Gujranwala Cantonment
Gujranwala city, northeastern Punjab province, Pakistan. The city is connected by rail and the Grand Trunk Road with Peshawar and Lahore. Gujranwala has a relatively glorious history. The British ruled the city until Pakistan's independence in 1947. After the distribution of subcontinent India, all the Sikhs and the Hindus migrated to India and the Muslim pilgrims of the Eastern Indian-Punjab moved to Gujranwala.
In December 2008 Armed forces fixed anti-aircraft guns at roofs of various buildings of strategic importance on Sunday morning and choppers patrolled the cantt and its surrounding areas. Hundreds of people witnessed this patrolling and came out while raising slogans of Allah-o-Akbar. Reportedly, Armed Forces deployed heavy anti aircraft guns at number of roofs inside Gujranwala Cantt, Defence Housing Scheme and adjacent DC Colony to cope with any external threat.
Gujranwala Town is the head-quarters of Gujranwala District and tahsll, Punjab, situated in 32° 9' N. and 74° 11' E., on the North- Western Railway and the grand trunk road; distant by rail from Calcutta 1,294 miles, from Bombay 1,322, and from Karachi 828. Population (1901), 29,224, including 10,390 Hindus, 15,525 Muhammadans, and 2,181 Sikhs. Originally founded, as its name shows, by Gujars, the town was renamed Khanpur by some Sansi Jats of Amritsar who settled here; but its old name has survived. The town is of modern growth, and owes any importance it has entirely to the father and grandfather of Ranjit Singh. Ranj1t Singh himself was born here, but he made Lahore his capital in 1799. The town contains a mausoleum to Mahan Singh, father of Ranj1t Singh, and a lofty cupola covering a portion of the ashes of the great Maharaja himself.
In 1847 the District came under British influence, in connexion with the regency at Lahore; and two years later, in 1849, it was included in the territory annexed after the second Sikh War. A cantonment was established at Wazirabad, which was abolished in 1855. The District formed a part originally of the extensive District of Wazirabad, which comprised the whole upper portion of the Rechna Doab. In 1852 this unwieldy territory was divided between Gujranwala and Sialkot. The District, as then constituted, stretched across the entire plateau, from the Chenab to the Ravi; but in 1853 the south-eastern fringe, consisting of 303 villages, was transferred to Lahore, and three years later a second batch of 324 villages was handed over to the same District. There was no outbreak during the Mutiny, and the Sikh Sardars and people rallied to the side of Government with the greatest enthusiasm.
The municipality was created in 1867. The income during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 73,400, and the expenditure Rs. 73,600. In 1903-4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 83,100 and Rs. 67,900 respectively. The chief source of income was octroi (Rs. 59,700) ; while the main items of outlay were conservancy (Rs. 10,300), education (Rs. 17,300), medical (Rs. 10,100), public safety (Rs. 9,600), and administration (Rs. 12,800). The trade of the town, which was rapidly increasing, was chiefly in grain, cotton, and oil. Brass vessels and iron boxes are made, ivory bangles are turned, and some pottery and cotton cloth are manufactured. The factory industries included cotton-ginning, cotton-pressing, and the production of oil; and the three factories gave employment in 1904 to 120 persons. There were three Anglo-vernacular high schools for boys-the municipal, United Presbyterian American Mission, and Khalsa schools-and an aided vernacular high school for girls, also supported by the mission, besides a vernacular middle school for girls maintained by the municipal committee. The mission further maintained an industrial orphanage for boys. The town possesses a Government hospital with a branch dispensary.
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