Faridabad

Faridabad, now a major industrial city of Haryana and part of Delhi NCR, was founded in 1607 CE by Sheikh Farid (Baba Farid), treasurer of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. He established a sarai, tank and fort here to protect and service travellers on the important Delhi–Agra stretch of the Grand Trunk Road; the town took his name as Faridabad. Through the later Mughal period and the 18th century, the wider Gurgaon–Faridabad region lay between contending powers, including Jat chiefs such as Balram Jat, Marathas and eventually the British. Under British rule it formed part of the old Gurgaon district of Punjab, remaining largely agrarian but strategically placed near Delhi. After Independence in 1947, Faridabad gained a new role when over 50,000 Partition refugees were resettled here in an organised township project, which boosted trade and crafts. In 1979 it became a separate district of Haryana. From the mid-20th century onward Faridabad rapidly industrialised, producing textiles, machinery, electrical goods and especially henna (mehndi), while newer sectors such as Greater Faridabad expanded its urban footprint. Today the city is both a historic gateway on the Grand Trunk Road and a key industrial and residential hub of the National Capital Region.