Pathankot Town

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Pathankot Town

Head-quarters of the tahsil of the same name in Gurdaspur District, Punjab, situated in 32 16' N. and 75 40' E., vol, XX. and the terminus of the Amritsar-Pathankot branch of the North- Western Railway. Population (1901), 6,091. A good cart-road leads from Pathankot to Palampur (70 miles) and Dharmsala (52 miles), and another to Dunera (for Dalhousie and Chamba).

The situation of has, from very ancient times, made it an emporium of trade between the hills and plains. From coins found here, Cunningham concluded that it was at an early date inhabited by the Udumbaras, who are coupled in the Puranas with the Traigarttas and Kulindas, or people of Kangra and Kulu, and with the Kapisthalas, who must be the Kambistholi mentioned by Arrian as dwelling on the Ravi ; and that the kingdom of Dahmeri, which in historical times included most of Gurdaspur and Kangra, bears a name derived from this people.

The capital of this State was Nurpur in Kangra, but Pathankot must have been a place of some importance, as from it the Pathania Rajputs of Nurpur take their name l . It was from ancient times held by a line of Rajput chiefs, of whom the most noted are Raja Bakht Mal, who fought for Sikandar Suri at Mankot ; Bas Deo, who rebelled against Akbar ; Suraj Mal, who rebelled against Jahangir ; and Jagat Singh, who rebelled against Shah Jahan and accompanied Dara Shikoh to Kandahar. the State of Pathankot was taken by Ranjit Singh in 1815. The municipality was created in 1867.

The income during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 11,500, and the expenditure Rs. 11,200. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 10,500, chiefly from octroi ; and the expenditure was Rs. 11,800. Pathankot is the seat of a considerable blanket and shawl-weaving industry, and, lying at the point where the trade routes from Chamba, Nurpur, and Kangra unite, is a place of some commercial importance, with a growing trade. The District board maintains an Anglo-vernacular middle school and a dispensary.