Mianwali: History
The city of Mianwali was originally founded in the 16th-century by Shaikh Mian Ali, as a small village. The municipality of Mianwali was created in 1875, during the British colonial period. The British had made the town of Mianwali as tehsil headquarters of Bannu District, then part of Dera Ismail Khan Division of Punjab province. In 1901 it became headquarters of Mianwali District when it was carved out of Bannu District after the creation of Northwest Frontier Province. It had a population of 3,591 according to the 1901 census of India, which rose to 31,398 people in 1961.