Jhelum (also known as Jehlum) (; Punjabi / Urdu: ) is a city on the western bank of the Jhelum River in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in northern Punjab, it is the capital of the Jhelum District. The city is nicknamed the "City of Soldiers" or "Land of Martyrs and Warriors" since many soldiers from the area served in the British Indian Army and later, the Pakistan Armed Forces, due to characterisation of Punjabi tribes as a 'martial race'.
Jhelum is several miles upstream from the site of the ancient Battle of the Hydaspes between the armies of Alexander III of Macedon and Porus. The location of the modern city of Jhelum could conceivably have been the site of the capital of Paurava. The name of the nearby city Bucephala commemorates the death of Alexander's horse, Bucephalus.
Etymology
According to the Concise Dictionary of World-Place Names, the name Jehlum is derived from Jal meaning ‘pure water’ and Ham meaning ‘snow’. This refers to the water flowing through the Jhelum River that originates from the snow-covered Himalayas. Historian Anjum Sultan Shahbaz recorded some theories about the name Jhelum in his book Tareekh-e-Jhelum thus:
History
Ancient
Rajput, Gurjar, Labana, and Arain settlers were the earliest inhabitants of Jhelum. The city was the site of the Battle of the Hydaspes between Alexander III of Macedon and the local ruler of the region, Porus the Elder. Abisares (or Abhisara; in Greek Αβισαρης), called Embisarus (Eμ
Oβισαρoς) by Diodorus, was an Indian king of the Abhira tribe. His descent was beyond the river Hydaspes, whose territory lay in the mountains. He sent embassies to Alexander both before and after the conquest of Porus in 326 BC, although he was inclined to espouse the side of the latter. Alexander not only allowed him to retain his kingdom but also expanded it, and upon his death, appointed his son as his successor. Porus' kingdom, Paurava, was on the left bank of the Jhelum River, corresponding to the limits of the present Gujrat District. The Gakhars appear to represent an early wave of conquerors from the west, who still inhabit a large tract in the mountains north of the Tilla range. Gakhars were the dominant race during the early Muslim era, and they continued to retain their independence for a long period, both in Jhelum and in the neighboring district of Rawalpindi.
Medieval
In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire which had been established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005, he conquered the Shahis in Kabul and followed it by conquests of the Punjab region, including Jhelum. The Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire ruled the area. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape.
The Mughals were Persianized Turks who claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis Khan and strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India. Being very few in number, the main families of Mughal Barlas, descendants of Amir Timur, settled in Mong Rasool and afterward scattered to the villages of Chak Nazar, Shamaspur, Aima Afghana, Khardiyala, Chak Sikander, Malhar Muglain, Mota Garbi, and Bhimber. They adopted a policy of converting the local Jats and Gakhars, which was mandatory, as recorded in the Baburnama. Thus, it is the Mughals who were largely responsible for the conversion of the Jats to Islam.
Later periods
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the region fell to the Durrani Empire. After the Third Battle of Panipat, the newly emerging Sikh Empire invaded and occupied the Jhelum District in 1808 from its Gakhar ruler, Raja Sultan Muqarrab Khan. In 1849, Jhelum passed with the rest of the Sikh territories to the British Raj. The British conquered Jhelum in 1849 with the assistance of the local Gakhars who resented Sikh rule. thumb|A [[Sikh Empire|Sikh-era fort in Jhelum City]]
British Raj
During British rule, Jhelum was connected by the North-Western Railway to other cities in the Indian Empire: 1,367 miles from Calcutta, 1,413 from Bombay, and 849 from Karachi. According to the 1901 census, the population was 14,951 people.
The Imperial Gazetteer of India described Jhelum: