Rawat Fort ( Urdu : قلعہ روات ) is an early 15th century fort in the Pothohar plateau of Pakistan , near the city of Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab .
102-539: It is 17 km east of Rawalpindi on Grand Trunk Road . The 2nd century Mankiala stupa can be seen from the roof of the fort's mosque. The fort is located approximately 50 miles from the vast Rohtas Fort , which had been built by Sher Shah Suri to establish control of the Pothohar region. Rawat Fort derives is named from the Arabic word Rabat ( Arabic : رباط ), meaning caravanserai - an inn for caravans . The fort
204-512: A breach in the defences, which the infantry stormed. Mulraj surrendered on 22 January. The ending of the siege allowed Whish to reinforce Gough. In particular, Whish's division had large numbers of heavy guns, which the Sikhs lacked. As Gough's army closed in on the Sikh Army, he sent William Hodson to scout the Sikh Army's position. Sher Singh attempted a last outflanking move, sending cavalry to cross
306-499: A cavalry force under Major General Joseph Thackwell to cross the Chenab upstream of Ramnagar and turn the Sikh left, but Thackwell then paused to await infantry reinforcements, allowing the Sikhs to withdraw without interference. Gough claimed this indecisive action as a victory. At the start of 1849, Amir Dost Mohammed Khan of Afghanistan sided with the rebellious Sikhs, who agreed to cede
408-617: A community of Jewish traders who had fled Mashhad , Persia in the 1830s. In the British era many churches were built for the British soldiers to come to the churches for Sunday prayer because Rawalpindi Cantonment was the home for the British Army . The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus is a 48.1 km (29.9 mi) bus rapid transit system operating in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area . The Metrobus network's first phase
510-467: A cooler and drier winter. Rawalpindi and its twin city Islamabad , during the year experiences an average of 91 thunderstorms, which is the highest frequency of any plain elevation city in the country. Strong windstorms are frequent in the summer during which wind gusts have been reported by Pakistan Meteorological Department to have reached 176 km/h (109 mph). In such thunder/wind storms, which results in some damage of infrastructure. The weather
612-438: A hub for tourists visiting Rohtas Fort , Azad Kashmir , Taxila and Gilgit-Baltistan . The origin of the name may derive from Punjabi words " rāwal" ( راول ) meaning "lake" and " pinḍ" ( پِنڈ ) meaning "village". The combination of the two words thus means "the village on the lake". Another explanation is that Rawalpindi literally means the "Village of Rawals" as it occupies the site of an old village inhabited by
714-658: A major British force should at once move upon Multan. However Gough, supported by Dalhousie, the Governor General, declined to order major units of the East India Company to the Punjab until the end of the hot weather and monsoon seasons, which would not be until November. Instead, Currie ordered only a small force from the Bengal Army under General Whish, and several contingents of locally recruited irregulars and detachments of
816-525: A minimum of −3.9 °C (25 °F ) several occasions, though the last of which was in January 1967. Social structures in Rawalpindi's historic core centre around neighbourhoods, each known as a Mohallah . Each neighbourhood is served by a nearby bazaar (market) and mosque, which in turn serves as a place where people can gather for trade and manufacturing. Each Mohallah has narrow gallies (streets), and
918-453: A petty squabble over seniority and could arrive only when its first commander (who was senior to Whish and refused to serve under him) was replaced by a more junior officer. Whish's army was supplied and reinforced by sea and river transport up the rivers Indus and Chenab. Whish renewed the siege of Multan on 27 December, with 17,000 men and 64 guns. After a heavy bombardment the city was stormed on 2 January 1849. On 22 January, Mulraj surrendered
1020-540: A provision of Zia ul Haqs Islamization programme. A spate of bombings in September 1987 took place in the city killing 5 people, in attacks that are believed to have been orchestrated by agents of Afghanistan's communist government. On 10 April 1988, Rawalpindi's Ojhri Camp , an ammunition depot for Afghan mujahideen fighting against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, exploded and killed many in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. At
1122-548: A pursuit which lasted for four hours. The Sikhs began gradually retreating into rougher territory filled with Muslim villagers who mainly supported the British against the Sikhs. The Sikh loss was estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000 men and 53 guns; the British casualties were 96 killed and 700 wounded. On 12 March, Chattar Singh and Sher Singh surrendered to Sir Walter Gilbert near Rawalpindi . Some 20,000 men (mainly irregular cavalry) laid down their arms. The Afghan contingent hastily withdrew through Attock and Peshawar , which
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#17328560542361224-538: A short time, the Sikh troops joined in open rebellion. Governor-General of India Lord Dalhousie agreed with Sir Hugh Gough , the commander-in-chief, that the British East India Company 's military forces were neither adequately equipped with transport and supplies, nor otherwise prepared to take the field immediately. He also foresaw the spread of the rebellion, and the necessity that must arise, not merely for
