Gurdaspur district

Gurdaspur district (Doabi:ਗੁਰਦਸਪੂਰ ਜ਼ਿਲਾ) is a district in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of the Pakistani Punjab, Kathua District of the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir, the Punjab districts of Amritsar and Hoshiarpur, and Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh. Two main rivers Beas and Ravi passes through the district. The Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have been enthroned in a garden near Kalanaur, a historically important town in the district.. The district is at the foothills of the Himalayas.

The current member of Parliament of Gurdaspur is Pratap Singh Bajwa .

History

During British Rule the district of Gurdaspur was a subdivision of Lahore Division, the district itself was administratively subdivided into four tehsils: Gurdaspur, Batala, Shakargarh and the disputed claimed Pathankot. According to the 1881 census the population of district was 823,695 this had risen by over 100,000 to 943,922 in the 1891 census. However the 1901 census recorded a fall in population - 940,334, this was largely due to emigration - some 44,000 settlers settling in Chenab colony. According to the 1901 census there were 463,371 Muslims (49%), 380,636 Hindus (over 40%) and 91,756 (10%) sikhs. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who founded the Ahmadiyya movement had followers...
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