Múltán (Mooltan).-A British District in the Lieutenant-Governorship of the Punjab, lying between 29' 22‘ and 30' 45' N. lat, and
between 71'4’ and 72' 54' 30" a. long. Area in 188r, 5880 square miles ;
population in the same year, 55r,964 persons. Mtfltain forms the
southern District of the Bari Doaib. It is bounded on the north by
jhang District; on the cast by Montgomery District; on the south by
Bahawalpur State, from which it is separated by the Sutlej; and on the
west by Muzal‘fargarh District, from which it is separated by the Chemih.
The administrative head-quarters are at the city of MULTAX.
Physical Aspects.—The District of Mtiltan consists at an obtuse wedge of land, enclosed by the confluent streams of the Chent'tb and the Sutlej, which unite at its south-western extremity. The irregular triangle thus cut off lies wholly within the Bdri Dorib, but the District boundaries have been artificially prolonged across the RAVI in the north, so as to include a portion also of the Rechna Dodb. The past or present courses of four of the great rivers of the Punjab deter mine the conforIrntion of the Mdltzin plateau. At present, the Sutlej forms its southern and the Chenab its north-western boundary, while the Ravi intersects its extreme northern angle. Along the banks of these three modern streams extend fringes of cultivation, varying in width from 3 to 20 miles; but the interior presents the usual barren appearance of the Punjab table-land. Midway between the boundary rivers, a high dorsal ridge enters this District from Moxrcourtkv, forming a part of the sterile region known as the Mr. It dips into the lower plateau on either side by abrupt banks, which mark the ancient beds of the Ravi and the Beas (Bias). These two rivers once flowed for a much greater distance southward before joining the Che-nab and the Sutlej than is now the case; and their original course may still be distinctly traced, not only by the signs of former fluvial action, but also by the existence of dried~up canals. The Rzivi still clings to its ancient watercourse, as observed by General Cunningham, and in seasons of high flood finds its way as far as hlultan by the abandoned bed. When the District was thus abundantly intersected by four mighty rivers, the whole wedge of land, except the dorsal ridge of the fail, could obtain irrigation from one or other of their streams. Nume- rous villages then dotted its whole surface ; and Al Mazudi, in the Ioth century, describes Mtiltrin, with oriental exaggeration. as surrounded by 1 20,000 hamlets. At the present day, the Ileas (Bi; s) is totally lost to the Distric‘t; the Kiwi merely waters a small corner ; and the only rich cultivation is that which stretches along the Chenab and the Sutlcj. Elsewhere, :1 wild jungle of hrushwood covers the soil, which, though naturally good, requires abundant irrigation to bring it under efficient tillage. Numerous canals supply water from the Sutlej to the surrounding country. Pools or 1711/: collect during the rainy weather
