Fatehgarh Sahib is a relatively new district in the state of Punjab which came into being on13 April 1992. The district is located in the centre of the state and its boundaries touch Ludhiana and Ropar to the north and Patiala to the south. The area of the district its 1148 square kilometers and its economy is mainly agriculture-based.
Fatehgarh Sahib is named after the youngest son, Shaibzada Fateh Singh, of the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh. Fateh Singh was buried alive in a wall on the order of the then Mogul army commander of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. The archeological evidence from the area suggests that district was inhabited a long time ago by the people of Harrpa-Mohindjodro or the Indus Valley civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization was a developed and a literate society but it began to crumble around the 1700 BC; mainly due to various climatic factors. The records of what happened afterwards are vague and it is difficult to distinguish fiction from facts.
Afghan, Iranian and Mongol invaders began arriving after the 10th century. Mohammed Ghori was one of the most famous invaders and the dynasty founded by him, the Sultanate of Delhi, ruled much of the district from 1206 – 1526 AD. The rule of the Sultanate came to an end when another invader from central Asia, Zahir ud-din Muhammed Babur (widely known as Babur), attacked India, defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat and laid the foundation of Mughal Empire which ruled much of the Northern India, including Fatehgarh Sahib, between 1526 – 1707 AD. Anarchy was rampant in the district after 1707 AD when both the Mughals and the Sikhs were fighting incessantly to take control of the area. The state of affairs improved when Baba Ala Singh, the founder of the state of Patiala, took control of the area in 1763. It remained a part of the Patiala state until the year 1947 when the nation gained independence. Fatehgarh Sahib was then declared a part of the newly formed state of PEPSU.
As per the Census 2001, the district has a population of 5, 38,041 and 74.70 % people are literate. Fatehgarh Sahib is mainly an agricultural district with more than 70% of the population living in the rural areas. Wheat and rice are the main crops of the district and much of the land is irrigated using tubewells.
Tourist/religious places
Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib: The gurudwara (a Sikh temple) is built to commemorate the martyrdom of the two younger sons of the tenth guru who were bricked alive in a wall on the order of the Mogul army commander of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. The gurudwara is located on the Sirhind-Chandigarh road.
Gurudwara Jyoti Sarup: The Sikh temple is situated where the two elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh were cremated. It is merely a kilometer from the Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib.
Gurudwara Shaheed Ganj: The gurudwara is located where, it is believed, the forty cartloads of heads of Sikhs were cremated. It is about half a kilometer from the Gurdwara Fategarh Sahib.
Rauza Sharif: Located on the Sirhind-Bassi-Pathana Road, it is the shrine of a Muslim seer, Sheikh Ahmad Faruqi Sirhindi, who lived from 1563 – 1624. The shrine is highly respected and thousand of pilgrims from different nations come to visit it.
Aam Khas Bagh: The garden is unique in the sense that it was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan both for himself and for the general public. It was a resting place for the royal couple en route to Lahore. There are several complexes in the Aam Khas Bagh including the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ (Palace of Glass) and a plant nursery.
Sanghol: Located on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh Road, the museum and the archeological site here is displays many artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization. It is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India and the famous Chinese traveler Xuanzang is also said to have visited the place.
Floating Restaurant, Sirhind: It is an important tourist place just 5 kilometers from the city of Sirhind on the GT Road. The restaurant floats on pontoons in the middle of the canal and it is the only one of its kind in Punjab.
Ustad di Mazar: The structure is a tomb designed and built by a famous architect, Ustad Syad Khan, of the Mughal times. It is only 2.5 kilometers from Rauza Sharif.
Shahgird di Mazar: It is another tomb near the Ustad di Mazar and it was built by an assistant, Khawaja Khan, of Ustad Syad Khan. It is only about one fifth of a kilometer from the Ustad di Mazar.
Mata Chakreshvari Devi Jain Temple: The temple is said to be 1000 years old and it’s located in the village of Attewali on Sirhind-Chandigarh Road.
