Mithankot
Encyclopedia
Mithankot , is located in southern Punjab, Pakistan
.
, only a short distance downstream from its junction with Panjnad River
. The latter is formed by successive confluence of the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum
, Chenab, Ravi
, Beas
and Sutlej
. Panjnad River is approximately 45 miles (72 km) in length and joins the Sindhu river just above Mithankot. Because of its location at the confluence of major rivers, Mithankot was labelled as Allahabad
(confluence of Ganges
and Yamuna
rivers) of the Indus by some historians. Early Greek historians and later Arab geographers have described a settlement named Pasipeda and Besmaid respectively on the western bank of the Indus river near its junction with the Satluj river. It is possible that this settlement was later renamed as Mithankot.
of Punjab
in Pakistan
; currently it is a part of the Rajanpur Tehsil
of the Rajanpur District
. Previously Mithankot as well as Rajanpur were parts of the Dera Ghazi Khan District
of Punjab, Pakistan.
It is famous due to the name of Khwaja Ghulam Fareed Koreja (1845–1901) or Khawaja Farid (Punjabi/Saraiki: خواجہ فرید), who is one of the greatest Saraiki poets. He belongs to Chishti-Nizami mystic and Sajjada nashin (Patron saint) of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. He was born and died at Chacharan Shrif but buried at Kot Mithan. It is an ancient and historic town in the extreme southwest part of the province
of Punjab
in Pakistan
; currently it is a part of the Rajanpur Tehsil
of the Rajanpur District
. Previously Mithankot as well as Rajanpur were parts of the Dera Ghazi Khan District
of Punjab, Pakistan.
He was the son of Khwaja Khuda Bakhsh, the successor of Khwaja Sharif Mohammad Koreja. Khwaja Sharif Mohammad Koreja's tomb is also in Mithankot, arrive here after migration from Sindh. The Khwaja Sharif Mohammad Koreja was the successor of Omer Farooq
or Farooq Azam who was a companion of the Islamic prophet Mohammad, and second Caliph of Muslims. Khawaja Farid's mother was died when he was only five years old and he was orphaned at age twelve when his father died. He was educated by his elder brother, Hazarat Fakhr Jahan Uhdi, Who was also his spiritual Leader (Murshid).
He was a scholar of the time and wrote several books. He was adept in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi, Panjabi, Braj Bhasha and Saraiki. He was a great poet of Saraiki, Urdu, Sindhi, Persian, and Braj Bhasha. His famous Book is known as "Dewan Farid". He was an anti-imperialist poet. He opposed British rule in Bahawalpur. He said to ruler of Bahawalpur in his poem, "You rule yourself on your state and finish police station of British from your state." اپڑیں ملک کوں آپ وسا توں۔پٹ انگریزی تھانے
Sulaiman range of mountains and hills of Balochistan
approach the Indus river
near Mithankot; Giandari
peak (1,250 m or 4,160 feet) being approximately 35 miles (56 km) west of the town.
The districts of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan are located in Derajat
, the narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Sindhu river (Indus river
) on the east and Sulaiman hills on the west, these are the only two districts of Punjab (Pakistan) which are located entirely west of the Indus river
; they form the link between upper and lower Indus plains. The town of Mithankot is the generally accepted border between the two Indus plains. Rajanpur
, Asni
, Chacharan and Umerkot
are some of the significant towns in the vicinity of Mithankot. In various books written in nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Mithankot has been spelled as Mitankot, Mithenkote, Mithinkote, Mithunkote or Mittunkote.
Due to their geographic location at the confluence of the major rivers, Mithankot and neighbouring areas of Punjab were frequently at the periphery of various kingdoms and empires. In " Glimpses of Ancient Sind" authored by B D Mirchandani (1985), it is mentioned that the location of present day Mithankot was the site of Vrsadarbhapura, the capital of Sindhudesha or Sindhu Kingdom founded by Vrsadarbh, the eldest son of Sibi. In the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Mithankot area was between Sauvira Kingdom
and Sindhu Kingdom
. The Sindhu river formed the eastern border of Persian empire of Darius I (522 BCE - 486 BCE); hence, the site of Mithankot was near the extreme edge of his empire. After the Persians lost control over Indus satrapy, the site of Mithankot was between the kingdom of Mallians in the north and Sambasti (the kingdom of Sambus) in the south. Later, it was at the eastern border of the short-lived empire of Alexander the Great, near the southern border of Kushan empire, near the western border of Gupta empire and at the southern border of Babur's empire. Later, it was at the southwest periphery of the Sikh empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1780–1839, (the Sutlej and Panjnad rivers being the southern limits of his empire), just beyond the northern limit of the princely state of Khairpur in upper Sindh and across the Indus river from the western limit of the princely state of Bahawalpur. Because of its peripheral location at the frontier, Mithankot, along with the neighbouring areas, was either neglected and "left alone" or it was subjected to plundering raids, greater scrutiny and repression, as border areas are often subjected to.
