intense since the Second World War . Sialkot features a humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ) under the Köppen climate classification , with four seasons. The post-monsoon season from mid-September to mid-November remains hot during the daytime, but nights are cooler with low humidity. In

4100-488: The early 15th century. Abdul Hakim Sialkoti was a 16th-17th century Mughal-era Islamic scholar , Islamic theologian and Islamic philosopher from Sialkot. He became the most influential Islamic scholar in the Mughal imperial court, and taught in the imperial madrassa . Sialkoti was the one who gave the title of Mujadid-e-Alf-e-Sani (Islamic Reviver of the second millennium) to his fellow Islamic scholar Ahmad Sirhindi . In return, Ahmad Sirhindi bestowed upon him

4182-408: The early 15th century. Jasrat conquered most of Punjab from the Delhi sultanate in a series of campaigns between 1421 and 1442. He also conquered Jammu after defeating its ruler Bhim Dev in 1423. This was the golden period of Sialkot. Later, Sultan Bahlul Lodi captured the city after Jasrat's death and granted custodianship of the city to Jammu's Raja Biram Dev, after he helped Bahlol in defeating

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4264-532: The empire heavily in both militarily and financially. A further problem for Aurangzeb was the army had always been based upon the land-owning aristocracy of northern India who provided the cavalry for the campaigns, and the empire had nothing equivalent to the janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire. The long and costly conquest of the Deccan had badly diminished the "aura of success" that surrounded Aurangzeb, and from

4346-623: The empire's decline, but he ultimately had to seek the protection of outside powers. In 1784, the Marathas under Mahadaji Shinde won acknowledgement as the protectors of the emperor in Delhi, a state of affairs that continued until after the Second Anglo-Maratha War . Thereafter, the East India Company became the protectors of the Mughal dynasty in Delhi . After 1835 the Company no longer recognised

4428-546: The enemy as these cities were target of enemy's advances. Every year on Defence Day , this flag is hoisted in these cities as a symbol of recognition of the will, courage and perseverance of the dwellers of these cities. The armoured battles in the Sialkot sector like the Battle of Chawinda were the most intense since the Second World War . The city is now one of Pakistan's most important industrial centers. The city has been noted for its entrepreneurial spirit and productive business climate which have made Sialkot an example of

4510-523: The eve of Alexander's invasion, but was razed as a warning against any other nearby cities that might resist his invasion. The ancient city was rebuilt, and made capital by the Indo-Greek king Menander I of the Euthydemid dynasty , in the 2nd century BCE. The rebuilt city was shifted slightly from the older city, as rebuilding on exactly the same spot was considered inauspicious. Under Menander's rule,

4592-457: The fabulous wealth of the Mughal court, but the glittering court hid darker realities, namely that about a quarter of the empire's gross national product was owned by 655 families while the bulk of India's 120 million people lived in appalling poverty. After suffering what appears to have been an epileptic seizure in 1578 while hunting tigers, which he regarded as a religious experience , Akbar grew disenchanted with Islam, and came to embrace

4674-550: The few in British India to have its own electric utility company. The first communal riots between Hindus/Sikhs and Muslims took place on 24 June 1946, a day after the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan as a separate state. Sialkot remained peaceful for several months while communal riots had erupted in Lahore , Amritsar , Ludhiana , and Rawalpindi . The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and

4756-512: The highest manifestation of sovereignty. Not only the Muslim gentry, but the Maratha, Hindu, and Sikh leaders took part in ceremonial acknowledgements of the emperor as the sovereign of India. In the next decades, the Afghans , Sikhs , and Marathas battled against each other and the Mughals, revealing the fragmented state of the empire. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II made futile attempts to reverse

4838-505: The kingdom stretched to 3.2 million square kilometres, including parts of what are now India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. After his death in 1707, "many parts of the empire were in open revolt." Aurangzeb's attempts to reconquer his family's ancestral lands in Central Asia were not successful while his successful conquest of the Deccan region proved to be a pyrrhic victory that cost

4920-568: The late 17th century onwards, the aristocracy became increasingly unwilling to provide forces for the empire's wars as the prospect of being rewarded with land as a result of a successful war was seen as less and less likely. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the conquest of the Deccan, Aurangzeb had very selectively rewarded some of the noble families with confiscated land in the Deccan, leaving aristocrats unrewarded with confiscated land feeling strongly disgruntled and unwilling to participate in further campaigns. Aurangzeb's son, Shah Alam , repealed

