Qila Didar Singh

Qila Didar Singh or Kila Didar Singh is a historic town located in the Gujranwala District of Punjab, Pakistan. Established in the mid-1700s by a Jatt named Didar Singh, the town has a rich heritage.

As of 2017, the estimated population of Qila Didar Singh stood at 66,491. The town is situated on the Gujranwala-Hafizabad Road, approximately 17 kilometers to the west of Gujranwala. Notably, it hosts one of the largest rice markets in the Punjab region.

In 2007, Qila Didar Singh received an administrative upgrade to City Town status, making it one of four such towns within the Gujranwala District.

History

This town was founded in the 1790s by the Sikh Mann Sardars of Mughalchak. When Didar Singh got married, his father gifted him the lands surrounding what is now referred to as the "Old/Interior part of Qila Didar Singh." The term "Qila" translates to "fort," a name that stemmed from the large and tall mansion belonging to Didar Singh's family, which was encircled by smaller houses. The entire town was enclosed by a wall with multiple gates, giving it the appearance of a fortified settlement. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, British troops pursuing the rebels reached Qila Didar Singh and surrounded it, mistakenly believing it to be a fortification. However, representatives from the town successfully persuaded the soldiers that it was not a military stronghold. In 1947, the year Pakistan was established, Qila Didar Singh was a relatively small town predominantly inhabited by Sikhs and Hindus. Following the partition, most of the Sikh and Hindu residents relocated to the Indian side of Punjab, while many Muslim immigrants from East Punjab and Haryana settled in the area.