Jhelum /ˈdʒeɪləm/ (Urdu: جِہلم, Punjabi: جہلم) is a city on the right bank of the Jhelum River, in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population according to the 2017 census.. 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.
History and Suburbs
Jhelum is a few miles upstream from the site of the ancient Battle of the Hydaspes between the armies of Alexander and King Porus. 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.
Etymology
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 “هذا جهيلم” (this is Jheelum), which means “City beside the river, in full moonlight”.
Ahmed Shah Abdali also used “Jheelum” in place of Jhelum and “Harian” for Kharian in his diary.
Administration
As well as being district capital, Jhelum city is also the headquarters of Jhelum Tehsil, the city of Jhelum is administratively subdivided into 7 Union Councils, namely Jhelum-I, Jhelum-II, Jhelum-III, Jhelum-IV, Jhelum-V, Jhelum-VI, and Jhelum-VII.
Demography
The population of the Jhelum city is about 188,800(2012) and it is the 32nd largest city of Pakistan with respect to population. The total area of the city is about 22 km2 (8.5 sq mi). Population density is 261/km. Population Growth Rate is 1.51 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 majority sharing 1.36 percent in the district.
The Gakhars, Janjua, Gujjars, Panhwar, Arain, Mughals, Gondals, Awan, Syed, Jat, Kashmiri, Kayani and Khokhar are among the tribes residing here.
The literacy rate of Jhelum is among the highest in Pakistan. At 79%, it is only lower than that of Islamabad and neighboring 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 has electricity and 96% have access to water. The Human Development Index of Jhelum is 0.770, which is highest in Pakistan after Karachi.
Geography and climate
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). The average annual rainfall is about 850 millimeters (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 Jhelum River very rapidly and cause damage to the crops, bridges, roads. This is responsible for soil erosion in the district.
Travel and tourism
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. There is a regular bus/Hiace service available running from early hours of the morning to late in the night. Daily routes include Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Chakwal, Mirpur and Faisalabad.
Regular bus and van services are available within Jhelum District. It includes important towns and villages such as buses from Jhelum to Pind Dadan Khan, Dina, Sohawa, Lilla, Nakka Khurd, Chakri Rajgan Khalaspur, Pind Sawika, Bair Faqiran- Green Hills Village) Nagyal, Sanghoi, Mangla Cantt, Nara, Domeli, Darapur, Jalalpur Sharif and many more, while vans go from Jhelum to Sanghoi, Wagh, Dina, Kharian, Sarai Alamgir, Chak Jamal, Chak Doulat, Mughalabad, Boken, Dhanyala and many other destinations as well as Baragowah.
Railway
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 the main line of Pakistan Railways and linked to the whole country through Railway line across Pakistan. Many of the railway lines and bridges were designed and constructed by engineers during the British time and after independence in railway workshop Jhelum.
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 has situated 13 km (8 mi) from the city center. It is not being used by any commercial airline, but only for military purposes.
Hospitals
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 sub-organizations. One such hospital is the Combined Military Hospital Jhelum.
Sources: Wikipedia