Jehlum City Profile by Directory Pakistan.

Introduction to City:

Jhelum is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for providing many soldiers to the British Army before independence,and later to the Pakistan armed forces – due to which it is also known as City of Soldiers or Land of Martyrs and Warriors.

Jhelum is a few miles upstream from the site of the ancient Battle of the Hydaspes between the armies of Alexander and King Porus. Possibly Jhelum City was the capital of Porus’ Kingdom, Paurava. A city called Bucephala was founded nearby to commemorate the death of Alexander’s horse, Bucephalus. Other notable sites nearby include the 16th-century Rohtas Fort, the Tilla Jogian complex of ancient temples, and the 16th-century Grand Trunk Road which passes through the city. According to the 2017 census of Pakistan, the population of Jhelum was 190,425.The name of the city is derived from the words Jal (pure water) and Ham (snow), as the water that flows through the river originates in the Himalayas. There are a number of industries in and around Jhelum city, including a tobacco factory, wood, marble, glass and flour mills.

Anjum Sultan Shahbaz recorded some stories of the name Jhelum in his book Tareekh-e-Jhelum as:

Many writers have different opinions about the name of Jhelum. One suggestion is that in ancient days Jhelumabad was known as Jalham. The word Jhelum is reportedly derived from the words Jal (pure water) and Ham (snow). The name thus refers to the waters of a river (flowing besides the city) which have their origins in the snow-capped Himalayas.

However, some writers believe that when “Dara-e-Azam” reached a certain place on the river bank after winning many battles, he fixed his flag at that place and called it “Ja-e-Alam” which means “Place of the Flag”. With the passage of time it became Jhelum from “Ja-e-Alam”.

According to tradition, Saeed Bin Abi Waqas, brother of Saad Bin Abi Waqas, was sent to China to preach Islam, during his journey he arrived at the city of Jhelum, he saw the reflection of a city in the river and said (this is Jhelum), which means “City besides the river, in full moonlight”.

Ahmed Shah Abdali also used “Jheelum” in place of Jhelum and “Harian” for Kharian in his book.

History of Jehlum:

Ancient

The Rajput, Gujjars, Labana, who now hold the Salt Range and its northern plateau respectively, appear to have been the earliest inhabitants of Jhelum. The next major point in the history of the district was the Battle of the Hydaspes between Alexander and the local ruler, Porus the Elder. Abisares called Embisarus (Eμ Oβισαρoς) by Diodorus, was an Indian king of the Abhira tribe descent beyond the river Hydaspes, whose territory lay in the mountains, sent embassies to Alexander both before and after the conquest of Porus in 326 BC, although inclined to espouse the side of the latter. Alexander not only allowed him to retain his kingdom but increased it, and on his death appointed his son as his successor. Porus’ kingdom Paurava was on the left bank of the Jhelem River corresponding the limits of the present Gujrat District. The Gakhars appear to represent an early wave of conquerors from the west, who still inhabit a large tract in the mountain north of tilla range. Gakhars were the dominant race during the early Muslim era and they long continued to retain their independence, both in Jhelum itself and in the neighbouring district of Rawalpindi.

Medieval:

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul and followed it by the conquests of Punjab region including Jhelum. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

The Mughals were Persianized Turks who claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis Khan and strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India. Being very few in number, main families of Mughal Barlas, the descent of Ameer-i Taimoor settled in Mong Rasool and afterward scattered to village chak Nazar, Shamaspur, Aima Afghana, khardiyala, Chak sikander, Malhar Muglain, Mota Garbi, Bhimber, they adopted a policy of converting the local Jats and Gakhars mandatory as recorded in the Baburnama. Thus it is credited to the Mughals, who were largely responsible for the conversion of the Jats to Islam.With the collapse of the Mughal Empire after the death of Aurangzeb, the Durrani Empire had occupied the plains but were eventually ousted by the Sikhs.

Later periods:

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the region fell under Afghan occupation. During the decline of Afghan rule following the Third Battle of Panipat, the newly emerging Sikh Empire invaded and occupied Jhelum District in 1808 from its Gakhar ruler Raja Sultan Muqarrab Khan. In 1849 Jhelum passed with the rest of the Sikh territories to the British. In 1857 the 14th Native Infantry stationed at Jhelum town mutinied, and displayed a vigorous defence against a force sent from Rawalpindi to disarm them, but decamped for the night following the action, with the main body being subsequently arrested by the Kashmiri authorities, into whose territory they had escaped.

