076 - The Chenab Colony

During my childhood my favourite genre of movies was Western. These movies were simple and offered a lot of action. It was easy to understand the story of a young lady travelling on a stage coach, coming under the attack of bandits and a dashing hero coming to her help. Or a caravan of settlers coming under attack of the Red Indians and John Wayne with guns in his both hands protecting the caravan with the help of other young men. The good thing was that you did not need to know any English, all was self-explanatory. The life of frontier with all its dangers and excitement fascinated me. At that time I did not know that just a century ago, we had had our own frontier right in the middle of Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. And they settlers at this frontier also faced many of the problems, which were faced by many of the settlers in the new world. Like lack of communication, desolate places and even a local population, which though not openly hostile, but anyway showing displeasure and resentment against the settlers. I heard such stories in Chak 127 EB, near Arifwala, where my aunt's father in law was granted 25 acres of land sometime around 1930. 

It all started in the last decade of the 19th century. The British occupied Punjab in 1849 after defeating the Sikh State of Lahore in the second Anglo-Sikh war. It was the last major independent state of India to come under the control of the British Empire. The new authorities soon realized the potential for great development in agriculture in the new province. By 1890s the projects started in full earnest and soon millions of waste lands were brought under cultivation. 

These schemes were called Canal Colonies, and in all 9 such colonies were developed over the next few decades. An article in Wikipedia describes the government intentions in the following words:

To relieve the pressure of population upon the land in those districts of the Province where the agricultural population has already reached or is fast approaching the limit which the land available to agriculture can support and to colonise the area in question with well-to-do yeomen of the best class of agriculturists, who will cultivate their own holdings with the aid of their families and the usual menials, but as much as possible without the aid of tenants, and will constitute healthy agricultural communities of the best Punjab type,

 The government hoped to "create villages of a type superior in comfort and civilisation to anything which had previously existed in the Punjab", which in turn would increase productivity. This increased productivity would then boost revenues for the government. To finance this ambitious project, capital was raised through the sale of governmental bonds in Britain, offering investors the chance to benefit from the interest charges remitted by the provincial government. 

Colony	Period of colonisation	Doab	District	Area in acres
Sidhnai	1886-88	Bari	Multan	250,000
Sohag Para	1886-88	Bari	Montgomery	86,300
Chenab	1892-1905 1926-30	Rechna	Gujranwala, Jhang, Lyallpur, Lahore, Sheikhupura	1,824,745
Chunian	1896-98 1904-05	Bari	Lahore	102,500
Jhelum	1902-06	Jech	Shapur, Jhang	540,000
Lower Bari Doab	1914-24	Bari	Montgomery, Multan	1,192,000
Upper Chenab	1915-19	Rechna	Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sheikhupura	78,800
Upper Jhelum	1916-21	Jech	Gujrat	42,300
Nili Bar	1916-40	Bari	Montgomery, Multan	1,650,000

As the above table shows, the Chenab Colony with an area of almost 2 million acres, was the biggest of all these colonies. The following paragraph from Wikipedia gives further information about the colonization policy:

There were three types of grants in the Chenab Colony, namely peasant, yeoman and capitalist grants. Peasants had to remain as tenants of the government and could not acquire proprietary rights. This was designed to curtail the powers of alienation of peasant grantees. Yeoman and capitalist grantees were allowed to acquire proprietary rights after a five-year qualification period. Upon acquiring the grants, the yeoman and capitalist grantees were required to pay a fee to the government in lieu of the size of their holdings. Peasant and yeoman grantees were required to be resident on the land. 78.3 per cent of the total land in the colony was allotted to peasant grantees.

In identifying immigrant colonists, the government had two objectives; to provide relief from population congestion and to procure the most skilled agriculturalists. As such grantees were selected from seven districts, Ambala, Ludhiana, Jullundur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Sialkot. Between 1891 and 1921, the population densities in all seven districts declined, thus avoiding the potential for rural instability. These immigrant colonists were granted over 60 per cent of the allotted land in the Colony. The strict allocation of land to immigrants from just these seven districts led to criticism of neglect in the west of Punjab, and thereafter 135,000 acres of land was granted to individuals from Gujrat, Jhelum, Shahpur, Rawalpindi, Multan,Lahore, Ferozepur and Bannu. It was decided that peasant grantees would be hereditary and landholding agriculturists, and would be drawn from the established Jatt, Saini, Kamboh and Arain castes. The Jats formed the largest group of grantees, holding 36 per cent of the entire colony. Hindus and Muslims were each given around 31 per cent of the total allotted area. Amongst the yeoman and capitalist grants, substantial allotments went to Rajputs.

This vast agricultural settlement was given the name of Chenab Colony, because it was planned to irrigate this area, which was called Sandal Bar, in Rechna Doab, with the waters of the River Chenab. For this purpose, a canal Lower Chenab was dug, starting from Khanki Headworks and coming southwards all the way to the very heart of this bar. Its three main branches were Jhang Branch, Rakh Branch and Gugera Branch. The importance of the waters of river Chenab was recognized by erecting a monument called Gumti. I do not know why it is called Gumti or its meanings. 

Gumti. Monument of Chenab Colony, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

Gumti. Monument of Chenab Colony, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

برکت دریائے چنہاں دی۔ 

Blessing of the River Chenab. 

ਬਰਕਤ ਦਰਯਾ ਝਨਾਂ ਦੀ

 Blessing of the River Chenab. 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169414006593

Lower Chenab Canal Crossing the Qadirabad-Balloki Link Canal at Sagar Head through an aqueduct. (20.12.2016.)

Lower Chenab Canal Crossing the Qadirabad-Balloki Link Canal at Sagar Head through an aqueduct. (20.12.2016.)

Lower Chenab Canal Crossing the Qadirabad-Balloki Link Canal at Sagar Head through an aqueduct. (20.12.2016.)

Qadirbar-Balloki Link Canal at Sagar Head, 5 kms east of Hafizabad. (20.12.2016.)

While collecting material for this post, I found an excellent work done by Mr Imran Ali on the Punjab Canal Colonies. This is his thesis for the degree of  Doctor of Philosophy, he submitted to The Australian National University, Canberra in 1979. The full thesis can be found at the following link:

https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/112646

The area was colonized during 1892 - 1905. The area of this vast colony comprised mostly of Jhang and Montgomery districts. Some portion of Gujranwala and Lahore districts were also included. In 1904 a new district was made comprising mainly the areas carved out of Jhang and Montgomery districts. Condition of this area is given in the following words by Mr Imran Ali:

It was a level, alluvial plain, virtually unbroken by ridges or natural drainages. A weir situated appropriately on the Chenab River could render vast areas commandable by canal irrigation. Just such a function was performed by the head works of the Chenab Canal at Khanke. Colonisation was facilitated by the large area that had been appropriated by the government as Crown Waste Land. Traditionally, in the Punjab land that was barren or uncultivated was normally claimed by the State as its own property. In the Rechna Doab, private ownership in land existed only in the riverain tracts, or Hithars, which contained settled agricultural communities.

