Shorkot

 ( Populated Places In Jhang District ) 

Shorkot (), (), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located east of the Chenab River, it serves as the headquarters of Shorkot Tehsil in Jhang District.

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Ancient history According to Panini Ashtadhyayi, the usage of pura/पुरा word is mentioned as to how it can be used behind a city name, in this "Arishtgaud purve cha" is an example . In this the names Arishtpur and Gaudpur are mentioned together, coincidentally there is also a Gohad Pur or Gudpur near Shorkot towards the Indus river. In Panini's Ashtadhyayi according to Siddhanta Kaumudi its grammatical translation is -When the words 'Arishta' and 'Gauda' come first, the 'pur' for the first member is intensified on the last before the word. Thus Arishtupuram, Godaipuram. By the force of the previous word in the sutra we can apply the rule to Arishtashritapuram, Goudabhrutyapuram . Grammatical Source -Ashtadhyayi of Panini book by Vasu, Srisa Chandra.

V. S. Agrawala writes that Ashtadhyayi of Panini mentions janapada Uśīnara (उशीनर) (IV.2.118) - Panini mentions Ushinara as part of Vahika. Panini mentions three divisions of Vahika Country, viz Kekaya, Uśīnara and Madra. Fourth division to be added to Vahika country is Śavasa. Of these Kekaya and Śavasa may be located between Jhelum and Chenab rivers, the first in the south and the second in the north respectively; Madra and Ushinara between the Chenab and Ravi River in the north and south respectively.

The Divyadana refers to the Shvasas in Uttarapatha with headquarters at Takshasila to which Ashoka was deputed by his father Bindusara as Viceroy to quell their rebellion. The name of Savasa or Shvasa seems to be preserved in the modern name Chhiba, comprising Punchh, Rajauri and Bhimbhara. In literature Ushinaras are often associated with the Śibis (greek - Siboi) whose chief town Śibipura has been identified with Shorkot in Jhang district.

V. S. Agrawala writes that Panini mentions Pura (IV.2.122) ending names of towns like Arishṭapura (Pali: Ariṭṭapura), a city in the kingdom of Shivi in Vahika. V. K. Mathur4 tells us the location of Shivirashtra, the kingdom of king Shivi, at Shorkot in Jhang district of Pakistan.

Professor B.S. Dhillon writes that the ancient city of Sibipura or Shivipura which means the city of Shivi is today called "Shorkot" and is located in the Jhang district of Punjab, Pakistan. As per Diodorus, Arrian and Strabo, the area surrounding Sibipura was occupied by a people called Sibi, during the time of Alexander's invasion of Punjab.

Professor Eggermont said, "J. Ph. Vogel showed that the mound of Shorkot (Jhang district, between Chenab, Indus, and Ravi rivers) represents the site of Sibipura, the town (pura) of the Sibis, which is mentioned in a Shorkot inscription". Even today Sibi or Sibia is a well known Jat clan in Punjab. Furthermore, Professor Eggermont said, "However, I cannot possibly pass over in silence that in the very Vessantara Jataka the town over which Sanjaya, king of Sibi, ruled is called Jettuttara and not Aritta-pura. It is probably more likely the word Jetuttara is Jetupura or Jatupura which means the place where Jats live. The word "pura" in Sanskrit means "city".

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Population

1972	9,543
1981	18,533
1998	27,276
2017	43,019
2023	47,248

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Notable people

• Muhammad Arif Khan Rajbana Sial
• Sahibzada Nazir Sultan
• Sahibzada Ameer Sultan

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See also

• Sivi kingdom

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