Mithankot is in the centre of the area of the Indus Valley civilization
, roughly halfway between Harrapa and Mohenjo-daro
, the two major cities of Indus Valley civilization. It was an important transit point and a major riverine trade centre along one of the southern routes of the "silk road
" connecting central Asia and China to the Arabian Sea. Since prehistoric times, Mithankot was and has remained until today an important site for crossing the Sindhu river. The river, at this site, has two large islands which divide the river waters into three fordable streams. A bridge of boats
was used to cross the river in fall, winter and early spring, when the water flow was slow and lethargic, to reach Chacharan, a town on the east bank of the river in Rahim Yar Khan district of Pakistan. The river islands have a fertile soil enriched by the silt brought by the waters of Sindhu river every spring and summer; water melons and fennel were two prized crops. Currently ferries, boats and railway provide transportation across the river. Indus Queen was one famous large stern-wheeler used for ferry service.
The confluence of the Sindhu with other rivers in the vicinity of Mithankot is mentioned in Hindu mythology - Lord Parashurama
camped at this spot during his mission to eliminate all kshatriyas. In the prehistoric periods of Ramayana
and Mahabharata
, Mithankot area was a part of the Sauvira Kingdom
. The kingdom of Sauvira joined Kauravas against Pandavas in the great war of Mahabharata.
Alexander the Great of Macedonia reached Mithankot area in late 325 BCE while he and his armies were retreating from India on their way to Persia and Babylon (Pakistan Handbook by Isobel Shaw 1998). According to the historian Arrian, he camped at the confluence of Indus with the combined stream of the Punjab rivers to recuperate from the serious wounds inflicted upon him during the previous battle with Mallians at or near the present-day Multan and also waited for a part of his army led by Perdiccas to join him. He also crossed the bridge of boats in operation at this location on the Indus river since prehistoric ancient times. He fixed the junction of the rivers as the southern extreme of the province to be governed by Philippus for him, and instructed Philippus to build dockyards and to establish a settlement at the site of the last confluence of the rivers (possibly the site of the old town of Mithankot or Chacharan). According to the local legend, Alexander realized the strategic importance of the crossing site and left a garrison of infantry and the entire Thracian cavalry in order to maintain control over it. Within two years, however, the garrison lost the control to Indians and some or all of the Greek, Persian, Thracian and Macedonian soldiers of the garrison married the local girls and became assimilated into the local Hindu society.
Some historians believe that, in 325 BCE, the confluence of the Sindhu with the rivers from Punjab was higher and near the present location of Uch
Sharif, and gradually the Sindhu river and the confluence meandered southwest to the present location near Mithankot. It is highly probable that some of the inhabitants also moved along with the shifting courses of rivers, as the rivers were the most important source of their livelihood. It is not clear from the writings of Alexander's historians whether the settlement of Mithankot existed at that time, it had a different name or if a new city was ever built at all.
Guru Nanak Dev
(1469–1538), the founder of Sikhism
visited Mithankot in 1518; he held a lively debate on theology, God and other spiritual matters with Mian Mitha, a noted Muslim saint residing at Mithankot, and then returned to Kartarpur in north Punjab. It is possible that Mithankot's original name was Panchnaad, and it was renamed as Mithankot as an honor to Mian Mitha. Khawaja Farid (1844–1901), a notable Saraiki
poet and Sufi mystic was born at Mithankot and also died there. His mazar
attracts many pilgrims.
