Kot Hasan Khan

Kot Hasan Khan, Punjab, Pakistan is a village of Hafizabad District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is situated at 32° 4′ N. and 73° 41′ E.HistoryKot Hasan Khan is situated on Sheikhupura Road near Kassoki. It is a village of Hafizabad. Hafizabad was formerly a place of some importance, and is mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari as headquarters of a mahal. Hafiz, the founder, was a favourite of emperor Akbar.Basic historyThe Hafizabad City is an old city. In 327 BC, when Sikandar-e-Azam attacked South Asia, the territory of the Sandal Bar (where Hafizabad is now located ) was a populated area. Big cities were located in this territory, and a lot of sub states were organized here in the presidency of Maharajaz and Rajaz.In the sixth century, when the famous Chinese tourist Hewang Sayan came here, the area was backward but not empty. Then the tourist moved to Sangla; he stayed one night in one good town then called Jai Pura, which was located near the village Koriala. But afterwards this territory became unpopulated and jungle-like because of a shortage of water and Afghan attackers. This situation persisted until King Akbar's period. In Ashok's period a big city was situated at the site of the present village of Mehdi Abad; it was a holy place for Buddhists, named after "Bodhaya".Legend of King AkbarAccording to one legend, King Akbar came to the present-day site of Hafizabad on a hunting trip. The King lost his company as he was busy hunting. This territory was a jungle-like area and there was nothing to eat or drink. The King felt thirsty and wanted to drink some water. Suddenly he was astonished to see smoke. He followed the smoke and found a cottage, and in the cottage there was a man named Sarmast. The King told him about his thirst and asked for some water. Sarmast had no water, but he called up a grazing deer and milked it to serve the king with milk. The King drank the milk and told the Sarmast that he was a king and said, "Please ask me for the thing you want. I will give you whatever you want." Faqir Sarmast asked him to build a town for his pupils. The King promised and ordered the current Hakim, named Hafiz Meerak, to construct a city there.