The vast upland or inter-fluve, known as the Sandal Bar, was inhabited by a semi-nomadic pastoral people, who were collectively called Janglis. Since they did not actually cultivate them, the government did not recognize the claims of these people over their grazing areas as amounting to proprietary rights; but instead it asserted its own ownership over this land. It was on this Crown Waste that the canal network was constructed and colonisation took place.

The government preferred the colonization of the area with immigrant agriculturists. But it did not entirely ignore the local population and 35% of the land was eventually allocated to Hitharis, the cultivating communities along the river banks and Janglis, the semi-nomadic grazing people. 

The government professed to have two main objectives for the colonization of the Chenab Colony:

1. To relieve the pressure of population upon the land in those districts of the Province where the agricultural population has already reached or is fast approaching the limit which the land available to agriculture can support.

2. To colonize the area in question with well-to-do yeomen of the best class of agriculturists, who will cultivate their own holdings with the aid of their families and the usual menials, but as much as possible without the aid of tenants, and will constitute healthy agricultural communities of the best Punjab type. 

3. To improve stand of rural life and create a class of people, who are content with the government and loyal to it. 

The following three categories were made for the purpose of allotment of lands:

Type of the Allottee	Area Granted	Nazrana
Abadkar (Peasants)	0.5 – 2 Squares
Sufedpost (Yeoman)	2 – 5 Squares	Rs 6 Per Acre
Rais (Capitalist)	6 – 20 Squares	Rs 10 – 20 Per Acre

Nazara was the amount to be paid at the time of the transfer of proprietary rights. 

Chenab Colony – Colonisation Scheme

Chenab Colony – Colonisation Scheme
Type of Grant	Jhang Branch		Rakh Branch		Gugera Branch		Total
	Acres	%	Acres	%	Acres	%	Acres	%
Peasant	500,000	91	280,000	70	544,000	77.7	1,324,000	80.2
Yeoman	25,000	4.5	60,000	15	35,000	5	120,000	7.3
Capitalist*	25,000	4.5	60,000	15	45,000	6.4	130,000	7.9
Police					6,000	0.9	6,000	0.4
Military					70,000	10	70,000	4.2
Total	550,000	100	400,000	100	700,000	100	1,650,000	100

Distribution of Land, As Finally Allotted

Branch	Peasant		Yeoman		Capitalist		Miscellaneous		Total
	Acres	%	Acres	%	Acres	%	Acres	%	Acres	%
Jhang	439,431	81.2	38,461	7.1	30,580	5.7	32,626	6	541,098	100
Rakh	342,768	75	44,331	9.7	38,390	8.4	31,535	6.9	457,024	100
Gugera	542,652	77.7	58,250	8.3	50,921	7.3	46,774	6.7	698,597	100
Extensions	103,829	81.1	8,834	6.9	8,450	6.6	6,913	5.4	128,026	100
Whole Colony	1,428,680	78.3	149,879	8.2	128,341	7	117,848	6.5	1,824,745	100

The above table shows that almost 80% of the lands was allotted to the small farmers, as was originally intended. There were two categories of grantees on the basis of their origin:

A basic division existed between 'immigrant' and 'indigenous' grantees. The former received 64.6 percent and the latter 35.4 percent of total allotted area in the colony. The 'indigenous' grantees were those who belonged to Jhang, Gujranwala and Montgomery Districts, whilst the 'immigrant' grantees came from districts other than these three. In selecting the districts from which immigrant Peasant colonists were to be obtained, the government adhered to its two principal objectives for the Chenab Colony: to provide relief from population congestion and to procure the most skilled agriculturists. These requirements led it to select seven districts: Ambala, Ludhiana, Jullundur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Sialkot.

As we already read that government selected allottees from districts in order to decrease the density of population in those districts, besides other consideration. The following table shows the population density of all the districts of Punjab.

Density of Population Per Square Mile in Various

Punjab Districts

District	1881	1891	1901	1911	1921
Jullundur*	552	634	641	560	574
Amritsar*	531	623	643	553	583
Ludhiana*	426	447	464	262	391
Sialkot*	524	572	555	518	522
Gurdaspur*	436	500	498	443	451
Hoshiarpur*	401	450	440	409	413
Ambala*	442	459	434	467	362
Gujranwala	251	286	320	262	270
Lahore	280	334	374	372	420
Gujrat	284	315	309	307	322
Ferozepur	174	207	223	224	256
Rawalpindi	233	264	276	271	281
Jhelum	147	152	149	184	172
Mianwali	49	63	56	63	66
Multan**	94	107	120	137	150
Shahpur**	86	107	109	144	161
Jhang**	113	117	123	152	165
Montgomery**	78	94	97	108	154
Lyallpur**	12	9	181	261	301
Sheikhupura**	136	158	203	206	247
Avg. Of Punjab	152	167	178	174	183
Avg. Of Colony Districts	148	170	204	216	243

*Selected districts for the Chenab Colony**The major canal colony districts.

Chenab Colony: Distribution of  Land to Immigrant Grantees,

by  District of Origin  

District	Acres Allotted	% of the Colony
Amritsar	251,091	13.35
Gurdaspur	152,352	8.11
Sialkot	148,727	7.92
Hoshiarpur	126,165	6.75
Jullundur	122,069	6.53
Ludhiana	106,230	5.65
Ambala	46,534	2.47
Lahore	28,396	1.51
Gujrat	15,038	0.81
Mianwali	7,206	0.38
Others	120,183	6.37
Total	1,105,878	59.85

The above map of Punjab in the 1890s, shows the location of Lyallpur district and other districts. 

All was not going smoothly and there was some discontent as well. A British officer Thornburn wrote as follows:

"The Mussalmans of the Western Punjab are very depressed, think themselves neglected, are in a dissatisfied state and have some reason for their dissatisfaction. They all produce good recruits and belong to sturdy fighting tribes. It will be good policy to offer these districts small allotments . . . . such Mussalmans - Awans excepted -would not make first class peasant colonists, and are therefore protanto objectionable. I think, however, other considerations have greater weight and should prevail . . . . Though commercial principles should perhaps govern the majority of allotments, still in a great State-scheme of colonisation allowance should be made for considerations of good policy. If care is exercised in the selections I have no doubt Mussalman tenants from the districts named will do well."Note by S.S. Thorburn, PC, 22 January 1898; in PRAP(I), April 1898, No.7.

