Sri Muktsar Sahib
Sri Muktsar Sahib, often referred to as simply Muktsar, is a historical city and district headquarters in Punjab, India. The 2011 census of India put the total population of Sri Muktsar Sahib municipality at 117,085, making it the 14th largest city of Punjab, in terms of population. The second Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Angad was born in the village Matte-di-Sarai in the same district. Earlier the city was called Khidrana/Khidrane di dhab, the city was named Muktsar after the Battle of Muktsar in 1705 and the district headquarters in 1995. The government officially changed the name of the city to Sri Muktsar Sahib in 2012, though the city is still primarily referred to by its unofficial name – Muktsar.
History and etymology
Early history
The modern day Sri Muktsar Sahib city was historically a semi-desert terrain named Khidrana or Khidrane de dhab, situated near a lake. Not much is known about the early history of the present area of the city. This may partly be due to the river Sutlej. The Sutlej is notorious for shifting its course, and it is stated to have flowed as far east as Sri Muktsar Sahib within historical times. While shifting its course it is said to have leveled down everything that came its way, leaving behind ruins and mounds of earth and pottery debris. The present area of Sri Muktsar Sahib is almost entirely destitute of ancient buildings and contains no places mentioned in early records. Legends connected with Raja Sálbán attach to one or two other ruined sites near Sri Muktsar Sahib such as that at Sarainaga, 10 miles to the east of Sri Muktsar Sahib.Medieval history
Rao Burar had two sons, Paur and Dhul, with the younger’s progeny having held almost the whole of the region of Sri Muktsar Sahib. Many of these Brar Jats followed the Sikh Gurus and later embraced the Sikh faith, during the times of Guru Gobind Singh. These Brar Jats under Chaudary Kapura are known to have fought against the imperial Mughal armies alongside Guru Gobind Singh and the Chali Mukhte.[Battle of Muktsar]
In 1705, after battle of Chamkaur against the Mughals, Guru Gobind Singh started looking out for a suitable place from where he could re-group his forces and battle the Mughal forces, who were now supported by the Dogra hill chiefs. Assisted by an experienced guide of a Brar chief, the guru reached Khidrane Di Dhab where he finally decided to meet the enemy. He received news of imperial troops, at least 10,000 strong, under Wazir Khan, subedar of Sirhind pursuing him. Earlier, in 1704, when Guru Gobind Singh's Army was treacherously surrounded in Anandpur Sahib by the Moghul forces, supported by Dogra hill chiefs, Sikhs had run out of provisions. Some historians believe that 40 Sikhs from Majha region of Jhabal had deserted the Guru. Historians believe that the Guru asked them to write a formal declaration stating they no longer wish to fight alongside Guru Gobind Singh. However, realizing their mistake of deserting him, and under the motivation of Mai Bhago, these 40 deserters came back to join the Guru's forces at Sri Muktsar Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh also sent reinforcements, though the number of Sikh soldiers is disputed. Historians like Latif have put it at 12,000, although the Sikh chroniclers say they were far fewer, some say as few as forty. They showered arrows from his strategic position on the mound, down upon the imperial army, killing a number of them. The resistance of the Sikhs became fierce. The enemy became restive for want of water. It was not possible for them to reach the lake of Khidrana. As it was semi-desert terrain and the summer heat was reaching its peak, the Guru knew of its importance and based his defenses around the water reservoir. The only water they could get was fifteen miles behind them. Thirst and oppressive heat, and the tough resistance offered by the Sikhs, compelled the Mughal army to retreat. Guru Gobind Singh won this last Mughal-Khalsa battle, which had resulted in heavy casualties. At the end of the battle, when he was looking for survivors, Mai Bhago, who was lying wounded, told him how the forty deserters had laid down their lives fighting in the battlefield. Mai Bhago recovered and remained in the Guru's presence after the battle of Sri Muktsar Sahib. When Guru Gobind Singh along with his Sikhs, was collecting the dead bodies for cremation, he found one man, named Mahan Singh, still clinging to life. On seeing the Guru, he made an effort to rise; the Guru at once took him in his embrace, and sat down with him. Mahan Singh, tearful and exhausted, requested the guru to destroy the document disclaiming his being a Sikh of the Guru. Before Mahan Singh died, Guru Gobind Singh took the document and tore it up. It is a legendary belief that this gave "mukti", meaning freedom, to those 40 Sikhs and hence, the city got its modern-day name Muktsar, where the word "sar" is derived from the word "sarovar", meaning reservoir, with reference to the Kidrana reservoir.Post battle of Muktsar
In the days of the persecution of the Sikhs, Jassa Singh often took refuge in the jungles of Sri Muktsar Sahib.The territories of Sri Muktsar Sahib, Kotkapura, Mari and Mudki together with the Faridkot State, originally formed one territory, with its capital at Kotkapura. In 1807, Dewan Mokham Chand conquered the whole of this territory from Tegh Singh, and added it to the Lahore demesne. Mohkam Chand established thanas at Sri Muktsar Sahib, Kotkapura and Mari and since that time, the villages subject to these thanas have been known as separate territories.
Ram Singh, leader of the Namdhari sect, visited Sri Muktsar Sahib in 1861 on the occasion of Mela Maghi to deliver his message. However, the priests of Sri Muktsar Sahib Gurudwara refused to pray for Ram Singh, unless he agreed, by way of penalty for his "un-Sikh" ways, to pay the entire cost of masonry for the local tank.
Modern history
After India gained independence from the British in August 1947, there was an aggressive exodus of the non-Muslims from West Punjab and that of Muslims from the East Punjab. A large number of refugees from the Bahawalpur state and from Montgomery and Lahore districts entered India through the border along the Firozpur district, of which Sri Muktsar Sahib was a part of. According to the 1951 Census, 349,767 refugees from Pakistan settled in the Firozpur district including the erstwhile Sri Muktsar Sahib and Moga tehsils.The Sri Muktsar Sahib city remained a tehsil of Ferozepur district from August 1947 to August 1972, and then it became a tehsil of the newly carved out district, Faridkot. In November 1995, Sri Muktsar Sahib became a district city. In February 2012, the city was officially renamed to Sri Muktsar Sahib from Muktsar.