| Cholistan Desert | |
|---|---|
 Derawar Fort is the best surviving example of the forts which used to guard desert caravan routes. | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Punjab |
| Country | Pakistan |
| State | Punjab |
| Region | Punjab region |
| Borders on | Pakistan India |
| Coordinates | 28°30′N 70°00′E / 28.5°N 70°E |
The Cholistan Desert (Urdu: صحرائے چولستان; Saraiki: چولستان روہی), also locally known as Rohi (روہی),[1] is a desert in the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan that forms part of the Greater Thar Desert,[2] which extends to Sindh province and the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is one of two large deserts in Punjab, the other being the Thal Desert.[3] The name is derived from the Turkic word chol, meaning "sands,"[1] and istan, a Persian suffix meaning "land of."[4]
Cholistan was a center for caravan trade, leading to the construction of numerous forts in the medieval period to protect trade routes - of which the Derawar Fort is the best-preserved example.[5]
- ^ a b Journal of Asian Civilisations. Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations. 2002.
- ^ Khan, M. Ajmal; Weber, Darrell J. (16 May 2006). Ecophysiology of High Salinity Tolerant Plants. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-4018-4.
- ^ Nadiem, Ihsan H. (2005). Punjab: land, history, people. al-Faisal Nashran. ISBN 978-969-503-283-1.
- ^ "What's in a Name? Or -Stan by Your Land". Slate Magazine. 25 September 2001. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ "Derawar and the Desert Forts of Cholistan". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 20 April 2020.