Jalandhar

Jalandhar is a city in the state of Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the historical Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected junction for both rail and road networks. The city is located northwest of the state capital Chandigarh, southeast of the city of Amritsar, and north of Ludhiana. The national capital, Delhi, is approximately . The National Highway 1 (NH1), crosses Jalandhar, further enhancing its connectivity. The history of Jalandhar District comprises three periods — ancient, medieval and modern. The city may be named after Jalandhara, a Nath Guru who was from here. The city was founded by Devasya Verma as mentioned in the Vedas. Other possibilities include that it was the capital of the kingdom of Lava, son of Rama or that the name derives from the vernacular term Jalandhar, meaning area inside the water, i.e., tract lying between the two rivers Satluj and Beas. The whole of Punjab and the area of present Jalandhar District was part of the Indus Valley Civilization. Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are the sites where remains of the Indus Valley civilization have been found extensively. The archaeological explorations made during recent years have pushed the ancient times of Jalandhar District of the Harappa period. Jalandhar was known as Prasthala during the Vedic period and it was the capital of the Trigarta Kingdom. Jalandhar and the Doaba may have been conquered around 1070 by the Ghaznavids during the reign of Ibrahim of Ghazni. It later formed part of the province of Lahore during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. The 18th century saw upheaval in Jalandhar amidst an anarchy caused by the disintegration of the Mughals and power struggles involving Persians, Afghans and Sikhs. It was captured by the Faizullahpuria Misl in 1766, and in 1811 Maharaja Ranjit Singh incorporated it within the Sikh Empire.