But we also see that among the immigrant grantees Muslims and Sikhs/Hindus were allotted lands equally. See the following table:

Distribution of Lands to Immigrant Grantees, 

By Religion & Caste

Group	Hindus / Sikhs		Muslims		Total
	Acres Allotted	% of Colony	Acres Allotted	% of Colony	Acres Allotted	% of Colony
Jat	445,445	23.67	230,135	12.31	675,580	35.98
Kamboh	46,176	2.45	10,555	0.56	56,731	3.01
Saini	16,236	0.87	-	-	16,236	0.87
Arain	-	-	201,162	10.70	201,162	10.70
Rajput	9,838	0.52	52,029	2.75	61,867	3.27
Pathan	-	-	26,750	1.43	26,750	1.43
Gujar	-	-	22,015	1.22	22,015	1.22
Miscellaneous	80,840	4.3	47,188	2.51	128,028	6.81
Total	595,095	31.81	589,834	31.48	1,184,929	64.60

Mr Imran Ali has noted the impact on the local population and its reaction in the folloiwng words:

The 'indigenous' grantees, by contrast, did not fulfil either of the two objectives for the settlement of the Chenab Colony. They neither came from congested districts nor could they in the great majority of cases be regarded as skilled, seif-cultivating agriculturists. The allotment of land to them was a response to the disruption and imbalances caused by the development of canal irrigation in the lives of the pcop]c of Jhang, Gujranwala and Montgomery Districts. These 'indigenous' grantees comprised two elements: the semi-nomadic pastoralists of the Bar, who were called Janglis, and the settled agriculturists of the riverain, who were called Hitharis. These people ultimately received the very sizeable area of 663,000 acres, or 35% of total allotted land. Initially, however, the government had no plans to make such an allotment. The grants grew out of the need to compensate: the Janglis for the world they had lost; and the Hitharis for the environmental impact of canal irrigation on the riverain tracts in which their homes were situated. 

The pastoralists of the Bar were faced with a revolution in their lifestyles when their grazing areas disappeared under canal irrigation. They were pushed out of their old homes, and their land was taken up by strangers, whom they regarded as usurpers. Their loud protestations, combined with a sudden increase in crime (especially cattle theft, to which they had always been prone), as well as the all too obvious loss of their means of subsistence, forced 8 0 the government to allot land to these Janglis. Those who could produce evidence that they had paid the grazing tax, or O 1 tirni, in pre-colony days became eligible for land grants. This effectively restricted access to land to the owners of cattle, who comprised the dominant elements in Jangli society. The lower strata of the Janglis, which had traditionally been servile to the cattle-owners, had to seek a livelihood as landless labourers with their former masters or with immigrant grantees.

In the end, the Janglis received 448,000 acres, or about 24% of the total allotted area. This was a great deal of land; but even so, the Janglis retained a sense of grievance. Though their leading men received larger grants, most Janglis 8 3 were allotted land at the rate of half a square per family. This was half the size of grants to immigrants, and it allowed for little more than subsistence agriculture. With little or no previous experience in agriculture, they had suddenly to conform to the demands of the market economy. In the following years, many became successful agriculturists; but others remained the most backward of colonists, stranded on their small grants, with their cattle little more than a liability, and bewailing the days of their lost freedom.

However, the following tables show that a substantial quantity of land was distributed among the local inhabitants.

Indigenous Grantees: Distribution of Land to Janglis 

Caste	Tribe	Acres Allotted	% Of Colony
Jat and Rajput	Kharral	56,252	3
	Wattu	17,813	0.95
	Chadhhar	15,938	0.85
	Bhatti	11,250	0.60
	Khichi	11,063	0.59
	Others	237,196	12.65
Baloch	Jatoi	36,189	1.93
	Others	62,152	3.32
	Total	447,953	23.89

Religion	Caste	Ac. Allotted	% Of Colony
Hindu / Sikh	Jat Sikh	30,001	1.6
	Arora	14,626	0.78
	Mazhabi	11,813	0.63
	Others	11,250	0.60
Muslim	Rajput	66,377	3.54
	Jat	33,001	1.76
	Syed/Qureshi	38,626	2.06
	Others	10,126	0.54
	Total	215,820	11.51

Kaiseri Gate, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

Kaiseri Gate

قیصری دروازہ

IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 60TH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HER IMPERIAL MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA

لا الہ الا اللہ محمد رسول اللہ 

There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is Prophet of Allah

(Definitely a post-independence addition)

Sir James Broadwood Lyall (6 March 1838 – 4 December 1916) a senior government officer played an important role in the development of the colony and establishment of a new city as its administrative centre. Thus the new city was named Lyallpur after him. A monument was erected in his memory in the city. Which is now located in Jinnah Bagh. I was expecting some plaques at the monument and was sure to find valuable informations. But to my surprise and disappointment, there was no such plaque. However, it was clearly visible that there used to be plaques, which were removed later on. But when and why I could not find in my limited time. 

Monument of Sir James Broadwood Lyall, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

Monument of Sir James Broadwood Lyall, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

Monument of Sir James Broadwood Lyall, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

Besides the thesis fo Dr Imran Ali, the official "Gazetteer of the Chenab Colony, 1904" was also very useful in writing this post. The gazeetteer gives the following account of the geography and population of the Chenab Colony:

The total length of the present colony is 101.5 miles, the greatest width being 56 miles, and the average width 38 miles. It begins half way between the Sukheke and Marh Railway Station on the Wazirabad – Khanewal Line, and ends just before Shorkot Road Station.

The total area is 3,855 sq. miles of which 2,817square of miles are now allotted for cultivation. Of these again 2,411 square miles, or 85% of the allotted area, were cultivated in 1902-03.

The colony was reckoned as a separate district for the purpose of census in 1901. Excluding Jhang, of which the colony forms so large a part, it then stood thirteenth in the order of area (3,706 square miles) and twelfth in the order of population (782,690) amongst the 32 districts of Punjab as then constituted.

The principal town, Lyallpur, so called after Sir James Lyall, K.C.S.A., late Lieutenant Governor of the Province is situated on the Wazirabad-Khanewal Branch of the North-Western Railway, 96 miles from Wazirabad.

Other towns on the railway, which are important as export markets, are Sangla, Chiniot Road, Gojra and Toba Tek Singh. The rest of the colony, which is divided into 1,418 estates, is almost entirely agricultural.

