Due to extensive road and rail links, the city has flourished within the manufacturing and agricultural markets. The city is on the Grand Trunk Road, which allows logistic connections to the provincial capitals such as Peshawar and Lahore, and also to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The city lies between Lahore, Gujrat and Wazirabad.
Gujranwala is known for its extensive production of sugarcane, melons and grains for international export. Gujranwala exports one of the world's finest quality varieties of rice. The city has set up several commercial and industrial centres allowing the manufacture of ceramics, fanse, electrical switch gears, engineering tools, agricultural/earth moving machinery, steel, cutlery, crockery, iron safes, metal tool, utensils, textiles, woollen sweaters, sanitary fittings and tannery production. The city has produced some of the finest wrestlers and bodybuilders of the subcontinent, which has resulted in the nickname 'City of wrestlers' or Phelwana da shehar in Punjabi.
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of British India, the town was originally founded by Gojar / Gurjarsand renamed Khanpur by the Sansi Jatts of Amritsar who settled there, but its old name has survived.[6] Many historians also state that the place was named after Gurjars,[7] while they formerly ruled the Gurjara Pratihara Empire for centuries.[citation needed]
In 630, Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Hsuan Tsang visited a major town known as Tse-kia (or Taki), which was in the vicinity of modern Gujranwala. A mound near the modern village of Asarur has been identified as the site of the ancient city. Gujranwala slowly developed as a medieval town and manyMuslim Sufi missionaries converted the local Gurjars population to Islam. Until the arrival of the Muslims little is known of Gujranwala, except that Taki had fallen into oblivion and Lahore had become the chief city. Under Muslim rule the district flourished for a time; but a mysterious depopulation took place and the whole region seems to have been almost entirely abandoned. The district gazetteer dates the name of Gujranwala to approximately the middle of the 16th century.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Gujranwala. The Sikhs dominated the Punjab after the death of theMughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1707. The town became important during the rules of the father and grandfather of Ranjit Singh, who were born in the city.[6] Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who himself was born here, became the most powerful of all the Sikh rulers. Hari Singh Nalwa, the military commander of the Sikh army, was credited with having built the 'new' city of Gujranwala.[8]
The area was conquered and annexed by the British Empire in 1848. A railway line was built alongside the Grand Trunk Road in 1881 to connect Gujranwala with other cities of Punjab and made commercial trade between cities more convenient. The municipality of Gujranwala was created in 1867. The North-Western Railway connected Gujranwala with other cities of British India to the far ends of the Empire such as Calcutta as well as Karachi.[6] The population according to the 1901 census of India was 29,224. In 1903-4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 83,100 and Rs. 67,900 respectively. The chief source of income was octroi Rs. 59,700.[6]
The predominantly Muslim population supported the Muslim League and the Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Gujranwala district. Gujranwala developed rapidly and is now a leading industrial and commercial city of Pakistan. Gujranwala, as a district, was run by a Deputy Commissioner until it became a Division. In 1951 the city was converted into the capital of the district which gave rise to new industries in the city. Many prominent civil servants worked as its Deputy Commissioners; renowned among them is Mansur Zaimur Rehman (M. Z. Rehman), who worked as the DC from 1959 to 1962. He initiated many development projects including the cantonment. He is known for his hard work, integrity and honesty. In 1991, the city hosted its first Test match at the Jinnah Stadium as well as several One Day International matches. Since then the city has continued to thrive with improved economic growth and stabilisation. Jagna is one of the most famous and most beautiful places in Gujranwala.
According to City Mayors Statistics The world's fastest growing cities and urban areas, Gujranwala will rank 27th in the world with the average annual growth 2006 to 2020 3.49% and rank 1st in Pakistan ahead of Faisalabad with the average annual growth of 3.32% with rank 33rd in the world.
As per the 1998 census of Pakistan, Punjabi language is spoken by 95%. City being fourth biggest and in centre of Punjab province has great variety of Punjabi dialects spoken by different district's people living in the city.
