Sangrur

Sangrur, in south-eastern Punjab, grew from a small walled town into an important centre because of its links with the Jind princely state and the Phulkian Sikh rulers. Local tradition traces the early settlement to a Jat village that gradually expanded around a fort and marketplace. From the late 18th and especially the 19th century, the rulers of Jind (related to the royal houses of Patiala and Nabha) chose Sangrur as one of their principal capitals. They fortified the town, laid out planned bazaars and built gardens, gateways and palaces, giving Sangrur a distinct royal character.

The most visible reminders of this era are the old fort area, the historic gates and the landscaped Banasar Bagh with its marble baradari set in a tank, created as a pleasure garden for the ruling family. During the British period, Sangrur functioned as a key administrative and residential centre of Jind State, with cantonment lines, offices and residences growing around the older core.

After Independence, Jind State merged into the Indian Union and became part of the short-lived PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union), and later the reorganised state of Punjab. Sangrur was made a district headquarters and today is known for agriculture, education and its surviving princely-era architecture.