Gurdaspur's strategic location ensured role in history

History is a record of the past, often viewed as a source of lessons and understanding for the present and future. Gurdaspur has a rich history. It is rightly said that a generation which ignores history has no past and no future.

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Gurdaspur's strategic location ensured role in history

Reason enough why there are scores of people in the city who continue to do research on the town’s history. Gurdaspur was founded in the early 17th century by Mahant Guriya Das Ji, after whom the city was named. The region’s history is marked by its location in Punjab, nestled between the Beas and Ravi rivers, and its significant role during the 1947 Partition of India. Gurdaspur’s fate was hotly debated, as the Radcliffe Line aimed to prevent its transfer to Pakistan to maintain Indian access to Kashmir. Finally, to ensure direct road access for India to the Kashmir region, the Radcliffe Line ensured that Gurdaspur would not be given to Pakistan. Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have been enthroned in a garden near Kalanaur, a historically important town in the district, located on Gurdaspur-Dera Baba Nanak road.