British Raj:

During British rule, Jhelum was connected by the North-Western Railway to other cities in the Indian Empire, 1,367 miles from Calcutta, 1,413 from Bombay, and 849 from Karachi. The population according to the 1901 census of India was 14,951.

According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India:

The present town is of modern origin, the old town, which may have been the Bucephala of Alexander having been, on the left or opposite bank of the river. Under Sikh rule the place was quite unimportant, being mainly occupied by a settlement of boatmen, and at the time of annexation contained about 500 houses. It was then chosen as the site of a cantonment and as the headquarters of the civil administration. For some years it was the seat of the Commissioner of the Division, but in 1859 his headquarters were transferred to Rawalpindi. Under British rule, Jhelum has steadily advanced in prosperity; and is the entrepôt for most of the trade of the District, though, since the completion of the Sind-Sāgar branch of the North-Western Railway; the salt trade no longer passes through it. It is an important timber dépôt, the timber from the Kashmir forests which is floated down the river being collected here. A good deal of boat-building is carried on. The cantonment, which is 3 miles from the civil station, contains the church and post office. The normal strength of the garrison is one Native cavalry and four Native infantry regiments. The municipality was founded in 1867. During the ten years ending 1902–3 the receipts averaged Rs. 32,100, and the expenditure Rs, 31,900. Receipts and expenditure from cantonment funds in the same period averaged Rs. 31,900 and Rs. 6,100 respectively. The chief income of the municipality in 1903-4 was Rs. 34,200 chiefly from octroi; and the expenditure was Rs. 41,000. The town has two Anglo vernacular schools, a municipal high school, and a middle school maintained by the American Presbyterian Mission. Besides the civil hospital, the mission also maintains a hospital.

During the Mutiny of 1857, 35 British soldiers of the Regular 24th Regiment of Foot were killed at the Battle of Jhelum by mutineers from the Honourable East India Companies 14th Bengal Native Infantry (roughly 500 of the soldiers mutinied with roughly 100 of the Sikh soldiers remaining loyal). Among the dead was Captain Francis Spring, the eldest son of Colonel William Spring. A lectern inside St. John’s Church Jhelum shows the names of those 35 soldiers. St. John’s Church is located in the Jhelum Cantonment, Pakistan beside the river Jhelum. It was built in 1860 and remains a landmark in the city. It was built as a Protestant church and was in use throughout the British Era.

Independence:

The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947,minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while Muslim refugees from India settled down in the Jhelum District.

Administration:

As well as being district capital, Jhelum city is also the headquarters of Jhelum Tehsil, the city of Jhelum is administratively subdivided into seven union councils: Jhelum-I, Jhelum-II, Jhelum-III, Jhelum-IV, Jhelum-V, Jhelum-VI and Jhelum-VII.

Population:

The population of the Jhelum city is about 188,800 (2012) and it is the 32nd largest city of Pakistan with respect to population. Total area of city is about 22 km² (8.5 sq mi). Population density is 261/km. Population growth rate is 1.5 which is very low as compared to other urban areas of Pakistan. The majority of the population i.e. 98.47 percent is Muslim. Among the minorities Christians are in the majority sharing 1.36 percent in the district.

The literacy rate of Jhelum is among the highest in Pakistan. At 79%, it is only lower than that of Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi. Somewhat higher than the literacy in Punjab province (58 percent). The literacy rate has remarkably increased from 38.9 percent in 1981. The rate is much higher in the urban areas for both males and females. 84% of the population have electricity and 96% have access to water. Human Development Index of Jhelum is 0.770, which is highest in Pakistan after Karachi. 

According to 2017 statistics, Jhelum’s literacy rate is 79 percent with male to female ratio being 86 per cent to 72 per cent. This is among the highest in Pakistan. Not only this, Jhelum is also one of the fastest developing cities in Pakistan with mammoth potential for growth in all spheres, especially real estate.

Geography and Climate of Jehlum:

Lying at 32°56′ North latitude and 73°44′ East longitude, Jhelum is located a 1-hour and 30 minutes drive from the Capital of Pakistan Islamabad, and 3 hours drive from the heart of Punjab Lahore. Jhelum is linked with these cities through the National Highway N-5. Several cities are within 1 to 2 hours drive including Gujrat (home to fan manufacturing), Gujranwala, Chakwal and Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.Jhelum has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa) and is extremely hot and humid in summer, and cold and generally dry in winter. The maximum recorded temperature in the pre-monsoon season of April to June is 49.2 °C (120.6 °F), whereas in winter the minimum temperature recorded is −0.6 °C (30.9 °F). Average annual rainfall is about 850 millimetres (33 in) which is much below the required quantity given the extremely high evaporation levels. Nevertheless, in the rainy season water torrents flow from the north to the Jhelum River very rapidly and cause damage to the crops, bridges, roads. This is responsible for the soil erosion in the district.