- Majhi or Standard (Majority)
- Pothohari (Rawalpindi and Jehlum's Districts people)
- Pahari (Tehsil Muree, Kotli sattian & AJK's people)
- Dhani (Chakwal district's people)
- Shah puri (Sargodha division's people)
- Jhangochi (Khanewal and Jhang District's people)
- Jangli/Rachnavi (Sahiwal Distrct's people)
- Chenavari(Tehsil Athara Tehsil Jhang's people)
- Thalochi (Bhakkar,Layyah and Muzzaffargarh District's people)
- Hindko (Hazara Division's people)
- Chhachi (Attock Tehsil's people)
- Jandali (Jand Tehsil and Mianwali district's people)
- Multani/Saraiki (Multan and Lodhran districts people)
- Derawali (Rajanpur,Dera Ghazi Khan districts people)
- Riasti (Bahawalpur Lodhran and Rahim Yar Khan districts people)
- Ghebi (Pindi Gheb Tehsil's people)
- Dogri/Darhab (Jammu and Narowal district's people)
Other Languages include:
- Urdu being the national language is spoken and understood.
- English is also understood and spoken by the sizable educated people.
- Gujranwala is located at 32.16° North, 74.18° East and is 226 metres (744 ft) above sea level. It shares borders with Ghakhar Mandi and various small towns and villages. To its south lies the provincial capital of Lahore, which is roughly 80 km away. Sialkot and Gujrat lie to its north. Gujrat connects Gujranwala with Bhimber and Mirpure Azad Jammun and Kashmir while Silakot connects it with Jammun. In the southwest lies Faisalabad, roughly 160 km from the city and Shiekhupura.The climate of Gujranwala changes quite drastically through the year. The summer periods last from June through to September where the temperature reaches 36-42 degrees Celsius. The coldest months are usually November to February. The temperature can drop to seven degrees Celsius on average. The highest precipitation months are usually July and August when the monsoon season hits the Punjab province. During the other months the average rainfall is roughly 25 mm. The driest months are usually November through to April, when little rainfall is seen.
Gujranwala is a rapidly developing commercial and industrial nerve center in Pakistan. It is playing a major role to support the Pakistan economy. It is a large industrial city with numerous textile mills, cutlery industry and large agricultural processing plants. Major exports include rice, sanitary fittings, textiles, plastic furniture, pots, room coolers and heaters, gas stove, agricultural tools and equipment, electrical equipment, carpets, glass goods, surgical equipment, leather products, metal utensils, automotive machinery parts, and machinery for military uses, transformers, electric fans, hosiery, washing machines, rice husking plants, agricultural implements, motorcycles, food products, domestic & industrial motors are being manufactured which have been displayed in Made-in-Gujranwala exhibitions every year. Its industries have developed and introduced various products at the national & international level. More than 500,000 workers have been deployed in the industrial units in Gujranwala while its share in national production was 9 per cent and in revenue 8 per cent.