1326-475: A small escort. Mulraj handed over the keys of the fortress, but as Vans Agnew's party attempted to take possession, they were attacked by a party of Mulraj's irregular troops, and a mob from the city. Both officers were wounded, and were rescued by Kahan Singh. They were taken to a mosque outside the city. Their escorts defected to Mulraj, and the two officers were murdered by the mob the next day. Mulraj later claimed that he had not instigated these attacks, but he
1428-475: A small town, to the third largest city in Punjab by 1921. In 1868, 9,358 people lived in the city's cantonment – by 1891, the number rose to 37,870. In 1891, the city's population excluding the Cantonment was 34,153. The city was considered to be a favourite first posting for newly arrived soldiers from England, owing to the city's agreeable climate, and the nearby hill station of Murree . In 1901, Rawalpindi
1530-529: A time the refuge of Shah Shuja , the exiled king of Afghanistan , and of his brother Shah Zaman in the early 19th century. Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh allowed the son of Sardar Milkha Singh to continue as Governor of Rawalpindi, after Ranjit Singh seized the district in 1810. Sikh rule over Rawalpindi was consolidated by defeat of the Afghans at Haidaran in July 1813. The Sikh rulers allied themselves with some of
1632-459: Is 2,098,231 in 2017. 84% of the population is Punjabi , 9% is Pashtun , and 7% is from other ethnic groups. 96.7% of Rawalpindi's population is Muslim, 3.1% is Christian, 0.2% belong to other religious groups. The city's Kohaati Bazaar is site of large Shia mourning-processions for Ashura . The neighbourhoods of Waris Shah Mohallah and Pir Harra Mohallah form the core of Muslim settlement in Rawalpindi's old city. Prior to partition there
1734-463: Is highly variable due to the proximity of the city to the foothills of Himalayas. The average annual rainfall is 1,254.8 mm (49.40 in), most of which falls in the summer monsoon season. However, westerly disturbances also bring quite significant rainfall in the winter. In summer, the record maximum temperature has soared to 47.7 °C (118 °F ) recorded in June 1954, while it has dropped to
1836-575: Is now known as Liaquat Bagh Park . In 1958, Field Marshal Ayub Khan launched his coup d'etat from Rawalpindi. In 1959, the city became the interim capital of the country under Ayub Khan, who had sought the creation of a new planned capital of Islamabad in the vicinity of Rawalpindi. As a result, Rawalpindi saw most major central government offices and institutions relocate to nearby territory, and its population rapidly expand. The construction of Pakistan's new capital city of Islamabad in 1961 led to greater investment in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi remained
1938-480: Is said to have founded as a caravanserai in the 15th century by the Delhi Sultanate . However, Pothohar was under control of Malik Jasrat during this period, and he was probably its original builder. Jasrat is known to have constructed a series of other forts in the region. The caravan itself may have been built atop a Ghaznavid -era fort that was established in 1036 CE. it came under control of The caravanserai
2040-679: Is situated along the historic Grand Trunk Road that connects Peshawar to Islamabad and Lahore . The road is roughly paralleled by the M-1 Motorway between Peshawar and Rawalpindi, while the M-2 Motorway provides an alternate route to Lahore via the Salt Range . The Grand Trunk Road also provides access to the Afghan border via the Khyber Pass , with onwards connections to Kabul and Central Asia via
2142-626: Is socially and economically intertwined with Islamabad, and the greater metropolitan area . The city is also home to numerous suburban housing developments that serve as bedroom-communities for workers in Islamabad. In June 2015, the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus , a new bus rapid transit line with various points in Islamabad , opened for service. Rawalpindi features a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cwa) with hot and wet summers,
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#17328560542362244-663: Is under construction to connect Sukkur and Karachi as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor . The Hazara Motorway is also under construction as part of CPEC, and will provide control-access motorway travel all the way to Mansehra via the M-1 or Grand Trunk Road. Rawalpindi railway station in the Saddar neighbourhood serves as a stop along Pakistan's 1,687 kilometres (1,048 mi)-long Main Line-1 railway that connects
2346-564: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 , against the mutineers and other opponents (mostly high-caste Hindus from Eastern provinces, and forces or loyalists of Shia, Maratha and Mughal rulers). These Punjabi recruits had especially little sympathy with the Hindu mutineers of the Bengal Army, ironically contributed to by the latter's role in helping the British in the Anglo-Sikh wars. A long history of enmity of
2448-634: The Kharoshthi script. To the southeast are the ruins of the Mankiala stupa – a second-century stupa where, according to the Jataka tales , a previous incarnation of the Buddha leapt off a cliff in order to offer his corpse to seven hungry tiger cubs. The nearby town of Taxila is thought to have been home to one of the early universities or education centres of South Asia. Sir Alexander Cunningham identified ruins on
2550-768: The M-1 Motorway . The motorway also links Rawalpindi to major cities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, such as Charsadda and Mardan . The M-2 motorway offers high speed access to Lahore via the Potohar Plateau and Salt Range . The M-3 Motorway branches off from the M-2 at the city of Pindi Bhattian , where the M-3 offers onward connections to Faisalabad , and connects to the M-4 Motorway which continues onward to Multan and from there onwards to Sukkur . A new motorway network