The average area of each village is 1731 acres or 62.5 squares, the average allotted area being 1,278 acres or 46 squares.

The colony comprises the whole or parts of the following tahsils:

District	Tahsil	No. of Estates	Area (sqm)	Allotted Area (sqm)
Jhang	Lyallpur	333	971	756
	Toba Tek Singh	353	960	630
	Samundri	372	972	736
	Chiniot	132	322	245
	Jhnag	76	202	124
Gujranwala	Khanqah Dogran	139	403	309
	Hafizabad	4	5	3
Lahore	Sharakpur	9	20	14
Total		1,418	3,855	2,817

The Gazetteer gives the following description of the bar before its development:

The bar has often been spoken of as a country of extreme desolation, and though this description may be justified by the almost entire absence of crops which could only be grown in the most favoured localities and favoured years, yet the landscape though monotonous was far from unpleasing, and after a fall of rain might almost be called beautiful. It certainly possessed a peculiar fascination of its own, to which the wilderness and the vastness of the scene doubtless contributed. Few of those who knew it in the past and felt its freedom will regard its disappearance without a sense of genuine regret, despite the enormous benefits which have accompanied the change. There was, however, one part of the Bar which natured conceived in her most unkindly mood. The tract around Toba Tek Singh was almost void of trees and grass. The clump of frashes at the dak bungalow were a perfect oasis in a hideous prairie, and Dabanwala kikar, a solitary tree about 8 miles distant from Toba Tek Singh, acquired a fame which it could not have won even on the road from Khiwa to Jhang, of which Mr Monckton (Deputy Commissioner of Jhang from 1853 – 57) wrote: “It stand probably unrivalled in the world for its combination of the most desolate features a landscape is capable of offering.”

It was natural that the earlier settlers faced a host of problems and hardships. The Gazetteer mentions the conditions of those settlers in the following words:

Further, the irrigation arrangements, as was only to be expected, were by no means perfect; The first levels taken by the Irrigation Department were not so close or so accurate as those at later stages of the scheme; and only the main watercourses were constructed -before the arrival of the settlers; Even tb1s had not always been done, and the settlers had still to make the channels, often of a very considerable length, for conveying water to their own squares. When this too bad been accomplished they might find that their squares were still unirrigable. Moreover, the rainfall iu the previous years had been very scanty and the Bar consequently presented a particularly desolate appearance. Many, therefore, refused to believe that the land was worth cultivating. Faced by these difficulties,· real or fancied, large numbers of selected settlers returned to their homes without attempting to cultivate the lands offered to them. 

Those who persevered and were not carried off by a severe epidemic of cholera were rewarded by an excellent crop, and once the virtue of the virgin soil of the Bar had been thus demonstrated, there was no lack of fresh settlers to take the place of those who fled. But the trials of early settlers were not quite at an end. Their crop matured, there was not sufficient labour available to harvest it, and large quantities of cotton were left unpicked. When harvested there was still the difficulty of disposing of the produce which bad to go the same perilous ways by which, the settlers came. It was largely for this reason that so many of the larger grantees still thought it not worth their while to take up the liberal grants then offered to them and the colony was not fully popularised with all classes until the railway was constructed as far as Lyallpur in 1896.
 Meanwhile the opposition offered by the Bar nomads at one time reached an acute phase. It had been left to the Colonization Officer to dispose of their claims, but probably it had not been realised to the full how numerous they were or how troublesome they would prove. They not only made perpetual attacks on the colonists who were for some time no match for them, but at first they also declined to "take land themselves. Their criminal ardour was cooled by vigorous repressive measures, and their disinclination to take land by the great patience and tact with which it was met. The belief that the canal had come to stay began to force itself upon them, and they found it at last advisable to
make for themselves the best terms they could. 

They were then treated with great liberality, their grants being proportioned rather to their prolific qualities than their actual present needs.

But once the improvements were made in the colony, like better provision of water, with a more extensive network of channels and extension of railways, greatly increased the pace of settlement and from 1892 to 1903, 1,813,501, acres of land was allotted. Indeed the transformation of the land was so fast and complete that soon people were generally happy, content and prosperous. Following words of the Gazzetteer tells us the effect on the public mind in general:

The following is an extract of a Punjabi ballad of 43 stanzas which was sung by a. blind-poet· known as the Kana, when Captain Popham Young was leaving the colony in 1899. The Raja referred to is Chaudhri Aurangzeb Khan, Khan BaMdur, then Assistant Colonization Officer, while Lala Pindi Das, who was then Tahsildar of Lyallpur, afterwards held the same post. The ballad gives some idea of the impression which the colony made on the native mind.

Awal sain sachche nu saran, Ik qissa nawan aj joran, Bar agge lut khadi choran, Harn, gidar, chuhean dian ghoran, Sunjan jangal koi nahei raha, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	First I will praise the true Lord, I will tell a new tale today, How of old the Bar was the prey of thieves, The shelter of deer, jackals and rats, Now, no barren jungle is left, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਅਵਲ ਸਾਈਂ ਸਚੇ ਨੂਂਸਾਰਾਂ ਇਕ ਕਿਸ੍ਸਾ ਨਵਾਂ ਜੋਣਾਂ ਬਾਰ ਅੱਗੇ ਲੁਟ ਖਣੀ ਚੋਰਾਂ ਹਿਰਨ ਗਿਦਣ ਚੂਹੇਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਘੋਰਾਂ ਸੁੰਜਾਂ ਜੰਗਲ ਕੋਈ ਨਯੀ ਰਯਾ ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ	اول سائیں سچے نوں ساراں،    اِک قصہ نواں جوڑاں، بار اگے لٹ کھڑی چوراں ہرن، گِدڑ چوہیاں دیاں گھوراں، سونجاں جنگل کوئی نئیں ریا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Hukam sain sachche da aya, Anrezan nun Khuda bujhaya Naqsha bar da lik wikhaya Thekedaran nun bulwaya Hoka diya sab phira Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	The true Lord has given his ordinance, He put it into the heart of the English, Who made a map of the Bar, And summoned the contractors, The proclamation went around, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਹੁਕਮ ਸਾਈਂ ਸਚੇ ਦਾ ਆਯਾ ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ਾਂ ਨੂਂ ਖ਼ੁਦਾ ਬੁਝਾਯਾ ਨਕ਼ਸ਼ਾ ਬਾਰ ਦਾ [ਲਿਕ] ਵਿਖਾਯਾ ਠੇਕੇਦਾਰਾਂ ਨੂਂ ਬੁਲਵਾਯਾ [ਹੋਕਾ] ਦਿਯਾ ਸਬ ਫਿਰਾ ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	حکم سائیں سچے دا آیا، انگریزاں نوں خدا بُجھایا، نقشہ بار دا لیک وکھایا، ٹھیکیداراں نوں بلوایا، ہوکا دیا سب پِھرا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Angrezan da dekho itfaq, Ikko waida sachchi bat, Kithe hai Wazirabad, Khuppar jithai pawe afat Bandh pul dakya darya Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Behold the unity of the English, Their promise is true, their word stable, There at Wazirabad, Where the whirpool churn A weir has been made and the river dammed, Young Sahib has peopled the land
ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ਾਂ ਦਾ ਦੇਖੋ ਇਤ੍ਫਾਕ਼, ਏਕੋ ਵੇਦਾ ਸਚੀ ਬਾਤ, ਕਿਥੇ ਵਜ਼ੀਰਾਬਾਦ, [ਖੁਪਣ] ਜਿਥੇ ਪਾਵੇ ਆਫਾਤ, ਬੰਦ ਪੁਲ ਢਕਿਆ ਦਰਯਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	انگریزاں دا دیکھو اتفاق، اِکو وَیدا سچی بات، کتھے ہے وزیرآباد، کھُپڑ جتھے پاوے آفات، بند پُل ڈکیا دریا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Nal kinare rel challe, Sair karan jinhande palle, Tar khabran agge ghalle, Babu an steshan malle, Wah! Qudrat teri khuda, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Hard by runs trains, Whereon those who pay may travel, Telegraph lines have been extended, Babus came and occupied the stations, Praise to thy power, O God, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਨਾਲ ਰੇਲ ਚੱਲੇ, ਸੇਰ ਕਰਨ ਜਿਨਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਪੱਲੇ, ਤਾਰ ਖ਼ਬਰਾਂ ਅੱਗੇ ਘੱਲੇ, ਬਾਬੂ ਆਨ ਸਟੇਸ਼ਨ ਮੱਲੇ, ਵਾਹ ਕੁਦਰਤ ਤੇਰੀਖ਼ੁਦਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	نال کنارے ریل چلے، سیر کرن جنہاں دے پلے، تار خبراں اگے گھلے، بابو آن سٹیشن ملے، واہ قدرت تیری خدا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Zameen Angrezan kachh lai sari, Apo-ap bheje patwari, Zilledar kai munchi bhari, Chuan nun diti mukhtari, Pani dewan jide lur ha, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	The English have measure the whole land, Here a patwari, there a patwai, Zilldars galore and mighty munshis, To them has been given authority, Water where they will they give, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਜਮੀਨ ਅੰਗਰੇਜਾਂ ਕਛ ਲਾਈ ਸਾਰੀ, ਆਪੋ ਆਪ ਭੇਜੇ ਪਟਵਾਰੀ, ਜ਼ਿਲੇਦਾਰ ਕਾਈ ਮੁਨਸ਼ੀ ਭਾਰੀ, [ਚੁਆਂ] ਨੂਂ ਦੀਤੀ ਮੁਖ਼ਤਾਰੀ, ਪਾਣੀ ਦੇਵਨ ਜਿਦੇ ਲੋੜ ਹਾ ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	زمین انگریزاں کَچھ لئی ساری، آپو آپ بھیجے پٹواری، ضلعےدار کئی منشی بھاری، چواں نوں دِتّی مختاری پانی دیون جِدے لوڑ ہا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Dekh mere Maula de chitthe, Sikhan Jattan nun mil gai qitte, Bukh jinhan nun gitte gitte, Eh rajde hun akkhin dithhe, Phiran sharab muchhan te ta, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Behold the gifts of my Lord, To the Sikhs Jats have been given lands, But now up to their ankles in poverty, Lo! They prosper before mine eyes, Drink wine and roam with curled moustache Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਦੇਖ ਮੇਰਾ ਮੌਲਾ ਦੇ ਚਿਠੇ, ਸਿਖਾਂ ਜੱਟਾਂ ਨੂਂ ਮਿਲ ਗਏ ਕ਼ਿੱਤੇ, ਪੁਖ ਜਿਨਹਾਂ ਨੂਂ ਗਿੱਟੇ ਗਿੱਟੇ, ਇਹ ਰਜਦੇ ਅਖੀਂ ਡਿਠੇ, ਫਿਰਨ ਸ਼ਰਾਬ ਮੁਛਾਂ ਤੇ ਤਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	دیکھ میرا مولا دے چٹھے، سکھاں جٹاں نوں مل گئے قطے، بُکھ جنہاں نوں گِٹّے گِٹّے، ایہہ رجدے اکھیں ڈِٹھے، پِھِرن شراب مُچھاں تے تا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Angrez bahadur bhara bir ae, Jin dita darya nun chirae, Nahar kadhai siddhi tir ae, Kadhyian te lag gae [jakhire], Buta jhari diya hata, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Most mighty heroes are the English, Who have now turned aside the river, They digged a canal straight as an arrow, And planted groves on its banks, Brush and brushwood has been swept away, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ ਬਹਾਦੁਰ ਭਾਰਾ ਬੀਰ ਏ, ਜਿਨ ਦਿਤਾ ਦਰਯਾ ਨੂਂ  ਚੀਰ ਏ, ਨੇਹਰ ਕਢਾਈ ਸੀਧੀ ਤੀਰ ਏ, ਕਾਧ੍ਯਾਂ ਤੇ ਲਗ ਗਏ ਜਖੀਰੇ, ਬੂਟਾ ਝੜੀ ਦੇਯਾ ਹਟਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	انگریز بہادر بھارا بِیر اے، جِن دِتا دریا نوں چیراے، نہر کڈھائی سِدھی تیر اے، کدھیاں تے لگ گئے جخیرے، بوٹا جھاڑی دیا ہٹا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا۔