5002-542: The minor crops of the district. List of emperors of the Mughal Empire The emperors of the Mughal Empire , who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur ), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were the supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent , mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India , Pakistan , Afghanistan and Bangladesh . They ruled many parts of India from 1526, and by 1707, and ruled most of

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5084-410: The nearby cities of Gujranwala and Gujrat , Sialkot forms part of the so-called "Golden Triangle" of industrial cities with export-oriented economies. Through exports, Sialkot-based industries are obtaining foreign exchange worth more than $ 2.5 billion annually to strengthen the national exchequer. Sialkot has a GDP(nominal) of $ 13 Billions, which makes it the 4th largest in Pakistan. Sialkot

5166-494: The need to repair, and subsequently manufacture, surgical instruments for the nearby Mission hospital. By the 1920s, surgical instruments were being manufactured for use throughout British India , with demand boosted by further by World War II . The city's surgical instrument manufacturing industry benefits from a clustering effect, in which larger manufacturers remain in close contact with smaller and specialised industries that can efficiently perform contracted work. The industry

5248-530: The new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India. The instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun , who was driven into exile in Persia by rebels. Humayun's exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal courts and led to increasing West Asian cultural influence in the Mughal court. The restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayun's triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from an accident shortly afterwards. Humayun's son, Akbar , succeeded to

5330-400: The provincial government laid extensive new roadways in the district, and connected it to trunk roads to link the region to the seaport in Karachi . During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , when Pakistani troops arrived in Kashmir, the Indian Army counterattacked in the Sialkot Sector. The Pakistan Army successfully defended the city and the people of Sialkot came out in full force to support

5412-406: The reign of Aurangzeb , the empire, as the world's largest economy and manufacturing power, worth over 25% of global GDP, controlled nearly all of the Indian subcontinent, extending from Dhaka in the east to Kabul in the west and from Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri River in the south. Its population at the time is estimated to be 158,400,000 (a quarter of the world's population), over

5494-466: The relatively industriazised region of northern Punjab that is sometimes referred to as the Golden Triangle. Sialkot has been noted by Britain's The Economist magazine as a "world-class manufacturing hub" with strong export industries. As of 2017, Sialkot exported US$ 2.5 billion worth of goods which is equal to 10% of Pakistan's total exports (US$ 25 billion). 250,000 residents are employed in Sialkot's industries, with most enterprises in

5576-556: The religious policies of his father and attempted to reform the administration. "However, after his death in 1712, the Mughal dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds. In the year 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne". During the reign of Muhammad Shah , the empire began to break up, and vast tracts of central India passed from Mughals to the Marathas hands. Mughal warfare had always been based upon heavy artillery for sieges, heavy cavalry for offensive operations and light cavalry for skirmishing and raids. To control

5658-427: The source of the prized Mughal Hariri paper – known for its brilliant whiteness and strength. The city's metalworkers also provided the Mughal crown with much of its weaponry. During the reign of Jahangir , the post was given to Safdar Khan, who rebuilt the city's fort, and oversaw a further increase in Sialkot's prosperity. Numerous fine houses and gardens were built in the city during the Jehangir period. During

5740-435: The southeast, Gujranwala in the southwest and Gujrat in the northwest. Sialkot continued to be a major political center until it was eclipsed by Lahore around the turn of the first millennium CE. Sialkot became a part of the medieval Sultanate of Delhi after Muhammad Ghauri conquered Punjab in 1185. In the 1200s, Sialkot was the only area of western Punjab that was ruled by the Mamluk Sultanate in Delhi. During

5822-575: The subcontinent. Afterwards, they declined rapidly, but nominally ruled territories until the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , where they gave their last stand against the invading British forces in India. The Mughal dynasty was founded by Babur ( r.  1526–1530 ), a Timurid prince from the Fergana Valley (modern-day Uzbekistan ), was a direct descendant of both Timur and Genghis Khan . The Mughal emperors had significant Indian Rajput and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as emperors were born to Rajput and Persian princesses. During