2652-622: The Muslim call of prayer to go on which had been banned by the Sikhs and the British also reconstructed many mosques which had been desecrated and left under decay by Sikh rule. John McCosh , a surgeon in the Bengal Army , is considered by some historians to be the first war photographer known by name. He produced a series of photographs documenting the Second Anglo-Sikh War. These consisted of portraits of fellow officers, key figures from
2754-638: The Pothohar Plateau of northern Punjab, Rawalpindi remained a small town of little importance up until the 18th century. The region is known for its ancient heritage, for instance the neighbouring city of Taxila , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . In 1765, the ruling Gakhars were defeated and the city came under Sukerchakia Misl . During the Sikh-era , Rawalpindi, from a small regional town, became an important city in regards to trade and its strategic location within Punjab. The city's Babu Mohallah neighbourhood
2856-565: The Salang Pass . The Karakoram Highway provides access between Islamabad and western China, and an alternate route to Central Asia via Kashgar in the Chinese region of Xinjiang . The Islamabad Expressway connects Rawalpindi's eastern portions with the Rawal Lake and heart of Islamabad . The IJP Road separates Rawalpindi's northern edge from Islamabad. Rawalpindi is connected to Peshawar by
2958-554: The Sikh Khalsa Army to join the siege. These forces joined Edwardes at Multan between 18 and 28 August. To the alarm of several Political Agents, the force from the Sikh Army included a large contingent commanded by Sardar Sher Singh Attariwalla , Chattar Singh's son. Some Political Agents were already taking action to forestall outbreaks of rebellion. Captain John Nicholson , leading irregular cavalry based at Peshawar , seized
3060-551: The fourth most populous in Pakistan. It is located near the Soan River in north-western Punjab , and is the third-largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Rawalpindi is situated adjacent to Pakistan's capital Islamabad , and the two are jointly known as " twin cities " because of the social and economic links between them. Prior to Islamabad's establishment, Rawalpindi served as the country's capital from 1959 to 1967. Located on
3162-555: The 14th century. Situated along an invasion route, the settlement did not prosper and remained deserted until 1493, when Jhanda Khan Gakhar re-established the ruined town, and named it Rawal . During the Mughal era, Rawalpindi remained under the rule of the Ghakhar clan, who in turn pledged allegiance to the Mughal Empire. The city was developed as an important outpost in order to guard
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3264-592: The British Political Agent in Bannu , had been near Multan in April but was unable to save Vans Agnew. He hastily levied some Pakhtun irregular troops. On 18 June 1848, 8,000 Bhawalpuris under Futteh Mohammed Khan, aided by 3,000 Sikh irregulars under Lieutenant Edwardes, fought 8,000 Sikhs under Rung Ram. The Bhawalpuris were repulsed in an attack on the Sikh positions, but the arrival of Lieutenant Edwardes' guns turned
3366-531: The British era, and the Municipality of Rawalpindi was constituted in 1867, while the city's population as per the 1868 census was 19,228, with another 9,358 people residing in the city's cantonment. The city was also connected to railways that offered connection to India and the northwest frontier in Peshawar in the 1880s. The Commissariat Steam Flour Mills were the first such mills in Punjab, and supplied most of
3468-511: The British reoccupied. Dost Mohammad Khan later signed a treaty acknowledging British possession of these cities. The British had also gained control of the Khyber Pass which became the westernmost boundary of the British Raj . British rule was largely welcomed by the local Muslim population which had detested the rule of the Sikh Empire . This was also due to the fact that the British reallowed
3570-617: The British-controlled Durbar in Lahore to pay an increased tax assessment and revenues which were in arrears, Mulraj attempted to give up power to his son, so as to maintain his family's position as rulers. Currie instead appointed Sardar Kahan Singh Mann to succeed to the governorship and appointed a British Political Agent, Lieutenant Patrick Vans Agnew , to accompany him. On 18 April 1848, Kahan Singh and Vans Agnew arrived at Multan with another officer, Lieutenant William Anderson, and
3672-681: The Central Punjab and ultimately rejoin Chattar Singh. Meanwhile, Whish was forced to raise the siege on 22 September. As the cold weather began in November, substantial contingents from the East India Company's armies at last took the field. A contingent from the Bombay Army (administered separately from the Bengal Army) had been ordered to reinforce Whish and besiege Multan. This force was delayed by
3774-570: The Chenab, and re-cross in Gough's rear. They were thwarted by heavy rains which made the river difficult to cross, and by British irregular cavalry led by Harry Burnett Lumsden . On 21 February, Gough attacked the Sikh Army at the Battle of Gujrat . Here, he began the battle with a three-hour bombardment from almost 100 guns, which drove the Sikhs from their hasty entrenchments. He then sent his cavalry, led by Sir Joseph Thackwell, and horse artillery after them in
3876-594: The Kaanji Mal Ujagar Mal Ram Richpal Temple in the Kabarri Bazaar, are both currently used to house Kashmiri refugees. Mohan Temple in the Lunda Bazaar remains standing, but is abandoned and the building no longer used for any purpose. The city's "Shamshan Ghat" serves as the city's cremation grounds, and was partly renovated in 2012. The city's Babu Mohallah neighbourhood was once home to
