Malakwal

About Malakwal

Malakwal (Urdu: ملکوال ) is a city in Mandi Bahauddin District, Punjab, Pakistan.

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 up with the conquest of the Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

After the formation of the Sikh Empire in 1801, Malakwal was also invaded and occupied by the Sikhs. During the British rule, Malakwal increased in population and importance.

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

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.