Angrezan di dekho sardari, Badshah kuchh hain wopari, Duniyan kiti nahin piyari, Paisa witan ikse wari, Eh raje hain be parwah, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Behold the power of the English, Partly rulers, partly traders, Wealth they do not great prize, Money they lavish with a free hand, Princes they are who stint not, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ਾਂ ਦੀ ਦੇਖੋ ਸਰਦਾਰੀ, ਬਾਦਸ਼ਾਹ ਕੁਛ ਹੈਨ ਵਪਾਰੀ, ਦੁਨੀਆ ਕੀਤੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਪ੍ਯਾਰੀ, ਪੈਸਾ ਵਿਟ ਇਕ ਸੇ ਵਾਰੀ, ਏਹ ਰੱਜੇ ਹੈਨ ਬੈਪਰਵਾਹ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	انگریزاں دی دیکھو سرداری، بادشاہ کچھ ہین وپاری، دنیا کیتی نہیں پیاری، پیسہ وِٹن اک سے واری، ایہہ رجے ہین بے پرواہ، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.
Eh angrez aulia zaroor, Sach mano zarra na kur, Pal wich jangal kita door, Thekedar te tare majjur, Hazaran di lag gayi tankhah, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	The English are very saints, Believe it true, it is no lie, In a moment they made the waste to vanish, Contractors and labourers became rich, Wages were paid in thousands, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਏਹ ਅੰਗ੍ਰੇਜ਼ ਅਵਲਿਆ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ, ਸਚ ਮੰਨੋ ਜ਼ਰਾ ਨਾ ਕੂੜ, ਪਲ ਵਿਚ ਜੰਗਲ ਕੀਤਾ ਦੂਰ, ਠੇਕੇਦਾਰ ਤੇ ਤਾਰੇ ਮਜੂਰ, ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਲਗ ਗਈ ਤਂਖ਼ਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	ایہہ انگریز اولیاء ضرور، سچ منوں ذرا نا کوڑ، پل وچ جنگل کیتا دور، ٹھیکیدار تے تارے مجُور، ہزاراں دی لگ گئی تنخواہ، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.
Eh Ali Hakam Sardar, Jinde nal cha kare piyar, Pal wich denda us num tar, Sikh banae nambardar, Guru wadhaya dora wasah, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	A very mighty officer is he, Whom he beholds with favour, He exalts in a moment, Sikhs had been made headmen, The Guru has increased their credit twofold, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਇਹ ਅਲੀ ਹਾਕਮ ਸ੍ਰਦਾਰ, ਜਿੰਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਚਾ ਕਰੇ ਪਿਆਰ, ਪਲ ਵਿਚ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਉਸ ਨਵੰ ਤਾਰ, ਸਿਖ ਬਣਾਏ ਨਮ੍ਬ੍ਰ੍ਦਾਰ, ਗੁਰੂ ਵਧਾਯਾ ਦੋਰਾ ਵਸਾਹ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	ایہہ علی حاکم سردار، جِندے نال چا کرے پیار، پل وِچ دیندا اُس نوں تار، سکھ بنائے نمبردار، گرو دورا دیا وساہ، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.
Young Sahib eh Hakam thik ae, Lailpur da naqshah lik ae, Pahle paisa apun wit ae, Phir khazane bhare amiq ae, Nilam kare sarkari ja, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Young sahib is a perfect officer, He drew the plan of Lyallpur, First he spent money, Then he filled the Treasury full, Selling the land of Government, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਏ ਹਾਕਮ ਠੀਕ ਏ, ਲੈਲਪੂਰ ਦਾ ਨਕਸ਼ਹ ਲੀਕ ਏ, ਪਹਲੇ ਪੈਸਾ ਆਪੋਂ ਵਟਾਏ, ਫਿਰ ਖ਼ਜ਼ਨੇ ਅਮਿਕ਼ ਅ, ਨੀਲਾਮ ਕਰੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਜਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	ینگ صاحب اے حاکم ٹھیک اے، لیلپور دا نقشہ لیک اے، پہلے پیسہ آپوں وٹائے، پھِر خزانے بھرے عمیق اے، نیلام کرے سرکاری جا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.
Lailpur da wekhya shahr, Jithe wadhya bahut wapar, Kanak mandi wich kothi dar, Ik chauk de ath bazar, Nawan dinan gol phira, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	I have seen the city of Lyallpur, Where trade has waxed greatly, In the gram market are big merchants, There is one chaunk with eight bazars, The ninth was made in the form of a circle, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਲੈਲਪੂਰ ਦਾ ਵੇਖਿਆ ਸ਼ੇਹਰ, ਜਿਥੇ ਵਦਿਯਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਵਪਾਰ, ਕਣਕ ਮੰਡੀ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਠੀਦਾਰ, ਇਕ ਚੋਕ ਤੇ ਅਠ ਬਜ਼ਾਰ, ਨਵਾਂ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਗੋਲ ਫਿਰਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	لیلپور دا ویکھیا شہر، جِتھے ودیا بہت وپار، کنڑک منڈی وِچ کوٹھی دار، اِک چوک تے اٹھ بازار، نواں دیناں گول پھِرا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.
Lailpur da sun tu hal, Ann jal da jithe sokal, Nahr wahndi darwaze nal, Drakht lawae pal-o-pal, Hor pae jamde sawe gha, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	Hear you the tale of Lyallpur, Where grain and water abound, The canal runs by the gateways, Trees have been planted in rows, And green grass comes sprouting up, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਲੈਲਪੂਰ ਦਾ ਸੁਣ ਤੂ ਹਾਲ, ਆਂ ਜਲ ਦਾ ਜਿਥੇ ਸੋਕਲ, ਨੇਹਰ ਵਹਂਦੀ ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ੇ ਨਾਲ, ਦਰਖ਼ਤ ਲਵਾਏ ਪਾਲੋਪਾਲ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	لیلپوردا سُنڑ تو حال، ان جل دا جِتھے سوکال، نہر واہندی دروازے نال، درخت لوائے پال و پال، ہور پئے جمدے ساوے گھا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.
Young Raja, Pindi Das da piyar, Eh hakam tinon hoshiyar, An sohae jangal bar, Kana karda enha pukar, Sain inhandi umar wadha, Young Sahib diya mulk wasa.	The young, the Raja, and Pindi Das love one another, All three are officers of wisdom, They have adorned the Bar, This is the cry of Kana, That God may increase the days of their lives, Young Sahib has peopled the land.
ਯੰਗ, ਰਾਜਾ, ਪਿੰਡੀ ਦਾਸ ਦਾ ਪਯਾਰ, ਏਹ ਹਾਕਮ ਤੀਨੀਂ ਹੋਸ਼ਿਆਰ, ਆਨ ਸੋਹਾਏ ਜੰਗਲ ਬਾਰ, ਕਾਣਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਇਹਨਾ ਪੁਕਾਰ, ਸਾਈਞ ਇਨਹਾਂਦੀ ਉਮਰ ਵਧਾ, ਯੰਗ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਯਾ ਮੁਲਕ ਵਸਾ.	ینگ، راجہ، پنڈی داس دا پیار، ایہہ حاکم تِنوں ہوشیار، آن سوہائے جنگل بار، کانا کردا ایہنا پکار، سائیں انہاندی عمر ودھا، ینگ صاحب دیا ملک وسا.

