Malerkotlaਮਲੇਰਕੋਟਲਾ

History

The state of Malerkotla was founded in the fifteenth century by Sheikh Sadruddin, a holy man of Afghan descent, and ruled thereafter by his descendants, the Nawabs of Malerkotla. It survived as a princely state through the Sikh and British periods, acceding to India in 1948. But the town's place in history was fixed long before, in the winter of 1704–05. When Wazir Khan of Sirhind ordered the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh — Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, aged nine and seven — to be bricked alive, Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan of Malerkotla stood up in the court and raised his voice in protest: the 'Haa da Naara', the cry of 'haa' (alas).

Guru Gobind Singh, hearing of the Nawab's protest, blessed Malerkotla — and the town treasures the blessing to this day. Through the communal fires of 1947, when the rest of Punjab burned, Malerkotla stayed peaceful; its Muslim majority and Sikh and Hindu neighbours protected one another. In May 2021 the Punjab government created Malerkotla as the state's 23rd district, with the town as headquarters — the only Muslim-majority district in Punjab.

Geography & people

Malerkotla stands in the Malwa plain at about 240 metres above sea level, between Ludhiana and Sangrur. It is a municipal council and now a district headquarters. Uniquely in Punjab, Muslims form the majority of the town's population, living alongside large Sikh and Hindu communities — a syncretic culture visible in its shared shrines, its cuisine and its famous hospitality. Punjabi and Urdu are both heard in the bazaars.

The town is known for its metalwork, its embroidery, and a food culture — biryani, kebabs, sheer khurma — unlike anywhere else in Punjab.

Places of interest

The Shahi Eidgah is Malerkotla's great monument, one of the finest Mughal-period prayer grounds in the region. The old Nawabi quarter — the palace area, the Jama Masjid and the mohallas of the princely town — rewards a walk. The dargahs and Sufi shrines of the town draw devotees of all faiths, and the Guru's blessing is recalled at every civic occasion.

Notable people

Malerkotla's notable figure is Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan, whose single cry of protest in Wazir Khan's court in 1705 made his town immortal in Sikh memory. The Nawabs who followed — patrons of learning and the arts — kept the small state's cultured reputation. In modern times the town is known for its sportspersons and its ulema, and for the everyday citizens who kept the Guru's blessing alive in 1947.