Jhelum
Jhelum
جہلم | |
|---|---|
City | |
| Nickname(s): | |
Map of Jhelum City | |
| Coordinates: 32°56′33″N 73°43′32″E / 32.94250°N 73.72556°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| Division | Rawalpindi |
| District | Jhelum |
| Founded | Before BC |
| Union Councils | 7 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | None (vacant) |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Samiullah Farooq (PAS) |
| • District Police Officer | Nasir Mehmood Bajwa (PSP) |
| Area | |
• City | 22.5 km2 (8.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 233 m (768 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
• City | 312,426 |
| • Rank | 31st, Pakistan 21st, Punjab |
| • Demonym | Jhelumi |
| Languages | |
| • Official | |
| • Provincial | Punjabi |
| • Spoken | Punjabi (89%) Urdu (4%) Pashto (3%) others (4%) |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PKT) |
| Postal code | 49600 |
| Dialling code | 0544 |
Jhelum (/ˈdʒiːləm/; Urdu: [dʒeɦˈləm], جہلم) is a city, located along the western bank of the Jhelum River, in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st largest city in Punjab and 31st largest in Pakistan, by population. Located in northern Punjab, it serves as the capital of the eponymous district; and is often referred to as the 'City of Soldiers' or 'Land of Martyrs and Warriors', due to the inclusion of many soldiers from the city in the British Indian Army and, later, the Pakistan Armed Forces; owing to the categorisation of the Punjabi tribes as a 'martial race'.
Jhelum is a few miles upstream from the site of the ancient Battle of the Hydaspes, between the armies of Alexander III of Macedon and Porus. The site of the modern city of Jhelum could have, possibly, been the capital of Porus' Kingdom, Paurava. A city called Bucephala was founded nearby to commemorate the death of Alexander's horse, Bucephalus. Other notable sites nearby include the 16th-century Rohtas Fort, the Tilla Jogian complex of ancient temples, and the 16th-century Grand Trunk Road which passes through the city. According to the 2023 Pakistani Census, the population of Jhelum was 312,426. There are a number of industries in and around Jhelum city, including a tobacco factory, wood, marble, glass and flour mills.