Miani, Punjab میانی، پنجاب |
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Village | |
Location in Pakistan | |
Coordinates: 32°11′18″N 73°01′43″E / 32.18833°N 73.02861°ECoordinates: 32°11′18″N 73°01′43″E / 32.18833°N 73.02861°E | |
Country | Pakistan |
Province | Punjab |
District | Sargodha |
Miani is a town in Sargodha District, Bhera Tehsil Punjab province, Pakistan. It is about 70 km from Sargodha city. Centre Point Of Motorway (ISB-LHR) Bhera Interchange Towards Malakwal, Mandi Bahauldin. It is 16 km. from Bhera Motorway Interchange towards Malakwal, Mandi Bahauldin and from Malakwal, it is 10 km. towards Bhera Motorway Interchange. and It is situated on the bank of Jhelum river just few Kilometers from salt range mountains the biggest salt mine at Asia is located in Khewra on the salt mountains, right across and north from Miani and Pind Dadan Khan.
The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol IX, by W W Hunter, Trubner & Co., London, 1885 contains following details about Miani:
"Miani (Meeanee).— municipality, and centre of salt trade in Bhera tahsil, Shahpur District, Punjab. Lat. 32° 31' 48" n., long. 73° 7' 30" E. Situated on the left bank of the Jehlam (Jhelum) river, opposite Pind Dadan Khan. From time immemorial Miani has been an important mart for salt from mines on the other side of the river. The original town called Shamsabad, having been swept away by a flood, Asaf Khan, father-in-law of Shah Jahan, founded the present one. Plundered by Nur-ud-din, general of Ahmad Shah in 1754; restored in 1787 by Maha Singh, father of Ranjit Singh, who re-opened the salt mart. The town consists of an ill-built collection of narrow lanes and bazars, the upper storeys of the houses almost touching one another. Population (1868) 6857; (1881) 8069, namely, Hindus, 4059; Muhammadans, 3822; Sikhs, 184; Jains, 2; and 'others;' 2. Number of houses, 1270. The town carries on an enormous trade in salt from the Mayo mines, which has been greatly increased of late years owing to the extension of the Northern Punjab State Railway to Miani. Ghi is collected from neighbouring villages, and is also exported in large quantities. The imports consist of gur, refined sugar, and rice. Police station, town hall, school, sarai or rest-house. Municipal revenue in 1883-84, £525, or is. 3S per head of population within municipal limits."
A book entitled "The land of the five rivers and Sindh" BY DAVID ROSS, C.I.E., F.R.G.S.(London 1883) and reproduced by: Sani Hussain Panhwar (Copyright © www.panhwar.com) gives following account of Miani and adjoining sites of importance:
"Station is fifty-three miles from Lala Musa. The town is situated on the left bank of the Jhelum, opposite Pind Dadan Khan; it contains a population of 8,000, of whom 4,000 are Hindus and 4,000 Muhammadans. From time immemorial Miani has been an important mart for the salt from the mines on the opposite side of the river. The original town, called Shamshahabad, was swept away by the river, and a town on the present site was built under the auspices of Asaf Khan, father-in-law of the emperor Shah Jehan, by two Hindus named Madho Das and Shiv Ram. It was plundered and destroyed by Nur-ud-din, general of Ahmad Shah, in A.D. 1574 (actually 1754), and the inhabitants dispersed among the neighbouring villages. In A.D. 1787, Maha Singh, father of Ranjit Singh, induced a number of the descendants of the old residents and others to rebuild the town. He reopened the salt mart; but it appears never to have entirely recovered Nur-ud-din’s visitation, for the descendants of the families which then abandoned the place and took refuge in the adjoining villages are still to be found in the latter.