- Chiniot
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This article is about the city. For other uses, see Chiniot (disambiguation).
Chiniot
چنیوٹ— City — Location of Chiniot in Pakistan
ChiniotCoordinates: 31°43′12″N 72°58′44″E / 31.7200°N 72.9789°ECoordinates: 31°43′12″N 72°58′44″E / 31.7200°N 72.9789°E Country Pakistan Province Punjab District Chiniot District Tehsil Chiniot Tehsil Government - Type Capital - City Council Members' ListElevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2010)[1] - Total 2,01,781 Time zone PST (UTC+5) - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC+6) Postal code 35400 Dialling code 047 Distance(s) FromWebsite tmachiniot.com Chiniot (Punjabi, Urdu: چنیوٹ) is a city and administration headquarter of Chiniot District, in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. Located between the heart of river Chenab with the heads of small rocky hills, it is known for its wooden furniture architecture which has a great attraction in all over the world.
Contents
Name and Etymology
"Chiniot" derives from the Punjabi, Chan and ote, means "Moon" and "behind", compound to mean "Behind the Moon". Its name mean also used as "Behind the Moon without light".
Geography
Chiniot city lies on left bank of the Chenab River inside the small rocky hills, giving a tourism sight and a great attractions for tourists. It is located at the point where Faisalabad-Sargodha road and Lahore-Jhang road meetup each other. It is 158 kilometers in the Northwest from Lahore and 38 kilometers in North of Faisalabad. Chiniot city is spread over an area of 10 square kilometers with an average elevation of 179 meters (587 ft). Chiniot is located at Latitude: 31.7200 and Longitude: 72.9789.
Chiniot lies on the left bank of river Chenab, with the rocky hills at the northern side between the river and city. On the other side of river, Rabwah city is located covered with the rocks is a great sight. In the center of river a (Committed) worship center (or Chilla Gah) of a great Muslim's Sufi Bu Ali Shah Qalandar is located.
Neighborhoods
Chiniot comprises many small towns and villages. Villages are mostly named as "Chak No.", which is a village planned and established by English engineers during the colonial period of British empire. These villages were planned mostly along canal banks to distribute the population evenly. Generally, its neighbors include Faisalabad, Bhawana, Lalian, Chenab Nagar (or Rabwah), Pindi Bhattian, and Aminpur (or Aminpur Bangla). The Bhawana is the richest one in terms of educated and employed human resource, a lot of which is holding high offices in the national bureaucracy. Aminpur is famous rest house built by British empire before independence of Pakistan at bank of Jhang Branch Canal. Faisalabad is a name known for its economy wise and industrialist place which has great role in the increase of economy of Chiniot.
Destination from Chiniot 
Sahiwal Sargodha Mandi Bahauddin Jhang 
Hafizabad 
Chiniot 
Toba Tek Singh Faisalabad Lahore Climate
Chiniot Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D 181983522112427161333201739254839288235278735274334259322011271412219Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: [2] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D 0.766461.472520.981610.591680.7102771.9102823.295813.495811.793770.490680.481570.57048Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Climate of the Chiniot changes every day as shown in monthly chart. Annually climate of Chiniot maximum at 30.2 °C and minimum at 19.2 °C is being recorded.
Climate data for Chiniot (1961-1990) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °C (°F) 19
(66)22
(72)27
(81)33
(91)39
(102)19
(66)35
(95)35
(95)34
(93)32
(90)27
(81)21
(70)28.6
(83.4)Average low °C (°F) 8
(46)11
(52)16
(61)20
(68)25
(77)28
(82)27
(81)27
(81)25
(77)20
(68)14
(57)9
(48)19.2
(66.5)Precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.71)35
(1.38)24
(0.94)13
(0.51)17
(0.67)48
(1.89)82
(3.23)87
(3.43)43
(1.69)9
(0.35)11
(0.43)12
(0.47)399
(15.71)Source: My Weather[3] Demographics
According to 1998 census, the population of Chiniot was 9,65,124 (included urban 1,72,522). According to 2010 estimated census, urban population of Chiniot is 2,01,781. Languages spoken in Chiniot are Punjabi and Urdu. Literacy of Chiniot is about 65%.
Tribes
Chiniot city has people with different ethnicity which are known for their professional works. As Chiniot has mostly Tarkhans and Lohars which are known for their own work of woodwork and ironwork respectively. They are usually combine known as Tarkhan-Lohars, Lohars are commonly known as Mughals know-a-days. Sheikh is also a famous tribe in Chiniot, they came from India during migration in 1947 and were settled here. Sheikh is the wealthiest family in Chiniot, some are working of furniture, some are landlords and some of them have other businesses. Syed is also a most common family in Chiniot, and have villages with their own names.
