The district of Faridkot is located in the Malwa region of Punjab bordering the districts of Ferozepur to its north and west, Muktsar and Bathinda to its south and Moga to its east. The area of the district is 1475.70 square kilometers and it is divided into two development blocks: Faridkot and Kotakpura. As per the Census 2001, the district is the home to 552,466 people and has a literacy rate of 63.34%. Faridkot is a relatively new district, it was a part of the neighboring Ferozepur district and it was only in 1996 that Faridkot was given the status of a separate district.
The district gets its name from its administrative headquarters, the city of Faridkot. It is believed that the city of Faridkot was founded by a king named Raja Moklasi sometime during the 13th century and the city was known as ‘Mokal Har’ back then. Raja Moklasi built a fort in the newly established town and forced people to work for him. Baba Farid, a saint, was one of those forced laborers and when Raja Moklasi realized the (so called) divine powers of Baba Farid, he apologized to him and renamed the town as Faridkot.
The history of the district goes back to the time of Indus Valley Civilization. The district was a part of the Mauryan and Gupta empires. Overall the area remained under the control of native Hindu Indian rulers until the invasions began in the late 10th century. The last Hindu king of Hindushahi dynasty died in 1026 AD and a new era of Muslim rulers began. The area remained under the new ruler until the 17th century when the Mughal Empire was on its last legs and a Sikh Confederacy was being born. After the Anglo-Sikh wars of the 1840s the area fell into British hands and continued to be under the British rule until August 1947, when the country gained independence.
Faridkot forms a part of the Satluj-Ganges Plain and its surface is virtually flat. The even surface of the district is a boon for the farmers and wheat and rice are the main crops of the district. The climate of the district is hot and dry except for a brief monsoon season. There are four seasons: winters, summers, monsoon and post-monsoon. Punjabi is the mother tongue of practically all the population but Hindi is also widely understood. English is the language of administration, education and commerce, and it is spoken mainly by the educated or the upper class.
The district has a rich history and there are some notable places to see here. Some of them are listed below:
Faridkot: The Quila Mubarak (fort) built by city’s founder, Raja Moklasi, is perhaps the most famous tourist spot. The Raj Mahal, Darbar Ganj and the Victory Stadium constructed by the city’s former rulers are also sites worth seeing. Besides that, a big fair is held annually in Faridkot to celebrate the birthday of Saint Farid and it attracts a lot of people from various parts of North India.
Giddarbaha: The town is famous for a drug which is made from tobacco, lime, ghee and some perfumes. Giddarbaha is also an important market for grains and cotton and the town lies approximately 34 kilometers from Muktsar.
Jaito: The town is famous for an agitation by the ordinary public against the British government in 1923. The British government had dethroned King Ripudaman Singh of Nabha. A number of protesters were arrested and several complexes have been built to honor those protesters.
Kot Kapura: The town was founded by one of the ancestors of the king who founded the princely state of Faridkot. The fort of Kot Kapura is of historical importance. Another famous tourist spot is the place where a former ruler Wazir Singh used to pray.
