The census of 1881 returned the population at 551,964 persons (males 304,517, females 247,447), Mohammedans numbering 435,901, Hindus 112,001, Sikhs 2085, Europeans 1709, Eurasians 110, native Christians 42, and “others” 116. Only one town had a population exceeding 10,000—Mùltân, 68,674. Most of the people are grouped together in villages on the irrigated lowlands, only a scattered nomad population being found on the sterile upland tract. In 1878-79 the area under Government assessment was 3,763,200 acres, of which 799,360 were cultivated, 245,760 uncultivable waste, 2,618,080 cultivable, and 100,000 grazing lands. Cultivation is, however, spreading steadily, though the character of the agriculture remains slovenly, as the Jât tribes who comprise the mass of the rural population have not yet lost their predatory and pastoral propensities. Near the city, however, capitalist farmers have brought their land into a high state of cultivation. The areas under crop in 1881-82 were as follows rice 15,998, wheat 209,183, great millet 53,605, spiked millet 13,254, Italian millet 724, barley 7460, gram 8303, peas 24,443, and tobacco 1624. Indigo forms the most important commercial staple. The chief articles of trade are sugar and indigo from the lowlands, and wool and ghi from the pasture lands of the l·&r. Silk and fine cotton fabrics are produced at Mùltân; coarse cotton cloth for home consumption is woven in every village. The Sind, Punjab, and Delhi Railway connects the city with the Northern Punjab and with the East Indian line at Delhi, and the Indus Valley State Railway runs through a portion of the district. The total length of roads is 907 miles and of railways 130.

The total imperial revenue of the district in 1880-81 was 953,408 rupees, of which 561,052 were derived from the land revenue. A small provincial and local revenue is also raised. Education, especially among the Mohammedans, is in a backward state, and in 1872-73 only 3062 children attended school, of whom the Hindus contributed 46 per cent., although they only form 18⅜ per cent, of the whole population. The climate is proverbial even among the hot and dusty Punjab plains for its-heat and dust. The mean temperature in the shade for the six years ending 1876 was in January 54° ’ 70 Fahr., in June 95 o- 73, in October 76 o- 68, the average annual rainfall for the same years being 7 , 27 inches; in 1881 it was only 3’7.

At the time of Alexander’s invasion Mùltân appears as the chief seat of the Malli; but the Greek power soon came to an end, and the country passed under the rule of the Gupta dynasty of Magadha. The early Arab geographers mention Mùltân as forming part of the kingdom of Sind, which was conquered for the caliphate by Mohammed Kâsim in the middle of the 8th century. The whole province was conquered by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1005 A.D. It afterwards formed a part of the Mughal empire of Bâbar, and continued so till the extinction of that power. The history of the district during the latter half of the 18th century is a story of alternate invasion by Marhattâs, Afghans, and Sikhs. At length, in 1779, Muzaffar Khan, of the Sadozai family, succeeded in obtaining the governorship of Mûltân. Ranjit Sinh after a long siege carried the capital by storm in 1818, and put Muzaffar Khan and five of his sons to death. In 1829 he made over the administration of Mûltân with five neighbouring districts to the famous Sawan Mall, who raised the province to a state of prosperity by excavating canals and inducing new inhabitants to settle. After the establishment of the council of regency at Lahore, difficulties arose between Mûlrâj, son and successor of Sawan Mall, and the British officials, which led to his rebellion, and culminated in the second war and the annexation of the whole of the Punjab. The city of Mûltân, after a stubborn defence, was carried by storm in January 1849. The district at once passed under direct British rule, and order has not been disturbed since.

Mûltân, or Mooltan, city and headquarters of the above district, is situated 4 miles from the present left bank of the Chenâb (30° 12' N. lat., 71° 30' E. long.). The total population in 1881 was 68,674. The town is enclosed on three sides by a wall, but open towards the south, where the dry bed of the old Râvi intervenes between the town and citadel. Large and irregular suburbs have grown up outside the wall since the annexation in 1849. Within the city proper, narrow and tortuous streets, often ending in culs-de-sac, fill almost the whole space; but one broad bazaar runs from end to end. The principal buildings include the shrines of two Mohammedan saints and the remains of an ancient Hindu temple. The civil station contains a courthouse and treasury, commissioner’s offices, jail, post-office, telegraph-office, dispensary, and staging bungalow The Church Missionary Society maintains a station here. As a trade centre Mûltân possesses great importance, its chief imports being cotton and other piece-goods, while the main staples of export are sugar, cotton, indigo, and wool. Trade continues to develop slowly but steadily. The value of the imports for 1879, 1880, 1881 was 75, 84, and 87 lakhs of rupees, and of the exports 36, 37, and 40 lakhs respectively. Lately there has been a great revival of the indigo trade.