Bahawalpur (princely state)

princely state of the British Raj

Bahawalpur was a princely state of the Punjab in what is now Pakistan. It was on the southern bank of the Sutlej and Indus Rivers. Its capital city was Bahawalpur.

In 1941, the state had 1,341,209 people. It covered 45,911 km² (17,494 sq mi). It was divided into three districts: Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalnagar.

The state was created in 1690 by Bahadur Khan II. In 1833 Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan III signed an agreement with the British guaranteeing the independence of the Nawab from the British. The state agreed to become part of Pakistan on 7 October 1947. The state was then merged into the province of West Pakistan on 14 October 1955.

Languages

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Seraiki (also called Riasti) is the main language spoken. Urdu and Punjabi are also major languages.