In 1836, Mithankot, by then a strong Sikh garrison fortress, was attacked by the Mazari
tribal forces under the command of Sardar Karam Khan, the younger brother of the Mazari
Chief Sardar Mir Bahram Khan. The attack came as retaliation to Raja Kharak Singh’s constant threats to the Mazari capitol of Rojhan Mazari. Many lives were lost and the garrison along with the city was completely burnt down. All the prisoners taken by the Mazari tribesman were later skinned alive and burnt near the city. A few days later the Sikhs under the command of Raja Kharak Singh retaliated and attacked the Mazari capital of Rojhan and managed to burn it down but the Sikh army was quickly engaged by the forces of Sardar Mir Bahram Khan and driven back towards Mithankot. Despite, suffering a major loss in terms of property, only a handful of Mazaris lost their lives as the news of the attack had reached the court of the Mazari Sardar a few days earlier thereby eliminating the element of surprise. These events led to regular skirmishes between the Mazari and the Sikh forces resulting in loss of life on both sides. Then finally in early 1838, a deal was brokered between Sardar Mir Bahram Khan and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh which led to an armistice that was signed by the Chief’s younger brother Sardar Karam Khan and Diwan Sawan Mal
, the Maharaja’s Governor of Multan. Later that year Sardar Mir Bahram Khan along with twelve thousand Mazari Tribesman, court officials and notables visited Lahore on the invitation of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. The Mazaris were well received by the Maharaja at the Lahore Fort and given a royal welcome. The Maharaja had the Mughal era Naulakha Pavilion inside the Lahore Fort specially renovated for the month long stay of Sardar Mir Bahram Khan. This meeting between the two leaders officially brought an end to the long war between the Sikh Maharaja and the Mazari Sardar that started with the attack at Mitankot.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had grandiose plans to convert Mithankot to a large commercial and trade center similar to Bombay (now known as Mumbai); for some reasons, his plans were not carried out.
At the end of Second Anglo-Sikh War
(1848–1849), this area including Mithankot was surrendered by Sikh
s to British forces; Mithankot became a part of the Dera Ghazi Khan District
, the Multan Division
of the Punjab province of British India. During the previous reigns of Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh (he had conquered Mithankot in 1817) and his successors, Dewan Sawan Mal
was the governor of this region. Under his supervision, an existing but neglected network of irrigation canals had been improved upon and expanded to bring prosperity to the region. A small but well built mud fort was present on the river side of the town. The British demolished the fort; instead an army cantonment was built and later abandoned in 1862.
For more than a decade after the British takeover, Mithankot was an important trade as well as administrative and military center of the British government in south part of district Dera Ghazi Khan; its importance was second to Dera Ghazi Khan, the administrative headquarters of the district. In 1862, Mithankot was inundated and washed away by floods from the Sindhu river; the offices of the assistant district commissioner and the assistant district magistrate were shifted to Rajanpur, which was until then an unimportant village but now became the headquarters of the tahsil. Rajanpur had the advantage of being at a considerable distance from the Sindhu river. The old town and the cantonment of Mithankot were abandoned and a new town with straight roads intersecting at right angles and planned markets was built on an eminence five miles from the river, but the town, however, did not regain its previous importance as the administrative center. During the period of relocation and rebuilding the town, the business of grain export was moved to Rajanpur and a substantial number of prosperous and influential Hindu Arora merchants and businessmen also moved to Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan or other locations. By 1880's, Mithankot had lost its position as the mercantile capital of southwest Punjab and had become a quiet but prosperous country town.
After 1862, Punjab Flotilla (a government sponsored incorporated company) consisting of many steamers
and barges provided riverine transportation along the Indus river between Kalabagh
in North Punjab and the Mithankot and eventually up to Sukkur
Jhirk
town in Sindh
province; Indus Flotilla
did the same between Sukkur and Kotri
in the Sindh province.
This action undercut the income of the local shippers, businessmen and boatsmen. However, it appears that Mithankot remained an important transit station in the trade routes of Punjab and Sindh during the British administration.
Mithankot was the site of the Mithankot(e) conference in February 1871 between the governments of the Punjab and the Sindh provinces of British India when Capt Robert Groves Sandeman
(known locally as "Sandmaan Sahib
") was assigned the political control over adjacent Mazari
, Bugti
and Marri
Baloch "countries" in Sulaiman mountains and hills west of Mithankot and Rajanpur.
In 1873, the municipality of Mithankot was established. In 1901 census, the population of Mithankot was 3,487 vs. that of Rajanpur being 3,917. Muslims formed 87% of the population in the entire district of Dera Ghazi Khan; however, in cities and towns of Dera Ghazi Khan, Jampur, Rajanpur and Mithankot, Hindus and Muslims were almost equal in number. Muslims, consisting of Balochs, Rajputs, Arains and Jats were agriculturists, while Hindus, chiefly Arora
community, were generally better educated and were merchants, traders, moneylenders, and government employees. A small number of sikhs, khojas (Muslim aroras) and native Christians also lived in the district. In 1947, after the partition, nearly all Arora and other upper caste Hindus migrated to India; as a result, the population of Mithankot plunged to 3,675 (1951 census) from 5,881 in 1941. In 1998 census, the population of Mithankot was 13,556.
