Rawalpindi Division
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Rawalpindi Division
North-western Division of the Punjab, lying between 31 35' and 34 i' N. and 70 37' and 74 29' E The Commissioner's head-quarters are at Rawalpindi and Murree. The total population of the Division increased from 2,520,508 in 1881 to 2,750,713 m 1891, and to 2,799,360 in 1901. Its total area is 15,736 square miles, and the density of the population is 178 persons per square mile, compared with 209 for the Province as a whole. In 1901 the Muhammadans numbered 2,428,767, or nearly 87 per cent of the total ; while Hindus numbered 275,905, Sikhs 84,953, Jains 1,232, Parsis 66, and Christians 8,436. The Division contains five Districts, as shown below
The Districts of Rawalpindi, Attock, and Jhelum aie hilly, extending
from the outer ranges of the Himalayas and including most of the Salt
Range, which enters Shahpur District on the south-west.
The principal town is RAWALPINDI (population, 87,688, with canton- ments) SHAHDHERI, close to the Margalla pass, has been identified with the ancient city of Taxila HASSAN ABDAL, and MANIKIALA, the site of the body-offering stupa of Buddhist legend, are within 30 miles of Shahdhen. ROHTAS and MALOT in Jhelum and Mong in Gujrat District also possess an antiquarian interest In Gujrat District are the battle-fields of SADULLAPUR, CHILIANWALA, and GUJRAT, while the famous defile of Narsmgh-Phohar in the Salt Range, with its waterfall, is one of the most beautiful spots in Northern India.