5904-674: The throne under a regent, Bairam Khan , who helped consolidate the Mughal Empire in India. Through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari river . He created a new ruling elite loyal to him, implemented a modern administration, and encouraged cultural developments. He increased trade with European trading companies. The Indian historian Abraham Eraly wrote that foreigners were often impressed by

5986-484: The title of Aftāb-i-Panjāb (Sun among the Islamic scholars of Punjab). After Abdul Hakim Sialkoti's death in 1656, his son Maulvī Abdullah (d. 1094 AH/1682) became chief scholar of Sialkot, and his madrassa became a centre of learning. The Mughal emperor , Aurangzeb , appointed Rahmat Khan in charge of the city, who then built a mosque. Under Aurangzeb's reign, Sialkot became known as a great centre of Islamic thought and scholarship, and attracted scholars because of

6068-400: The troops. In 1966, Government of Pakistan awarded a special flag of Hilal-e-Istaqlal to Sialkot, along with Lahore and Sargodha in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]for showing severe resistance in front of enemy as these cities were target of enemy's advances. Every year on Defence Day , this flag is hoisted in these cities as a symbol of recognition of the will, courage and perseverance of

6150-496: The widespread availability of paper in the city. Following the decline of the Mughal empire after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, Sialkot and its outlying districts were left undefended and forced to defend itself. In 1739, the city was captured by Nader Shah of Persia during his invasion of the Mughal Empire . The city was placed under the governorship of Zakariya Khan , the Mughal Viceroy of Lahore, who in return for

6232-472: The widespread availability of paper in the city. Sialkot city is also the birthplace of Allama Muhammad Iqbal ( Pakistan's National Poet ), who is considered to be one of the leading Islamic thought leaders and Islamic revivalists of the 20th century, and is also widely regarded as having animated the pulse for the Pakistan Movement In August 1947 , nine years after Iqbal's death,

6314-452: The winter from mid-November to March, days are mild to warm, with occasionally heavy rainfalls occurring. Temperatures in winter may drop to 0 °C or 32 °F, but maxima are very rarely less than 15 °C or 59 °F. Sialkot's core is composed of the densely populated old city, while north of the city lies the vast colonial era Sialkot Cantonment – characterised by wide streets and large lawns. The city's industries have evolved in

6396-438: Was a succession war for the throne between Dara and Aurangzeb. Finally, Aurangzeb succeeded the throne and kept Shah Jahan under house arrest. During Aurangzeb's reign, the empire gained political strength once more, and it became the world's largest economy, over a quarter of the world GDP, but his establishment of Sharia caused huge controversies. Aurangzeb expanded the empire to include a huge part of South Asia. At its peak,

6478-430: Was able to capture Sialkot with the aid of Mongol forces. During the early Mughal era, Sialkot was made part of the subah, or "province", of Lahore. According to Sikh tradition, Guru Nanak , the founder of Sikhism , visited the city, sometime in the early 16th century. He is said to have met Hamza Ghaus, a prominent Sufi mystic based in Sialkot, at a site now commemorated by the city's Gurdwara Beri Sahib . During

6560-471: Was also interested in elevating the way individuals view leaders with the stylings of his clothes and ensemble. Akbar's son, Jahangir , was addicted to opium , neglected the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques . During the reign of Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan , the splendour of the Mughal court reached its peak, as exemplified by the Taj Mahal . The cost of maintaining

6642-628: Was ruled by the Mamluk Sultanate in Delhi. The area had been captured by the Ghauri prince Yildiz , but was recaptured by Sultan Iltutmish in 1217. Around 1223, Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu , the last king of the Khwarazmian dynasty of Central Asia that had fled invasion of Genghis Khan there, briefly captured Sialkot and Lahore, before being driven out by Iltutmish's forces towards Uch Sharif . During

6724-623: Was the likely capital of the Madra Kingdom Sagala , Sakala ( Sanskrit : साकला ), or Sangala ( Ancient Greek : Σάγγαλα ) mentioned in the Mahabharata , a Sanskrit epic of ancient India, as occupying a similar area as Greek accounts of Sagala. The city may have been inhabited by the Saka , or Scythians , from Central Asia who had migrated into the Subcontinent. The region was noted in

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