Chichawatni

Chichawatni is a tehsil in the Sahiwal District of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Situated near the old main road called Grand Trunk Road, it lies approximately 45km from the district capital, Sahiwal. In 2011, Chichawatni's population was estimated at approximately 160,000.EtymologyThere are two leading folk etymologies proposed for the name Chichawatni. The first one asserts that the 7th century Raja Dahir named the town Chichawatni – meaning "City of Chach" – for his father, Maharaja Chach of Alor. According to the second etymology, the name is derived from a Hindu family who lived in the area in antiquity, with the father of the family being named Chicha and the mother Watni.HistoryFrom the beginning of the 7th century, Rajput Bhatti kingdoms dominated eastern portions of Pakistan and northern India. In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed this with the conquests of some western Punjab region. Eastern regions of Punjab from Multan to Rawalpindi in north (including the region of present-day Faisalabad, previously called Lyallpur) remained under Rajput rule until 1193. The Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire later ruled the region.