View source for Uch

{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| native_name           = {{hlist|{{lang|pa|{{nq|اچ}}}}|{{lang|ur|{{nq|اوچ}}}}}}
| name                    =  Uch
| settlement_type         =  [[Town]]
| image_skyline           =  File:UchMontage.jpg
| imagesize               = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           =The [[tomb of Bibi Jawindi]] from 1493, the tombs of ''Nuriya'' and ''Baha 'al Halim'', mosque of Mahboob Subhani, the mosque at the shrine of [[Jahaniyan Jahangasht]], entry to the shrine of Jahaniyan Jahangasht, exposed interior of the tomb of ''Baha'al Halim''
| image_map               = 
| mapsize                 = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|29|14|N|71|04|E|region:PK_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map             = Punjab Pakistan#Pakistan
| pushpin_label_position  = <!-- left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_mapsize         =
| pushpin_map_caption     =  
| subdivision_type        = [[Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Pakistan}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Subdivisions of Pakistan|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]]
| subdivision_type2       = District
| subdivision_name2       = [[Bahawalpur District]]
| population_total        = 98,852
| population_as_of        = 2023 census
| population_est          = 
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| area_code               = 
| area_code_type          = [[List of dialling codes of Pakistan|Calling code]]
| timezone1               = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PST]]
| utc_offset1             = +5
| website                 = 
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}}

'''Uch''' ({{langx|pa|{{nq|اچ}}}};
{{langx|ur|{{nq|اوچ}}}}), frequently referred to as '''Uch Sharīf''' ({{langx|pa|{{nq|اچ شریف}}}}; 
{{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|اوچ شریف}}}}; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in [[Pakistan]]'s [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] province. Uch may have been founded as [[Alexandria on the Indus]], a town founded by [[Alexander the Great]] during [[Indian campaign of Alexander the Great|his invasion of the Indus Valley]].<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":4" /> Uch was an early stronghold during the [[Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent|Muslim conquest]] of the [[Indian subcontinent|subcontinent]]. It is also known as the home for the Naqvi/Bukharis after the migration from Bukhara. Uch was a regional metropolitan centre between the 12th and 17th centuries,<ref name=":4">{{cite news|title=Uch Monuments|url=http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/wh/asia-pacific-heritage-awards/previous-heritage-awards-2000-2013/2006/award-winners/2006dt2/|access-date=23 January 2018|agency=UNESCO Office in Bangkok|archive-date=23 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123131625/http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/wh/asia-pacific-heritage-awards/previous-heritage-awards-2000-2013/2006/award-winners/2006dt2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and became refuge for Muslim religious scholars fleeing persecution from other lands.<ref name=":4" /> Though Uch is now a relatively small city, it is renowned for its intact historic urban fabric, and for its collection of shrines dedicated to [[Sufi|Muslim mystics (Sufis)]] from the 12th to 15th centuries that are embellished with extensive tile work, and were built in the distinct  architectural style of southern Punjab.<ref name=":4" />

== Etymology ==
Uch Sharif was previous known by the name of ''Bhatiah'' until the 12th century.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sTS2AAAAIAAJ&q=uch&pg=PA227|title=Imperial gazetteer of India: provincial series|date=1908|publisher=Supt. of Govt. Print.|language=en}}</ref>  The origins of the city's current name are unclear. In one legend, [[Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari]], the renowned Central Asian Sufi [[Sufism|mystic]] from [[Bukhara]], arrived in Uch and converted the daughter of the town's ruler, Sunandapuri, to Islam''.'' Upon her conversion, Jalaluddin Bukhari requested her to build a fortress which he named ''Uch,'' or "High."<ref name=":3"/> According to another version of the legend, the princess converted by Bukhari was actually a Buddhist princess named Ucha Rani, and the city's name derives from her.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ADOmDgAAQBAJ&q=uch&pg=PA243|title=Constructing Islam on the Indus: The Material History of the Suhrawardi Sufi Order, 1200–1500 AD|last=Khan|first=Hasan Ali|date=2016-08-08|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781316827222|language=en}}</ref> Uch was not universally recognized as the area's name for quite some time, and the city was not referred to by early Muslim historians by the name Uch.<ref name=":3"/> Uch, for example, is likely the town recorded as ''Bhatia'' that was invaded by [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] in 1006.<ref name=":3"/>

