Multan
| Multan مُلتان | |
|---|---|
| City District / Divisional Capital | |
Clockwise from the top: the 13th century Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya, Shahi Eid Gah Mosque, Multan's Ghanta Ghar, detail on the 14th century Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, shrine of Shamsuddin Sabzwari, blue-tiled tomb of Shah Gardez
| |
| Nickname(s): The City of Saints | |
 
Multan
Location in Pakistan
| |
| Coordinates: 30°11′52″N 71°28′11″ECoordinates: 30°11′52″N 71°28′11″E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Region |  Punjab |
| District | Multan District |
| Autonomous towns | 6 |
| Union council | 4 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 302 sq mi (781 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 423 ft ft (129 m m) |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 1,871,843[1] |
| • Density | 2,396.7/sq mi (925.4/km2) |
| • Demonym | Multani |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+05:00) |
| Area code(s) | 061 |
Multan (Punjabi, Saraiki, Urdu: مُلتان [mʊltaːn] (
listen)), is a Pakistani city and the headquarters of Multan District in the province of Punjab. Located on the banks of the Chenab River, Multan is Pakistan's seventh most populouscity,[4][5] and is the major cultural and economic centre of southern Punjab.
listen)), is a Pakistani city and the headquarters of Multan District in the province of Punjab. Located on the banks of the Chenab River, Multan is Pakistan's seventh most populouscity,[4][5] and is the major cultural and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan's history stretches deep into antiquity. The ancient city was site of the renowned Multan Sun Temple, and was besieged by Alexander the Great during the Mallian Campaign.[6] Multan was one of the most important trading centres of medieval Islamic India,[7] and attracted a multitude of Sufi mystics in the 11th and 12th centuries, earning the city the nickname City of Saints. The city, along with the nearby city of Uch, is renowned for its large collection of Sufi shrines dating from tha
Etymology[edit]
The origin of Multan's name is unclear. It has been postulated that Multan derives its name from the Sanskrit word for the pre-Islamic Hindu Multan Sun Temple, called Mulasthana (मूलस्थान).[8][9][9] Hukm Chand in the 19th century suggested that the city was named after an ancient Hindu tribe that was named Mul.[10]
History[edit]
Ancient[edit]
The Multan region has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years. The region is home to numerous archaeological sites dating to the era of the Early Harappan period of the Indus Valley Civilisation,[11] dating from 3300 BCE until 2800 BCE.
According to Hindu mythology, Multan was founded by the Hindu sage Kashyapa.[12] According to the Persian historian Firishta, the city was founded by a great grandson of Noah.[10]
Hindu mythology also asserts Multan as the capital of the Trigarta Kingdom ruled by the Katoch dynasty at the time of the Kurukshetra War that is central the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata.[13][14][15] Ancient Multan was the centre of a solar-worshipping cult that was based at the ancient Multan Sun Temple.[16] While the cult was dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, the cult was influenced by Persian Zoroastrianism.[16] The Sun Temple was mentioned by Greek Admiral Skylax, who passed through the area in 515 BCE. The temple is also mentioned in the 400s BCE by the Greek historian, Herodotus.[17]
Greek invasion[edit]
Multan is believed to have been the Malli capital that was conquered by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE as part of the Mallian Campaign. During the siege of the city's citadel, Alexander leaped into the inner area of the citadel,[18] where he killed the Mallians' leader.[19] Alexander was wounded by an arrow that had penetrated his lung, leaving him severely injured.[20] During Alexander's era, Multan was located on an island in the Ravi river, which has since shifted course numerous times throughout the centuries.[12]
In the mid-5th century CE, the city was attacked by a group of Hephthalite nomads led by Toramana. By the mid 600s CE, Multan had been conquered by the Chach of Alor,[21] of the Hindu Rai dynasty.
Early Islamic[edit]
After his conquest of Sindh, Muhammad bin Qasim in 712 CE captured Multan from the local ruler Chach of Alor following a two-month siege.[22] Following bin Qasim's conquest, the city's subjects remained mostly non-Muslim for the next few centuries.[23]t era.
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