Malakwal

Malakwal ملکوال
City and Tehsil
Malakwal Location of Malakwal Malakwal Malakwal (Pakistan)
Coordinates: 32°33′11″N 73°12′24″E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Division	Gujrat
District	Mandi Bahauddin
Tehsil	Malakwal
No. of Union councils	17
Banks	20+
Government
• Language	Punjabi/Urdu/English
Elevation	205 m (673 ft)
Population
• City and Tehsil	371,869
• Urban	80,000
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+6 (DST)
Postal Code	50530
Area code	0546

Malakwal (Urdu: ملکوال ) is a city in Mandi Bahauddin District, Punjab, Pakistan.

History

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005, he conquered the Shahis in Kabul, and followed it up with the conquest of the Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

After the formation of the Sikh Empire in 1801, Malakwal was also part of the area that was invaded and occupied by the Sikhs. During the period of British rule, Malakwal increased in population and importance.

The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled down here.