Other families and tribes of Chiniot include [[Janjua ],Aarbi, Aheer, Arain, [Makhdoom],[Awan, Baloch, Bhatti, Bhutta, Butt, Chadhar, Chishti, Chohan, Chughtai, Daher, Durrani, Galoter (malik), Goraya, Gujjar, Hanjra, Harral, Hashmi, Jappa, Jatt, Kharal,Kalru, Khokhar, Lohar, Malik, Marral, Mona, Mughal, Mumbarr,Malah Mahr Nalere, Naul, Nekokara, Nissowana, Panwar, Pathan, Pirjha, Qazi, Rao, Rajput, Saharan, Saidhen, Salara, Samore, Sandhu, Sangha, Sangra, Syed, Shaikh, Sial, Sipra, Tamimi (al-Tamīmī), Tarkhan, Thaheem, Waseer, and Wassi.
History
After independence of Pakistan in 1947, many Muslims of East Punjab and Haryana escaped from pogroms and genocide in India and settled in Chiniot.During the Mughal era, Chiniot produced many intelligent personalities and talented artisans who occupied positions in the Mughal courts, Nawab Saad Ullah Khan and Nawab Wazir Khan held the post of Prime Minister of India and the Governor of Lahore City respectively during the rule of King Shah Jehan.
Sardar Jassa singh Bhangi a Chief of this Area Ruled Chiniot for a great period of time.
Economy
The important products of Chiniot includes silk, cotton, wheat, sugar, rice, milk, pottery, and wooden-furniture etc. Chiniot is the name of leading industrial areas of Pakistan after Lahore and Faisalabad. It contains many of rice and flour mills. It has a Pakistan leading sugar industry Ramzan Sugar Mills on Jhang road ,Iqbal Rice Mills which is a great increasing economy of Chiniot. On the other side Madina Sugar Mills also situated in Chiniot, by which Chiniot's economy increase very well.
Chiniot has all the Banks with its branches includes Muslim Commercial Bank, United Bank Limited, Allied Bank Limited, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, The Bank of Punjab, National Bank of Pakistan, Askari Bank Limited, Bank AL Habib, Bank Alfalah and Habib Bank Limited (HBL).
Education
A side view of the building of Chenab College Chiniot
The education of Chiniot increasing day-by-day, with it literacy of Chiniot is also increasing. As education is must in today life for a person, government of Chiniot has a great care of it and developing educational institutions and upgrading the old ones.
Institutions
Educational institutions (colleges) in Chiniot includes Punjab College, Chenab College, Din College,[4] Masoomeen College, icon college, Govt. Degree College, Govt. Islamia College, Commercial College, Pak Poly-technique College, University of Higher Education, Takbeer College and Future Star Science and Commerce Academy. High schools in Chiniot includes Govt. Islamia High School, Govt. High School, Govt. Islah High School, Govt. Girls High School, and Govt. M.T.B High School.[5]
Chiniot has also some religious institutions include Maraqaba Hall, Idara-e-Markazia Dawat-wa-Arshad, Faizul-ul-Aloom, Jamiya Masjid Farooqia, Jamia Islamia Imdadia, Masjid Noor, Jamia Noor-ul-Anwar-ul-Quran, and Madrasa Fateh Aloom.[6]
Libraries
Chiniot government has given library facilities to its residents especially for students. As after the death of Sheikh Omar Hayat, his palace "Omar Hayat Mahal" was converted into the library by the government of Pakistan.
Health and care
Chiniot's government is also responsible for its people's health and care which the do. Welfare institutions in Chiniot includes Anjuman Imdad-e-Mareezan, Edhi Welfare Centre, and Human Rights and Human Council. Health care centres in Chiniot are Ali Hospital, District Headquarter Hospital (D.H.Q.H), Fatima Memorial Hospital, Fazal-e-Umar Hospital Rabwah, Islamia Hospital, Lillah Hospital, Noor ul Ain Rabwah, Subhan Hospital, T.B Clinic, Yousaf Zubaida Hospital & Tahir Heart Institute Rabwah.
Transport and communication
Chiniot is very well-connected with rest of Pakistan by a main highway and a rail line. The nearest international airport is Faisalabad International Airport, which is 48.5 kilometers from Chiniot. Chiniot has a railway track passing from it since 1927 for the easiest and cheapest way of transportation. Chiniot railway is a main source of transporting the furniture from Chiniot to the rest of Pakistan. And it is a main source of importing the woods for furniture from all over the Pakistan. Chiniot Railway Station was built in 1927 during British empire was a great step for the help in economy of Chiniot.
