Jhang

About Jhang

Jhang is the capital city of Jhang District in central Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab River, it is the 14th most populous city in Pakistan.

The historical name of the city and district is Jhang Sial, literally meaning the "terrain of the Sials". The word Jhang is derived from the Sanskrit word jāṅgala which means rough or forested terrain; the word Jungle also shares the same root.

The city of Jhang was built in 1288 by Rai Sial, a chief of the Sial tribe. The Sial tribe ruled this region ever since then until the last Sial ruler of Jhang, Ahmad Khan (1812 to 1822) was defeated by Ranjit Singh after fierce fighting.

Under the collective rule of the Sial Khans of Jhang and other Sial sub-tribes such as the Rajbana and Bharwana, in the zenith of their power, the Sial territory of Jhang extended up to the Muzafargarh boundary in the south, and the entirety of Chiniot, Kamalia and Kabirwala ilakas. The territory extended to parts of Bhakkar and Sargodha. The Garh Mahraja and Ahmadpur Sial ilakas were added to the possessions of the Rajbana...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.