Dera Ghazi Khan abbreviated as D. G. Khan , is a city in Dera Ghazi Khan District, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is a mid-country city located at the junction of all four provinces of Pakistan. The city also gives its name to the Dera Ghazi Khan Division, which consists of the Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur,Muzaffargarh and Layyah districts.
The city is well connected with whole country by road. It is the only city in country which is at the cross of two National Highways: N70 Quetta to Lahore and N55 (Indus Highway) Karachi to Peshawar. Indus Highway, which connects the country from Karachi to Peshawar, and National Highway from Gowader to Lahore passed through Dera Ghazi Khan.
Dera Ghazi Khan is a mid-country city located on the junction of all the four provinces of Pakistan i.e. Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Due to its location, it has been once in the list of prospective capitals of Pakistan. It has beautiful and unique landscape including Indus River, Green Fields, Pachad Desert and the Sulaiman Mountains.
History:
The city was founded at the close of the 15th century and named after Nawab Ghazi Khan Mirrani, son of Nawab Haji Khan Mirrani, a Balochi chieftain, who had declared independence from the Langhi Dynasty Sultans of Multan. Together with two other Deras i.e. settlements, Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Fateh Khan, it gave its name to Derajat. Derajat eventually came into the possession of the British after the Sikh War in 1849 and was divided into two districts: Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail Khan. After the partition of India, many of the city’s Hindu residents settled in Derawal Nagar colony of Delhi, India. The district of Rajanpur was later carved out of the Dera Ghazi Khan district. Some of them also settled in various part of India, including Bhiwani, Delhi, Jhansi, Ranchi, Ambala and Haridwar. DG Khan was most famous seat of Krishna (Hindu avatar of Vishnu) worship , in north west British India ,where lord Krishn ji were fondly referred as “Thakur Gosain” by devotees. After the partition of British India, the Krishns Moorat was shifted to a new temple at Railway road, in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi.
<ahref=”http: localhost=”” wp=”” content=”” uploads=”” 2011=”” 06=”” churhatta.jpg”=””>Dera Ghazi Khan was founded in 15th century by Amar a Tribal Sardar of Mirani tribe[citation needed]. The old city of Dera Ghazi Khan was situated at the distance of 10 miles (16 km) towards east of the present city. In 1908, the old city was destroyed due to flash floods from heavy rains overflowing the River Indus. The present city was established in 1910. The city is divided into different blocks. The British Raj established colonial system in the continent and declared Dera Ghazi Khan as district in the year 1849. General Courtland was appointed as first Deputy Commissioner of this District. Keeping in view the rapidly increasing population of the area and deteriorating law and order situation district Dera Ghazi Khan was divided in two districts i.e. Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur. Presently there are two revenue sub division of the District.
Dera Ghazi Khan city is situated on the western bank of the Indus river. It was founded by a Balouch ruler, Nawab Haji Khan Mirrani, also called Mirani Balouch, in 1476; he named the town after his son Ghazi Khan Mirrani.Their close allies were Changwani and khetran tribes In those days, game abounded near Dera Ghazi Khan and the fields were green. It was known as “Dera Phoolan Da Sehra” due to plenty of gardens and kastori canal, supplied by the Indus river.and tehsil tounsa shreef is very famous in district D.G khan.
In 1909-10, this cradle of Mirrani civilisation was inundated by the Indus. At that time, there was a population of about 23,731. The present town was built 10 miles (16 km) from the old town. It was laid out on a grid pattern comprising 66 blocks with wide long roads and streets. Two open spaces were planned in each block for social gatherings. Some of these have been encroached upon.
The population of the new developed town in 1911 was 18,446. This 2.22% decrease of population was due to dislocation of population after the destruction of the previous settlement.
In the year 1913, the Municipal Committee came in to existence. At that time, the area of the town was very small. Physical growth continued and now the area was about 4 square miles (10 km2). The major growth of the town has taken place since 1947. The town has largely spread to the north and south; it could not expand to the west due to the danger of flooding torrents such as affected the town in 1955. However, growth has also taken place in the eastern side. Almost all of the new developments in north and east of the planned town are haphazardly built.
The development in the town from 1947 to 1958 remained slow, due to lack of transportation and communication facilities. Only a boat bridge on the river Indus in winter season and steamer service for summer season linked Dera Ghazi Khan with the rest of the Punjab. Taunsa Barrage on river Indus was completed in 1953 and the pace of development gained momentum. During the last 5 years, 72 industrial units were established. Ghazi Textile mills is another attempt to establish a heavy industrial complex in order to raise the economic base of the town.
Historical and interesting places
- Tomb of Hazarat Sakhi Sarwar
- >Tomb of Ghazi Khan
- Tomb of Ali Ahmed Qadri
- Taunsa Barrage
- Ghazi Ghat
- Fort Munro
- Tribal area and Koh-Suliman Mountains