==History==

=== Early ===
Uch Sharif may have been founded in 325&nbsp;BCE by [[Alexander the Great]] as the city of [[Alexandria on the Indus]] (Greek: Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ ἐν Ἰνδῷ), according to British officer and archaeologist [[Alexander Cunningham]].<ref name=":3"/> The city was reportedly settled by natives of the Greek region of [[Thrace]],<ref>The Macedonian Empire, by James R. Ashley [https://books.google.com/books?id=nTmXOFX-wioC&pg=PA54 p.54]</ref> and was located at the confluence of the [[Chenab river|Acesines]] river with the [[Indus River|Indus]].<ref name="AU"/> Uch was once located on the banks of the Indus River, though the river has since shifted its course,<ref name=":5">{{cite web|title=Uch Monument|url=http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/wh/asia-pacific-heritage-awards/previous-heritage-awards-2000-2013/2006/award-winners/2006dt2/|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=23 January 2018|archive-date=23 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123131625/http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/wh/asia-pacific-heritage-awards/previous-heritage-awards-2000-2013/2006/award-winners/2006dt2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the confluence of the two rivers has shifted approximately 40&nbsp;km (25 miles) southwest.

=== Medieval ===
In 712 CE, [[Muhammad bin Qasim]] conquered Uch. Few details exist of the city in the centuries prior to his invasion. Uch was probably the town recorded as ''Bhatia''  that was conquered in 1006 by [[Mahmud of Ghazni]].<ref name=":3" /> Following the schism between the [[Nizari]] and [[Musta'li]] sects of [[Ismaili]] Shi'ism in 1094, Uch became a centre of Nizari missionary activity for several centuries,<ref name="MacLean2">{{cite book|title=Religion and Society in Arab Sind|last1=MacLean|first1=Derryl N.|date=1989|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789004085510}}</ref> and today the town and surrounding region are littered with numerous tombs of prominent ''pīrs,''<ref name="MacLean2" /> as well as pious daughters and wives of those Sufi ''pirs.''<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4oxDQAAQBAJ&q=iltutmish+uch&pg=PA51|title=A Book of Conquest|last=Asif|first=Manan Ahmed|date=2016-09-19|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=9780674660113|language=en}}</ref>

The region around Uch and [[Multan]] remained centre of Hindu [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavite]] and [[Surya]] pilgrimage throughout the medieval era.<ref name=":0" /> Their interactions with Ismaili tradition resulted in the creation of the ''[[Satpanth]]'' tradition.<ref name=":0" /> Throughout this era, Uch was at the centre of a region that was steeped in both Vedic and Islamic traditions.<ref name=":0" /> The city would later become a centre of [[Suhrawardiyya|''Suhrwadi'']] Sufism, with the establishment of the order by [[Bahauddin Zakariya]] in nearby Multan in the early 1200s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kH3jAAAAMAAJ&q=uch+mughal|title=Multan, a province of the Mughal Empire, 1525-1751|last=Dasti|first=Humaira Faiz|date=1998|publisher=Royal Book|isbn=978-969-407-226-5 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Muhammad of Ghor]] conquered Uch and nearby Sultan in 1176 while it was still under the influence of the Ismaili [[Qarmatians]]. The town was likely captured from the [[Soomra dynasty|Soomras]] based in Sindh.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=75FlxDhZWpwC&q=uch+mongol&pg=PA204|title=Al-Hind the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: The Slave Kings and the Islamic Conquest : 11th-13th Centuries|last=Wink|first=André|date=1997|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9004102361|language=en}}</ref> Sindh's various dynasties had for centuries attempted to keep Uch and Multan under their sway.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tn45AQAAIAAJ&q=uch+mughal|title=The Mughal Emperor Humayun|last=Avasthy|first=Rama Shanker|date=1967|publisher=History Dept., University of Allahabad|language=en}}</ref>

