Alexander the Great and his army crossed the Jhelum River (Hydaspes) in July 326 BC at the Battle of the Hydaspes River where he defeated king Porus.[1][2] According to Arrian (Anabasis, 29), Alexander built a city in the place whence he started to cross the river, which he named Bukephala or Bucephala to honour his dead horse Bukephalus or Bucephalus.[1] It is thought that ancient Bukephala was near the site of modern Jhelum City but that is wrong. Phalia was named after Bucephalus, the name of the Alexander's dead horse, and presently a tehsil of Mandi Bahauddin District. Beyond Taxila, Alexander opted for an alternative route instead of the traditional route i.e. today's Grand Trunk Road (link through Pakistan between Afghanistan and Bangladesh) and built two cities on opposite banks of the Jhelum on the route between Bhera and Mong.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Mandi Bahauddin District. The Muslims faced severe restrictions during the Sikh rule. During the period of British rule, Mandi Bahauddin District increased in population and importance.
Phalia is approximately the same age as Lahore. The four subdivisions (Mohallas) are named after the forefathers of Tarar tribe:
Phalia Ameer for "Muhammad Ameer"
Phalia Keeman for "Muhammad Karim"
Phalia Boota for "Muhammad Boota" (also known as "Nawan Lok")
Phalia Mehman for "Muhammad Khan"
Geography and climate
Phalia Town entrance
Phalia is situated at 32.43 N latitude and 73.58 E longitude.[3] It is located between the main cities of Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat, about 23 kilometres from Mandi Bahauddin and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Gujrat and 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Malakwal and near about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Salam interchange on M-2 motorway, at an altitude of 672 feet (205 m) above sea level.[1][3]
Phalia has a moderate climate, which is hot in summer and cold in winter. During peak summer, the day temperature rises up to 40 °C (104 °F). The winter months are mild and the minimum temperature may fall below −2 °C (28 °F).[4] The average annual rainfall in the district is 50 millimetres (2.0 in).[5]
Health Medical facilities are on average available in the city. The main government hospital established in the city is THH (Tehsil Headquarters Hospital). There are several other private hospitals, Health center and Clinics at different locations within the city.
Phalia City
Population and religions
Phalia is not a big city. Most of the population of the village are Muslim with some Christians.
Languages
Punjabi language is the native language of the province and is most widely spoken language in Phalia.[1]
Registered voters
The number of registered voters in the Constituency PP-117 (Mandi Bahuddin-II) Phalia is 134,119.[7] among them almost half of them are of female voters.
Administration
After the abolition of Nazim system, the Administrator of Phalia is Assistant Commissioner Bilal Feroz Joya in 2016.
^ abcde"History of Phalia". (Tehsil Municipal Administration) TMA Phalia website. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
^"History of Phalia and Gujrat area". Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 12, (page 365) -- Digital South Asia Library. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
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