History

Pre Independence:

Gojra city was established in 1896, when the colonisation of Faisalabad began. The railway line between Faisalabad and Gojra was laid in 1899. The town was given the status of notified area committee in 1904 and upgraded to a B-Class Municipality in 1925. In 1906, the population was 2,589, according to The Imperial Gazetteer of India "The business done in this rising mart on the railway, which has sprung into existence in the last six years owing to the extension of the Chenab Canal to the surrounding country, bides fair to rival in importance that of Faisalabad itself".^[4]

In 1919, following the Rowlatt Act, hartals broke out throughout Punjab, Gojra was affected by serious protests and a member of the Church Mission Society had to be escorted out of the town by loyal residents.^[6]

Post Independence:

In August 1947, following three decades of nationalist struggles, India and Pakistan achieved independence. The British agreed to partition colonial India into two sovereign states – Pakistan with a Muslim majority, and India with a Hindu majority; however, more Muslims remained in India than what governing authorities believed would assimilate into Pakistan.^[7] The partitioning led to a mass migration of an estimated 10 million people which made it the largest mass migration in human history.^[7] India's Bengal province was divided into East Pakistan and West Bengal (India), and the Punjab Province was divided into Punjab (West Pakistan) and Punjab, India. There were also respective divisions of the British Indian Army, the Indian Civil Service, various administrative services, the central treasury, and the railways.^[8] Riots and local fighting followed the expeditious withdrawal of the British, resulting in an estimated one million civilians deaths, particularly in the western region of Punjab.^[7] Gojra, which was located in the region of the Punjab Province that became West Pakistan, was populated by a number of Hindus and Sikhs who migrated to India, while Muslim refugees from India settled in the district.^[8].

After independence from Britain, in view of its increasing size, it was declared as 2nd class Municipal Committee in 1960. The town was raised to the status of Tehsil town and affiliated with the newly established district Toba Tek Singh on 01.07.1982. After the introduction of Devolution of Powers Plan, the Tehsil Municipal Administration Gojra came into being on 12.08.2001.