=== Mamluk era ===
[[File:Shrine of Jalaluddin Bukhari, mosque 2016 - 1.jpg|thumb|The mosque of Makhdoom Jahanian was built in the late 1300s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/sid/1009/pakistan/uch-sharif/makhdoom-jahaniyan-jahangasht-tomb|title=Asian Historical Architecture: A Photographic Survey|last=orientalarchitecture.com|website=www.orientalarchitecture.com|access-date=2018-01-24}}</ref> and is embellished with the blue tile-work typical of southern Punjab.]]
[[File:Mosque of Darbar Hazrat Mahboob Subhani.jpg|thumb|The mosque of Mahboob Subhani is decorated in the region's vernacular style.]]
Soomra power was eroded by the advance of Nasir ad-Din Qabacha of what would later become the [[Mamluk dynasty (Delhi)|Mamluk]] dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Qabacha was declared Governor of Uch in 1204, he also controlled Multan and Sindh regions. Under his rule, Uch became the principal city of Upper Sindh.<ref name=":3" /> Qabacha declared independence for his principality centred on Uch and Multan after the death of Sultan [[Qutb al-Din Aibak|Aybak]] in 1211,<ref name=":0" /> before marching onwards to capture Lahore,<ref name=":0" /> thereby placing Qabacha's new Uch Sultanate in conflict with Sultan [[Iltutmish]] in Delhi. Qabacha briefly lost control of Uch to [[Taj al-Din Yildiz]], though Uch was quickly returned to Qabacha's rule.<ref name=":0" />

While the power struggle ensued among Qabacha and Iltuthmish, Uch came under further pressure from the [[Khwarazmian dynasty]] based in [[Samarkand]] that had been displaced by the Mongol armies of [[Genghis Khan]].<ref name=":0" /> Following the defeat of his father by the Mongols in the mid 1210s, the last Khwarazmian Sultan, [[Jalal al-Din Mangburni]], sacked and conquered Uch in 1224 after Qabacha refused to aid him in a campaign against Genghis Khan.<ref name=":0" /> [[Jalal al-Din Mangburni]] was finally defeated by Genghis Khan in 1224 in a battle at Uch,<ref name=":0" /> and was forced to flee to Persia. Khan  attacked Multan on his return to Iran in 1224, though Sultan Qabacha was able to successfully defend that city.<ref name=":0" /> Despite repeated invasions, the city remained a great centre of Muslim scholarship, as evidenced by the appointment of the renowned Persian historian [[Minhaj-i-Siraj]] as chief of the city's ''Firozi'' madrasa.<ref name=":3" />

In 1228, Qabacha's forces, weakened by Mongol and Khwarazmian invasions, lost Uch to Sultan [[Iltutmish]] of Delhi, and fled south to [[Bhakkar]] in Sindh,<ref name=":0" /> where he was eventually captured and drowned in the [[Indus River]] as punishment.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pkeWqq7pdgC&q=uch&pg=PA484|title=A History of the Moghuls of Central Asi: The Tarikh-i-Rashidi|last=Dughlt|first=Mirza Muhammad Haidar|date=2008-01-01|publisher=Cosimo, Inc.|isbn=9781605201504|language=en}}</ref> Following the collapse of Qabacha's sultanate at the hands of Mongols and Khwarazmians, and the degradation of Lahore from years of conflict there,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt2tqOpVRKgC&q=lahore+&pg=PA309|title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History|last=Jackson|first=Peter|date=2003-10-16|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521543293|language=en}}</ref> Muslim power in north India shifted away from Punjab and towards the safer environs of Delhi.<ref name=":0" />

