Rawalpindi (/rɔːlˈpɪndi/; Punjabi, Urdu: راولپنڈی,
romanized: Rāwalpinḍī; pronounced [ɾɑːʋəlpɪnɖiː]) is
the third-largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab.
It is a commercial and metropolitan city, being the fourth
most populous in Pakistan. It is located near the Soan River
in north-western Punjab, and is the third-largest
Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Rawalpindi is situated
adjacent to Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the two are
jointly known as the "twin cities" because of the social and
economic links between them.
Located on the Pothohar Plateau of northern Punjab,
Rawalpindi remained a small town of little importance up
until the 18th century.The region is known for its
ancient heritage, for instance the neighbouring city of
Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.In 1765, the ruling
Gakhars were defeated and the city came under Sukerchakia
Misl. During the Sikh-era, Rawalpindi, from a small regional
town, became an important city in regards to trade and its
strategic location within Punjab. The city's Babu Mohallah
neighbourhood was once home to a community of Jewish traders
who had fled Mashhad, Persia, in the 1830s.
