Kunjah
| Kunjah | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Kunjah
|
|
| Coordinates: 32°56′57″N 74°8′28″E / 32.94917°N 74.14111°ECoordinates: 32°56′57″N 74°8′28″E / 32.94917°N 74.14111°E | |
| Country |
 Pakistan
|
| Province | Punjab |
| Elevation | 217 m (712 ft) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 30,000 |
| • Estimate (2008) | 50,000 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| Calling code | 053 |
| Number of towns | 1 |
| Number of Union Councils | 1 |
Kunjah (Urdu: کنجاہ) is a town in Pakistan located in Gujrat District in the Punjab Province, the inhabitants are called Kunjahi.
Various accounts date the founding of Kunjah anywhere from the 4th century BCE during the time of Alexander the Great to the 8th century CE. Kunjah is named after a raja named Kunjpal who is also often credited to be the founder of the town. Islam was brought to the region by the Umayyad Caliphate early in the 8th century and soon replaced Buddhism as the dominant religion. Kunjah grew in prominence in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Starting during the Muslim period, Kunjah was considered a strategically important town. Ibrahim Bin Masood used Kunjah as his main base for his attack on neighboring districts. In the Mughal period, King Aurangzeb Alamgir also visited Kunjah, and during his stay in Kunjah he built a mosque that is now named after him.
Kunjah prospered during the time of the Sikh Empire. In that period the town was home to a number of gardens, two royal palaces and a royal bathing pool connected by underground tunnels, and a baradari that still stands today.
According to 1998 Population and Housing Census, population was estimated to be 30,000 but now it is estimated to be 35,000, with about 4500 households. The main religion is Sunni Islam, with a small Shi'a and Ahmadiyya minority and a few Christians. There are about 50 mosques, one imam bargah and one church and one temple.Many residents live abroad, mainly in the UK, Italy, Spain and Greece.
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