# Kamalia

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For other uses, see [Kamalia (disambiguation)](/source/Kamalia_(disambiguation)).

**Kamalia** (, ) is a city in the [Toba Tek Singh District](/source/Toba_Tek_Singh_District) of [Punjab Province](/source/Punjab_(Pakistan)), [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan). It is the administrative center of [Kamalia Tehsil](/source/Kamalia_Tehsil).[1] It is the [67th most populous city of Pakistan](/source/List_of_most_populous_cities_in_Pakistan).

## History

Kamalia is an ancient city, existing at least before 325 BC. According to [Alexander Cunningham](/source/Alexander_Cunningham), Kamalia was likely a settlement encountered by [Alexander the Great](/source/Alexander_the_Great) in his campaign against the [Malli](/source/Mallian_campaign).[2]

The modern settlement of Kamalia was founded in the 14th century by Kamal Khan, a chief of the [Kharal Tribe.](/source/Kharal) It was situated 60 km from Jhang, where the [Sials](/source/Sial_(tribe)) lived. The Lekhari or Kamalia Kharals of the lower Ravi quarreled with the Upera Kharals of the upper Ravi. Kamalia remained under Kharal rule until Walidad Khan, the thirteenth [chief of Jhang](/source/Sial_dynasty), took possession of the town from Sadaat Yar Khan. Walidad Khan ruled until his death in 1747, after which his successor, Inayat Khan, restored Kharal control. This period lasted for about a generation. Following the death of Nahar Singh, the chief of [Nakai Misl](/source/Nakai_Misl), in a battle at Kamalia against the Kharrals in 1768, the town came under the [Sikh Confederacy](/source/Sikh_Confederacy), specifically the Nakai Misl, led by Ran Singh.[3][4][5]

When [Shah Zaman](/source/Zaman_Shah_Durrani) of the [Durrani Empire](/source/Durrani_Empire) invaded Punjab, Muzaffar Khan, Governor of Multan taking advantage of the situation marched to Kamalia and expelled the Sikhs and reinstated the Kharal leader Sadaat Yar Khan II, but he did not hold his position for very long. In 1803, [Ranjit Singh](/source/Ranjit_Singh) annexed Kamalia to [the Sikh Empire](/source/Sikh_Empire), although he was reinstated by Ranjit Singh who gave him proprietary rights to 40 villages, which were then passed to his son, Muzaffar Khan.[4]

Muhammad Sarfraz Khan, the brother of Muzaffar Khan was loyal to the British. During the [Second Anglo-Sikh War](/source/Second_Anglo-Sikh_War), he gave assistance to the British and attacked the Sikhs. During September 1857 Sarfraz Khan informed the British of the activities freedom fighters of [Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal](/source/Rai_Ahmad_Khan_Kharal) in [Montgomery District](/source/Montgomery_District), which acted crucial in his defeat. During the war, Kamalia was seized under the control of the freedom fighters twice, but the British reoccupied it both times. Kamalia was thoroughly sacked during the [Indian Revolt of 1857](/source/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857).[5] Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan was succeeded by his son Sadaat Ali Khan.[4][6]

In the early 20th century, Kamalia remained under the influence of the Kharals, under the British Rule, and was situated in [Montgomery District](/source/Montgomery_District). The municipality of Kamalia was constituted on 29 July 1868.[5] By January 1907, due to heavy debts incurred by the Kharals, the government advanced a loan of one lakh rupees and placed the Kamalia estate under the [Court of Wards](/source/Court_of_Wards_(India)). This arrangement continued until 1916, after which the estate was released and then partitioned.

On 6 April 1921, a riot broke out in Kamalia over a dispute between [The Akalis](/source/Akali_movement) and [Sehajdhari Sikh Party](/source/Sehajdhari_Sikh_Party) over the ownership of the Prem Sati Gurdwara, which had been previously transferred to the Akalis.[7][8]

Following the partition, members of the Kharal family continued to hold proprietary rights in Kamalia and its surrounding villages, with some also serving in administrative roles**.** [4]

## Etymology

The present name of the city Kamalia is derived from its 14th century ruler Kamal Khan Kharal.[1]

## Climate

Kamalia has a [hot desert climate](/source/Desert_climate) (Köppen BWh). Summers are long and intense, with average highs from April to July routinely surpassing 40 °C, and extreme peaks reaching 48 °C. Winters are brief and mild, with daytime temperatures between 15–25 °C and occasional night lows around 5 °C.

Annual rainfall averages 250–300 mm, with the majority falling during the [monsoon season](/source/Monsoon_of_South_Asia) (July–August). Dust and sand storms are common in the pre-monsoon and monsoon months (April–August), due to the region’s arid nature.

## Demographics

### Population

Historical population Year Pop. ±% 1868 5,695 — 1881 7,594 +33.3% 1891 7,490 −1.4% 1901 6,976 −6.9% 1911 8,237 +18.1% 1921 8,916 +8.2% 1931 13,220 +48.3% 1941 14,295 +8.1% 1951 28,636 +100.3% 1961 35,248 +23.1% 1972 50,934 +44.5% 1981 61,107 +20.0% 1998 97,324 +59.3% 2017 135,641 +39.4% 2023 166,617 +22.8%

Sources: [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

The estimated population for 2025 according to Municipal Committee of Kamalia is 172,432.[18]

