Sheikhupura

關於Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura, also known as Qila Sheikhupura, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It was founded by the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1607 as a citadel, west of Lahore. Sheikhupura is the 10th-largest city in Punjab, and 15th-largest in Pakistan by population, serving as the headquarters of Sheikhupura District. The city is an industrial centre and satellite town, and is located about 38 km northwest of Lahore. It also borders Sialkot, Gujranwala, Nankana Sahib and Kasur districts of Punjab, Pakistan.

In 1607, the Mughals constructed a new fort in the city. The city's first name is recorded in the Emperor Jahangir's autobiography, the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, in which he refers to the town as Jehangir pura. The city then came to be known by its current name, which derives from Jehangir's nickname "Shekhu" that was given to him by his mother, wife of Akbar the Great.

It was previously known as Virkgarh, as the Virk Jats were the main rural tribe in the area before Jahangir. It would later briefly be called Singhpuria under Sikh rule, before being renamed back to Sheikhupura.

Mughal Emperor Jahangir laid the foundations...

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