As we already have noted that most of the land was allotted to the settlers from other districts. The following table gives the origin of the settlers:

District	Immigrants
Sialkot	103,390
Amritsar	67,973
Jullundur	56,983
Gurdaspur	43,593
Hoshiarpur	35,099
Lahore	28,620
Gujrat	25,352
Ludhiana	17,807
Shahpur	16,156
Ferozepore	15,048
Ambala	8,614
Multan	7,777
Patiala*	4,271
Jhelum	4,242
Kapurthala*	3,968
Hissar	1,834
Rawalpindi	1,736
Bahawalpur*	1,046
Total	443,509

 * Princely State.

The balance of 338,352 was mainly composed of people born in the Districts of Gujranwala, Jhang and Montgomery, which provided the following numbers:

Gujranwala	75,872
Jhang	168,090
Montgomery	91,654
Total	335,616

Population Density In The Chenab Colony
Tehsil	Population	Per Sq M.
Khanqah Dogarn	133,780	337
Lyallpur	263,561	282
Samundri	157,285	186
Chiniot	83,548	168
Toba Tek Singh	125,684	149
Jhang	28,548	142
Average For Colony		212

Religious Composition (1901)

Religion	Person	%
Muslims	484,657	61.20
Hindus	210,459	26.58
Sikhs	88,049	11.12
Native Christians	8,617	1.1
European Christians	55	.01
Jains	23	0
Zoroastrians	1	0
Total	791,861

Religious Composition By District Of Origin & Caste (1901)

District	Muslamans						Hindus				Total
	Arains	Jat	Rajput	Kamboh	Gujar	Misc.	Jat	Kamboh	Saini	Misc.
Amritsar	3,677	21,328	507	826	0	512	105,103	39,224	0	764	172,001
Gurdaspur	30,671	43,315	1,880	875	14,115	59	40,807	978	0	1,109	138,809
Sialkot	18,021	69,789	1,246	309	0	5,735	30,234	0	0	993	126,327
Hoshiarpur	48,690	34,651	2,248	608	2,590	405	15,905	0	7,936	1,389	114,422
Jullundur	38,662	8,364	194	441	298	675	50,387	7,534	1,700	1,174	104,429
Ludhiana	28,377	4,229	75	0	0	195	68,201	1,961	0	411	103,449
Ambala	8,881	4,563	10,333	0	0	57	28,537	56	3,192	56	55,675
Gujranwala	788	20,654	189	193	0	2,125	21,310	0	0	927	46,186
Lahore	9,192	4,102	480	526	0	2,849	7,463	434	0	1,688	26,734
Gujrat	222	8,759	413	0	2,393	1,986	3,293	0	0	1,250	18,316
Mianwali	0	6,286	0	0	0	6,743	0	0	0	0	13,029
Jhelum	0	159	284	304	0	3,758	0	0	0	1,048	5,553
Rawalpindi	56	112	1,338	0	0	2,347	0	0	0	1,231	5,084
Patiala	0	0	0	0	0	115	3,682	0	0	168	3,965
Shahpur	0	706	46	0	0	2,859	0	0	0	61	3,672
Ferozepur	0	56	0	0	0	81	2,316	0	0	59	2,512
Misc.	55	498	1,068	0	0	2,858	1,835	56	0	1,217	7,587
Total	187,292	227,571	20,301	4,082	19,396	33,359	379,073	50,243	12,828	13,545	947,750
	Muslims Total (492,001 Acres)						Hindus Total (455,689)

Literacy Rate In Chenab Colony

Religion	Population			Literate			%
	T	M	F	T	M	F	T	M	F
Muslims	484,657	272,174	212,483	4,972	4,775	197	1.02	1.08	.09
Hindus	210,459	123,518	86,941	11,180	11,023	107	5.2	8.9	.12
Sikhs	88,049	53,404	34,645	4,335	4,245	90	4.9	7.9	.25
Christians	8,672	4,747	3,925	312	233	79	8.5	4.9	2.01
Jains/Zoaroastrians	24	18	6	8	8	0	34.7	47.6	0
All	791,861	453,861	338,000	20,757	20,284	498	2.6	4.4	.14

The new settlements were known by the numbers given to each of them. These numbers were given according to the canal irrigating that area. So Chaks in the areas irrigated by Rakh Branch were named as Chak No. 1 RB, along Jhang Branch 1 JB and similarly, chaks along Gugera Branch had GB fixed with their numbers.  

Allocation of  Numbers To The Settlements
Rakh & Mian Ali Branch	1 – 299
Jhang & Bhowana Branch	1 – 504
Gugera & Burala Branch	1 – 623

Chenab colony was an agricultural project. The following table gives the prices of different commodities in the year 1903.

1 Maund (37.3242 Kg.)	Price ( Rs. Anna. Pies)
Wheat	2  5    10
Cotton	5  4    4
Maize	1  12  3
Jowar	2  1    8
Bajra	2  5    5
Gur	4  3    9
Toria	3  15  6

A few words about the cattle:

Goats usually belong to the Bikaner, Bahawalpur and Shahpur breeds. The maximum supply of milk is about 2 seers. Goats are sheared twice a year, the average yield being from 3 to 6 chitaks. The hair (jat) is made into ropes, bags and floor cloths, and is worth from Rs. 7 to Rs. 10 a maund. The skins which are used as water bags (mashak) are sold at the rate of eight annas to a rupee each. A good many are exported to Bombay and Ka.rltohi. The price of goats varies considerably, from Rs. 4 to Rs. 10 in the case of she-goats, he-goats costing from Rs. 3 to Rs. 6. A really good she-goat may, however, be worth Rs. 15 or 16.

Despite the vast network of the canals the rapid development of the colony was not possible without a fast and reliable network of communication. The government was not oblivious to this fact and paid full attention to the extension of the railway network. The railway line was started from Wazirabad in 1895 and reached Lyallpur in 1896, covering a distance of 96 miles. In 1899 it was opened to Toba Tek Singh and linked up with Khanewal in 1900. The total cost was Rs. 7,741,000/- including the cost of rolling stock. 

