Lahore

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Capital of the province of Punjab and second largest city of Pakistan, situated on a tributary of the River Ravi, 50 km/30 mi west of Amritsar in India; population (1998) 5,143,500, (2007 calc) 6,659,500. Lahore is a major industrial centre where about one-fifth of Pakistan's industrial capacity is located. The city is also a commercial and banking centre, and industries include textiles, engineering, carpets, iron and steel, rubber, jewellery, and chemicals. Lahore also has the country's leading film studios. It is associated with the Mogul rulers Akbar, Jahangir, and Aurangzeb, whose capital it was in the 16th and 17th centuries.

History
Akbar (ruler from 1556 to 1605) extended the fort and walled the town, Shah Jahan (ruler from 1628 to 1658) built the palace, and Aurangzeb (ruler from 1658 to 1707) built the large Badshahi mosque. From 1775 Lahore became largely a Sikh town and Ranjit Singh did much to expand its importance. It came under British rule in 1849. Upon partition in 1947, its proximity to the Indian border resulted in much communal violence and destruction. It houses the headquarters of the Muslim League. Rapid change has taken place in the city, with new housing estates growing up fast on the outskirts.

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