Original subtitles

Like every ancient city,

the history of Rawalpindi is also ancient,

To know its past we have to go back in history

but

Before going back centuries

Take a look at nearby Rawalpindi

After the creation of Pakistan, the status of federal capital was

held by Karachi

But very few people of Rawalpindi are aware that

before the federal capital shifted to Islamabad

Rawalpindi has been the interim capital of Pakistan for a long time

Rawalpindi has been constantly in the news since the creation of Pakistan

And that's perfectly fine

Martyrdom of Khan Liaquat Ali Khan

Execution of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

Or the assassination of Benazir Bhutto

All these events took place in Rawalpindi

By the way, Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city of Pakistan

But the turmoil that has been in this city for centuries is beyond description

For more than half of the 76 years of independence, Rawalpindi

has been ruled

It is said that every rise is a fall and every fall is a perfection

The area around Rawalpindi has been inhabited for thousands of years

A large number of Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Buddhist monks

have lived around the area

Julian University, the oldest university in the world, still exists in Taxila

Well, that university is in the form of ruins today, but it gives

an idea of how old this area is.

Also you can visit Top Mankyala Stupa in Mankyala village.

This stupa is believed to have been built between 128 and 158 CE.

Whenever you have the chance to visit this stupa,

you will definitely think that you are looking at a building that is

almost two thousand years old.

Rawalpindi was also called Ganjipur, Ghaznipur, or Ghaznipur

during the Bhatti regime.

It is believed that Bhatti was a Rajput clan in general.

This tribe used to rule some areas of Sindh and Punjab centuries ago

However, a common belief is that this tribe ruled here before the birth of Jesus.

The first settlement of Rawalpindi is mentioned during the reign of

Mahmud Ghaznavi.

At that time, Mahmud Ghaznavi destroyed this settlement

In the 11th century, this settlement was restored by

Gukhar Sardar Kai Gohar.

But in the 14th century, the settlement was destroyed by the

Mongols

For almost seventy years, this settlement remained

completely deserted

But then Jhanda Khan settled this ruined settlement in year 1493

And he named the place Rawal

Rawat Fort was built in the 16th century during the Mughal era.

It remained under the rule of Gakhar tribe.

Later, Sher Shah Suri forbade Gakhar to become loyal to the Mughals.

Before that, in December 1585, Emperor Akbar stayed around

Rawalpindi for about 13 years.

In 1622, Emperor Jahangir set up his royal camp in Rawalpindi

The power of the Mughals was gradually declining during his time,

so the importance of Rawalpindi for the Mughals gradually decreased.

The Mughals had become so weak that the Sikhs defeated Gakhar

and made Rawalpindi a part of the Sikh Empire in year 1765

And then this area came under the control of Sikh Sardar Malkha Singh

In year 1810, the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh also wreaked havoc in this area.

Another thing is surprising that Jews lived in Babu Mohalla Rawalpindi too.

Then came the era of the British

The British East India Company deployed its 53rd Regiment to

occupy Rawalpindi and decided to build a large cantonment here in year1851.

And then it became a permanent military cantonment.

A telegraph office was built here in 1850, a year before

the construction of the military cantonment.

The Garrison Church was built here in 1854

In 1855 a census was conducted here and according to the census

the total population was 15913.

It is also worth noting that the Gakhar and Janjua tribes remained

loyal to the British in the military coup of 1857.

A lot of construction was done inside Rawalpindi during the British rule.

The cantonment here served as a feeder for all the surrounding cantonments.

Arms and rations were transported from here to all adjoining

cantonments including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir.

The city never became an industrial city during the British rule

But it was certain that Rawalpindi had become the junction for the next regions.

In 1883, Sardar Sujan Singh opened a huge market there

And the British developed a shopping district for the elite

Whose name is still called Sadr

Rawalpindi district has the honor of having the highest number of

military recruits in the First World War.

Earlier, Rawalpindi was considered as the most

important accommodation for the British soldiers.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the exiled

Afghan king Shah Shuja & his brother Shah Zaman also took shelter here.

There is a lot to tell about Rawalpindi but this video will be too long.

However, today's Rawalpindi has modernized to a great extent.

And like every ancient city, Rawalpindi is also a combination of ancient and modern city.