Malerkotla

Why in news?

• Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced on Eid (May 14) Malerkotla  would be the 23rd district of the state.

About Malerkotla and its history:

• Malerkotla owes its foundations in the 15th century to Sufi saint Sheikh Sadrauddin Sadar-i-Jahan, also known as Haider Sheikh on whom the area was bestowed  by  Behlol Lodhi, the afghan ruler of Delhi.
• A Fortress was added later in 17th century and it became a collection of villages which formed a jagir which was awarded to Bayzid Khan, a descendant of Haider Sheikh, by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan.
• Sher Mohammad Khan, the Nawab of Malerkotla, is believed to have opposed the execution of two young sons of Guru Gobind Singh, by the Subedar of Sirhind Wazir Khan in 1705 under Aurangazeb. This incident has given Malerkotla a special place in the Sikh narrative.
• After Maharaja Ranjit Singh consolidated his rule in Northern Punjab in the early 19th century, Malerkotla aligned itself with the neighbouring Sikh states like Patiala, Nabha and Jind which too were feeling threatened by Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s consolidation of the Sikh empire.
• These cis-Sutlej states accepted British protection in 1809 and were free from interference from the Sikh Maharaja.
• Malerkotla was part of the Malerkotla princely state during the British Raj.
• The state acceded to the union of India in 1947 and was merged with other nearby princely states to create the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU).

Prelims Question:

Malerkotla, recently in news, is located in the state of:
(a)Punjab
(b)Maharashtra
(c)Uttar Pradesh
(d)Karnataka

Answer to Prelims question