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West Punjab

Former province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955

Former province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955

FieldValue
common_namePunjab
conventional_long_nameWest Punjab
native_nameur
pa
subdivisionFormer Province
nationPakistan
eraCold War
government_typeSelf-governing province subject to the central government
title_leaderGovernor
title_deputyChief Minister
leader1Francis Mudie
year_leader11947–1949
leader2Abdur Rab Nishtar
year_leader21949–1951
leader3I. I. Chundrigar
year_leader31951–1953
leader4Mian Aminuddin
year_leader41953–1954
leader5Habib Rahimtoola
year_leader51954
leader6Mian Mushtaq Ahmed
year_leader61954–1955
deputy1Iftikhar Hussain Khan
year_deputy11947–1949
deputy2Mumtaz Daultana
year_deputy21951–1953
deputy3Feroz Khan Noon
year_deputy31953–1955
deputy4Abdul Hamid Khan
year_deputy41955
political_subdiv*Lahore Division
demonymPunjabi
todayPakistan
image_mapWest Punjab map.gif
image_map_captionProvince of West Punjab in Pakistan
capitalLahore
p1Punjab Province (British India) Punjab Province
flag_p1Flag of the Province of Punjab of British India.svg
s1West Pakistan
stat_year11947–1955
stat_area1159344
year_start1947
date_start14 August
year_end1955
date_end14 October
Note

the former province of Pakistan in the Punjab region

pa

  • Sargodha Division
  • Multan Division
  • Rawalpindi Division
  • Islamabad Capital Territory}} West Punjab was a province in the 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 km2, 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.

TenureGovernor of West Punjab
15 August 1947 – 2 August 1949
2 August 1949 – 24 November 1951
24 November 1951 – 2 May 1953
2 May 1953 – 24 June 1954
26 September 1954 – 26 November 1954
27 November 1954 – 14 October 1955
14 October 1955
TenureChief Minister of West PunjabPolitical Party
15 August 1947 – 25 January 1949
25 January 1949 – 5 April 1952
5 April 1952 – 3 April 1953
3 April 1953 – 21 May 1955
21 May 1955 – 14 October 1955
14 October 1955

Demographics

Population

|1881 |7942399 |1891 |8895342 |1901 |10427765 |1911 |11104585 |1921 |11888985 |1931 |14040798 |1941 |17350103 |1951 |20651140

Religion

1901 census

District/
Princely StateIslam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg15px]]Hinduism [[File:Om.svg15px]]Sikhism [[File:Khanda.svg15px]]Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg15px]]Jainism [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg15px]]OthersTotalPop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%1,162,1091,083,909930,535791,861756,797750,548720,877710,626594,018524,259471,149463,586424,588405,656378,695234,46524,087Total7,951,1551,944,363483,99942,3715,56231510,427,765
Lahore District717,519276,375159,7017,2961,047171
Sialkot District716,953302,01250,98211,9392,00815
Rawalpindi District803,28386,26932,2347,6141,06867
Lyallpur District484,657210,45988,0498,672231
Gujranwala District531,908169,59451,6072,7489328
Gujrat District655,83869,34624,893460110
Bahawalpur State598,139114,6707,9858300
Multan District570,254133,5604,6621,96413452
Jhelum District526,72551,80115,0702711510
Shahpur District442,92168,48912,7569120
Dera Ghazi Khan District412,01257,8151,0271521430
Montgomery District334,474109,94519,0926681
Mianwali District371,67450,2022,63344350
Muzaffargarh District350,17752,2213,2253300
Jhang District295,48179,6503,5263800
Shakargarh Tehsil115,189111,8196,55790000
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract23,9511360000
Territory comprises the contemporary province of Punjab, Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.Note: 186 villages and 2 towns — Khemkaran and Patti — in Kasur Tehsil (Lahore District) fell on the eastern punjab (Indian) side of the Radcliffe Line, but their population numbers are still included here as detailed sub-tehsil religious data did not exist at the time. According to the 1941 census, Kasur Tehsil had a total of 322 villages and 3 towns, roughly half fell on the western punjab (Pakistani) side of the Radcliffe Line.

