West Punjab
Former province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955
West Punjab (Punjabi : لہندا پنجاب Urdu : مغربی پنجاب Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. It was established from the western-half of British Punjab , following the independence of Pakistan . The province covered an area of 159,344 km sq (61523 sq mi), including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory , but excluding the former Princely state of Bahawalpur . Lahore, being the largest city and the cultural centre, served as the capital of the province. The province was composed of four divisions (Lahore , Sargodha , Multan and Rawalpindi ) and was bordered by the state of Bahawalpur to the south-east, the province of Baluchistan to the south-west and Sind to the south, North-West Frontier Province to the north-west, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the north. It shared International border with Indian state of East Punjab to the east and Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir to the north-east. It was dissolved and merged into West Pakistan upon creation of One Unit Scheme , in 1955.
History
The creation of Pakistan in 1947 led to the division of the Punjab Province of British India into two new provinces. The largely Sikh and Hindu East Punjab became part of the new nation of India while the largely Muslim West Punjab became part of the new nation of the Dominion of Pakistan . The name of the province was shortened to Punjab in 1950. West Punjab was merged into the province of West Pakistan in 1955 under the One Unit policy announced by Prime Minister Chaudhary Muhammad Ali . When that province was dissolved, the area of the former province of West Punjab was combined with the former state of Bahawalpur to form a new Punjab Province .
Government
The offices of Governor of West Punjab and Chief Minister of West Punjab lasted from 15 August 1947, until 14 October 1955. The first Governor was Sir Francis Mudie with Iftikhar Hussain Khan as the first Chief Minister. Both offices were abolished in 1955, when the province of West Pakistan was created. The last Governor of West Punjab, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani , became the first Governor of West Pakistan .
Tenure
Governor of West Punjab[ 1]
15 August 1947 – 2 August 1949
Sir Francis Mudie
2 August 1949 – 24 November 1951
Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar
24 November 1951 – 2 May 1953
Ismail Ibrahim Chundrigar
2 May 1953 – 24 June 1954
Mian Aminuddin
26 September 1954 – 26 November 1954
Habib Ibrahim Rahmatullah
27 November 1954 – 14 October 1955
Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani
14 October 1955
Province of West Punjab dissolved
Tenure
Chief Minister of West Punjab[ 1]
Political Party
15 August 1947 – 25 January 1949
Iftikhar Hussain Khan
25 January 1949 – 5 April 1952
Governor's Rule
5 April 1952 – 3 April 1953
Mian Mumtaz Daultana
Pakistan Muslim League
3 April 1953 – 21 May 1955
Malik Firoz Khan Nun Pakistan Muslim League
21 May 1955 – 14 October 1955
Abdul Hamid Khan Dasti
14 October 1955
Province of West Punjab dissolved
Demographics
Religion
1901 census
Religions in West Punjab, Pakistan region (1901)[ 2] : 34 [ 3] : 62 [ a]
Religion in the Districts & Princely States of West Punjab, Pakistan region (1901)[ 2] : 34 [ 3] : 62 [ a]
District /Princely State
Islam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[ b]
Total
Pop. %
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Lahore District
717,519
276,375
159,701
7,296
1,047
171
1,162,109
Sialkot District
716,953
302,012
50,982
11,939
2,008
15
1,083,909
Rawalpindi District
803,283
86,269
32,234
7,614
1,068
67
930,535
Lyallpur District
484,657
210,459
88,049
8,672
23
1
791,861
Gujranwala District
531,908
169,594
51,607
2,748
932
8
756,797
Gujrat District
655,838
69,346
24,893
460
11
0
750,548
Bahawalpur State
598,139
114,670
7,985
83
0
0
720,877
Multan District
570,254
133,560
4,662
1,964
134
52
710,626
Jhelum District
526,725
51,801
15,070
271
151
0
594,018
Shahpur District
442,921
68,489
12,756
91
2
0
524,259
Dera Ghazi Khan District
412,012
57,815
1,027
152
143
0
471,149
Montgomery District
334,474
109,945
19,092
66
8
1
463,586
Mianwali District
371,674
50,202
2,633
44
35
0
424,588
Muzaffargarh District
350,177
52,221
3,225
33
0
0
405,656
Jhang District
295,481
79,650
3,526
38
0
0
378,695
Shakargarh Tehsil [ c] 115,189
111,819
6,557
900
0
0
234,465
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract
23,951
136
0
0
0
0
24,087
Total
7,951,155
1,944,363
483,999
42,371
5,562
315
10,427,765
Territory comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan .
1911 census
Religions in West Punjab, Pakistan region (1911)[ 4] : 27 [ 5] : 27 [ d]
Religion in the Districts & Princely States of West Punjab, Pakistan region (1911)[ 4] : 27 [ 5] : 27 [ d]
District /Princely State
Islam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[ b]
Total
Pop. %
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Lahore District
626,271
217,609
169,008
21,781
1,139
350
1,036,158
Sialkot District
604,801
242,325
81,761
48,620
2,029
17
979,553
Gujranwala District
622,430
176,075
107,748
16,215
950
1
923,419
Lyallpur District
524,288
154,603
146,670
32,023
125
2
857,711
Multan District
665,488
126,603
19,881
2,441
394
64
814,871
Bahawalpur State
654,247
109,548
16,630
199
15
2
780,641
Gujrat District
650,893
49,430
44,693
570
48
0
745,634
Shahpur District
572,565
72,695
33,456
8,616
5
29
687,366
Muzaffargarh District
494,915
68,158
6,322
60
1
5
569,461
Rawalpindi District
458,101
48,449
31,839
8,320
1,028
90
547,827
Montgomery District
399,723
66,803
68,175
581
13
4
535,299
Attock District
471,890
19,741
26,914
707
9
12
519,273
Jhang District
422,468
73,426
19,427
201
4
0
515,526
Jhelum District
452,260
34,261
24,436
450
163
5
511,575
Dera Ghazi Khan District
442,234
56,485
1,042
76
23
0
499,860
Mianwali District
299,971
36,326
4,881
168
31
0
341,377
Shakargarh Tehsil [ c] 103,356
93,052
10,553
3,486
0
0
210,447
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract
28,413
169
5
0
0
0
28,587
Total
8,494,314
1,645,758
813,441
144,514
5,977
581
11,104,585
Territory comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan .
1921 census
Religions in West Punjab, Pakistan region (1921)[ 6] : 29 [ e]
Religion in the Districts & Princely States of West Punjab, Pakistan region (1921)[ 6] : 29 [ e]
District /Princely State
Islam Hinduism Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[ b]
Total
Pop. %
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Lahore District
647,640
255,690
179,975
46,454
1,209
368
1,131,336
Lyallpur District
594,917
181,488
160,821
42,004
231
2
979,463
Sialkot District
580,532
217,912
74,939
62,266
2,147
27
937,823
Multan District
731,605
134,013
18,562
6,006
28
50
890,264
Gujrat District
709,684
62,529
49,456
2,373
4
0
824,046
Bahawalpur State
647,207
114,621
19,071
283
1
8
781,191
Shahpur District
596,100
82,182
30,361
11,270
3
2
719,918
Montgomery District
513,055
94,791
95,520
10,408
12
0
713,786
Gujranwala District
443,147
101,566
50,802
27,308
754
4
623,581
Jhang District
475,388
85,339
9,376
449
7
0
570,559
Rawalpindi District
470,038
57,185
31,718
9,286
954
43
569,224
Muzaffargarh District
493,369
69,878
4,869
356
6
0
568,478
Sheikhupura District
330,880
85,781
82,965
23,431
78
0
523,135
Attock District
465,694
26,184
19,809
557
5
0
512,249
Jhelum District
422,979
34,837
18,626
430
195
1
477,068
Dera Ghazi Khan District
411,431
56,346
932
47
296
0
469,052
Mianwali District
308,876
45,974
2,986
369
0
0
358,205
Shakargarh Tehsil [ c] 106,168
90,645
12,303
3,733
0
0
212,849
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract
26,578
180
0
0
0
0
26,758
Total
8,975,288
1,797,141
863,091
247,030
5,930
505
11,888,985
Territory comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan .
1931 census
Religions in West Punjab, Pakistan region (1931)[ 7] : 227 [ f]
Religion in the Districts & Princely States of West Punjab, Pakistan region (1931)[ 7] : 277 [ f]
District /Princely State
Islam Hinduism [ g] Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[ b]
Total
Pop. %
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Lahore District
815,820
259,725
244,304
57,097
1,450
174
1,378,570
Multan District
942,937
182,029
39,453
9,924
440
117
1,174,900
Lyallpur District
720,996
173,344
211,391
45,518
95
7
1,151,351
Montgomery District
697,542
136,783
148,155
17,245
38
9
999,772
Bahawalpur State
799,176
149,454
34,896
1,054
12
20
984,612
Sialkot District
609,633
206,421
94,955
66,365
2,236
7
979,617
Gujrat District
786,750
73,356
59,188
3,097
32
4
922,427
Shahpur District
679,546
90,561
40,074
11,294
14
1
821,490
Gujranwala District
521,343
92,764
71,595
49,364
1,071
1
736,138
Sheikhupura District
445,996
81,887
119,477
49,266
100
6
696,732
Jhang District
552,853
102,990
8,476
494
0
20
664,833
Rawalpindi District
524,965
59,485
41,265
7,486
1,077
79
634,357
Muzaffargarh District
513,265
72,577
5,287
246
0
0
591,375
Attock District
531,793
31,932
19,522
710
2
1
583,960
Jhelum District
482,097
36,068
22,030
672
209
0
541,076
Dera Ghazi Khan District
432,911
57,217
760
31
125
0
491,044
Mianwali District
357,109
49,794
4,231
380
20
5
411,539
Shakargarh Tehsil [ c] 125,828
101,318
15,730
4,487
0
0
247,363
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract
29,469
173
0
0
0
0
29,642
Total
10,570,029
1,957,878
1,180,789
324,730
6,921
451
14,040,798
Territory comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan .
1941 census
Religions in West Punjab, Pakistan region (1941)[ 8] : 42 [ h]
At Independence there was a Muslim majority in West Punjab with a significant Hindu and Sikh minority. Nearly all of these minorities left West Punjab for India, to be replaced by large numbers of Muslims fleeing from the opposite direction.
Religion in the Districts & Princely States of West Punjab, Pakistan region (1941)[ 8] : 42 [ h]
District /Princely State
Islam Hinduism [ g] Sikhism Christianity Jainism Others[ b]
Total
Pop. %
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Pop.
%
Lahore District
1,027,772
284,689
310,646
70,147
1,951
170
1,695,375
Multan District
1,157,911
249,872
61,628
14,290
552
80
1,484,333
Lyallpur District
877,518
204,059
262,737
51,948
35
8
1,396,305
Bahawalpur State
1,098,814
174,408
46,945
3,048
351
17,643
1,341,209
Montgomery District
918,564
210,966
175,064
24,432
49
28
1,329,103
Sialkot District
739,218
231,319
139,409
75,831
3,250
1,470
1,190,497
Gujrat District
945,609
84,643
70,233
4,449
10
8
1,104,952
Shahpur District
835,918
102,172
48,046
12,770
13
2
998,921
Gujranwala District
642,706
108,115
99,139
60,829
1,445
0
912,234
Sheikhupura District
542,344
89,182
160,706
60,054
221
1
852,508
Jhang District
678,736
129,889
12,238
763
5
0
821,631
Rawalpindi District
628,193
82,478
64,127
9,014
1,337
82
785,231
Muzaffargarh District
616,074
90,643
5,882
227
0
23
712,849
Attock District
611,128
43,209
20,120
1,392
13
13
675,875
Jhelum District
563,033
40,888
24,680
893
159
5
629,658
Dera Ghazi Khan District
512,678
67,407
1,072
87
106
0
581,350
Mianwali District
436,260
62,814
6,865
358
23
1
506,321
Shakargarh Tehsil [ c] 149,600
116,553
20,573
4,779
0
0
291,505
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract
40,084
160
2
0
0
0
40,246
Total
13,022,160
2,373,466
1,530,112
395,311
9,520
19,534
17,350,103
Note: Territory comprises the contemporary state of Punjab, Pakistan .