Mithankot lies at an elevation of 258 ft. above the sea level. The climate is arid and desert-like, the average annual rain fall being only 4 inches (100mm). It is extremely hot in summer and quite cold in winter. The cultivation of crops (wheat, sugarcane, cotton) is by the water of Indus river brought by canals made and maintained by industrious peasants over the many centuries.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Geography
Mithankot is located on the right (west) bank of the Indus RiverIndus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
, only a short distance downstream from its junction with Panjnad River
Panjnad River
Panjnad River is a river at the extreme end of Bahawalpur district in Punjab, Pakistan. Panjnad River is formed by successive confluence of the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej...
. The latter is formed by successive confluence of the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum
Jhelum River
Jehlum River or Jhelum River , ) is a river that flows in India and Pakistan. It is the largest and most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and passes through Jhelum District...
, Chenab, Ravi
Ravi River
The Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....
, Beas
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
and Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
. Panjnad River is approximately 45 miles (72 km) in length and joins the Sindhu river just above Mithankot. Because of its location at the confluence of major rivers, Mithankot was labelled as Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
(confluence of Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
and Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
rivers) of the Indus by some historians. Early Greek historians and later Arab geographers have described a settlement named Pasipeda and Besmaid respectively on the western bank of the Indus river near its junction with the Satluj river. It is possible that this settlement was later renamed as Mithankot.
- 28°57' N
- 70°22' E
History
It is an ancient and historic town in the extreme southwest part of the provinceProvince
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; currently it is a part of the Rajanpur Tehsil
Rajanpur Tehsil
Rajanpur is an administrative subdivision of Rajanpur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is administratively subdivided into 16 Union Councils, two of which form the tehsil capital Rajanpur....
of the Rajanpur District
Rajanpur District
Rajanpur District is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 1,103,618 of which 14.27% were urban. Its administrative centre is the town of Rajanpur.-History & geography:...
. Previously Mithankot as well as Rajanpur were parts of the Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The district covers an area of 5,306 m² and it is a long narrow strip of country, 198 m...
of Punjab, Pakistan.
It is famous due to the name of Khwaja Ghulam Fareed Koreja (1845–1901) or Khawaja Farid (Punjabi/Saraiki: خواجہ فرید), who is one of the greatest Saraiki poets. He belongs to Chishti-Nizami mystic and Sajjada nashin (Patron saint) of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. He was born and died at Chacharan Shrif but buried at Kot Mithan. It is an ancient and historic town in the extreme southwest part of the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; currently it is a part of the Rajanpur Tehsil
Rajanpur Tehsil
Rajanpur is an administrative subdivision of Rajanpur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is administratively subdivided into 16 Union Councils, two of which form the tehsil capital Rajanpur....
of the Rajanpur District
Rajanpur District
Rajanpur District is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 1,103,618 of which 14.27% were urban. Its administrative centre is the town of Rajanpur.-History & geography:...
. Previously Mithankot as well as Rajanpur were parts of the Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The district covers an area of 5,306 m² and it is a long narrow strip of country, 198 m...
of Punjab, Pakistan.
He was the son of Khwaja Khuda Bakhsh, the successor of Khwaja Sharif Mohammad Koreja. Khwaja Sharif Mohammad Koreja's tomb is also in Mithankot, arrive here after migration from Sindh. The Khwaja Sharif Mohammad Koreja was the successor of Omer Farooq
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
or Farooq Azam who was a companion of the Islamic prophet Mohammad, and second Caliph of Muslims. Khawaja Farid's mother was died when he was only five years old and he was orphaned at age twelve when his father died. He was educated by his elder brother, Hazarat Fakhr Jahan Uhdi, Who was also his spiritual Leader (Murshid).
He was a scholar of the time and wrote several books. He was adept in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi, Panjabi, Braj Bhasha and Saraiki. He was a great poet of Saraiki, Urdu, Sindhi, Persian, and Braj Bhasha. His famous Book is known as "Dewan Farid". He was an anti-imperialist poet. He opposed British rule in Bahawalpur. He said to ruler of Bahawalpur in his poem, "You rule yourself on your state and finish police station of British from your state." اپڑیں ملک کوں آپ وسا توں۔پٹ انگریزی تھانے
Sulaiman range of mountains and hills of Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
approach the Indus river
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
near Mithankot; Giandari
Giandari
Giandari is a mountain peak, approximately in height, in the Sulaiman range situated in the Mazari Tribal Territory of Rojhan Mazari, on the Balochistan-Punjab border. It is about west of Indus River. Giandari is a part of the large and extensive Sulaiman Range of mountains and hills. Rojhan...
peak (1,250 m or 4,160 feet) being approximately 35 miles (56 km) west of the town.
The districts of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan are located in Derajat
Derajat
Derajat meaning, 'Land of the Jats' or "Jat Land'. Derajat is a cultural region of central Pakistan, located in the region where the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab meet. Derajat is bound by the Indus River to the east and the mountains to the west...
