Khanewal (Urdu: خانیوال) is a city and the capital of Khanewal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the host city to the second largest railway station in Pakistan.
Khanewal is named after the earliest settlers here who belonged to the caste ‘Daha Rajput’ (A Rajput Caste) and used ‘Khan’ in their names. That is how the city came to be known as ‘khan-e-wal’. From the beginning of the 7th century Rajput kingdoms dominated Eastern portions of Pakistan and northern India. In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin, In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of some western Punjab region. Eastern Regions of Punjab from Multan to the Rawalpindi in the north remained under Rajput rule until 1193. The Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire later ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.
Under Mughal rule, the city flourished and was notable for commerce and trade. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire invaded and occupied Jhang. The Muslims faced restrictions during the Sikh rule.[citation needed] Under the British Raj, there was agricultural development. The predominantly Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Khanewal District. Khanewal became the district in 1985 firstly it was Tehsil of Multan
Khanewal has a rich and vibrant history which can be traced back to the early 1900s. Khanewal is famous for its cotton growing industry. Daha(A Rajput Caste) are regarded as the initial settlers and founders of Khanewal. Khagga, Haraj, , Daha, Bodla, Siyal are the largest castes of Khanewal. Historically Khanewal is an old city having its earliest foundations laid by the British Empire owing to its importance as a railway junction. The city was a junction of the Wazirabad-Khanewal railway line and provided a connection to the city of Karachi via Lahore. Its straight roads show that it is a well planned town by the British people. The earliest settlers are said to be the Daha(A Rajput Caste) who have the ‘Khan’ in their names and the city was named after them as Khan-e-wal. Following a great public move led by the then famous lawyer Malik Mohammad Aslam Metla Khanewal was declared district in 1985. In Khanewal city the different languages are spoken i.e. Punjabi, Urdu, Siraiki,Mewati and Pushto as well.
The main castes in Khanewal are Niazi Afghans, Seoul, Daduana, Kamboh,Matyana, Gujjar, Doltana, Sahu, Rajputs (Rana),Rajpoot Dhudhi, Awan, Sheikh, Jatt, Bucha, [Nikyana Sial], Siyal, Arayin, Bhati, Baloch, Khokhars Mayo Solgi(jutt) and toru also.