Over the years, global climate change has affected Jhelum as well as any other place on Earth and below comparison charts from Weatherbase and NOAA show the difference in rainfall

Major floods:

The biggest floods in Jhelum in recent years were in 1992. Jhelum city and surrounding areas were almost completely submerged under flood waters.

 Important Sites:

• Rohtas Fort is a garrison fort built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri. This fort is about 4 km in circumference. Qila Rohtas is situated in a gorge approximately 18 km NW of Jhelum and 7 km from Dina.

• The old city has a labyrinth of narrow streets and bazaars. Opposite the CMHJhelum Cantt is located the CMH Masjid Jhelum

• Located in the cantonment area is the  John’s Church Jhelum which was built in 1860. There was a local stadium near Gul Afshan Colony which was changed to a cricket stadium named Zamir Jaffri Cricket Stadium. Altaf Park which was constructed in 1994–95 is in a very close proximity of Cricket Stadium. Nearly 100 m from Shandar Chowk, in the center of city, is Major Akram Shaheed Memorial Park. Major Muhammad Akram Memorial Library is also present in this park. This is also a site of a parade which takes place every year on 6 September at the occasion of Defence Day.

• Mangla Dam Water Reservoir

• Lehri Nature Park is located 10 kilometers away from  T. Road between Jhelum and Islamabad, it is 30 kilometers from Jhelum and 90 kilometers from Islamabad in the hilly Pothohar region.

• The Mangla Dam is located on the Jhelum River about 30 km (19 mi) from Jhelum, it is the twelfth largest dam in the world. It was constructed in 1967 across the Jhelum River. There is the Mangla View Resort that is the first planned resort development in Pakistan to offer residences, villas, townhouses, hotels, serviced apartments and retail outlets. The resort is located on a 340-acre (1.4 km2) site on the Mangla Dam area.

• Rasul Barrage is located on the Jhelum River about 30 km downstream from Jhelum. Two major water canals originate at the Rasul barrage, Rasul-Qadirabad link canal which is also called Lower-Jhelum link canal and Rasul-Shahpur branch canal. The area around the Rasul Barrage lake is also a picnic spot.

Transport of Jehlum:

Local

Auto Rickshaws are a common mode of transport for short routes within the city. Many of the new rickshaws in the city use Compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of the petrol engines as CNG is environmentally clean and cheaper than petrol. Rickshaws are another important mode of transportation. The older horse drawn tongas are now defunct although some can still be privately commissioned. Taxis and privately commissioned small passenger carrying vans are available.

National

Daewoo Express Bus Service and other bus services operate from the city to the entire country.

Railway

Jhelum Railway Station

The Jhelum Railway Station was built in 1928 during British rule before the independence of Pakistan. It was connected by the North-Western Railway to other cities in the Indian empire. Jhelum is on main line of Pakistan Railways, and linked to whole country through Railway line across Pakistan

Airport of Jehlum

Gurha Salim Airport is situated 13 km (8 mi)^[2] from the city centre of Jhelum, Pakistan. It is not being used by any commercial airlines, but only for military purposes.

Travel:

There are many options available to reach Jhelum by road. Many bus services are operating throughout the country that arrives at the Central Bus Station. Motorway M-2 links other cities with it. One can reach via GT road as well. Travelers from all over the country widely use train service. Tourists can reach Jhelum by air as well. The nearest airports are:

• Sialkot (SKT) 74.6 km

• Islamabad (ISB) 95 km

• Lahore (LH) 169.8 km  

Air

The nearest international airport is the Islamabad International Airport, which is approximately 110 km by road from Jhelum. The Sialkot International Airport, is approximately 100 km by road from Jhelum. A small airport called Gurha Salim Airport is situated 13 km (8 mi) from the city centre. It is not being used by any commercial airlines, but only for military purposes.

