Calling code 053 Area code 053 | Province Punjab Time zone PST (UTC+5) Union council No 14 | |
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Mangowal Gharbi (منگوال غربی), or Mangowal West in English, is a Town and Union Council headquarters in Gujrat District in Punjab province, Pakistan.
Contents
Map of Mangowal, Pakistan
Geography
Its population is about 60,000. Mangowal Gharbi (post code 50640) is situated 19 kilometer away from Gujrat towards west on Sargodha road. The surrounding villages are Gumrali, Dinga, jahangirpur Chakrian, Kot Matta, and Chah Mughlan. Mangowal Gharbi is a business hub for surrounding villages, due to its location as Gujrat Sarghoda Highway passes through the town.
History
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 in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of Punjab region. 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 famous Sufi saint Shah Sharif came here in the 17th century. The preaching Muslim Sufi and saint Syed Hafiz Abdul Rahim Shah (Rahma-tul-alaih ) started preaching Islam among the ancient Sikh and Hindu communities of the area, and people started converting to Islam. His followers and descendants were appointed to different towns and cities such as, Moin-ud-D-Pur, Madina Sayyedan, and Saroki, in the east and all the way to Miana gondal, Bar Moosa, Mandi Baha-ud-Din, in the west, to convey the message of Islam and the whole region started embracing Islam.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Gujrat District. The Muslims faced severe restrictions during the Sikh rule. During the period of British rule, Gujrat District increased in population and importance.
The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslims refugees from India settled down in the Gujrat District.
People
Most of the population belongs to the Sahi, syeds, Kashmiris, Arain, Jatt, Warraich, Cheema, Khsas, Rajput, Rehmani, Khan and Mirza tribes. A variety of people inhabit here. The population is Muslim of which about half are Muslims refugees from India that settled down in the Gujrat District after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. The people are known as Muhajir (meaning Migrants), who fled their property in India during anti-Muslim pograms and settled in Pakistan. During the last century, many families from the surrounding area and hundreds of the Pakhtun Have settled in Mangowal.