Railway Section	Distance (miles)
Wazirabad To Sukhekhe	56
Wazirabad To March Belochan	63
Wazirabad To Sangla	69
Wazirabad To Salarwala	75
Wazirabad To Chiniot Road	84
Wazirabad To Lyallpur	96
Wazirabad To Abbaspur	107
Wazirabad To Pacca Anna	117
Wazirabad To Gojra	127
Wazirabad To Janiwala	136
Wazirabad To Toba Tek Singh	144
Wazirabad To Chutiana	155
Wazirabad To Shorkot Road	163

The successful agricultural schemes also provided a base for the industrial development. The abundant provision of raw material induced businessmen to invest in the industry, especially in the textile industry. That industry expanded to such an extent that today Faisalabad is called the Manchester of Pakistan.  

Name of Town	Name of Firm	Cotton Ginning Mill	Cotton Press
Lyallpur	Sri Guru Nanak Company	1	1
	Lorinda Ram & Sewa Ram	1
	Harnam Singh & Company	1
	Churanji Lal & Company	1	1
	The Punjab Cotton Press	1	1
	Fateh Mohammad & Sultan Mohammad	1
	Mohan Lal & Brij Lal	1	1
Gojra	Shankar Das & Piyare Lal	1
	Harnam Singh & Company	1
	Harji Mall & Company	1	1
	Imam-ud-Din	1
	Partap Singh & Chupa Singh	1
Toba Tek Singh	Punjab Cotton Press	1	1
	Sri Kishen & Company	1
	Radha Kishan & Ram Narain	1
Chiniot Road	Asmatullah & Hira Nand	1	1
	Fazal Din & Muhammad Hayat	1	1
Sangla	Asmat Ullah & Kanshi Ram	1
	Mangu & Fateh Din	1
	Dal Chand & Brothers	1	1
	Ram Ditta Mal & Prem Nath	1	1

The story of the Chenab Colony would be incoplete without the menion of the biggetst symbol of this gigantic undertaking, the Clock Tower of Lyallpur. It was consturcted in 1903-05, in memory of Queen Victoria, at the cost of Rs 40,000, which were collected by the landowners at the rate of Rs 18 per square of land. 

Wikipedia gives the following account of the resources gathered to finance this project:

The foundation of majestic Clock Tower was laid on 14 November 1903 by the British lieutenant governor of Punjab Sir Charles Riwaz and the biggest local landlord belonging to the Mian Family of Abdullahpur. The fund was collected at a rate of Rs. 18 per square of land. The fund thus raised was handed over to the Municipal Committee which undertook to complete the project.

  

The Clock Tower of Lyallpur. (Ghanta Ghar of Faisalabad). 21.07.2017.

Population Of Lyallpur City (1901)
Religion	Population	%
Hindus	4,434	48.34
Muslims	4,232	46.15
Sikhs	365	3.98
Christians	132	1.44
Jains	7	.07
Others	1	0
Total	9,171

Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Faisalabad. (21.07.2017.)

This gurdwara in Faisalabad, tells us about a time when the society was more pluralistic and people of different communities were living and working together to make this colony a success and sharing prosperity.

http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2017/11/as-i-mentioned-in-my-previous-post.html 

This tower is a testimony to the great planning and administration of the government and the hardwork and indomitable spirit of the cultivators who turned this desolate piece of land into a most productive agricultural land in the whole India, or probably the whole world. All the four communities of India, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians participated in its development. To me, it was a symbol of peaceful coexistence and cooperation. Unfortunately, it lasted for just a half a century and after the partition of 1947, all changed. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs had to leave their homes and farms and migrate to east. But this colony opened the doors of prosperity to those Muslims who were coming from the other side of the border.

Population Of Lyallpur (Census of 1941)
District	1,396,305
Muslims	877,518	62.85 %
Hindus	204,059	14.61 %
Sikhs	262,737	18.82 %
Christians	51,694	3.70 %
Tehsil	405,973
Muslims	221,333	54.52 %
Hindus	73,400	18.08 %
Sikhs	89,629	22.08 %
Christians	21,500	5.30 %
City	69,930
Muslims	23,003	32.89 %
Hindus	32,896	47.04 %
Sikhs	10,897	15.58 %
Christians	3,027	4.33 %

Here I am sharing stories of some people who inhabited this colony at some stage or are still living there.

Many historical personalities belonged to this area. One of them is Rai Ahmad Kharal of Jhamra, the only man in Punjab who rose against the British Raj with a significant power. He is buried near Sial.

http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2014/06/tomb-of-rai-ahmad-khan-kharal-grave-of.html

Love story of Heer and Ranjha is the most famous love story of South Asia. Ranjha belonged to Takht Hazara, a village in Kirana Bar (Sargodha) but Heer was a resident of Jhang. For details:

http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2014/05/tomb-of-heer-ranjha-in-jhang-takht.html

Characters of another very famous story Mirza Sahibaan also lived in this Bar. Sahibaan belonged to Kheiwa and Mirza to Danabad. For details:

http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2014/06/mirza-sahiban-graves.html

Famous freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Sigh was also born in this colony on 28 September, 1907, in Chak No. 

http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2014/06/birthplace-of-shaheed-bhagat-singh.html

Baba Badan Singh Ji.

Baba Badan Singh Ji was the son of Sardar Hazara Singh Dhillon, a resident of Leel, district Ludhiana. Hazara Singh ji was allotted 4 murabbas (100 acres) in Chak No. 68 JB Leelan ( ਲੀਲਾਂ لیلاں). Baba Badan Singh Ji was born in 1898, the first person of his family to born in this colony. Like all other non Muslims he had his family had to leave their home and a gurdwara, they had constructed with so much love and care.In their Chak many Muslim refugees settled. One of them was father of Rana Shoaib.  For detail see the link below:
http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2017/10/gurdwara-of-baba-badan-singh-dhillon-in.html

As I mentioned above in 1947, Hindus and Sikhs had to leave, who made about one third of the district of Lyallpur. In their place, Muslim refugee families were settled. One of such families was that of the elder brother of Chaudhry Rahmat Ali, the man who gave name to this new country. For details see the following link:

http://pakgeotagging.blogspot.qa/2017/10/choudhary-rahmat-ali-man-who-named.html

Muhammad Bashir Ahmad sahib. 

Similarly another person who settled here after the partition was Muhammad Bashir Ahmad Minhas s/o Amir Ali. He belong to village Dunga, tehsil Nakodar, district Jalandhar. I could not locate this village. He was 25 years old in 1947. They left their village on bullock carts, but as his brother and a cousin were in the navy, so they found trucks and reached Jalandhar city. From there they travelled by train and reached Lyallpur. But after finally he settled in Chak Jhumra, where he still resides.  

I learned many things about our history and culture while writing this post. I hope my readers will like it too and will give their valuable suggestion to me.

Tariq Amir

December 5, 2017.

Doha - Qatar.