The city of Malerkotla is a municipal council in the district of Sangrur in Punjab. Malerkotla is located on State Highway 11 on Sangrur Ludhiana road in Punjab, and at a distance of 36 kms north from the district headquarters of Sangrur and 45 kms south from Ludhiana. It is strategically located at an average elevation of 248 mts above sea level. Malerkotla is surrounded by some of the major cities of Punjab such as Ludhiana on the north, Sangrur on the south, Patiala on south east and Barnala on west. The city of Malerkotla was divided into two parts Maler and Kotla. The town of Maler was founded by an Afghan named Sadr-u-din during 1466 AD, and probably, Maler has been named after Malher Singh, who built Malhergarh Fort here. The area of Kotla was established by Bayazid Khan to the south of Maler during 1656. Previously, it was known as Kotla Maler and later on came to be called as Malerkotla. Malerkotla is one of the biggest cities, and is the only industrial town of worth the name in the district of Sangrur. Due to its proximity with Ludhiana and Sangrur, several small industries have been established in the city. The economy of the town is mostly dependent upon agriculture and small scale industries. Malerkotla is well known for the manufacture industries of cycle parts and agricultural equipments. As it is a Muslim dominated town, it houses many mosques in and around the city. The town of Malerkotla has a great significance in the movement of freedom struggle, and especially in the Namdhari movement against the British during 1872. About 66 Namdharis were killed by the British on 17th and 18th of January 1872. Kukas were used their own schools, and Panchayat to avoid the British in their surroundings.
a). Sangrur
Sangrur is a beautiful city in the state of Punjab. Named after Sanghu, a Jatt, this city was founded 400 years back. It is the capital of the erstwhile Jind state and is located at a distance of 56 kms from Patiala. This city is also known as the 'City of Gurdwaras' as there is over 20 Gurdwaras here, which contribute to the popularity of Sangrur tourism. Sangrur is a land with fertile and rich soil with abundant water supply. The recent establishment and development of the city was observed around 2300 BC. The people from the lands of Baluchistan and Sindh came to this fertile land in search of a better livelihood. They reached in this flourishing land from Sutlej, also known as Ghagger, which is located in Rohira. The soil was fertile and full of treasures of minerals which gave a boost to the farming sector. The development was noticed fast yet steady. People then started building sturdy houses out of bricks which were sun dried. The land flourished in many other trades of commerce. People arrived from various places. There was a huge market for pottery of the best quality. The houses were more spacious and built from good quality raw materials. The construction and city layout was impeccable. Sangrur was established about 400 years back by a Jatt, who was one of the Sanghu.