3978-570: The Political Agent in Hazara , who was convinced that Sardar Chattar Singh Attariwalla was actively plotting a rebellion with other Sirdars . The city of Multan was part of the Sikh kingdom, having been captured by Ranjit Singh in 1818. In 1848, it was governed by a Hindu viceroy, Dewan Mulraj . After the end of the First Anglo-Sikh war, Mulraj had behaved independently. When he was required by
4080-585: The Rawals, a group of yogis ( ascetics ). Some accounts propose that a group of yogis arrived in this area with their leader, a head yogi named 'Rawal', and settled here with their followers. The region around Rawalpindi has been inhabited for thousands of years. Rawalpindi falls within the ancient boundaries of Gandhara , and is thus in a region containing many Buddhist ruins. In the region north-west of Rawalpindi, traces have been found of at least 55 stupas , 28 Buddhist monasteries, 9 temples, and various artifacts in
4182-681: The Sikh Empire began to fall into disorder. There was a succession of short-lived rulers at the central Durbar (court) , and increasing tension between the Army, which also saw itself as the embodiment of the state and religion, and the Durbar. The East India Company began to build up its military strength on the borders of the Punjab. Eventually, the increasing tension goaded the Sikh Army to invade British territory, under weak and possibly treacherous leaders. The hard-fought first Anglo-Sikh war ended in defeat for
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4284-575: The Sikh Empire surrendered to General Gilbert near Rawalpindi, ceding the city to the British. The Sikh Empire then came to an end on 29 March 1849. Following Rawalpindi's capture by the British East India Company, 53rd Regiment of the company army took quarters in the newly captured city. The decision to man a permanent military cantonment in the city was made in 1851 by the Marquess of Dalhousie . The city saw its first telegraph office in
4386-457: The Sikh Empire threatened to ally with Dost Mohammed Khan in Afghanistan or to lapse into disorder, and only force of arms could keep them in subjugation. The British were unwilling to incur the financial and manpower costs of using large numbers of British or Bengal Army units for this task. To the contrary, the Governor-General of India , Viscount Hardinge sought to make economies after
4488-580: The Sikh Empire was allowed to retain his throne, but a British Resident, Sir Henry Lawrence , controlled the policy of the Durbar. Duleep Singh's mother, Maharani Jind Kaur , continually tried to regain some of her former influence as Regent and was eventually exiled by Lawrence. While some Sikh generals and courtiers welcomed her dismissal, others resented Lawrence's action. Furthermore, the Sikh Sardars were forced to considerably reduce their territorial and judicial control leaving only four Sardars in charge of
4590-572: The Sikh army. At the end of the war, the Sikh Empire was forced to cede some valuable territory (the Jullundur Doab ) to the East India Company, and Gulab Singh , the ruler of Jammu , was allowed to acquire entire Jammu and Kashmir from the Sikh Empire by a large cash payment to the East India Company. Some of the Sikh Army were forced to make an expedition to oust the Governor of Kashmir in favour of Gulab Singh. The boy Maharaja Duleep Singh of
4692-477: The Sikhs with Mughal rule did not help the mutineers' cause either, given their choice of Bahadur Shah Zafar as a symbolic leader. The battle honour " Punjaub " was distributed with a free hand to all regiments employed in the operations of the Anglo-Sikh Wars during 1848–49 vide Gazette of the Governor General 277 of 1849, and the list of regiments honoured was issued vide. GoGG 803 of 1853. The Bombay Army
4794-503: The action, both withdrew. Sher Singh continued northwards to join Chattar Singh, which made the battle into a strategic British defeat. Gough nevertheless claimed a victory, which Dalhousie scornfully dubbed as "perhaps poetical." There was much alarm at the losses Gough had suffered. His tactics were severely criticised. Military experts in Britain described him as a "superannuated general who could not mount his horse without assistance" and he
4896-527: The aftermath of Chillianwala , Sher Singh Attariwalla sent a force of 100 cavalries along with 500 infantry of the Sikh Regiment and fought another battle with British on 16th January 1849 at Heights of Dullah, the Sikh chiefs supported Ram Singh Pathania and his Rajput men. In return, the British sent a huge force under the command of Brigadier Wheeler . Meanwhile, Whish's force completed their siege works around Multan, their batteries opened fire and made
4998-463: The area in return. By 1921, Rawalpindi's cantonment had overshadowed the city – Rawalpindi was one of seven cities of Punjab in which over half the population lived in the cantonment district. Communal riots erupted between Rawalpindi's Sikh and Muslim communities in 1926 after Sikhs refused to silence music from a procession that was passing in front of a mosque. HMS Rawalpindi was launched as an ocean liner in 1925 by Harland and Wolff ,
5100-523: The arrival of Sikhs fleeing political instability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . The Shri Krishna Mandir is the only functional Hindu temple in Rawalpindi. It was built in the Kabarri Bazaar in 1897. Other temples are abandoned or were repurposed. Rawalpindi's large Kalyan Das Temple from 1880 has been used as the "Gov't. Qandeel Secondary School for the Blind" since 1973. The Ram Leela Temple in Kanak Mandi , and