, the narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Sindhu river (Indus river
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
) on the east and Sulaiman hills on the west, these are the only two districts of Punjab (Pakistan) which are located entirely west of the Indus river
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
; they form the link between upper and lower Indus plains. The town of Mithankot is the generally accepted border between the two Indus plains. Rajanpur
Rajanpur
Rajanpur is a city and the headquarters of Rajanpur District in the far southwestern part of Punjab, Pakistan. The district lies entirely west of the Indus River. it is a narrow, to wide strip of land sandwiched between the Indus River on the east and the Sulaiman Mountains on the west. The...
, Asni
Asni
Asni is a small town in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains near Marrakech, Morocco.It is connected to Ikkiss and Imlil by tracks. Open back trucks provide a bus service several times a week between these three villages.-External links:**...
, Chacharan and Umerkot
Umerkot
Umarkot or Umer Kot,, also known as Amar Kot, Omarkot and Omercote, is town in the Umerkot District in Sindh, Pakistan...
are some of the significant towns in the vicinity of Mithankot. In various books written in nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Mithankot has been spelled as Mitankot, Mithenkote, Mithinkote, Mithunkote or Mittunkote.
Due to their geographic location at the confluence of the major rivers, Mithankot and neighbouring areas of Punjab were frequently at the periphery of various kingdoms and empires. In " Glimpses of Ancient Sind" authored by B D Mirchandani (1985), it is mentioned that the location of present day Mithankot was the site of Vrsadarbhapura, the capital of Sindhudesha or Sindhu Kingdom founded by Vrsadarbh, the eldest son of Sibi. In the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Mithankot area was between Sauvira Kingdom
Sauvira Kingdom
Sauvira was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. According to the epic, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhus, Sauviras and Sivis. Probably Sauvira and Sivi were two kingdoms close to the Sindhu kingdom and Jayadratha conquered them. Jayadratha was an ally of Duryodhana and husband of...
and Sindhu Kingdom
Sindhu Kingdom
Sindhu&sandhu was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It stretched along the banks of river Sindhu in the Ancient Greater India, which is now Pakistan. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrsadarbh, one of sons of Sivi...
. The Sindhu river formed the eastern border of Persian empire of Darius I (522 BCE - 486 BCE); hence, the site of Mithankot was near the extreme edge of his empire. After the Persians lost control over Indus satrapy, the site of Mithankot was between the kingdom of Mallians in the north and Sambasti (the kingdom of Sambus) in the south. Later, it was at the eastern border of the short-lived empire of Alexander the Great, near the southern border of Kushan empire, near the western border of Gupta empire and at the southern border of Babur's empire. Later, it was at the southwest periphery of the Sikh empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1780–1839, (the Sutlej and Panjnad rivers being the southern limits of his empire), just beyond the northern limit of the princely state of Khairpur in upper Sindh and across the Indus river from the western limit of the princely state of Bahawalpur. Because of its peripheral location at the frontier, Mithankot, along with the neighbouring areas, was either neglected and "left alone" or it was subjected to plundering raids, greater scrutiny and repression, as border areas are often subjected to.
Mithankot is in the centre of the area of the Indus Valley civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
, roughly halfway between Harrapa and Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro is an archeological site situated in what is now the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the...
, the two major cities of Indus Valley civilization. It was an important transit point and a major riverine trade centre along one of the southern routes of the "silk road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
" connecting central Asia and China to the Arabian Sea. Since prehistoric times, Mithankot was and has remained until today an important site for crossing the Sindhu river. The river, at this site, has two large islands which divide the river waters into three fordable streams. A bridge of boats
Bridge of boats
A "bridge of boats" istype of bridge which floats on water instead of having permanent pillars. It is built by linking boats and the first and last being anchored to the shores. It was used as a military technique since ancient times, being the fastest method for an army to construct a water crossing...
was used to cross the river in fall, winter and early spring, when the water flow was slow and lethargic, to reach Chacharan, a town on the east bank of the river in Rahim Yar Khan district of Pakistan. The river islands have a fertile soil enriched by the silt brought by the waters of Sindhu river every spring and summer; water melons and fennel were two prized crops. Currently ferries, boats and railway provide transportation across the river. Indus Queen was one famous large stern-wheeler used for ferry service.
The confluence of the Sindhu with other rivers in the vicinity of Mithankot is mentioned in Hindu mythology - Lord Parashurama
Parashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
camped at this spot during his mission to eliminate all kshatriyas. In the prehistoric periods of Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Mithankot area was a part of the Sauvira Kingdom
Sauvira Kingdom
Sauvira was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. According to the epic, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhus, Sauviras and Sivis. Probably Sauvira and Sivi were two kingdoms close to the Sindhu kingdom and Jayadratha conquered them. Jayadratha was an ally of Duryodhana and husband of...