 ^{Telecommunication Network:}

3G & 4G Internet Service is available in this city since September 2014. The PTCL provides the main network of landline telephone with minority shares of few other operators like WorldCall. All major mobile phone companies operating in Pakistan provide service in Jhelum. Broadband internet access is available from DSL, EVDO to state of the art WiMAX technology from many ISPs, WiMax and WiFi operators like PTCL EVO, Wateen, Mobilink, WorldCall, and LinkdotNet. WorldCall has laid its fiberoptics throughout the city of Jhelum for future project of FTTH with Triple Play service. In August 2008 PTCL has launched its IPTV service named PTCL Smart TV in Jhelum. Jhelum has its own ISP Jhelum Networks which is a semi-public organisation working for the development of telecommunication and internet services throughout Jhelum. The company started its services in 2011 and now covering more than 200sq/km area. Jhelum Networks provides WiFi and cable internet services throughout the district. Different cellular networks also provide 3G internet in city Jhelum.

Important Housing Project in Jhelum:

• Citi Housing Scheme 

• GT Road 

• Satellite town 

• Kdc Garden Housing Scheme

• Others 

• Nawab Colony 

• Gulshan Town 

• Mahmoodabad 

• Kashmir Colony

• Gul Afshan Colony 

• Gulshan town

Football Stadium:

Located within the city is a golf course called the River-View Golf Club, where national golf tournaments are held regularly.

There is a cricket and football stadium, Zamir Jaffri Cricket Stadium, where district level tournaments are held. In October 2008, Pakistan Cricket Board upgraded this stadium for regional events.

Education:

Jhelum has six degree colleges for women, six degree colleges for men, six co-education colleges, six commerce colleges, one law college, numerous higher secondary schools and over 150 high schools. It also has a campus Of Punjab University,s Punjab University Jhelum Campus, near Rathiyan, Kala Gujran and Satellite Town Jhelum.

Higher and Technical Education

In technical education there are three technical colleges, Government Institute of Technology (Chak Daulat), Government Vocational Institute for Women (Civil Lines Jhelum) and Government Technical Training Institute.

Universities

University of the Punjab, Jhelum Campus.

The University of the Punjab has established a campus in Jhelum offering programs related to business, commerce, law, and computer science. The new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs are due to commence soon.The literacy rate of Jhelum is high in comparison to other cities of the Punjab. 65 kanals of land was allocated to establish this campus by Government of Punjab.Jhelum also has two sub-campuses of the Virtual University of Pakistan, Virtual University Campus at Civil Lines opposite city Church, and a private virtual campus, Wings Institute of Learning. Virtual University of Pakistan inaugurated its own Campus in Jhelum in March 2012; VU Jhelum Campus is located in the middle of the city.Jhelum has some of the largest hospitals in the area which include the hospital in the cantonment area of the city managed by the Pakistan Army or such organizations. One such hospital is the Combined Military Hospital Jhelum.

Literacy Rate of Jhelum City:

District Statistics

Food

People enjoy eating both traditional as well as continental food. Variety of food ranges from the traditional ‘Lahori chargha’ to the continental Chinese, Italian cuisine etc. People are very fond of eating ‘saag’ and ‘makai ki rotti’. As Jhelum lies on the river bank, people also enjoy eating fish by the river side. There are located many river side restaurants that provide a beautiful view of the river. Hotel ‘Tulip’ is a very good restaurant that provides the beautiful view of the river.  There are numerous FAST food chain restaurants now being opened in Jhelum including KFC, Subway etc. 

Language:

Urdu is the language spoken and understood by all. However majority of the people, especially those living in the city speak Punjabi. People living in cantonment are not generally the citizens of Jhelum and consist of army officials posted there that belong to different areas of the country. Hence Urdu is the main language spoken and understood by the people living in the cantonment.  The educated elite living in Jhelum also understand and speak English.

Life Style:

People of the Jhelum are simple and most of the population resides in villages. Major casts living in district Jhelum include Rajput, Jat, Kyanis. Since the area is not rich in agriculture, most of the people engage in different jobs other than cultivating crops. Life of the people living in Jhelum can be divided into people living in the city and those living in the cantonment. The people living in the cantonment are mainly the army officials while those living in the city are either landlords or own showrooms etc. People start their day early in the morning with male members of the house going to their work place and children going to schools. Female members of the house stay back and look after the house. However there are also women who work. The working women usually work as doctors and teachers.

The city is leading towards continuous development and advancement.  Initially the city lacked good market for clothing and other household items. People usually traveled to Rawalpindi or Lahore for the shopping. Now the trend is changing. The famous clothing brands including mushrooms. Leisure club, Chinyere, Bareeze and many more have now opened in Jhelum.People of this area have gone abroad to earn their lively hood and most of them are settled in United Kingdom and Middle East. These people are a big source of foreign remittance and are contributing to the foreign exchange of the country. 