5202-582: The battle but soon they surrendered as there was a very small force. On the night of 14 August 1848, Wazir Ram Singh Pathania with his small Rajput army attacked the fort of Shahpur Kandi which was situated on the bank of river Ravi and held it, but after the seige of fort from 3rd to 18th September 1848 by a strong force of John Lawrence from Hoshiarpur, he alongside with 400 of his band took shelter at Rasual (Gujrat) Camp of The Sikh Commander Sher Singh Attariwalla and Basakha singh. Sir Hugh Gough led his main force against Sher Singh's army, which defended
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#17328560542365304-422: The campaigns, administrators and their wives and daughters, including Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew, Generals Gough and Napier, and Dewan Mulraj of Multan. He also photographed local people and architecture, artillery emplacements and the destructive aftermath. Lord Dalhousie proclaimed Britain's annexation of the Punjab on April 2nd, 1849. His foreign secretary, Henry Meirs Elliot, arrived at Lahore to obtain
5406-413: The capture of Multan, but also for the entire subjugation of the Punjab . He therefore resolutely delayed to strike, organized a strong army for operations in November, and himself proceeded to the Punjab. Despite the brilliant successes gained by Herbert Edwardes against Mulraj, and Gough's indecisive victories at the Battle of Ramnagar in November and at the Battle of Chillianwala on 13 January 1849,
5508-472: The citadel. He was imprisoned for the remainder of his life. The ending of the siege allowed Whish, with large numbers of heavy guns, to reinforce the army under Sir Hugh Gough. The British loss during the siege was 210 killed and 910 wounded. Rungur Muzl fort was controlled by Sher Singh Attariwalla and was the first sign of revolt from the Lahore Durbar. The Sikhs from the army saw the British troops coming in and attacked them with full force. The Sikhs won
5610-605: The city of Peshawar and its surrounding area which had been conquered by Ranjit Singh early in the nineteenth century. Dost Mohammed Khan's support of the Sikhs was cautious, but when 3,500 Afghan horsemen approached the vital fort of Attock on the Indus River, its garrison of Muslim troops installed earlier by Nicholson defected. This allowed Chattar Singh to move out of Hazara and march west and then south, intending to link up with Sher Singh's army. Dalhousie had earlier ordered Gough to halt operations while waiting for Multan to fall, which would allow Whish to reinforce him. Learning of
5712-404: The city on account of Rawalpindi's heavily armed Sikhs. At the dawn of Pakistan's independence in 1947 following the success of the Pakistan Movement , Rawalpindi was 43.79% Muslim, while Rawalpindi District as a whole was 80% Muslim. The region, on account of its large Muslim majority, was thus awarded to Pakistan. Rawalpindi's Hindu and Sikh population, who had made up 33.72% and 17.32% of
5814-459: The city to the port city of Karachi to Peshawar . The stations is served by the Awam Express , Hazara Express , Islamabad Express , Jaffar Express , Khyber Mail trains, and serves as the terminus for the Margalla Express , Mehr Express , Rawal Express , Pakistan Express , Subak Raftar Express , Green Line Express , Sir Syed Express , Subak Kharam Express and Tezgam trains. Second Anglo-Sikh War The second Anglo-Sikh war
5916-414: The city, migrated en masse to the newly independent Dominion of India after anti-Hindu and anti-Sikh pogroms in western Punjab, while Muslim refugees from India settled in the city following anti-Muslim pogroms in eastern Punjab and northern India. In the years following independence, Rawalpindi saw an influx of Muhajir , Pashtun and Kashmiri settlers. Having been the largest British Cantonment in
6018-406: The city. A large market was opened in central Rawalpindi in 1883 by Sardar Sujan Singh, while the British further developed a shopping district for the city's elite known as Saddar with an archway built to commemorate Brigadier General Massey. Rawalpindi's cantonment became a major centre of military power of the Raj after an arsenal was established in 1883. Britain's army elevated the city from
6120-409: The early 1850s. The city's Garrison Church was built shortly after in 1854, and is the site where Robert Milman , Bishop of Calcutta, was buried following his death in Rawalpindi in 1876. The city was home to 15,913 people in the 1855 census. During the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny , the area's Gakhars and Janjua tribes remained loyal to the British. Numerous civil and military buildings were built during
6222-431: The fall of Attock, he instead ordered Gough to destroy Sher Singh's army before Chattar Singh could join him. Gough unexpectedly encountered Sher Singh's position near the Jhelum River on 13 January 1849. Sher Singh had cunningly concealed his army, and Gough was faced with the choice of withdrawing, or attacking when it was late in the day. Gough unhesitatingly took the latter course. The resulting Battle of Chillianwala
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#17328560542366324-408: The first of two phases of conservation of the Rawat Fort. Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( / r ɔː l ˈ p ɪ n d i / ; Punjabi , Urdu : راولپنڈی , romanized : Rāwalpinḍī ; pronounced [ɾɑːʋəlpɪnɖiː] ), colloquially known as Pindi , is the third-largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab . It is a commercial and metropolitan city, being
6426-415: The formation of a Muslim ministry within the Government of Punjab. Policemen fired upon protestors, while Hindus and Sikhs fought against weaker Muslim counter-protestors. The area's first Partition riots erupted the next day on 6 March 1947, when the city's Muslims, angered by the actions of Hindus and Sikhs and encouraged by the Pir of Golra Sharif , raided nearby villages after they were unable to do so in
