Bhawalpur

Bahawalpur بہاولپور
City
Clockwise from top: Darbar Mahal, a former palace of the Nawabs of Bahawalpur, Noor Mahal, Farid Gate, Sadiq Dane High School, Entrance of Dring Stadium and Bahawal Victoria Hospital.
Bahawalpur Location in Pakistan
Coordinates: 29°23′44″N 71°41′1″E / 29.39556°N 71.68361°E / 29.39556; 71.68361Coordinates: 29°23′44″N 71°41′1″E / 29.39556°N 71.68361°E / 29.39556; 71.68361
Country	Pakistan
Region	Punjab
District	Bahawalpur
Tehsil	Bahawalpur
Union councils	36
Area
• Total	237.2 km2 (91.6 sq mi)
Elevation	181 m (702 ft)
Population (2014)
• Total	1,052,000
• Density	4,400/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
	Bahawalpur Urban agglomeration
Time zone	PKT (UTC+5)
Postal code type	63100
Area code(s)	062
Website	www.bahawalpur.gov.pk/
Bahawalpur Government Website

Bahawalpur (Punjabi, Urdu: بہاولپور‎), is a city located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Bahawalpur is the 12th largest city in Pakistan with an estimated population of 798,509. The city also lies near the ancient Derawar Fort in the Cholistan Desert near the border with India, and serves as the gateway to Pakistan's Lal Suhanra National Park.

Bahawalpur was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur ruled by Nawabs. The Nawabs of Bahawalpur were regarded as part of the Rajputana States, the majority of which now form the bulk of the neighbouring Indian state of Rajasthan. The Nawabs bestowed Bahawalpur with several monuments, such as the palaces of Noor Mahal, Sadiq Ghar Palace, and Darbar Mahal.

Bahawalpur was founded in 1748, in a region near the historical city of Uch, which was once a stronghold of the Delhi Sultanate. The princely state of Bahawalpur was founded in 1802 by Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan II after the break-up of the Durrani Empire, and was based in the city. Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan III signed a treaty with the British on 22 February 1833, guaranteeing the independence of the Nawab and the autonomy of Bahawalpur as a princely state.