Bahawalpur was a princely state of of British India and later Pakistan, that existed from 1690 to 1955. It was a part of Punjab States Agency. The state covered an area of 45,911 km² (17,494 sq mi) and had a population of 1,341,209 in 1941.
The capital of the state was the town of Bahawalpur.
Bahawalpur State became part of Pakistan in 1947 and became part of Pakistan’s Punjab province, stretching along the southern bank of the Sutlej and Indus Rivers.
It is divided into three districts: Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalnagar.
The Royal House of Bahawalpur is said to be of Arabic origin and claim descent from Abbas, progenitor of the Abbasid Caliphs of Baghdad and Cairo.
Daud Khan, the first of his family to rule Bahawalpur, originated from Scind where he had opposed the Afghan Governor of that province and was forced to flee. The state was founded in 1690 by Bahadur Khan II.
Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan III signed the state’s first treaty with the British on 22 February 1833, guaranteeing the independence of the Nawab.
When India became independent of British rule in 1947 and partitioned into two states, India and Pakistan, Bahawalpur state acceded / joined the Dominion of Pakistan on 07 October 1947.
Bahawalpur remained an autonomous entity till 14 October 1955 when it was merged with the Punjab province Pakistan.
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