### Religion

Religious groups in Kamalia (1868–2023) Religious group 1868[19] 1881[20] 1891[21] 1901[22] 1911[23][Note 1] 1921[24] 1931[25] 1941[26] 1951[27] 1998[28] 2017[29] 2023[30] Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Islam 2,706 47.52% 4,227 55.66% 3,670 49% 3,358 48.14% 4,114 49.95% 4,221 47.34% 5,940 44.93% 6,011 42.05% 28,457 99.37% 124,897 97.9% 134,443 99.09% 164,520 98.74% Hinduism 2,953 51.85% 3,295 43.39% 3,701 49.41% 3,516 50.4% 2,476 30.06% 4,379 49.11% 5,625 42.55% 6,903 48.29% 0 0% 8 0.01% 6 0% 2 0% Sikhism 36 0.63% 66 0.87% 119 1.59% 102 1.46% 1,644 19.96% 316 3.54% 1,646 12.45% 1,302 9.11% – – – – 0 0% 2 0% Christianity 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 3 0.04% 0 0% 9 0.07% 75 0.52% – – 2,521 1.98% 1,196 0.88% 2,083 1.25% Ahmadiyya – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 152 0.12% 29 0.02% 7 0% Others 0 0% 6 0.08% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 4 0.03% 179 0.63% 3 0% 0 0% 3 0% Total population 5,695 100% 7,594 100% 7,490 100% 6,976 100% 8,237 100% 8,916 100% 13,220 100% 14,295 100% 28,636 100% 127,581 100% 135,674 100% 166,617 100%

## Notable people

- [Amjad Saqib](/source/Amjad_Saqib)
- [Riaz Fatyana](/source/Riaz_Fatyana)
- [Brijmohan Lall Munjal](/source/Brijmohan_Lall_Munjal)
- [Khalid Ahmed Khan Kharal](/source/Khalid_Ahmed_Khan_Kharal)
- [Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi](/source/Muhammad_Ahmed_Ludhianvi)
- [Amir Habibullah Khan Saadi](/source/Amir_Habibullah_Khan_Saadi)
- [Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal](/source/Rai_Ahmad_Khan_Kharal)
- [Ashfa Riaz Fatyana](/source/Ashifa_Riaz_Fatyana)
- [Asad Ur Rehman](/source/Asad_Ur_Rehman)
- [Nazia Raheel](/source/Nazia_Raheel)

## References

1. Miraj, Muhammad Hassan (16 September 2013). ["The Kot of Kamalia (For whom the bell tolls)"](https://www.dawn.com/news/1043306). *Dawn (newspaper)*. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

1. Cunningham, Alexander (1871). [*The ancient geography of India*](http://archive.org/details/cu31924023029485). London : Trübner & Co.

1. Haider, Karim (2017-12-31). ["Impact of Politico-economic Changes on the Resettlement of Kharal Tribe in Punjab"](https://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2017(1-ii)15). *Pakistan Social Sciences Review*. **1** (II): 177–187. [doi:10.35484/pssr.2017(1-ii)15](https://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2017(1-ii)15). [ISSN 2664-0422](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2664-0422)

1. Superintendent, Government Press (1940). [*Chiefs And Families Of Note In The Punjab*](http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.211180). pp. 359–363.

1. Fagan, P. j (1900). [*Gazetteer Of The Montgomery District*](http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.105623). pp. 36, 228, 48.

1. Sargana, Turab ul Hassan (2020). *Punjab and the war of independence 1857-1858: from collaboration to resistance*. Karachi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-070184-0.

1. [*Akali Dal - British CID Memo 1922*](http://archive.org/details/akali-dal)

1. Government of Calcutta (1921). [*The Calcutta Gazette, 1921, July-September*](http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.42445)

1. Punjab (India) (1870). [*Report on the Census of the Punjab Taken on 10th January, 1868*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057644). Lahore: Indian Public Opinion Press. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. Ibbetson, Denzil & Punjab (India) (1883). [*Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057657). Vol. 2. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. Maclagan, Edward (1892). [*The Punjab and Its Feudatories, Part II—Imperial Tables and Supplementary Returns for the British Territory*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318669). Vol. 2. Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. [*Census of India 1901. Vol. 17, The Punjab, Its Feudatories and the North-West Frontier Province. Pt. 1, The Report on the Census*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25363738). Government of India. 1902. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. [*Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393788). Government of India. 1912. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. [*Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430165). Government of India. 1922. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. [*Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793242). Government of India. 1933. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. India. Census Commissioner (1941–45). [*Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab*](https://jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215541). [Calcutta?]: [publisher not identified]. Retrieved 27 June 2025.

1. ["Population by administrative units 1951-1998"](https://repository.lahoreschool.edu.pk/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/13673/Administrative%20Units.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1). [Pakistan Bureau of Statistics](/source/Pakistan_Bureau_of_Statistics)

1. ["Home Page 01 - Kamalia"](https://mckamalia.lgpunjab.org.pk/). Retrieved 2025-08-04.

1. [1868 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057644)

1. [1881 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057657)

1. [1891 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318669)

1. [1901 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25363738)

1. [1911 Census .](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393788)

1. [1921 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430165)

1. [1931 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793242)

1. [1941 Census](https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215541)

1. [1951 Census](https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/31311/download/34492/1422_1951_POP.pdf)

1. [1998 Census](https://opendata.com.pk/dataset/population-stats-1998-census/resource/0527e448-53a1-4df9-8e64-d6782f022896)

1. [2017 Census](https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/results/06009.pdf)

1. [2023 Census](https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_9_punjab_districts.pdf)

1. The sudden change in population percentages of the Sikh and Hindu population between the 1901 and 1921 censuses is likely due to a difference in the definition of a Sikh and a Hindu.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kamalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamalia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamalia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.