Introduction
Attock city is located in the north of Punjab near Peshawar, and a historical place which has treasures in itself. The city is full of vibes of the Mughals and British Eras. It has old religious places including Mandir, gurdwaras, and forts as well. Along with the richness of the historical significance, the city is blessed with natural beauty as well. Attock city is known for providing a large number of soldiers to the British Army before independence and later to the Armed Forces of Pakistan, due to which, this city is also known as the ‘city of soldiers’.
Population
The population of Attock City has exceeded 19 lakhs. The people of Attock live a simple life and most of the population resides in villages. District Attock is an agricultural area and that’s why 70% of the population has adopted agriculture as a profession. The people living in the city areas are mainly Army officials, policemen, doctors, teachers, etc.
The people here are early-risers with male house members going to their workplace and children going to school. Female members of the house stay back and look after the house. However, there are also working women who usually are teachers and doctors.
The young generation of Attock city is mainly interested in playing Cricket and Football, and there is an international-level cricket stadium known as ‘PCB Cricket Stadium’ in which cricket is played on the district level. Other sports like Badminton, Hockey, Football, Neza Bazi, Bull Race, and Volleyball are also very famous. The people of Attock city like to play Kabbadi.
Language
The Urdu language is spoken and understood by the all people of Attock City, and the majority of the people, living in the city can speak Punjabi and Pashto. The people who live in cantonment are not generally the citizens of Attock City and they consist of Army officials posted there so these people belong to different areas of the country. Hence, Urdu is the main language in the cantonment, and the educated elite living in Attock City also understand and speak English.
Climate
Attock City has hot summers and cold winters. The northern part of Attock has more humidity and a more moderate climate relative to the southern part of the Attock district due to the higher altitude. Geographically, the district is mainly hills, plateaus, and plains.
Geographical Features and Location
Traveling from Rawalpindi to district Attock by GT road is almost 80 kilometers of distance. Attock city is located in the east of the Indus River, It is a beautiful city in Punjab province and covers six tehsils and), connecting borders with two provinces KPK and Punjab covers more districts which are Kohat, Nohshera, Sawabi, Haripur, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad.
Attock is the Eastern terminus of Kabul-Attock and a corridor to central Asia. Unlike modern highways, this corridor is not a work of engineering wonder but an act of nature as it was naturally carved through the Hindu Kush mountains.
Historical Background
The Attock city was under the influence of Dara Awal or (Darab) of Iran in the 6th century AD, Raja Ambhi (Memphis) was the ruler of this place, and he ruled from River Jhelum to the River Sindh of Attock side in 627 AD after taking the control of Iran, king Sikandar managed the land of ancient Pakistan from Sindh to the Arabian sea and there are 29 states under the dominance of Iran.
When Sikandar invaded India in 627 BC, Ambhi (Omphis) the ruler of Taxila, surrendered the city. After 4 years Chandra Gupt Moriya defeated ruler Sulokas and added Taxila, Attock, Afghanistan, and the center of India into a place called Gandhara. At that time Takshaseela and Charsada were the capitals of Gandhara kingdom. The structural remains of Taxila include temples and forts. Ancient Attock was the center of Buddhism.
Gandhara was attacked by the people of surrounding areas on their horses and left them with nothing in their hands, they destroyed and burned the religious places, homes and the people of Gandhara were left with no choice but to leave their homeland to save their lives and the Attock city was deserted for years. Attock City was initially founded by Emperor Akbar the Great, the grandson of Babar, who recognized the worth and importance of this area in 1581 and built the famous Attock Fort.
In the eighteenth century, the fall of the Mughal Empire saw the rise of Sikhs in Punjab and Durrani Afghans to the West. Attock City became a battleground between these two contending powers, so the British finally ended the feud by subjugating both Sikhs and Afghans. At the same time, the British also brought a rail line to the area and built the first permanent bridge in 1880 over the Indus River, and they established a new city called Cambellpur. After independence, the city was renamed Attock while the old city by the river is called Attock Khurd (Little Attock). Later it was changed to Cambellpur after Sir Colin Campbell, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces who rebuilt the city of Cambellpur.
The British colonial rulers established Campbellpur Cantonment in 1858 and Campbellpur District was organized in 1904, by the division of Talagang Tehsil in the Jhelum District with the Pindigheb, Fateh Jang, and Attock tehsils from Rawalpindi District. Today the Attock district consists of six tehsils: Fateh Jang, Hazro, Hasan Abdal, Jand, and Pindi Gheb. The name ‘Attock’ was returned in 1978 because of the people’s preferences. Emperor Akbar gave the orders to build Attock Fort in 1581 and Attock Fort was completed in 1583 under the supervision of Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi, a Minister of Emperor Akbar.
