Explained: Evolution of Punjab’s districts, with the possibility of Anandpur Sahib becoming one

As Punjab prepares to honour Guru Tegh Bahadur, here’s a brief history of how the state’s districts have evolved — from the 13 districts of undivided Punjab to the 23 that exist today.

Anandpur Sahib was founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur. (Express file photo)

With talks to declare Anandpur Sahib as the 24th district of Punjab having gained momentum of late, ahead of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur next month, focus has turned to the state’s administrative evolution over the decades.

Currently part of the Rupnagar (Ropar) district, Anandpur Sahib holds immense historical and spiritual significance in Sikh history. It is the birthplace of the Khalsa and a sacred centre of Sikh heritage.

Generally, the argument for new districts in a state is for improved efficiency in administration, thanks to smaller units, but in practice, the policy has often been criticised for being done arbitrarily and scoring political points.

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As Punjab prepares to honour Guru Tegh Bahadur, here’s a brief history of how the state’s districts have evolved — from the 13 districts of undivided Punjab to the 23 districts that exist today.

How Punjab came to be

Before the formation of the present-day state of Punjab, a short-lived state by the name of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was formed in post-independence India. It was formed on July 15, 1948, by merging eight princely states: Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Malerkotla, Kalsia, and Nalagarh.

The union was created to bring administrative cohesion among the small states of the Patiala region and the surrounding areas. Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala served as its Rajpramukh (constitutional head). PEPSU had its capital in Patiala and functioned as a separate entity until November 1, 1956, when it was merged with Punjab following the States Reorganisation Act. This Act allowed for a linguistic basis for the reorganisation of states, following demands in many parts of India.

The formation and later merger of PEPSU played a crucial role in shaping modern Punjab’s political and administrative landscape.

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The 1966 Punjab reorganisation

Before 1966, Punjab was a vast state encompassing present-day Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. It had 13 districts: Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Karnal, Jullundur (now Jalandhar), Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Simla (now Shimla), and Kangra.

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After the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, the state was divided on linguistic lines. The Hindi-speaking areas became Haryana, and the hilly regions merged with Himachal Pradesh.

The Punjabi-speaking belt formed Punjab, which was left with 11 districts: Amritsar, Gurdaspur (parts transferred to Himachal Pradesh), Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur (parts transferred to Himachal Pradesh), Ludhiana, Bathinda, Kapurthala, Sangrur (parts transferred to Haryana), Patiala, and Ropar (carved out of the Ambala region). Chandigarh was made the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, but remained a Union Territory.

Subsequent revisions

In 1972, Faridkot district was formed from parts of Bathinda and Ferozepur districts, and the state now had 12 districts. The next district would come twenty years later, when the Mansa sub-division was carved out of Bathinda in 1992.

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Fatehgarh Sahib was created as a new district in the same year, from parts of Patiala and Ropar. It was named after Sahibzada Fateh Singh, the youngest son of Guru Gobind Singh. Later that year, Sri Muktsar Sahib was made a separate district out of Faridkot, while Nawanshahr was created out of Hoshiarpur as a separate district. Moga became the 17th district of Punjab, carved out of Faridkot.

In 2006, Mohali was declared the 18th district and Tarn Taran was later created from Amritsar, in the 400th year of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev. Three new districts — Pathankot (from Gurdaspur), Barnala (from Sangrur), and Fazilka (from Ferozepur) — were created in 2011, bringing the total to 22.

Most recently, in 2021, Malerkotla was carved out of Sangrur, becoming Punjab’s only Muslim-majority district.

Possibility of a 24th district in Punjab

If proclaimed, the proposed Anandpur Sahib district will cost the AAP-led state government at least Rs 500 crore to set up offices.

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Anandpur Sahib was founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur. Takht Keshgarh Sahib, one of the five Takhts of Sikhs, is located here. The major pilgrimage site is also a centre for Sikh martial arts, spiritual development and the site of the annual Hola Mohalla festival. Thus, the decision may also stem from the view that it could politically help the AAP.

However, such decisions have had mixed results. Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court also rapped the Punjab government for failing to provide proper infrastructure in Malerkotla district, even four years after its formation.