=== Mongol and Timurid invasions ===
[[File:Shrine of Hazrat Jalaluddin Bukhari outside.jpg|thumb|The shrine of Jalaluddin Bukhari is dedicated to Uch's celebrated 13th century Sufi saint.]]
[[File:The tomb of Nuriya and Baha ul Haleem 2.jpg|thumb|The Baha'al Halim and Nuriyas tombs were built in the 14th and 16th centuries, respectively.]]
One of Uch's most celebrated saints, [[Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari]], migrated to Uch from [[Bukhara]] in 1244–45. In 1245–46, the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] again invaded Uch under [[Möngke Khan]] after receiving aid from the local [[Khokhar]] tribes.<ref name=":1" /> in 1252, forces from Delhi were sent to the region in order to secure Uch from Mongol raiders, though Uch was again raided in 1258.<ref name=":1" /> Uch was raided yet again by Mongols in 1304 and 1305.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mh7LSjLrZmIC&q=uch+sher+shah|title=Pakistan Quarterly|date=1955|language=en}}</ref> Following the 1305 invasion, Uch came under the governorship of Ghazi Malik the governor of Multan and Depalpur, who would later seize Delhi and come to be known as [[Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq]], founder of the [[Tughlaq dynasty]] of the [[Delhi Sultanate]].<ref name=":6" /> Uch was captured in 1398 by [[Pir Muhammad ibn Jahangir]], grandson of [[Tamerlane]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sTS2AAAAIAAJ&q=uch+timur&pg=PA227|title=Imperial gazetteer of India: provincial series|date=1908|publisher=Supt. of Govt. Print.|language=en}}</ref> allowing [[Khizr Khan]] to regain control of the area, before joining with the forces of the elder Tamerlane to sack Delhi and establish the [[Sayyid dynasty]] in 1414.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=== ''Langah'' sultanate ===
Uch Sharif then came under the control of the [[Langah Sultanate]] in the early 15th century, founded in nearby [[Multan]] by Budhan Khan, who assumed the title Mahmud Shah.<ref name="UNESCO" /> During the rule of Shah Husayn Langah, large numbers of Baloch settlers were invited to settle the region.<ref name="UNESCO" /> The city was placed under the ''jagir'' governorship of a [[Samma dynasty|Samma]] prince. In the mid-1400s, Muhammad Ghaus Gilani, a descendant of the Persian saint [[Abdul Qadir Gilani]], established a [[Khanqah]] monastery in Uch, thereby establishing the city as a centre of the ''[[Qadiriyya]]'' Sufi order which would later become the dominant  order of Punjab.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13dQsd7D6EsC&q=%28Uchchh+OR+Uch%29+shikoh&pg=PT29|title=The Sufi Courtyard: Dargahs Of Delhi|last=Dehlvi|first=Sadia|date=2012-03-05|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=9789350294734|language=en}}</ref> Following the death of Shah Husayn, Uch's Samma rulers quickly allied themselves with [[Baloch people|Baloch]] chieftain [[Mir Chakar Rind]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1QmrSwFYe60C&q=Uch&pg=PA103|title=Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province|last1=Ibbetson|first1=Sir Denzil|last2=Maclagan|first2=Sir Edward|date=December 1996|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120605053|language=en}}</ref>

=== Mughal ===
[[Guru Nanak]], the founder of [[Sikhism]], is believed to have visited Uch Sharif in the early 1500s, and left behind 5 relics, after meeting with the descendants of Jalaludin Bukhari.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yOFWAAAAMAAJ&q=uch+sharif+nanak|title=Travels of Guru Nanak|last=Kohli|first=Surindar Singh|date=1969|publisher=Publication Bureau, Panjab University|language=en}}</ref>  In 1525 Uch was invaded by rulers of the [[Arghun dynasty]] of northern Sindh,<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite book|url=https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/sites/silkroad/files/knowledge-bank-article/vol_IVa%20silk%20road_the%20regions%20of%20sind,%20baluchistan,%20multan%20and%20kashmir.pdf|title=The Regions of Sind, Baluchistan, Multan and Kashmir: the Historical, Social and Economic Setting|last1=Rafiq|first1=A.Q.|last2=Baloch|first2=N.A.|publisher=UNESCO|isbn=978-92-3-103467-1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026121901/https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/sites/silkroad/files/knowledge-bank-article/vol_IVa%20silk%20road_the%20regions%20of%20sind,%20baluchistan,%20multan%20and%20kashmir.pdf |archive-date= Oct 26, 2019 }}</ref> before falling to the forces of [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] king [[Sher Shah Suri]] in 1540.

[[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Emperor [[Humayun]] entered Uch in late 1540, but was not welcomed by the city's inhabitants, and was defeated by the forces of Sher Shah Suri.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ue9tAAAAMAAJ&q=uch+humayun|title=Sher Shah and his times|last=Qanungo|first=Kalika Ranjan|date=1965|publisher=Orient Longmans|language=en}}</ref> The city reverted to Arghun rule following the expulsion of Humayun, and the fall of Sher Shah Suri's short-lived empire.<ref name=":6" />

Uch Sharif became a part of the Mughal Empire during the reign of [[Akbar]], and the city was a district of [[Multan Subah|Multan province.]]<ref name=":3" /> Under Mughal rule, the city continued to flourish as a centre of religious scholarship.<ref name=":4" /> It was listed in the [[Ain-i-Akbari]] as a [[pargana]] in [[sarkar (administrative division)|sarkar]] [[Multan]], counted as part of the ''Bīrūn-i Panjnad'' ("Beyond the Five Rivers").<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">{{cite book |last1=Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak |translator-last1=Jarrett |translator-first1=Henry Sullivan |title=The Ain-i-Akbari |date=1891 |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal |location=Calcutta |url=https://archive.org/details/ainiakbarivolum00mubgoog |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>{{rp|331}} It was assessed at 1,910,140 [[dam (Indian coin)|dam]]s in revenue and supplied a force of 100 cavalry and 400 infantry.<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari"/>{{rp|331}}