1911 census

District/
Princely StateIslam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg15px]]Hinduism [[File:Om.svg15px]]Sikhism [[File:Khanda.svg15px]]Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg15px]]Jainism [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg15px]]OthersTotalPop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%1,036,158979,553923,419857,711814,871780,641745,634687,366569,461547,827535,299519,273515,526511,575499,860341,377210,44728,587Total8,494,3141,645,758813,441144,5145,97758111,104,585
Lahore District626,271217,609169,00821,7811,139350
Sialkot District604,801242,32581,76148,6202,02917
Gujranwala District622,430176,075107,74816,2159501
Lyallpur District524,288154,603146,67032,0231252
Multan District665,488126,60319,8812,44139464
Bahawalpur State654,247109,54816,630199152
Gujrat District650,89349,43044,693570480
Shahpur District572,56572,69533,4568,616529
Muzaffargarh District494,91568,1586,3226015
Rawalpindi District458,10148,44931,8398,3201,02890
Montgomery District399,72366,80368,175581134
Attock District471,89019,74126,914707912
Jhang District422,46873,42619,42720140
Jhelum District452,26034,26124,4364501635
Dera Ghazi Khan District442,23456,4851,04276230
Mianwali District299,97136,3264,881168310
Shakargarh Tehsil103,35693,05210,5533,48600
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract28,4131695000
Territory comprises the contemporary province of Punjab, Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.Note: 186 villages and 2 towns — Khemkaran and Patti — in Kasur Tehsil (Lahore District) fell on the eastern punjab(Indian) side of the Radcliffe Line, but their population numbers are still included here as detailed sub-tehsil religious data did not exist at the time. According to the 1941 census, Kasur Tehsil had a total of 322 villages and 3 towns, roughly half fell on the western punjab(Pakistani) side of the Radcliffe Line.

1921 census

District/
Princely StateIslam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg15px]]Hinduism [[File:Om.svg15px]]Sikhism [[File:Khanda.svg15px]]Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg15px]]Jainism [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg15px]]OthersTotalPop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%1,131,336979,463937,823890,264824,046781,191719,918713,786623,581570,559569,224568,478523,135512,249477,068469,052358,205212,84926,758Total8,975,2881,797,141863,091247,0305,93050511,888,985
Lahore District647,640255,690179,97546,4541,209368
Lyallpur District594,917181,488160,82142,0042312
Sialkot District580,532217,91274,93962,2662,14727
Multan District731,605134,01318,5626,0062850
Gujrat District709,68462,52949,4562,37340
Bahawalpur State647,207114,62119,07128318
Shahpur District596,10082,18230,36111,27032
Montgomery District513,05594,79195,52010,408120
Gujranwala District443,147101,56650,80227,3087544
Jhang District475,38885,3399,37644970
Rawalpindi District470,03857,18531,7189,28695443
Muzaffargarh District493,36969,8784,86935660
Sheikhupura District330,88085,78182,96523,431780
Attock District465,69426,18419,80955750
Jhelum District422,97934,83718,6264301951
Dera Ghazi Khan District411,43156,346932472960
Mianwali District308,87645,9742,98636900
Shakargarh Tehsil106,16890,64512,3033,73300
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract26,5781800000
Territory comprises the contemporary province of Punjab, Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.Note: 186 villages and 2 towns — Khemkaran and Patti — in Kasur Tehsil (Lahore District) fell on the eastern punjab (Indian) side of the Radcliffe Line, but their population numbers are still included here as detailed sub-tehsil religious data did not exist at the time. According to the 1941 census, Kasur Tehsil had a total of 322 villages and 3 towns, roughly half fell on the western punjab (Pakistani) side of the Radcliffe Line.

1931 census

District/
Princely StateIslam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg15px]]Hinduism [[File:Om.svg15px]]Sikhism [[File:Khanda.svg15px]]Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg15px]]Jainism [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg15px]]OthersTotalPop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%1,378,5701,174,9001,151,351999,772984,612979,617922,427821,490736,138696,732664,833634,357591,375583,960541,076491,044411,539247,36329,642Total10,570,0291,957,8781,180,789324,7306,92145114,040,798
Lahore District815,820259,725244,30457,0971,450174
Multan District942,937182,02939,4539,924440117
Lyallpur District720,996173,344211,39145,518957
Montgomery District697,542136,783148,15517,245389
Bahawalpur State799,176149,45434,8961,0541220
Sialkot District609,633206,42194,95566,3652,2367
Gujrat District786,75073,35659,1883,097324
Shahpur District679,54690,56140,07411,294141
Gujranwala District521,34392,76471,59549,3641,0711
Sheikhupura District445,99681,887119,47749,2661006
Jhang District552,853102,9908,476494020
Rawalpindi District524,96559,48541,2657,4861,07779
Muzaffargarh District513,26572,5775,28724600
Attock District531,79331,93219,52271021
Jhelum District482,09736,06822,0306722090
Dera Ghazi Khan District432,91157,217760311250
Mianwali District357,10949,7944,231380205
Shakargarh Tehsil125,828101,31815,7304,48700
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract29,4691730000
Territory comprises the contemporary province of Punjab, Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.Note: 186 villages and 2 towns — Khemkaran and Patti — in Kasur Tehsil (Lahore District) fell on the eastern punjab (Indian) side of the Radcliffe Line, but their population numbers are still included here as detailed sub-tehsil religious data did not exist at the time. According to the 1941 census, Kasur Tehsil had a total of 322 villages and 3 towns, roughly half fell on the western punjab (Pakistani) side of the Radcliffe Line.