. The kingdom of Sauvira joined Kauravas against Pandavas in the great war of Mahabharata.
Alexander the Great of Macedonia reached Mithankot area in late 325 BCE while he and his armies were retreating from India on their way to Persia and Babylon (Pakistan Handbook by Isobel Shaw 1998). According to the historian Arrian, he camped at the confluence of Indus with the combined stream of the Punjab rivers to recuperate from the serious wounds inflicted upon him during the previous battle with Mallians at or near the present-day Multan and also waited for a part of his army led by Perdiccas to join him. He also crossed the bridge of boats in operation at this location on the Indus river since prehistoric ancient times. He fixed the junction of the rivers as the southern extreme of the province to be governed by Philippus for him, and instructed Philippus to build dockyards and to establish a settlement at the site of the last confluence of the rivers (possibly the site of the old town of Mithankot or Chacharan). According to the local legend, Alexander realized the strategic importance of the crossing site and left a garrison of infantry and the entire Thracian cavalry in order to maintain control over it. Within two years, however, the garrison lost the control to Indians and some or all of the Greek, Persian, Thracian and Macedonian soldiers of the garrison married the local girls and became assimilated into the local Hindu society.
Some historians believe that, in 325 BCE, the confluence of the Sindhu with the rivers from Punjab was higher and near the present location of Uch
Uch
Uch or Uch Sharif ) is located in 75 km from Bahawalpur in Bahawalpur District, South Punjab, Pakistan Uch is an important historical city, being founded by Alexander the Great. Formerly located at the confluence of the Indus and Chenab rivers, it is now removed to Mithankot, some 100 km...
Sharif, and gradually the Sindhu river and the confluence meandered southwest to the present location near Mithankot. It is highly probable that some of the inhabitants also moved along with the shifting courses of rivers, as the rivers were the most important source of their livelihood. It is not clear from the writings of Alexander's historians whether the settlement of Mithankot existed at that time, it had a different name or if a new city was ever built at all.
Guru Nanak Dev
Guru Nanak Dev
Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.-Early life:Guru Nanak was born on 15 April 1469, now...
(1469–1538), the founder of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
visited Mithankot in 1518; he held a lively debate on theology, God and other spiritual matters with Mian Mitha, a noted Muslim saint residing at Mithankot, and then returned to Kartarpur in north Punjab. It is possible that Mithankot's original name was Panchnaad, and it was renamed as Mithankot as an honor to Mian Mitha. Khawaja Farid (1844–1901), a notable Saraiki
Saraiki people
The Saraiki people or Multani people are an ethnic group from the central and south-eastern areas of Pakistan, especially the former princely state of Bahawalpur and the districts of Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh,...
poet and Sufi mystic was born at Mithankot and also died there. His mazar
Mazar
A Mazār is a tomb or mausoleum ; the word deriving from the Arabic verb zāra , 'to visit', whence also comes the noun ziyārah , 'a visit', or 'visiting the tomb of a saint for blessings.'. Though the word is Arabic in origin, it has been borrowed by a number of eastern languages, including Persian...
attracts many pilgrims.
In 1836, Mithankot, by then a strong Sikh garrison fortress, was attacked by the Mazari
Mazari
Mazari may refer to:*Mazari tribe, a prominent Baloch tribe settled in Rajanpur and Sindh, Pakistan*Abdul Ali Mazari, Afghan Hazara leader of Hizb-e-Wahdat*A local of Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Afghanistan...
tribal forces under the command of Sardar Karam Khan, the younger brother of the Mazari
Mazari
Mazari may refer to:*Mazari tribe, a prominent Baloch tribe settled in Rajanpur and Sindh, Pakistan*Abdul Ali Mazari, Afghan Hazara leader of Hizb-e-Wahdat*A local of Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Afghanistan...