In 1680, the renowned Punjabi poet, [[Bulleh Shah]], who is regarded as a saint by both Sufis and [[Sikh]]s, was born in Uch.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HbdoAAAAMAAJ&q=1680+bulleh+shah+uch|title=Great sufi wisdom Bulleh Shah, 1680-1752|last1=Ahmad|first1=Saeed|last2=Aḥmad|first2=Saʻīd|date=2004|publisher=Adnan Books|isbn=978-969-8714-04-8 |language=en}}</ref> In 1751, Uch was attacked by Sardar Jahan Khan, general in the army of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wgEwAQAAIAAJ&q=(Uchchh+OR+Uch)+jahan|title=The Pakistan gazetteer|last=(Firm)|first=Cosmo Publications|date=2000|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=9788170208822|language=en}}</ref>

=== Under the State of Bahawalpur ===
[[File:People staring at the majestic architecture - Shrine of Baha'al-Halim.jpg|thumb|Several of Uch's monuments were damaged in flooding in the early 19th century, leaving their interiors exposed.]]
Uch Sharif came under the control of the [[Bahawalpur (princely state)|Bahawalpur princely state]], which declared independence in 1748 following the collapse of the Durrani empire. Bahawalpur had become a [[vassal]] of the Sikh Empire under Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]], before becoming a dependency of the British Empire defined under an 1833 treaty. By 1836, the ruling Abbasi family stopped paying tribute to the Sikhs, and declared independence. Bahawalpur's ruling Abbasi family aligned themselves with the British during the [[First Anglo-Sikh War|First]] and [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]]s, thereby guaranteeing its survival as a princely state.<ref name=":10">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6lCOAAAAMAAJ&q=ranjit+singh|title=Bahawalpur District: socio-political profile|last=Organization|first=Pattan Development|date=2006|publisher=Pattan Development Organization|language=en}}</ref>

Flooding in the early 19th century caused serious damage to many of the city's tombs, including structural problems and the deterioration of [[masonry]] and finishes.<ref name="CA"/>

=== Modern ===
Upon the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Uch Sharif had a population of around 2–3,000 people.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iootAAAAMAAJ&q=uch+sharif+partition|title=The Panjab Past and Present|date=1969|publisher=Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University.|language=en}}</ref> As part of Bahawalpur state, Uch Sharif was acceded to the new Pakistani state, but remained part of the autonomous Bahawalpur state until 1955 when it was fully amalgamated into Pakistan. Uch remains a relatively small city, but is an important tourist and pilgrimage destination on account of its numerous tombs and shrines.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

== Demographics ==

=== Population ===
{{Historical populations|1951|4,170|1961|5,483|1972|8,491|1981|13,386|1998|20,476|2017|42,684|2023|98,852|align=center|percentages=pagr|footnote=Sources: <ref>{{cite web |title=Population by administrative units 1951-1998 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/1998/administrative_units.pdf |publisher = [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Population by administrative units 1951-1998 |url=https://repository.lahoreschool.edu.pk/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/13673/Administrative%20Units.pdf |publisher = [[Lahore School]]}}</ref>}}
The population of city in 1998 was 20,476 but according to the [[2023 Pakistani census|2023 Census of Pakistan]], the population has risen to 98,852.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uch (Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/punjab/bahawalpur/7030413__uch/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>

==Geography==
Uch Sharif is located 84&nbsp;km away from [[Bahawalpur]]. Formerly located at the confluence of the [[Indus]] and [[Chenab River|Chenab]] rivers, the river shifted course,<ref name=":5" /> and is now {{convert|25|mi|km}} from that confluence, which has moved to [[Mithankot]]. The city now lies on a large [[Alluvial plain]] near south of the Chenab river. To the southeast lay the vast expanses of the [[Cholistan Desert]].

Uch Sharif is located at an elevation of 113 meters above sea level. Latitude of 29.23895° or 29° 14' 20" north and longitude 71.06148° or 71° 3' 41" east.