 Economy:

Jhelum is abundant in natural resources. Agriculture, industry, livestock, forests, ores, and minerals are hugely contributing its share to the overall economic growth of Pakistan.

Industry:

Right after partition, there was only one big factory in Jhelum, but now the industry is thriving to compete with Punjab’s other industrial cities. New industrial units of all sorts like cottage, small, medium, and large scale units are being established.

According to the data published by the government of Punjab, the following industrial units, 104 in total, are operational in Jhelum:

According to the data published by the government of Punjab, the following industrial units, 104 in total, are operational in Jhelum:

• Brick Kilns 

• Cement (Dandot)

• Flour Mills

• ICI Soda Ash

• Mari Petroleum

• Pakistan Tobacco Company 

• Soda Ash

• Textile Composite

• Vegetable Ghee & Cooking Oil

Agriculture:

Jhelum’s soil is fertile and conducive for cultivation. A well-organized irrigation system helps the following crops grow plentiful: Wheat, Maize, Bajra, Sugarcane, Rice, Moong, Mash, Masoor, Gram, Ground Nut, and Jawar. Similarly, fruits and vegetables are also grown in significant quantities. That includes Guavas, Citrus, and Banana; Potato, Turnip, Bottle Gourd, Ladyfinger, Carrot, Cauliflower, Onion, Peas, Tomato, and Garlic. Despite modern agricultural machinery availability, people carry out their traditional farming practices and pastoral lifestyle by raising livestock. Goats, Cows, Buffaloes, and Sheep are used not only for domestic consumption but also for agriculture.     

Ores and Minerals:

Rich reserves of ore and mineral resources make Jehlam distinguishing status in Pakistan. The biggest salt mine of Pakistan, Khewra, is also located here. Several local and foreign companies are operating in mineral mining and exploration in the region.

Minerals and ores like Coal, Marble, Lime Stone, Brine, Gypsum Silica, Fireclay, Rock Salt, and Bentonite (Aluminum Silicate clay) are the most prominent products of Jhelum. 

Specialities of Jehlum:

• Khewra Salt Mine is the largest in Pakistan and the second largest in the world. Salt Mines are part of about 300 km long mountain range called Salt Range. Khewra salt mine has 18 working levels and 40 km of tunnels. At places rock salt is 99% pure

• .Rohtas Fort of Jhelum, locally known as Qila Rohtas, was commissioned by Sher Sha Suri in 1541 after the defeat of Mughal emperor Humayun. It is located on famous GT Road near Jhelum city. This strong fort with massive walls was built in just 7 year….

• The Tilla Jogian complex is located on Pakistan’s Potohar plateau, approximately 25 km west of the cities of Jhelum and Dina. The complex is located near the Jhelum River and the Grand Trunk Road – the ancient route which connected…

• .Jehlum is also known for providing large number of soldiers to british army before independence and later to Pakistan armed forces due to which it is also known as City of soldiers or Land of Martyrs and Warriors.

• The history of Jhelum dates back to 5000 years ago. Apart from being considered a sacred site in ancient India, the city was also the site of the Battle of the Hydaspes. The historic battle took place in 326 BC between Macedonian Ruler Alexander the Great and Indian King Raja Porus.

• Wolves, foxes and wild cats are also found. Hare is fairly common while chikor grey and black partridge are also found in the parts of the district. Migratory ducks like teal pintail and mallard and some geese visit during winter.

Issues Of Jhelum City

• Heaps of garbage lying around roads in the city of Jhelum not only cause putrid smell and pollution, but have also started to block traffic on the main roads.

• We can conclude that people living in Jhelum are simple and enjoy their life with whatever they have. The city is advancing towards development and enjoys a rich culture of both the people living in cantonment as well as in the city.

• Population is increasing day by day.

• Plantation issue.

• Humid temperature and bad air quality.

• Drinking water is not pure.

Conclusion:

The city is called a city of soldiers as a large number of soldiers in the Pakistan Army are from Jhelum. Jhelum is situated in the Jhelum district of Punjab province. The river Jhelum is at the right of the city and originates from the Himalayas. It is a historical city famous for the archeological billets. The city is subtropical with intense summers and cold winters.During the past few years, the city has experienced a huge growth, has expanded and developed due to numerous emerging industries (tobacco, wood, marble, glass, flour mills) which have set up factories and their base in Jhelum. It is connected to many other major cities because of its commercial importance.