During British rule, as part of British Raj, the town was the administrative
headquarters of the Upper Sind Frontier District of the Bombay Presidency; with
a station on the Quetta branch of the North-Western Railway. It became well
known for consistently having the highest temperature in South Asia, and has a
mean summer average of 98°F (37°C). During the month of June the temperature
usually reaches between 120° and 131°F (49 to 55°C).
The town was founded on the site of the village of Khangarh in 1847 by General
John Jacob, for many years commandant of the Sind Horse, who died here in 1858.
A memorial