Dulmial

Dulmial
دوالمیال
Town
Cannon awarded to Dulmial in 1925 by the British
Cannon awarded to Dulmial in 1925 by the British
Dulmial is located in Pakistan
Dulmial
Dulmial
Location in Pakistan
Coordinates: 32°44′0″N 72°55′0″E / 32.73333°N 72.91667°E / 32.73333; 72.91667
CountryPakistan
ProvincePunjab
DistrictChakwal District
Population
 • Total
30,000 approx.
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)+6
Pakistan Post
48330
Area code0543
Cannon mounted at the entrance of the village

Dulmial (Urdu: دوالمیال) is a town and union council, an administrative subdivision, of Chakwal District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is part of Choa Saidan Shah Tehsil and has a population of almost 30,000. Dulmial is known within Pakistan as the "village with the gun".

Location

Dulmial is a village approximately 150 kilometres south of Islamabad in Pakistan. It is located on the road starting from Choa Saidan Shah to Kallar Kahar near the scenic Hindu monument The KatasRaj Temple.

History

Dulmial is known as the "village with the gun" and the "Home Town of Gunners". Since its foundation some eight centuries ago, the village has provided the largest number of army men to the state.[citation needed]

Dulmial village sent 460 soldiers to the British forces in World War I, the largest participation of any village in South Asia[1] nine died.[2] The village sent 732 soldiers to World War II.[citation needed]

A memorial stone was built in honour of the 460 soldiers on the premises of a primary school [citation needed]. In 1925, the British government presented Dulmial with a cannon in recognition of its World War I contributions; the award, chosen by a village representative, was transported from Jhelum first by train and then in a cart drawn by oxen. It was mounted at the entrance to the village with a plaque, and as a result Dulmial is known in Pakistan as "the village with the gun".[2]

It was predominantly a Muslim village before the Partition Of India. After the Partition, it became part of Pakistan.[3]

After the creation of Pakistan, Dulmial provided five lieutenant-generals and 23 brigadiers along with many other junior officers to the Pakistan Army.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Alpha Ceesay (November 12, 2017). "Reclaiming Remembrance: 'I thought it was a white event'". BBC News.
  2. ^ a b Michael Noble (September 26, 2014). "The Dulmial Gun". The Centre for Hidden Histories. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "The Pakistan village that sent all of its men to fight in WWI - and was nearly airbrushed out of history". Telegraph. Retrieved 25 October 2018.