{{wide image|Uch Sharef Farm View.jpg|900px|Uch is located on fertile alluvial plains which are now used for agriculture.}}

=== Cityscape ===
Uch Sharif has retained much of its historic urban fabric intact.<ref name=":4" /> The historic town is divided into three localities: ''Uch Bukhari'', named for the saints from [[Bukhara]], ''Uch Gilani'' (or ''Uch Jilani''), named for the saints from [[Persia]], and ''Uch Mughlia'', named for the descendants of Mongol invaders who had settled in that quarter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://humshehri.org/place/uch-sharif/|title=Uch Sharif|work=Humshehri|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-us}}</ref>  Monuments are scattered throughout the city, and are connected by narrow lanes and winding bazaars.<ref name=":4" /> The most notable collection, called the '''Uch Monument Complex''', is located at the old city's western edge. The old core is next to a large field used as a ''mela'' ground,<ref name=":4" /> or fair ground for ''[[urs]]'' festivals dedicated to the town's saints.

===Climate===
Uch features an [[arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh'') with very hot summers and mild winters.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = nearby [[Multan]]
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 28.3
|Feb record high C = 32.0
|Mar record high C = 39.0
|Apr record high C = 45.0
|May record high C = 48.9
|Jun record high C = 52.0
|Jul record high C = 52.2
|Aug record high C = 45.0
|Sep record high C = 42.5
|Oct record high C = 40.6
|Nov record high C = 36.0
|Dec record high C = 29.0
|Jan high C = 21.0
|Feb high C = 23.2
|Mar high C = 28.5
|Apr high C = 35.5
|May high C = 40.4
|Jun high C = 42.3
|Jul high C = 39.2
|Aug high C = 38.0
|Sep high C = 37.2
|Oct high C = 34.6
|Nov high C = 28.5
|Dec high C = 22.7
|Jan mean C = 12.7
|Feb mean C = 15.4
|Mar mean C = 21.0
|Apr mean C = 27.5
|May mean C = 32.4
|Jun mean C = 35.5
|Jul mean C = 33.9
|Aug mean C = 33.0
|Sep mean C = 31.0
|Oct mean C = 26.4
|Nov mean C = 19.7
|Dec mean C = 14.1
|Jan low C = 4.5
|Feb low C = 7.6
|Mar low C = 13.5
|Apr low C = 19.5
|May low C = 24.4
|Jun low C = 28.6
|Jul low C = 28.7
|Aug low C = 28.0
|Sep low C = 24.9
|Oct low C = 18.2
|Nov low C = 10.9
|Dec low C = 5.5
|Jan record low C = −2
|Feb record low C = -1
|Mar record low C = 3.3
|Apr record low C = 9.4
|May record low C = 13.5
|Jun record low C = 20.0
|Jul record low C = 21.1
|Aug record low C = 21.1
|Sep record low C = 16.7
|Oct record low C = 8.9
|Nov record low C = 0.6
|Dec record low C = −1.1
|Jan precipitation mm = 7.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 9.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 19.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 12.9
|May precipitation mm = 9.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 12.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 61.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 32.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 10.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 1.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 2.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 6.9
|Jan sun = 222.3
|Feb sun = 211.6
|Mar sun = 250.8
|Apr sun = 273.3
|May sun = 293.5
|Jun sun = 266.8
|Jul sun = 265.0
|Aug sun = 277.6
|Sep sun = 277.6
|Oct sun = 274.9
|Nov sun = 255.0
|Dec sun = 229.2
|source 1 =NOAA (1961–1990)<ref name= NOAA>{{Cite FTP |url = ftp://dossier.ogp.noaa.gov/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/PK/41675.TXT
  |server = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |url-status = dead
  |title = Multan Climate Normals 1961–1990
  |access-date = 16 January 2013}}</ref>
|date=January 2013}}

==Uch Monument Complex==
[[File:Life at Tomb of Bibi Jawindi.jpg|thumb|Some of the monuments are undergoing restoration work.]]
17 tiled funerary monuments and associated structures remain tightly knit into the urban fabric of Uch. The shrines, notably the tombs of [[Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari]] and his family, are built in a regional vernacular style particular to southern Punjab, with tile work imported from the nearby city of Multan.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QtgyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA261|title=Global Clay: Themes in World Ceramic Traditions |last=Burrison |first=John A. |date=2017-06-16 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=9780253031891 |language=en}}</ref> These structures were typically domed tombs on octagonal bases, with elements of [[Tughlaq dynasty|Tughlaq]] military architecture, such as the addition of decorative bastions and crenellations.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Islamic architecture : form, function, and meaning |last=Hillenbrand |first=Robert |date=1994 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231101332 |location=New York|oclc=30319450}}</ref>

