During British rule Bhakkar (larger in area today) was a tehsil of Mianwali District. The population according to the 1901 census was 125,803, compared with 119,219 in 1891. The 1901 census revealed that the tehsil contained the town of Bhakkar (population, 5,312) and 196 villages. The land revenue and cesses amounted in 1903-4 to 1.7 lakhs.