From Kotli to Mandi Town: The Historical Transformation and Colonization of Nankana Sahib
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i2.2492Keywords:
Nankana Sahib, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Gurdwara JanamAsthan, Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal, Canal Colonization, Lower Chenab Canal, Zaildari System, Mandi Town, Lahore–Shorkot Railway Line, Sir Ganga RamAbstract
This study examines the historical evolution and urban transformation of Nankana Sahib from a small village originally known as “Kotli” to "Rai Pur" and later "Rai Bhoi ki Talwandi" into a thriving city, religious hub, and key Mandi Town. The text details the region's initial development under Sikh rule, highlighted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s construction of seven sacred Gurdwaras—including Gurdwara JanamAsthan—and his extensive land grants to religious estates. It explores the region's socio-political dynamics, including anti-colonial resistance led by Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal during the War of Independence in 1857, and the subsequent consolidation of British authority through the Zaildari system and local landlord collaboration. Furthermore, the study analyzes the modernizing impacts of British missionary settlements, the introduction of the Lower Chenab Canal system, Sir Ganga Ram's agricultural innovations, and the 1911 connection to the Lahore–Shorkot railway line. These infrastructural advances shifted economic and trade dominance away from older centers like Syedwala toward newly emerging market towns like Nankana Sahib and Warburton, ultimately fostering industrial growth, commercial migration, and religious tourism.
References
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. Another old town of Nankana Sahib
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