6528-491: The frontiers of the Mughal realm. Gakhars fortified a nearby caravanserai , in the 16th century, transforming it into the Rawat Fort in order to defend the Pothohar plateau from Sher Shah Suri 's forces. Construction of the Attock Fort in 1581 after Akbar led a campaign against his brother Mirza Muhammad Hakim , further securing Rawalpindi's environs. In December 1585, the Emperor Akbar arrived in Rawalpindi, and remained in and around Rawalpindi for 13 years as he extended
6630-474: The frontiers of the empire, in an era described as a "glorious period" in his career as Emperor. With the onset of chaos and rivalry between Gakhar chiefs after the death of Kamal Khan in 1559, Rawalpindi was awarded to Said Khan by the Mughal Emperor. Emperor Jehangir visited the royal camp in Rawalpindi in 1622, where he first learned of Shah Abbas I of Persia 's plan to invade Kandahar . Rawalpindi declined in importance as Mughal power declined, until
6732-435: The greater metropolitan area . The city is also home to numerous suburban housing developments that serve as bedroom-communities for workers in Islamabad. As home to the GHQ of the Pakistan Army and PAF Base Nur Khan , and with connections to the M-1 and M-2 motorways, Rawalpindi is a major logistics and transportation centre for northern Pakistan. The city is also home to historic havelis and temples, and serves as
6834-407: The grouping of houses around short lanes and cul-de-sacs lends a sense of privacy and security to residents of each neighbourhood. Major intersections in the neighbourhood are each referred to as a chowk . Rawalpindi is relatively a new city contrasted with Pakistan's millennia-old cities such as Lahore , Multan , and Peshawar . South of Rawalpindi's historic core, and across the Lai Nullah, are
6936-446: The headquarters of the Pakistani Army after the capital shifted to Islamabad in 1969, while the Pakistan Air Force continues to maintain an airbase in the Chaklala district of Rawalpindi. The military dictatorship of General Zia ul Haq hanged Pakistan's deposed Prime Minister , Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , in Rawalpindi in 1979. In 1980, tens of thousands of Shia protestors led by Mufti Jaffar Hussain marched to Rawalpindi to protest
7038-542: The headquarters of the Rawalpindi Division of British Punjab , this elevated Rawalpindi's status to one the largest metropolitan centres in colonial Punjab. Following the partition of British India in 1947, the city became home to the headquarters of the Pakistan Army . In 1951, the Rawalpindi conspiracy took place in which leftist army officers conspired to depose the first elected- Prime Minister of Pakistan , Liaquat Ali Khan . Rawalpindi later became site of Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination . On 27 December 2007, it
7140-444: The judiciary, with Sardar Chattar Singh Attariwalla controlling the area between the Jhelum and the Indus , Sardar Kahan Singh Mann controlling Lahore , Sardar Ram Singh Jallawala controlling the Chaj Doab , and Sardar Lehna Singh Majithia controlling the Majha including lands south east of the Ravi up to the hills and down to Kasur . Some of the Sikh Army had to be kept in being, since many predominantly Muslim areas of
7242-419: The line of the River Chenab for several weeks. On 22 November, the Sikhs repelled a British cavalry attack on a bridgehead on the eastern side of the river at the Battle of Ramnagar . Although they subsequently withdrew from their exposed bridgehead, the Sikhs captured a British gun and inflicted heavy losses. They regarded the battle as a victory and their morale was raised. On 3 December 1848, Gough despatched
7344-529: The local Gakhar tribes, and jointly defeated Syed Ahmad Barelvi at Akora Khattak in 1827, and again in 1831 in Balakot . Jews first arrived in Rawalpindi's Babu Mohallah neighbourhood from Mashhad , Persia in 1839, in order to flee from anti-Jewish laws instituted by the Qajar dynasty. In 1841, Diwan Kishan Kaur was appointed Sardar of Rawalpindi. On 14 March 1849, Sardar Chattar Singh and Raja Sher Singh of
7446-418: The needs of British cantonments throughout Punjab. Rawalpindi's cantonment served as a feeder to other cantonments throughout the region. Rawalpindi flourished as a commercial centre, though the city remained largely devoid of an industrial base during the British era. A large portion of Kashmir's external trade passing through the city; in 1885, 14% of Kashmir's exports, and 27% of its imports passed through
7548-479: The nineteenth century. During the same period, the British East India Company's territories had been expanded until they were adjacent to the Punjab. Ranjit Singh maintained an uneasy alliance with the East India Company, while increasing the military strength of the Sikh Khalsa Army to deter British aggression against his state and to expand Sikh territory to the north and north west, capturing territory from Afghanistan and Kashmir . When Ranjit Singh died in 1839,
7650-547: The passes through the hills, he nevertheless failed to take advantage of this (possibly because of dissension among his senior officers and continual harassment by pro-British irregulars), and retreated into Hazara. On 14 September, Sher Singh's army openly rebelled at Multan. He did not join Mulraj however. He and Mulraj conferred at a carefully chosen neutral site, at which it was agreed that Mulraj would give some money from his treasury to Sher Singh's army, which would march north into
7752-560: The perimeter are several small cells, which may have originally been small rooms rented out to itinerant merchants.The fort also contains a mosque with three domes. The fort is federally protected as a Cultural Heritage Site of Punjab, and is managed by the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage. In November 2016, a conservation plan was commissioned for preservation of the fort. 50 million rupees were allocated in March 2017 towards