Chief Sardar Mir Bahram Khan. The attack came as retaliation to Raja Kharak Singh’s constant threats to the Mazari capitol of Rojhan Mazari. Many lives were lost and the garrison along with the city was completely burnt down. All the prisoners taken by the Mazari tribesman were later skinned alive and burnt near the city. A few days later the Sikhs under the command of Raja Kharak Singh retaliated and attacked the Mazari capital of Rojhan and managed to burn it down but the Sikh army was quickly engaged by the forces of Sardar Mir Bahram Khan and driven back towards Mithankot. Despite, suffering a major loss in terms of property, only a handful of Mazaris lost their lives as the news of the attack had reached the court of the Mazari Sardar a few days earlier thereby eliminating the element of surprise. These events led to regular skirmishes between the Mazari and the Sikh forces resulting in loss of life on both sides. Then finally in early 1838, a deal was brokered between Sardar Mir Bahram Khan and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh which led to an armistice that was signed by the Chief’s younger brother Sardar Karam Khan and Diwan Sawan Mal
Sawan Mal
Sawan Mal was the Diwan of Multan. He was originally from Gujranwala, the region where Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Misl, the Sukerchakias held sway.He was son of Hushnak rai who worked under Dal Singh of Akalgarh and had two brothers,Diwan Nanak Chand and Diwan Gurumukh Rai. Along with Hari Singh...
, the Maharaja’s Governor of Multan. Later that year Sardar Mir Bahram Khan along with twelve thousand Mazari Tribesman, court officials and notables visited Lahore on the invitation of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. The Mazaris were well received by the Maharaja at the Lahore Fort and given a royal welcome. The Maharaja had the Mughal era Naulakha Pavilion inside the Lahore Fort specially renovated for the month long stay of Sardar Mir Bahram Khan. This meeting between the two leaders officially brought an end to the long war between the Sikh Maharaja and the Mazari Sardar that started with the attack at Mitankot.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had grandiose plans to convert Mithankot to a large commercial and trade center similar to Bombay (now known as Mumbai); for some reasons, his plans were not carried out.
At the end of Second Anglo-Sikh War
Second Anglo-Sikh War
The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848 and 1849, between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company. It resulted in the subjugation of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently became the North-West Frontier Province by the East India Company.-Background...
(1848–1849), this area including Mithankot was surrendered by Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s to British forces; Mithankot became a part of the Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The district covers an area of 5,306 m² and it is a long narrow strip of country, 198 m...
, the Multan Division
Multan Division
Multan Division was an administrative division of the Punjab Province of Pakistan, until the reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government.-History:Multan Division was created during British Rule in the subcontinent...
of the Punjab province of British India. During the previous reigns of Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh (he had conquered Mithankot in 1817) and his successors, Dewan Sawan Mal
Sawan Mal
Sawan Mal was the Diwan of Multan. He was originally from Gujranwala, the region where Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Misl, the Sukerchakias held sway.He was son of Hushnak rai who worked under Dal Singh of Akalgarh and had two brothers,Diwan Nanak Chand and Diwan Gurumukh Rai. Along with Hari Singh...
was the governor of this region. Under his supervision, an existing but neglected network of irrigation canals had been improved upon and expanded to bring prosperity to the region. A small but well built mud fort was present on the river side of the town. The British demolished the fort; instead an army cantonment was built and later abandoned in 1862.
For more than a decade after the British takeover, Mithankot was an important trade as well as administrative and military center of the British government in south part of district Dera Ghazi Khan; its importance was second to Dera Ghazi Khan, the administrative headquarters of the district. In 1862, Mithankot was inundated and washed away by floods from the Sindhu river; the offices of the assistant district commissioner and the assistant district magistrate were shifted to Rajanpur, which was until then an unimportant village but now became the headquarters of the tahsil. Rajanpur had the advantage of being at a considerable distance from the Sindhu river. The old town and the cantonment of Mithankot were abandoned and a new town with straight roads intersecting at right angles and planned markets was built on an eminence five miles from the river, but the town, however, did not regain its previous importance as the administrative center. During the period of relocation and rebuilding the town, the business of grain export was moved to Rajanpur and a substantial number of prosperous and influential Hindu Arora merchants and businessmen also moved to Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan or other locations. By 1880's, Mithankot had lost its position as the mercantile capital of southwest Punjab and had become a quiet but prosperous country town.
After 1862, Punjab Flotilla (a government sponsored incorporated company) consisting of many steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
and barges provided riverine transportation along the Indus river between Kalabagh
Kalabagh
Kalabagh a town and union council of Mianwali District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located on the western bank of Indus River. It is the site of the proposed Kalabagh Dam. It is also famous for its red hills of the salt range and scenic view of the Indus River traversing through the...
in North Punjab and the Mithankot and eventually up to Sukkur
Sukkur
Sukkur, or Sakharu , formerly Aror and Bakar, is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word Sakharu in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the...
Jhirk
Jhirk
Jhirk is a small town on the right bank of River Indus, in district Thatta, province of Sindh, Pakistan.- History :In 19th century, Jhirk was the busiest river port and centre of commercial activity in Sindh. It also served as the headquarters of the Indus flotilla, the most modern navigational...
town in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
province; Indus Flotilla
Indus flotilla
The Indus Flotilla was a steamship company established in 1859 in British India to provide "the navigation of the Indus, &c, by means of steamvessels [sic], between Kotree and Mooltan, to be worked in connexion with the railways." It came to ply the Indus River all the way from Karachi Port in the...
did the same between Sukkur and Kotri
Kotri
Kotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
in the Sindh province.