In this period, Attock was called Attock Khurd and this name takes along from Sikh time to British times because in 1949 the British conquered this place from Sikh rulers and named this Cambellpur, this was renamed by the Pakistani government Attock City and it is still recognized by this name.
Culture of Attock City
There are several cultures in Attock: Punjabi, Pakhtun, Pothowhari, and Khapi, and there are two basic languages of Attock are Chachi and the other is Khapi. Most of the People living in the District, Attock belong to several casts and clans which are Gujjar, Janjua, Awan, Gakhar, Kashmiri, Khokhar, Pathan, Qureshi, Bhatti, Chauhan, Janjua Rajput, and Cheema.
Famous Food of Attock
The people here are foody and they eat many delicious food items but there is a famous dish called Katwa meat which is almost in every event and can be called a part of their traditional Katwa meat is prepared in big pottery bowls. The People of Attock city enjoy eating both traditional as well as continental food. In Attock, the variety of food ranges from traditional ‘Lahori Chargha’ to continental Chinese, and Italian cuisine, etc, and the People like to eat a dish called ‘saag’ and ‘makai ki roti’. Numerous Fast Food Chains are now being opened in Attock City including Pizza Hut, Loaded, and many others.
The Economic Landscape of Attock City
Mainly, the economy of Attock City is Agriculture-based, which includes maize, millet, wheat, peanuts, grams, and corn. Peanuts are the main cash crops of Attock City. District Attock has immensely fertile land, and inhabitants are still stuck to centuries-old irrigation practices. The views of the Kala Chitta mountains make the city more phenomenal.
Attock City holds another gem which is the Attock Khurd Railway Station, a British Style Railway Station that was conquered by the British from Sikhs. Around 85 – 90 % of the water in Attock is used for agricultural purposes. however, surface water supplies don’t meet the irrigation requirements so the city depends on rainfall mostly.
Tourism Attraction and Famous Places in Attock City
There are many options for tourism and historical places to visit in Attock city, there is Attock Fort, a Mughal era monument Behram ki Baradari, Attock Khurd Railway Station, Attock Tomb, Begum Gerai, Kala Chitta Pahar, and many Temples and Gurudwaras. These places didn’t end here there’s Ghoramar ki Abshar, Bagh Neelab, and Ghazi Brotha Lake and many places like Kandhari ka Mizar, Punja Sahib, Lala Rukh ka Mizar are also in Attock City.
Attock Bridge:
The Attock Bridge is located between Attock Khurd and Khairabad Kund on the Indus River. It is known as “Old Attock Bridge”. This bridge is one of the most supreme strategic and commercial crossings on the Indus River between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The old Attock Bridge has 2 levels and 5 spans. The upper level is used for railway traffic and the lower level is used for road traffic. The approaches to the Attock Bridge were built as solid defensive walls as a defense against raids from nearby Pashtun tribesmen. In 1979, a new bridge was started to construct, and road traffic was shifted there, and this new bridge is called the “New Attock Bridge”. Attock Bridge is still being used for railway traffic.
Attock Fort:
Constructed between 1581 and 1583 under Emperor Akbar’s rule, Attock Fort, supervised by Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi, guards the River Indus passage. Post-Partition, it became the Pakistan Army’s 7th division headquarters and later, under the SSG in 1956. Now, the SSG oversees the fort located 80km from Islamabad. Due to its military nature, public entry is restricted.
Makbara Attock:
The Makbara Attock is a tomb, ordered to be built by Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi, the minister and superintendent of the construction of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Originally, Khawaja had intended the tomb to be built for himself between 1581 and 1583. However, at the command of emperor Akbar, the two royal Hakims were buried there in 1597. Akbar himself visited the site after returning from one of his trips to Kashmir. The tomb complex also includes the Tomb of Lala Rukh, which is traditionally attributed to a Mughal princess.
Attock Khurd Railway Station:
Attock Khurd Railway Station is a train station situated in Attock District, Punjab Province, Pakistan. It serves Attock City and is operated by Pakistan Railways. The station was established in 1886 by the North Western Railway and is located at an elevation of 547 feet (167 m).
Bagh Neelab & Ghora Mar Waterfall:
The Bagh Neelab Ghora Mar Waterfall is a hidden gem in Pakistan’s Punjab region. It’s a great spot for a day trip from Lahore and it is situated in a small village called Changa Manga. If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, this waterfall is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Pakistan.
Conclusion
Attock is a city with great cultural, historical, and Islamic significance. It was inhabited during both the Mughal and British eras and has numerous cultural and religious sites throughout the district, including Mandirs, Gurudwaras, and other places of worship that hold prime significance for Sikhs and Hindus. The district is mainly comprised of hills, plateaus, and plains, with stunning views of the Kala Chitta mountains and the Attock Khurd Railway Station.