Language
The official language of West Punjab was Urdu but most of the population spoke Punjabi . The linguist George Abraham Grierson in his multi volume Linguistic Survey of India (1904–1928) considered the various dialects up to then called "Western Punjabi", spoken in North, West, and South of Lahore in what is now Pakistani Punjab, as constituting instead a distinct language from Punjabi. (The local dialect of Lahore is the Majhi dialect of Punjabi, which has long been the basis of standard literary Punjabi.) Grierson proposed to name this putative language "Lahnda ", and he dubbed as "Southern Lahnda" the coherent dialect cluster now known as Saraiki spoken in Multan Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur division and "North Lahnda" now known as Potwari spoken in Rawalpindi division and "Western Lahnda" now known as Hindko spoken in the regions bordering Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Contemporary usage
The term is often used to refer to the Pakistani Punjab .[ 9]
See also
Notes
^ a b 1901 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur (inscribed as the Chenab Colony Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1901 census data here: [ 2] : 34 Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ a b c d e f g h i j Including Buddhism , Zoroastrianism , Judaism , Tribals , others, or not stated
^ a b c d e Part of Gurdaspur District which was awarded to Pakistan as part of the Radcliffe Line .
^ a b 1911 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1911 census data here: [ 4] : 27 [ 5] : 27 partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ a b 1921 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Sheikhupura , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1921 census data here: [ 6] : 29 partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ a b 1931 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Sheikhupura , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1931 census data here: [ 7] : 277 partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
^ a b c d Including Ad-Dharmis
^ a b 1941 figure taken from census data by combining the total population of all districts (Lahore , Sialkot , Gujranwala , Sheikhupura , Gujrat , Shahpur , Jhelum , Rawalpindi , Attock , Mianwali , Montgomery , Lyallpur , Jhang , Multan , Muzaffargargh , Dera Ghazi Khan ), one tehsil (Shakargarh – then part of Gurdaspur District ), one princely state (Bahawalpur ), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the Radcliffe Line . See 1941 census data here: [ 8] : 42 partition of India in 1947 , these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included Bahawalpur . The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is Punjab, Pakistan .
References
^ a b Ben Cahoon, WorldStatesmen.org. "Pakistan Provinces" . Retrieved 3 October 2007 . ^ a b c "Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province" . 1901. JSTOR saoa.crl.25363739 . Retrieved 10 March 2024 .^ a b "Punjab District Gazetteers Gurdaspur District Vol.21 Statistical Tables" . 1913. Retrieved 10 March 2024 .^ a b c "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables" . 1911. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788 . Retrieved 3 March 2024 .^ a b c Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II" . Retrieved 3 March 2024 . ^ a b c "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables" . 1921. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165 . Retrieved 17 February 2024 .^ a b c "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables" . 1931. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242 . Retrieved 4 February 2024 .^ a b c India Census Commissioner (1941). "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab" . JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541 . Retrieved 25 January 2023 . ^ ". Global Affairs and Strategic Studies. Facultad de Derecho" . Global Affairs and Strategic Studies (in European Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2022 .
External links
31°00′N 72°00′E / 31.000°N 72.000°E / 31.000; 72.000
