History of Sargodha
Sargodha is a young city by South Asian standards. It was laid out on a plan, not grown around an ancient fort or shrine, and most of its story is a story of the twentieth century: canals, an airfield, a divisional headquarters and a fast-growing modern city.
Last updated: October 2026
Quick answer
Sargodha was founded on 22 February 1903 by the British as a planned canal-colony town, originally a tehsil of Shahpur district. The name is usually explained as "Sar" (pond) plus "Godha" (a sadhu who lived beside it). It became a divisional headquarters in 1960 and was upgraded to a Metropolitan Corporation in 2019.
Key facts
- Founded
- 22 February 1903
- Founded as
- Tehsil of Shahpur district
- Name means
- "Pond of Godha"
- Divisional HQ
- 1960
- Metropolitan Corporation
- December 2019
- Nickname
- City of Eagles
Founded in 1903 as a planned canal colony
The British developed Sargodha as part of their canal-colony programme in central Punjab, where new irrigation allowed barren land to be turned into farmland and settled towns. Sargodha was established on 22 February 1903 and began life as a tehsil of the old Shahpur district. Records credit the planning of the town to the administration of Sir Charles Montgomery Rivaz, who was Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab from 1902 to 1907.
Because it was designed rather than inherited, Sargodha is counted among the few planned cities of Pakistan, alongside Faisalabad, Islamabad and Gwadar. This is why the older parts of the city still show a deliberate road pattern with a central civic area, rather than the tangled lanes of much older Punjab towns.
Where the name Sargodha comes from
The most widely repeated explanation splits the name into two words. "Sar" comes from "sarowar", a pond or tank, and "Godha" refers to a sadhu, or ascetic. The story goes that an old pond stood where the town was later built and a holy man lived beside it, so people described the place as the pond of Godha. The older spelling "Sargoda" appears in early colonial records.
Like many place-name origins, this is a local tradition recorded in gazetteers and travel writing rather than a document-proven fact, so it is best read as the accepted explanation, not a certainty.
Early difficulties and the airfield
The young town was hit by an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1903, followed by a milder outbreak in 1904. Even so, it kept growing. Its position in the middle of the province made it useful for the military, and the Royal Air Force built an airfield here. That airfield is the origin of today's PAF Base Mushaf, which is one of the most important air bases in Pakistan and a large part of why the city is nicknamed the City of Eagles.
After independence: district, division and the 1965 war
Sargodha grew steadily after 1947 and, by 1960, had become a divisional headquarters. Today the division covers four districts: Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and Bhakkar. Administrative divisions were abolished in 2000 and revived in 2008, and Sargodha has been the divisional capital in both of its periods.
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 the city was a target because of its air base. In 1966 the Government of Pakistan awarded Sargodha, together with Lahore and Sialkot, the Hilal-e-Istaqlal flag for resistance during the war. The flag is hoisted in these cities on Defence Day, 6 September, every year.
Modern local government and growth
The Municipal Committee was raised to a Municipal Corporation in 1981 when the population passed half a million. The Sargodha Development Authority was created in 2017, replacing the older Improvement Trust, to manage planned development and approve construction and housing schemes. In December 2019 the corporation was upgraded to a Metropolitan Corporation. At the 2023 census the city recorded 975,886 residents, making it the sixth-largest city in Punjab.
Sargodha timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1903 | Sargodha founded as a canal-colony town, a tehsil of Shahpur district |
| 1903-1904 | Outbreaks of bubonic plague hit the new town |
| 1949 | Jinnah Hall built in Company Bagh as a town hall and library |
| 1953 | PAF College Sargodha established |
| 1960 | Sargodha becomes a divisional headquarters |
| 1966 | Hilal-e-Istaqlal flag awarded for the 1965 war |
| 1968 | Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sargodha, established |
| 1981 | Municipal Committee upgraded to Municipal Corporation |
| 2002 | University of Sargodha established |
| 2017 | Sargodha Development Authority created |
| 2019 | Upgraded to Metropolitan Corporation |
| 2023 | Census records 975,886 people in the city |
Frequently asked questions
When was Sargodha founded?
Sargodha was founded on 22 February 1903 by the British as a planned canal-colony town. It started as a tehsil of Shahpur district.
What does the name Sargodha mean?
It is commonly explained as "Sar" meaning pond and "Godha" meaning a sadhu or holy man, so roughly "the pond of Godha". This is the traditional explanation recorded in local gazetteers.
Is Sargodha an old city?
No. It is a twentieth-century planned city, established in 1903, which makes it much younger than historic Punjab cities such as Lahore or Multan.
Why is Sargodha called the City of Eagles?
The nickname is linked to the city's role as home to PAF Base Mushaf, one of the Pakistan Air Force's most important bases, and the headquarters of its Central Air Command.
When did Sargodha become a Metropolitan Corporation?
In December 2019, when the Sargodha Municipal Corporation was upgraded to a Metropolitan Corporation under the Punjab Local Government Act, 2019.