Our History

Chiniot is a city and the administrative headquarter of Chiniot District in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Located on the bank of the river Chenab, it is the 28th largest city of Pakistan. It is also known for its quality wooden furniture, architecture and mosques. It is also the birth place of Nawab Saad Ullah Khan Thaheem, Prime Minister of the Sub-Continent.

The origins of Chiniot are obscure and historical records accurately detailing its founding are unavailable. According to some accounts, the city was founded by an ancient King's daughter named Chandan, who while on a hunting expedition was charmed by the surrounding area and ordered the construction of the settlement of Chandaniot, alternatively spelt Chandniot, which was named in her honour. The name Chiniot, a contracted version of the original name, eventually gained favour, though the older name has been used up until at least the 1860s.

During Mughal rule, Chiniot was governed as part of the suba or province of Lahore. The city reached its zenith under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his governor of the area, Nawab Saadullah Khan of the Thaheem tribe, who served between 1640 and 1656. Under Saadullah Khan's governorship, Chiniot's famous Shahi Mosque was built. Chiniot's artisans were renowned for their skills during the Mughal era and were employed in the building and decoration of the Taj Mahal and Lahore's Wazir Khan Mosque.

Location

Chiniot is at the intersection of the Faisalabad-Sargodha and Lahore-Jhang roads. It is 158 kilometres northwest from Lahore and 38 kilometres north of Faisalabad. Chiniot city is spread over an area of 10 square kilometres with an average elevation of 179 metres (587 ft).

Chenab Nagar (Rabwah), the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community is on the other side of the Chenab River. In the center of river, a worship center (or Chilla Gah) of the Sufi Bu Ali Shah Qalandar is also located.

Topography

Chiniot city lies on left bank of the Chenab River and is located on a small rocky hill. Much of the surrounding area consists of alluvial plains, interspersed with rocky outcroppings of slate and sandstone that reach up to 400 feet in height around Chiniot.

Climate

Chiniot has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh). The weather in Chiniot is variable.

Demographics

According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the city has the population of 278,747. The language spoken here is Punjabi.

Economy

The important products of Chiniot includes silk, cotton, wheat, sugar, rice, milk, pottery and wooden furniture etc. The city's agricultural economy is largely derived from "canal colonies" established during British rule when a vast network of canals were laid to irrigate Punjab.

Chiniot is famous for its wooden furniture and developed as a centre of woodworking given its close proximity to the Chenab River - as timber from Kashmir would be floated down the river towards Chiniot District. Chiniot's artisans are renowned for their skill and were employed in the construction of both the Taj Mahal and Wazir Khan Mosque. The city's metalworkers along with those of Lahore were considered the best in Punjab during the British period and Chinioti designs were considered superior to those of Hoshiarpur or Jalandhar. Ramzan Sugar Mills is located at Faisalabad Road.

Islamic occasions

In Chiniot people celebrate Islamic occasions with great arrangements. On 12 Rabi' al-awwal, 1440th birthday celebrations of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were observed, people of Chiniot arranged a 63-maund cake, one of the largest cakes in the world.

Furniture

Chiniot is known for its furniture. Chinioti craftsmen and artisans have for centuries carved flowers and geometric patterns onto cellulose fibres. Masons from Chiniot are thought to have been employed during the construction of the Taj Mahal and Golden Temple.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in Chiniot. Football is also played in Chiniot. Other popular sports include Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Tennis, Kabbadi and Horse racing.

Tribes

Chiniot region was an agricultural region with forests during the Indus Valley Civilization. Chiniot is a district of multi-tribes nation. Tribes of Chiniot include Rajput Dhudhi Sahmal Sipra, Janjua, Dogar, Syed, Sial, Mufti, Arain, Laali, Marath, Aheer, Awan, Makhdoom, Baloch, Bhatti, Bhutta, Butt, Bhowana, Chohan, Dhera, Durrani, Gujjar, Hanjra, Indra, Sipra, Walara, Haral, Tamimi, Hashmi, Jappa, Jatt, Koli, Kamoky, Kharal, Khokhar, Marral, Naul, Nakokara, Traggar / Tragar, Nissowana, Puri, Pathan, Slara, Wassi, Dhawan, Wadhawan, Sehgal, and Kalyar.

River Chenab Bridge

Badshahi Mosque