Muzaffargarh District

Muzaffargarh (مُظفّرگڑھ‬) is a city in the southwestern Punjab province of Pakistan, located on the bank of the Chenab River. It is the capital city of the Muzaffargarh District.

The Muzaffargarh region was an agricultural and forested area during the rule of the Indus Valley Civilization. Then came the Vedic period, which was characterized by the introduction of Indo-Aryan culture from Central Asia into the Punjab province. Over time, several other civilizations came to power in the ancient town and surrounding district: the Kambojas, the Daradas, the Kekayas, the Madras, the Pauravas, the Yaudheyas, the Malavas and the Kurus. After the fall of the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BCE, Alexander the Great marched into the present-day Punjab province with an army of 50,000 men. The Muzaffargarh region was, during different time periods, also ruled by the Maurya Empire, the Indo-Greek kingdom, the Kushan Empire, the Gupta Empire, the White Huns, the Kushano-Hephthalites, and the Shahi kingdom.

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over the Ghaznavid Empire, and, in 1005, conquered the Shahis in Kabul, which granted him power over the Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire also ruled the region.^{[clarification needed]} The location of the present-day town became predominantly Muslim during this time because of the arrival of missionary Sufis whose dargahs still persist in the area.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikhs invaded and occupied the Muzaffargarh District. During this period, the Muslim population faced severe restrictions. Later, in 1848, the British Raj assumed control of the area.

In 1794, the town of Muzaffargarh was founded by the governor of Multan, Nawab Muzaffar Khan. The meaning of the word is "Fort of Muzaffar" because the "historic district" lies within the walls of a fort built by the governor. In 1864, it became the capital of the Muzaffargarh District.^[3]

The place was also referred to as Kala Pani (Black Water), as it is located between two rivers: the Indus and the Chenab. It was linked to the surrounding lands by bridges during the British era.

During the independence movement of Pakistan, the Muslim population supported the Muslim League and the Pakistani Movement. In 1947, after Pakistan gained independence, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in Muzaffargarh

Shah Shamas Park Muzaffargarh