7854-603: The region at the dawn of Pakistan's independence, Rawalpindi was chosen as headquarters for the Pakistani Army, despite the fact that Karachi had been selected as the first capital. In 1951, the Rawalpindi conspiracy took place in which leftist army officers conspired to depose the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan , Liaquat Ali Khan . Rawalpindi later became the site of the Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination, in what
7956-463: The same company which built RMS Titanic . The ship was converted into an armed vessel, and was sunk in October 1939. Scientists from Porton Down carried out poison gas tests on British Indian Army soldiers during the Rawalpindi experiments over the course of more than a decade beginning in the 1930s. On 5 March 1947, members of Rawalpindi's Hindu and Sikh communities took a procession against
8058-497: The scale towards the favour of the Bhawalpuris, and at a second attempt the entrenchments were stormed and captured, with a loss to the victors of 300 men. The Sikhs lost 500 killed in the action, and many more during their flight to Multan. Fought 1 July 1848, when a force of Bhawalpuris and British 18,000 strong, under Lieutenant Edwardes, encountered 12,000 Sikhs under Malraj. The Sikhs attacked, but were beaten off, largely owing to
8160-583: The signatures of the members of the Council of Regency and Duleep Singh . A durbar was held in the Lahore Fort where Singh affixed his signatures to the document which confirmed the annexation. The Sikh defeat had several causes. Their administration of the population of the Punjab had been poor, which meant that their large armies found it difficult to find enough food while the East India Company had brought overwhelming force against them. The Anglo-Sikh wars gave
8262-579: The site of the Rawalpindi Cantonment as the ancient city of Ganjipur (or Gajnipur), the capital of the Bhatti tribe in the ages preceding the Christian era. The first mention of Rawalpindi's earliest settlement dates from when Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed Rawalpindi and the town was restored by Gakhar chief Kai Gohar in the early 11th century. The town fell into decay again after Mongol invasions in
8364-417: The stubborn resistance at Multan showed that the task required the utmost resources of the government. At length, on 22 January, Multan was taken by General Whish, who was thus set at liberty to join Gough's army. On 21 February, Gough won a complete victory at the Battle of Gujrat . The Sikh army was pursued to Rawalpindi , where it laid down its arms, and their Afghan allies retreated from the Punjab. After
8466-518: The superiority of the British artillery, and defeated with heavy loss. The Bhawalpuris then proceeded to chase the remaining scattered Sikhs all the way to Multan . Multan, defended by the Sikhs, under Mulraj, was besieged by Lieutenant Edwardes with about 1,200 men in July 1848. On learning of the events at Multan, Currie wrote to Sir Hugh Gough , the Commander in Chief of the Bengal Army, recommending that
8568-565: The time, the New York Times reported more than 93 were killed and another 1,100 wounded; many believe that the toll was much higher. Riots erupted in Rawalpindi in 1992 as mobs attacked Hindu temples in retaliation for the destruction of the Babri Masjid in India. On 27 December 2007, Rawalpindi was the site of the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto . Modern Rawalpindi
8670-502: The town was captured in the mid-1760s from Muqarrab Khan by the Sikhs under Sardar Gujjar Singh and his son Sahib Singh. The city's administration was handed to Sardar Milkha Singh, who then invited traders from the neighbouring commercial centers of Jhelum and Shahpur to settle in the territory in 1766. The city then began to prosper, although the population in 1770 is estimated to have been only about 300 families. Rawalpindi became for
8772-477: The two sides a mutual respect for each other's fighting prowess (although the war itself had been unchivalrously fought; the Sikhs took no prisoners at Chillianwala, and the British had taken no prisoners at Gujrat ). There was an increased recruitment of people from various communities of the Punjab in the Punjab Irregular Force under British command. These recruits fought for the East India Company during
8874-463: The victory at Gujrat, Lord Dalhousie annexed the Punjab for the East India Company in 1849. For his services the Earl of Dalhousie received the thanks of the British parliament and was advanced in the peerage to marquess , the usual honor for governors general of India. The Sikh Confederacy Misls of the Punjab were consolidated into an Empire and expanded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh during the early years of
8976-615: The vital fort of Attock on the Indus River from its Sikh garrison while they were still unprepared, or undecided on rebellion. Nicholson's force then linked up with James Abbott's local Hazara levies to capture the Margalla Hills which separated Hazara from the other parts of the Punjab. When Chattar Singh openly rebelled in August, his force was unable to leave Hazara without fighting a battle. Although Chattar Singh twice succeeded in capturing
9078-494: The war by reducing the size of the Bengal Army by 50,000 men. The Sardars (generals) of the Sikh Army naturally resented carrying out the orders of comparatively junior British administrators . Early in 1848, Sir Henry Lawrence, who was ill, departed on leave to England. Although it was assumed that his younger brother John Lawrence would be appointed in his place, Lord Dalhousie , who had replaced Lord Hardinge as Governor-General, appointed Sir Frederick Currie instead. Currie