Three shrines built over the course of 200 years are particularly well known, and along with an accompanying 1400 graves form the '''Uch Monument Complex,'''<ref name=":4" /> a site tentatively inscribed on the list of [[UNESCO World Cultural Heritage]] sites.<ref name=":7" /> Of the shrines, the first is said to have been built for Sheikh Baha’al-Halim by his pupil, the [[Suhrawardiyya|Suharwardiya]] Sufi saint [[Jahaniyan Jahangasht]] (1307–1383), the second for the latter's great-granddaughter, [[Tomb of Bibi Jawindi|Bibi Jawindi]], in 1494, and the third for the latter's architect.

[[Flooding]] in the early 19th century caused serious damage to many of the city's tombs, including structural problems and the deterioration of [[masonry]] and finishes.<ref name="CA" />  As the problems have persisted, the Uch Monument Complex was listed in the [[1998 World Monuments Watch]] by the [[World Monuments Fund]], and again in [[2000 World Monuments Watch|2000]] and [[2002 World Monuments Watch|2002]].<ref name="WM" /> The Fund subsequently offered financial assistance for conservation from [[American Express]].<ref name="RS" /> In 2018, the [[World Bank]] provided a $500 million loan to the Punjab Government to restore several historical monuments, including the [[Tomb of Bibi Jawindi]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1402163 |title=World Bank to give Punjab govt $500m to restore religious sites |work=Dawn.com |date=18 April 2018 }}</ref>

== Parliamentarians ==
*2018 (Current)
**Syed Sami ul Hassan Gilani Member National Assembly PTI
**Makhdoom Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani Member Provincial Assembly PTI
*2013
**Syed Ali Hassan Gillani Member National Assembly PML(N)
**Makhdoom Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani Member Provincial Assembly(BNAP)
*2008
**Arif Aziz Sheikh Member National Assembly PPPP
**Makhdoom Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani Member Provincial Assembly PML(Q)

==See also==
*[[Tomb of Bibi Jawindi]]
*[[List of mausolea]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="AU">[https://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexandria/alexandria_uch.html Alexandria (Uch) - Livius.org]</ref>
<ref name="CA">Colin Amery and Brian Curran, ''Vanishing Histories,'' Harry N. Abrams, New York, NY: 2001, p. 103.</ref>
<ref name="WM">[http://www.wmf.org/project/uch-monument-complex World Monuments Fund - Uch Monument Complex]</ref>
<ref name="RS">[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_16-1-2004_pg7_22 Rina Saeed Khan, "New York group funds Uch conservation," ''Pakistan Daily Times,'' 16 January 2004.]</ref>
}}
*[[Henry George Raverty]], ''Notes on Afghanistan and Baluchistan''; (1878) [http://www.wasaib.com/uchch-in-1878-a.d.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011104150/http://www.wasaib.com/uchch-in-1878-a.d.html |date=11 October 2007 }}

== External links ==
* [http://www.uchsharif.com Uch Sharif]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/uchsharif/ Uch Sharif : New Photographs on Uch Sharif]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/junaidrashid/sets/72157600334357632/ Uch : A detailed photographic description of all famous places of Uch Sharif]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/rowan-castle/437840128/in/pool-pakistan/ Shrine of Bibi Jawindi, Uch Sharif]
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1883/ UNESCO World Heritage Foundation - Tomb of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim and Ustead and the Tomb and Mosque of Jalaluddin Bukhari]
* [http://www.pbase.com/sethlazar/image/69594965 Photographs]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060210170154/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=56 Bibi Jawindi Tomb-ArchNet]
* [https://www.livius.org/a/pakistan/uch/alexandria.html Livius Uch Picture Archive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510153840/http://www.livius.org/a/pakistan/uch/alexandria.html |date=10 May 2008 }}

{{World Heritage Sites in Pakistan}}

[[Category:Populated places in Bahawalpur District]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Indo-Islamic architecture]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Parganas of sarkar Multan listed in the Ain-i-Akbari]]