The rural areas around Gujranwala produce a large variety of agricultural goods, the main crops grown are wheat, rice, potato, barley and millet.The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is established and Khawaja Amer Hassan is current President of GCCI. Because of its ideal location on economic lifeline of G.T. Road in Punjab, Gujranwala city has long been a centre of trade and industry. The city was famous for its metal utensils manufacturing industry even under British rule before independence. Rapid growth was however, seen after independence in 1947. The number of industrial units enhanced from 40 in 1947 to more than 20,600 industrial units of Gujranwala were playing an important role in the national economy.Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot are the "golden triangle" of the division, playing important role in national economy, which has been acknowledged by foreign trade delegations during their visits in city. About 60% of Pakistan's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are located in the region of this Export Triangle of Pakistan.Away from the international border, the city attracted artisans and investors from all sides and today it has three industrial estates.The Duddar Export Processing Zone is located on the main Gujranwala-Lahore Grand Trunk Road. The Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) and Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) jointly developed this Export Processing Zone worth Rs99.40 million (US$1.71 million) Both planned and unplanned settlements are emerging..It ranks as the third largest industrial centre in the country, after Karachi and Faisalabad, in view of the availability of raw material and skilled labour. The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry(GCCI) is the representative body of traders,and has around 3,800 registered members, while there are also several unregistered businesses that operate informally.The nature of industry here is varied and vast with major part of light engineering industry besides textile, leather, electrical engineering, auto industry.ceramics, cutlery,manufacturing plants and large agricultural processing plants and many others.The major development is that the manufacturers of quality products have devolved on exports, Its annual export is 700 million $.Apart from export, the industry has lowered the import bill to around 1.2 billion dollars by producing items locally that were previously imported from other countries.The main source of energy is a hydro-electric project on the Chenab River. The city also has a dry port that has contributed to the export growth of the city.As of June 2012 Pakistan's electricity problems were so severe that violent riots took place all across Punjab. According to protesters load shedding in Gujranwala was depriving the city from electricity 22 hours a day, causing businesses to go bust and making living extremely hard
Gujranwala is a historical and cultural centre in the northeast region of the Punjab province, offering a number of sights and activities. The city hosts bodybuilding tournaments, Kabaddi matches, and weightlifting competitions. Food is another thing Gujranwala is known for. The city has developed a very distinct kind of barbecue foods.Gujranwala has a lot of tourist attractions and places of interest. There are many modern shopping malls where the visitors can enjoy shopping in controlled environment and can buy local and international brands. There is an Officers' Club which has a swimming pool and squash complex, with the scenic natural beauty of Gujranwala Golf and Country Club. There are modern, innovative landmarks like Jinnah Stadium, Pace Shopping Centre and Nishan-e-Manzil. Jinnah Park, Model Town Park, Gulshan Park, Liaqat Park and other recreational places ensure that the city offers something for everyone.
Gujranwala is a historical and cultural centre in the northeast region of the Punjab province, offering a number of sights and activities. The city hosts bodybuilding tournaments, Kabaddi matches, and weightlifting competitions. Food is another thing Gujranwala is known for. The city has developed a very distinct kind of barbecue foods.Gujranwala has a lot of tourist attractions and places of interest. There are many modern shopping malls where the visitors can enjoy shopping in controlled environment and can buy local and international brands. There is an Officers' Club which has a swimming pool and squash complex, with the scenic natural beauty of Gujranwala Golf and Country Club. There are modern, innovative landmarks like Jinnah Stadium, Pace Shopping Centre and Nishan-e-Manzil. Jinnah Park, Model Town Park, Gulshan Park, Liaqat Park and other recreational places ensure that the city offers something for everyone.Universities and Colleges
- Rachna University of Engineering and Technology, 7 K.m off Main G.T Road Link Rachna University Road, Gujranwala
- University of the Punjab, Gujranwala Campus, Near Alipur Chowk Bypass road
- Allama Iqbal Open University, Regional Campus, peoples Colony, Gujranwala
- Al Madina Islamic University, G.T Road opposite Marrian Hotel Gujranwala
- Virtual University of Pakistan, Regional Campus, G.T. Road Gujranwala
- Gujranwala Medical College, Pasrur road, Satellite town
- Gujranwala Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Sialkot Road, Gujranwala
- GIFT University, Sialkot bypass (Eastern bypass) road
- CMS College,[12] Gujranwala.:.:CMS College Website:.:
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah Law College, Gujranwala (http://www.majlc.edu.pk)
- Royal Group of Colleges
- Allied Science College, Sialkot Road [1]
- Elite Group of Colleges
- Punjab Group of Colleges, Civil lines Session Court road
- Gujranwala Home Economics College, Pasrur Road, Satellite town
- Govt. College, Satellite town
- Govt. Post Graduate College for Girls, Satellite town
- Govt. Islamia College, Islamia College road
- Shiblee College of Commerce, Satellite town Gujranwala.