1941 census

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.

District/
Princely StateIslam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg15px]]Hinduism [[File:Om.svg15px]]Sikhism [[File:Khanda.svg15px]]Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg15px]]Jainism [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg15px]]OthersTotalPop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%1,695,3751,484,3331,396,3051,341,2091,329,1031,190,4971,104,952998,921912,234852,508821,631785,231712,849675,875629,658581,350506,321291,50540,246Total13,022,1602,373,4661,530,112395,3119,52019,53417,350,103
Lahore District1,027,772284,689310,64670,1471,951170
Multan District1,157,911249,87261,62814,29055280
Lyallpur District877,518204,059262,73751,948358
Bahawalpur State1,098,814174,40846,9453,04835117,643
Montgomery District918,564210,966175,06424,4324928
Sialkot District739,218231,319139,40975,8313,2501,470
Gujrat District945,60984,64370,2334,449108
Shahpur District835,918102,17248,04612,770132
Gujranwala District642,706108,11599,13960,8291,4450
Sheikhupura District542,34489,182160,70660,0542211
Jhang District678,736129,88912,23876350
Rawalpindi District628,19382,47864,1279,0141,33782
Muzaffargarh District616,07490,6435,882227023
Attock District611,12843,20920,1201,3921313
Jhelum District563,03340,88824,6808931595
Dera Ghazi Khan District512,67867,4071,072871060
Mianwali District436,26062,8146,865358231
Shakargarh Tehsil149,600116,55320,5734,77900
Biloch Trans–Frontier Tract40,0841602000
Territory comprises the contemporary province of Punjab, Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.Note: 186 villages and 2 towns — Khemkaran and Patti — in Kasur Tehsil (Lahore District) fell on the eastern punjab (Indian) side of the Radcliffe Line, but their population numbers are still included here as detailed sub-tehsil religious data did not exist at the time. According to the 1941 census, Kasur Tehsil had a total of 322 villages and 3 towns, roughly half fell on the western punjab (Pakistani) side of the Radcliffe Line.

1951 census

DistrictIslam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg15px]]Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg15px]]Hinduism [[File:Om.svg15px]]Zoroastrianism [[File:Faravahar.svg15px]]Buddhism [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg15px]]OthersTotalPop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%2,152,4012,107,2411,895,0611,815,8881,474,1961,161,3871,157,7421,046,933970,302923,081875,531874,971852,199751,249722,542678,900627,529549,549Total responses20,200,794402,61733,05219593520,636,702Total population14,43820,651,140
Lyallpur District2,087,90563,608888000
Multan District2,092,62414,4531511300
Lahore District1,794,33198,1072,43317389
Montgomery District1,788,93026,86490400
Sialkot District1,382,92276,87314,397400
Shahpur District1,152,3458,98458000
Gujrat District1,156,2511,39299000
Gujranwala District987,29258,4191,2110011
Bahawalpur District967,0851,3011,916000
Sheikhupura District877,19045,4174610013
Jhang District874,58887469000
Rawalpindi District871,7363,119114110
Rahim Yar Khan District840,67177310,755000
Muzaffargarh District751,2061924000
Campbellpur District721,666568308000
Jhelum District677,6931,13372002
Dera Ghazi Khan District627,458656000
Mianwali District548,9016480000
Territory comprises the contemporary province of Punjab, Pakistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.

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.

Notes

References

References

  1. Ben Cahoon, WorldStatesmen.org. "Pakistan Provinces".
  2. (1901). "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.".
  3. (1913). "Punjab District Gazetteers Gurdaspur District Vol.21 Statistical Tables".
  4. Vashishta, India. Superintendent of Census Operations, Punjab., Lakshmi Chandra. "Census of India, 1951: Punjab, Pepsu, Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur & Delhi Part I-A - Report". India, Superintendent of Census Operations, Punjab..
  5. (1911). "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables.".
  6. Kaul, Harikishan. (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II".
  7. (1921). "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables.".
  8. (1931). "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables.".
  9. (1941). "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab".
  10. "Census of Pakistan, 1951 Population According to Religion Table 6".
  11. Census of Pakistan, 1951 — Table 6: Population According to Religion. "Census of Pakistan, 1951 — Table 6: Population According to Religion".
  12. ". Global Affairs and Strategic Studies. Facultad de Derecho".
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