This action undercut the income of the local shippers, businessmen and boatsmen. However, it appears that Mithankot remained an important transit station in the trade routes of Punjab and Sindh during the British administration.
Mithankot was the site of the Mithankot(e) conference in February 1871 between the governments of the Punjab and the Sindh provinces of British India when Capt Robert Groves Sandeman
Robert Groves Sandeman
Sir Robert Groves Sandeman, KCSI , Colonial British Indian officer and administrator, was the son of General Robert Turnbull Sandeman, and was born on the 25th of February 1835. He was educated at Perth and University of St Andrews, and joined the 33rd Bengal Infantry in 1856...
(known locally as "Sandmaan Sahib
Sahib
Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib is "associate, companion, comrade, friend" though it also includes "Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib...
") was assigned the political control over adjacent Mazari
Mazari
Mazari may refer to:*Mazari tribe, a prominent Baloch tribe settled in Rajanpur and Sindh, Pakistan*Abdul Ali Mazari, Afghan Hazara leader of Hizb-e-Wahdat*A local of Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Afghanistan...
, Bugti
Bugti
Bugti , is a Baloch tribe located in Balochistan, Pakistan. They are divided into various clans such as Rahija, Mandawani , Kalpar, Nauthani, Masuri, Ferozani, Salamaan Zai, Mundarani, Qasimani, Shambani, Sobazai, Pahi, Maretha and Moharkanzai etc., numbering around 300,000.On a bigger scale the...
and Marri
Marri
Marri ) is one of the largest ethnic Baloch tribes in Balochistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. Marri was considered to be a clan of the Rind tribe in the early history of Baloch and Balochistan...
Baloch "countries" in Sulaiman mountains and hills west of Mithankot and Rajanpur.
In 1873, the municipality of Mithankot was established. In 1901 census, the population of Mithankot was 3,487 vs. that of Rajanpur being 3,917. Muslims formed 87% of the population in the entire district of Dera Ghazi Khan; however, in cities and towns of Dera Ghazi Khan, Jampur, Rajanpur and Mithankot, Hindus and Muslims were almost equal in number. Muslims, consisting of Balochs, Rajputs, Arains and Jats were agriculturists, while Hindus, chiefly Arora
Arora
Arora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
community, were generally better educated and were merchants, traders, moneylenders, and government employees. A small number of sikhs, khojas (Muslim aroras) and native Christians also lived in the district. In 1947, after the partition, nearly all Arora and other upper caste Hindus migrated to India; as a result, the population of Mithankot plunged to 3,675 (1951 census) from 5,881 in 1941. In 1998 census, the population of Mithankot was 13,556.
Mithankot lies at an elevation of 258 ft. above the sea level. The climate is arid and desert-like, the average annual rain fall being only 4 inches (100mm). It is extremely hot in summer and quite cold in winter. The cultivation of crops (wheat, sugarcane, cotton) is by the water of Indus river brought by canals made and maintained by industrious peasants over the many centuries.
Mithan Kot Now a Days
Now in this decade Mithan kot has a status of union council Mithan Kot Sharif with addition of some nearby villages in New Local Govenament system in 2000 by Pervaiz Musharaf.It has become a very important political, Historical and economical hub of district Rajan pur. Rajputs,Rao,Koreja,Wains,Khoja,Rana,Korai,Balouch,Dareshak,Lashari,Arain,Pitafi,Qazi,Qureshi,Bukhari,Comboh,somro,Malik,Gupang are the famous families in the business and politics in Mithan kot. Malik Kamal Farid is the first Nazim of mithan kot. He is the son of Malik Ghulam Sabir.Who was the chairman of town Committee Mithan Kot.Malik Kamal Farid is he most famous popular and beloved leader of the city from last 2 decades. He has done a brilliant job for Mithan Kot in the field of Education, Sanitation, Communication,Jobs,and construction of city.In floods of 2010 he saved Mithan Kot by his brave decisions of making new boundaries without the help of governament.See also
- British RajBritish RajBritish Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
- Alexander the Great
- Punjab, Pakistan
- PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
- AroraAroraArora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
- Sindhu KingdomSindhu KingdomSindhu&sandhu was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It stretched along the banks of river Sindhu in the Ancient Greater India, which is now Pakistan. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrsadarbh, one of sons of Sivi...
- Gopang Baloach
- Gopang Tribe Next King