9180-665: The wide lanes of the Rawalpindi Cantonment. With tree-lined avenues and historic architecture, the cantonment was the main European area developed during British colonial rule. British colonialists also built the Saddar Bazaar south of the historic core, which served as a retail center geared towards Europeans in the city. Beyond the cantonment are the large suburban housing developments that serve as bedroom communities for Islamabad's commuter population. The population of Rawalpindi
9282-517: Was a legalist, based in Calcutta , who was unfamiliar with military matters and with the Punjab. While the Lawrences were comparatively informal and familiar with the junior officers who were Residents and Agents in the various districts of the Punjab, Currie was stiffer in manner and was inclined to treat his subordinates' reports with caution. In particular, he refused to act on reports from James Abbott ,
9384-487: Was a majority Hindu and Sikh city prior to the Partition of India in 1947, combined composing 51.05 percent of the total population according to the 1941 census. The same census detailed Muslims made up 43.79 percent of the total population. The Baba Dyal Singh Gurdwara in Rawalpindi was where the reformist Nirankari movement of Sikhism originated. The city still has a small Sikh population, but has been bolstered by
9486-748: Was a military conflict between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company which took place from 1848 to 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province , by the East India Company. On 19 April 1848, Patrick Vans Agnew of the civil service and Lieutenant William Anderson of the Bombay European regiment, having been sent to take charge of Multan from Diwan Mulraj Chopra , were murdered there; within
9588-525: Was a sizable Sikh and Hindu community living in Rawalpindi. Today, the city is still home to a few hundred Hindu families. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the city's Hindus fled en masse to India after Partition, most Hindu temples in the old city remain standing, although in disrepair and often abandoned. Many of the old city's neighbourhoods continue to bear Hindu and Sikh names, such as Krishanpura, Aria Mohallah, Akaal Garh, Mohanpura, Amarpura, Kartarpura, Bagh Sardaraan, Angatpura. Rawalpindi
9690-410: Was committed to rebellion because of them. He presented Vans Agnew's head to Kahan Singh and told him to take it back to Lahore. The news of the killings spread over the Punjab, and unrest and disquiet increased. Large numbers of Sikh soldiers deserted the regiments loyal to the Durbar to join those prepared to rebel under the leadership of Mulraj and disaffected Sirdars. Lieutenant Herbert Edwardes ,
9792-534: Was desperately fought. Gough's troops, attacking into thick scrub without effective artillery support, suffered heavy losses. Some units lost their colours (which was regarded as a disgrace) and part of one British cavalry regiment fled in panic, resulting in the loss of four guns, also reckoned a humiliation. Sher Singh's army was also hard hit, losing twelve of its own guns. Three days of heavy rain followed, discouraging both sides from renewing battle. After both armies had faced each other for three days without renewing
9894-483: Was made the winter headquarters of the Northern Command and of the Rawalpindi military division. Riots broke out against British rule in 1905, following a famine in Punjab that peasants were led to believe was a deliberate act. During World War I , Rawalpindi District "stood first" among districts in recruiting for the British war effort, with greater financial assistance from the British government channeled into
9996-461: Was once home to a community of Jewish traders who had fled Mashhad , Persia, in the 1830s. Punjab was conquered by the East India Company in 1849, in the aftermath of Second Anglo-Sikh War , and in the late 19th century Rawalpindi became the largest garrison town of the British Indian Army 's Northern command as its climate suited the British authorities. The city was established as
10098-569: Was opened on 4 June 2015, and stretches 22.5 kilometres between Pak Secretariat , in Islamabad , and Saddar in Rawalpindi. The second stage stretches 25.6 kilometres between the Peshawar Morr Interchange and New Islamabad International Airport and was inaugurated on 18 April 2022. The system uses e-ticketing and an Intelligent Transportation System and is managed by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority . Rawalpindi
10200-494: Was replaced by General Charles James Napier , who would require several weeks to arrive from England. Some junior officers reckoned that the true cause of the setback lay lower down the ranks. Promotion in both the British and Bengal armies came slowly, and by the time officers were appointed to command regiments and brigades, they were too old, and worn out by harsh climate and disease. At Chillianwala, several senior officers had proved unable to command their units effectively. In
10302-413: Was the site of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto . Construction of Pakistan's new purpose-built national capital city of Islamabad in 1961 led to greater investment in the city provided by Imf and local banks, as well as a brief stint as the country's capital before the completion of Islamabad. Modern Rawalpindi is socially and economically intertwined with Islamabad, and
10404-456: Was then later fortified in the 16th century by the Mughal emperor Humayun in order to defend the Pothohar plateau from Sher Shah Suri 's forces. The fort was the scene of a battle between Humayun and Sher Shah Suri in 1546. The fort is almost in square form and has two gates. There is also a quadrangular building with a dome in the fort's inner area – an area which also contains many graves. Along
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