A Gateway to Islamic Civilization in Punjab.
This city is named after one of the relatives of Nawab of Bahawalpur. Its earlier name was “Naushehra” and the canal running through the city is named Naushehra Minor, which bears testimony of its old name. An early name of this city has also been mentioned. It was “Phul Wadha”.
Mohammad Bin Qasim passed through this area onward to Multan in 93-94 A.H. About 800 years back. Shahab-u-Din Ghouri conquered Uch Sharif, which at that time was capital of Sindh & Multan, and he established Islamic Government in this area after Mohammad Bin Qasim.
In the reign of Shams-ud-Din Altamash, for a period of twenty years this area was under rebel. Amir “Nasir-u-Din Qabacha” who established 1000 seats “Madarassa Ferozia” in Uch. Students from all Muslim countries enrolled in this “Madarassa”.
At one time, Qazi Minhaj-us-Siraj was the Head of this Madarassa. Qazi Minhaj-us-Siraj was the famous author of “Tabqat-e-Nasiri” a 22-Volume masterpiece of world and Muslim history. Later, he was elevated as Chief Qazi at Dehli. Tabqat-e-Nasiri was named after Sultan Nasir-u-Din Mahmood.
About 200-250 years before Shahab-u-Din Ghouri, Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi traveled to Somnat and passed through Mauj Garh a town near Bahawalpur. Earlier, Alexander the Great passed through “Uch” in 328 BC onward to Mesopotemia (Iraq) where he died.
Rahim Yar Khan City has been an important city of former Bahawalpur State, which was ruled by “Abbasi's Family” who had migrated from Egypt and first settled in Shikarpur area of Sindh Province. This family is called "Daud-Potra Family" named after of one of its forefathers. From Sindh they came to Bahawalpur area and defeated Hindu Raj and established “Abbasi's Emirate” about 240 years back.
Under the British rule, Bahawalpur was the best-administer state after Hyderabad-Deccan in India. In 1947, the Nawab of Bahawalpur acceded the state of Pakistan and it became a part of Pakistan.
Nawab Muhammad Sadiq, Nawab of Bahawalpur State in 1947 was a personal friend of Quaid-e-Azam Muahmmad Ali Jinnah. He donated money to the Government of Pakistan to run the government in early months after independence in 1947.
After the establishment of Canal system from Head Punjnad in 1930, Nawab of Bahawalpur having roots in Islamic Brotherhood settled large number of Muslims from Faisal Abad, Toba Tek Singh, Sheikhupura and areas of Punjab to the west of River Sutlej and thereby changed the demography of the state making it a Muslim majority state.
Before independence Mr. Nehru and Mr. Patel tried to persuade Nawab Muhammad Sadiq Abbasi to join India but he refused all temptations.
Just Imagine, if Bahwalpur State was merged into India, about 140 miles of our Railway Line would be passing through India while going to Karachi from Lahore and Multan and vice-versa.
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