- Govt. College for Girls, People's colony
- Govt. Commerce College, People's colony
- Govt. Commerce Institute for Girls, Civil lines
- Govt. Vocational Training Institute for Girls, Civil lines and Cantt.
- Govt. College of Technology, G.T. Road
- Govt. Leather Technology Institute, G.T. Road
- Govt. Technical training Institute, Parur road
- Govt. Apprentices Training Center, G.T. Road, Loyanwala
- Govt. College for Girls, Urdu bazar, Niyaen Chowk
- Govt. Post Graduate College for Girls, Model town
- F.G. College, Cantt.
- F.G. College for Girls, Cantt.
- Govt. College for Girls, Cantt.
- Govt. Degree College, People's colony
- Superior Colleges, G.T. Road
- National College of Computer Sciences, 27A Commissioner road
- Gujranwala College of Commerce, Satellite town, Sialkot road
- Superior Science College, Satellite town
- Federal Science College, Wapda town
- Renaissance College, Satellite town
- AL-Mashrqi Science Colleges, Kangniwala
- National Science and Commerce Colleges, Satellite town
- Crescent Science Colleges, Satellite town
- Jinnah Lyceum Campus College, Wapda Town
- Christian Technical Training Center, Khoker ki
- Swedish Institute of Technology, G.T Road
- Faran Institute of Technology, Kheli
Schools
- Asaas National School, Shahrah-e-Quaid e Azam, Gujranwala Cantt
- Lahore Grammar School, Junior (Satellite town), Senior (Garden town)
- Schools Of Excellence D.C. Road
- St. Joseph's English High School
- Pakistan International Public School and College, Main Campus (Satellite town), Boys Campus (Opp. BISE Sialkot bypass road), *Jinnah Campus (Jinnah road, Jinnah city)
- Science Foundation High School, Munir chowk
- Beaconhouse School System, Palm tree Campus, Civil lines Campus, Satellite town Campus and Wapda town Campus
- The City School, Main Sailkot Bypass Campus, D C Road Branch, Cantt Branch Gujranwala
- Kin's International Public School, Satellite Town, Ratta Road, Gujranwala.
- Quaid-e-Azam Divisional Public School and College, G.T. Road
- Jadeed Dastgeer Ideal high school for boys and girls, Jinnah road near DC road
- Army Public School and College, Cantt.
- The Educators Schools and College
- The Pepperdine School Network, G.T. Road
- Allied Schools
- KIPS, G.T. Road.
- The Oxford Science High School, Street No. 10, Allama Iqbal Town, Gujranwala Cantt.
- Apsacs,cantt
- fg degree school,cantt
- St. Peter's English High School, Sialkot Road, Gujranwala
- Govt primary school Gagaywali,
- Quick Guide Computer Academy G.T Road Rahwali, Gujranwala Cantt.
- Unique School { sialkot road gujranwala}
- Civil Pilot High School.Nowsehra Road.
- Bibi N Baba School, Gill Road.
- PIMS, Fareed Town Gujranwala
- Sahil Public School, Dera Bugari, Tatley Aali, Noushera Virkan Gujranwala Run by: Sahil Developemnet Organization Gujranwala
- Punjab Public School, Dera Sindhiyan, Tatley Aali, Noushera Virkan Gujranwala Run by: Sahil Developemnet Organization Gujranwala
- Inqalab Public School, Qila Mustafa Bad, Noushera Virkan Gujranwala Run by: Sahil Developemnet Organization Gujranwala
- Public pilot high School, Khiali shahpur Gujranwala
- Gujranwala City Grammer school(GCG) Hafizabad road Gujranwala
- SATH Free Academy Chanda Qila, Governed by Society for Advancement, Transformation and Harmony (SATH) a registered organization through Societies Registration Act 1860.
- SATH Free Academy Gulzar Colony Sialkot Road, Governed by Society for Advancement, Transformation and Harmony (SATH) a registered organization through Societies Registration Act 1860.
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