Muzaffargarh District

Muzaffargarh District (Template:Langx) is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Its capital is Muzaffargarh city. It lies on the bank of the Chenab River.

History

Muzaffargarh (Template:Literally) was founded by the Saddozai Nawab of Multan, Nawab Muzaffar Khan, in 1794. Muzaffargarh district was annexed by the British from its former Sikh rulers after the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848–1849. In 1861 it became a separate Muzaffargarh District. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Muzaffargarh District. Muslim refugees from East Punjab, Haryana, Jammu started arriving and crossed the border into Pakistan; many were given land in Muzaffargarh District to settle.

Administration

The district is administratively divided into the following three tehsils (subdivisions), which contain a total of 93 Union Councils: Template:Static row numbers

Tehsil	Area (km²)	Pop. (2023)	Density (ppl/km²) (2023)	Literacy rate (2023)	Union Councils
Jatoi	1,010	862,046	853.51	40.67%	16
Alipur	1,391	760,526	546.75	39.15%	14
Muzaffargarh	2,377	1,905,995	801.85	46.84%	35
Total	4,778	3,528,567	738.50	43.74%	65

Demographics

Population

As of the 2023 census, present Muzaffargarh district has 552,926 households and a population of 3,528,567. The district has a sex ratio of 104.18 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 43.74%: 51.38% for males and 35.74% for females. 1,185,064 (33.60% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 662,975 (18.79%) live in urban areas.

Religion

Religion in contemporary Muzaffargarh District

Religious group	1941Template:Rp		2017		2023
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam File:Star and Crescent.svg	360,868		2,977,231		3,515,344	99.68%
Hinduism File:Om.svgTemplate:Efn	53,458		332		288	0.01%
Sikhism File:Khanda.svg	3,280		—	—	65	~0%
Christianity File:Christian cross.svg	162		2,565		10,122	0.29%
Ahmadi	—	—	845		734	0.02%
Others	426		75	~	89	~0%
Total Population	418,194		2,981,048		3,526,642	100%
Note: 1941 census data is for Muzaffargarh and Alipur tehsils of erstwhile Muzaffargarh District, which roughly corresponds to contemporary Muzaffargarh district. District and tehsil borders have changed since 1941.

Religious groups in Muzaffargarh District (British Punjab province era)

Religious group	1881		1891		1901		1911		1921		1931		1941
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam File:Star and Crescent.svg	292,476		327,727		350,177		494,915		493,369		513,265		616,074
Hinduism File:Om.svgTemplate:Efn	43,297		50,625		52,221		68,158		69,878		72,577		90,643
Sikhism File:Khanda.svg	2,788		2,715		3,225		6,322		4,869		5,287		5,882
Christianity File:Christian cross.svg	33		27		33		60		356		246		227
Jainism File:Jain Prateek Chihna.svg	11		1		0		1		6		0		0
Zoroastrianism File:Faravahar.svg	0		0		0		4		0		0		0
Buddhism File:Dharma Wheel (2).svg	0		0		0		1		0		0		23
Judaism File:Star of David.svg	—	—	0		0		0		0		0		0
Others	0		0		0		0		0		0		0
Total population	338,605		381,095		405,656		569,461		568,478		591,375		712,849
Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.

Religion in the Tehsils of Muzaffargarh District (1921)

Tehsil	Islam File:Star and Crescent.svg		Hinduism File:Om.svg		Sikhism File:Khanda.svg		Christianity File:Christian cross.svg		Jainism File:Jain Prateek Chihna.svg		OthersTemplate:Efn		Total
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Muzaffargarh Tehsil	154,990		22,629		655		300		5		0		178,579
Alipur Tehsil	126,350		18,672		1,681		7		1		0		146,711
Sanawan Tehsil	96,325		11,317		1,279		49		0		0		108,970
Leiah Tehsil	115,704		17,260		1,254		0		0		0		134,218
Note: British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.

Religion in the Tehsils of Muzaffargarh District (1941)

Tehsil	Islam File:Star and Crescent.svg		Hinduism File:Om.svgTemplate:Efn		Sikhism File:Khanda.svg		Christianity File:Christian cross.svg		Jainism File:Jain Prateek Chihna.svg		OthersTemplate:Efn		Total
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Muzaffargarh Tehsil	192,516		27,714		962		161		0		23		221,376
Alipur Tehsil	168,352		26,144		2,318		1		0		3		196,818
Kot Adu Tehsil	117,005		14,803		1,720		52		0		5		133,585
Leiah Tehsil	138,201		21,982		882		4		0		1		161,070
Note1: British Punjab province era tehsil borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to tehsil borders — which since created new tehsils — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. Note2: Tehsil religious breakdown figures for Christianity only includes local Christians, labeled as "Indian Christians" on census. Does not include Anglo-Indian Christians or British Christians, who were classified under "Other" category.

Language

At the time of the 2023 census, 93.40% of the population spoke Saraiki, 3.65% Urdu and 2.50% Punjabi as their first language.

Ethnicity

The most famous tribes and races are as under; Khar (offshoot of Kharal tribe), Khokhar, Dasti, Qureshi, Jatoi, Hinjra, Langrial, Thahim, Gopang, Bukhari, Gilani, Rajput, Jat and Arain. The major ethnic group are the Saraiki-speaking Jat forming the majority, with Saraiki-speaking Gujjar, Baloch, Rajputs and Pathan groups in minority.

Geography and climate

Muzaffargarh
Climate chart (explanation)
Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header Template:Climate chart/month header     7.2     21 5     9.5     23 8     20     29 14     23     36 20     60     40 24     92     42 29     131     39 29     73     38 28     41     37 25     1.7     35 18     2.3     29 11     6.9     23 6 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: World Meteorological Organization
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.3     70 40     0.4     74 46     0.8     83 56     0.9     96 67     2.4     105 76     3.6     108 83     5.2     103 84     2.9     100 82     1.6     99 77     0.1     94 65     0.1     83 52     0.3     73 42 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Muzaffargarh spreads over an area of 8,249 km2 and forms a strip between the Chenab River on its east and Indus River on its west, which pass along the Eastern and Western boundaries respectively of the district and a triangle at Alipur tehsil of the district. The district is bounded on the north by district Layyah, on the south by Bahawalpur and Rahimyar Khan districts across the river Chenab.

Districts Multan and Khanewal are on the eastern side of district Muzaffargarh, across the river Chenab. District Jhang touches it on the northeast. Dera Gahzi Khan and Rajanpur districts lie on the western side across the river Indus. It is one of oldest districts of Punjab. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 2,635,903, of which 12.75% were urban. Muzaffargarh is one of oldest established districts of Punjab.

2010 floods

Muzaffargarh was especially hard hit by the 2010 Pakistan floods, given its position between the Chenab and Indus rivers It is spread over an area of 8,249 km². Muzaffargarh District lies in the strip between the rivers Chenab and Indus.

The city of Muzaffargarh is located in southern Punjab province at almost the exact centre of Pakistan. The closest major city is Multan. The area around the city is a flat, alluvial plain and is ideal for agriculture, with many citrus and mango farms. There are many canals that cut across the Muzaffargarh District providing water from nearby farms. This makes the land very fertile. However usually land close to the Chenab are usually flooded in the monsoon season.

Climate

Muzaffargarh features a semi arid climate with very hot summers and mild winters. The city witnesses some of the most extreme weather in the country. The highest recorded temperature is approximately , and the lowest recorded temperature is approximately . The average rainfall is roughly . Dust storms are a common occurrence within the city.

The district's towns include Basti Malik Wala, Taliri, Mauza Bahadur Dawana, Dawana Bahadur Peer Rajan Bukhsh, Kot Addu, Khangarh and Hayat Nagar.

Education

Although Muzaffargarh is one of the oldest and largest districts of Pakistan by area and population, it still has only a single campus of Virtual University of Pakistan. The literacy rate is among the lowest in the country. District Muzaffargarh has a total of 1,072 male and 1,009 female public sector schools.

Notable people

• Milkha Singh, a famous track and field athlete