Bahawalpur

Bahawalpur is a city of Pakistan (1998 pop. 403,408) located in the Punjab just south of the Sutlej River[?], formerly the capital of a Princely State[?] of the same name. For the State (including its philately), see Bahawalpur State.

The city was founded in 1748 by Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi I[?], whose descendants ruled the area, until it joined Pakistan in 1947.

It is a crossroads city, having the only railroad bridge over the Sutlej. The surrounding area is mostly agricultural, and the city is a market town for dates, wheat, sugarcane, and cotton. In addition, it has soap making and cotton spinning factories, as well as enterprises producing silk and cotton textiles, carpets[?], and pottery.

The Islamia University[?] is located in Bahawalpur.