Culture
Islamic occasions
In Chiniot people celebrate Islamic occasions with great arrangements. As on 12 Rabi' al-awwal, 1440th birthday celebration of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, people of Chiniot arranged 63-maund cake, one of the largest cakes in the world.[7] That function was arranged in the Darbar Aalia Mohrwiya Wadi Aziz Sharif.
Furniture
Chiniot is world famous for its exoticly carved and brightly lacquered furniture. Chinioti craftsmen and artisans have for centuries carved flowers and geometric pattrens onto cellulose fibers. Masons from Chiniot are thought to have been employed during the construction of Taj Mahal and Golden Temple,[8] both now in India.
Despite the knowledge and century old traditions employed in Chinioti woodmaking, the Pakistani government has made little effort to promote and market its Punjabi furniture industry. A lack of vocational education and training centres in Chiniot means that modern working techniques are rarely used. The lack of computer aided design (CAD) also serves as a hindrance to modern manufacturing. Rather it needs at least one technical university in place to compete the gloabal updation.
Furniture making in Chiniot forms a vital part of Pakistan's secondary industry and is also essential to the Punjabi regional economy. A great example of this art is Omar Hayat Mahal which is completely wooden made palace in Chiniot.
Sport
Cricket is the most popular sport in Chiniot. There held many tournaments in Chiniot of cricket among different cricket clubs of Chiniot. In some tournaments outside cricket teams can also participate that tournaments. A cup and some cash prize is announced on the final of tournaments, which are given to the Winning team. Football is also played in Chiniot. Other popular sports in Chiniot includes Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Tennis, Kabbadi, and Horse racing.
Cuisine
Chiniot is noted for its food dishes, especially Kunna (goat meat cooked in a pot).
Politics
In politics Chiniot has all parties members like PML (N), PML (Q), PPP, MQM and PTI and many others. Most prominent and strong party is Pakistan Peoples Party. PML (N) was not very strong party in Chiniot but since when Mian Shahbaz Sharif president of this party and chief minister of punjab came in Chiniot and gave it the status of a District this party became a strong party in Chiniot.
Politicians in Chiniot are mostly from Sheikh or Syed family.
Notable people
Notable personalities of Chiniot are:
- Mian Muhammad Mansha, 1st richest person in Pakistan, owner of the MCB Bank Limited and Nishat Group.
- Mian Habib Ullah, Ex Minister, President of FPCCI, Ambassador to Cyprus
- Abid Tamimi, Punjabi language poet
- Sheikh Omar Hayat, owner of Omar Hayat Mahal
- Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, politician and Ex Chairman of chamber of commerce karachi
- Nasir Chinyoti, a famous stage drama comedy actor
- Saqlain Anwar Sipra, politician in Bhawana
- Syed Inayat Ali Shah, politician (MNA)
- Muhammad Masood Lali, politician (MPA)
- Hassan Butt, politician
- Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, politician (MPA)
See also
Gallery
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Arabic calligraphy in Wazir Masjid
Notes
- ^ http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1181096/chiniot Urban population according to 2010 GEOnames
- ^ "Climate chart of Chiniot". My Weather. http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Pakistan/Chiniot/climate-profile.aspx. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
- ^ "Climatological Information for Chiniot", My Weather, web: My Weather.
- ^ "Din College in Chiniot". University of the Punjab. http://pu.edu.pk/affiliation/collegeinfo/746/Din-College-Chiniot-2-Km-Lahore-Road-Chiniot. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Educational institutions in Chiniot". Chiniot City. http://chiniotcity.com.pk/chiniot/24464682489003.htm. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Religious institutions in Chiniot". Chiniot City. http://chiniotcity.com.pk/chiniot/24464682489004.htm. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Celebration of 12 Rabi' al-awwal in Chiniot". Dunya News. 16 February 2011. http://www.dunyanews.tv/index.php?key=Q2F0SUQ9MiNOaWQ9MjA0MTg=. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
- ^ http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/shirazi-1/
External links
Major cities in Pakistan Islamabad Capital Territory Punjab Attock · Bahawalpur · Chakwal · Chiniot · Faisalabad · Gujar Khan · Gujranwala · Gujrat · Jhang · Jhelum · Kasur · Kharian · Lahore** · Mianwali · Multan · Murree · Rahim Yar Khan · Rawalpindi · Sadiqabad · Sahiwal · Sargodha · Sheikhupura · Sialkot · TaxilaSindh Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Balochistan Azad Kashmir Gilgit-Baltistan *Federal capital **Provincial/Territorial capitalsCategories:- Populated places in Chiniot District
- Cities of Pakistan
- Populated places in Pakistan
- Chiniot District
- Populated places in Punjab (Pakistan)
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