Sialkot

Sialkot



Sialkot (Urdu and Punjabi: سيالكوٹ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Sialkot is Pakistan's 13th largest city and located 9 km from Ghuinke,[2] and is located in north-east Punjab — one of Pakistan's most industrialised regions.[8] Along with the nearby cities of Gujranwala and Gujrat, Sialkot forms part of the so-called Golden Triangle of industrial cities with export-oriented economies.[9]
Sialkot is believed to be site of ancient Sagala, a city razed by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE, and then made capital of the Indo-Greek kingdom by Menander I in the 2nd century BCE – a time during which the city greatly prospered as a major centre for trade and Buddhist thought.[10] Sialkot continued to be a major political centre, until it was eclipsed by Lahore around the turn of the first millennium.[11] The city rose again in prominence during the British era, and is now one of Pakistan's most important industrial centres.
Sialkot is wealthy relative to other cities in South Asia, with an estimated 2014 per capita income of $2800 (nominal).[12][13] The city has been noted by The Economist for its entrepreneurial spirit, and productive business climate that have made Sialkot an example of a small Pakistani city that has emerged as a "world-class manufacturing hub."[14] The relatively small city exported approximately $2 billion worth of goods in 2015, or about 10% of Pakistan's total exports.[14][15] Sialkot is also home to the Sialkot International Airport – Pakistan's first privately owned public airport.[14]The first record of Sialkot dates from the invasion of Alexander the Great, who conquered upper Punjab in 326 BCE.[16] The Anabasis of Alexander, written by the Roman-Greek historian Arrian, recorded that Alexander captured ancient Sialkot, recorded as Sagala, from the Cathaeans, who had entrenched themselves there.[18][19] The city had been home to 80,000 residents on the eve of Alexander's invasion,[19] but was razed as a warning against any other nearby cities that might resist his invasion.[19]Ambiguity regarding Sialkot's ancient history has resulted in the promulgation of various myths and legends to explain the city's origins.[16] One tradition states that the city was founded as the capital city of the Madra Kingdom by King Shalya - who served as a general in the central Kurukshetra War of the Mahabharata.[17]#fastitlinks.com 
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