In news- Recently Punjab Chief Minister declared Malerkotla as the 23rd district of the state on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
History of Malerkotla-
- It was established in 1454 by Sufi saint Sheikh Sadruddin-i-Jahan also known as Haider Sheikh from Afghanistan.
- The settlement was being called ‘Maler’ which was bestowed by the Behlol Lodhi to the Sheikh whose lineage too was Afghan, as was Lodhi’s.
- ‘Kotla’, meaning Fortress, was added later in 1657 by Bayazid Khan, a descendant of Haider Sheikh, who got it as a jagir by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan.
- Bayzid Khan supported Aurangzeb against his brother Dara Shikoh and thus gained favour with the emperor and added permanency to the rule of his family.
- After Maharaja Ranjit Singh consolidated his rule in Northern Punjab in the early 19th century, Malerkotla aligned itself with the neighbouring Sikh states like Patiala, Nabha and Jind which too were feeling threatened by Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s consolidation.
- These cis-Sutlej states accepted British protection in 1809 and were free from interference from the Sikh Maharaja.
- Malerkotla continued under the British protection and the alliance with the neighbouring Sikh states till 1947 when it became the only Muslim majority Sikh state in East Punjab.
- After the dissolution of the princely states in 1948, Malerkotla joined the new state of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU).
- PEPSU itself was dissolved in 1954 and Malerkotla became a part of Punjab.
Source: Indian Express
