GUJRAT

GUJRAT (32°34`N, 7405`E). a district town in Pakistan, is sacred to Guru Hargobind, who stayed here for some time on his way back from Kashmir in 1620. Here he was met by the famous Muslim divine Shah Daula, well known to a local Sikh, Bhai Garhia, who also served as a masand in Kashmir preaching Guru Nanak`s word.

Gurdwara Chhcviri Patshahl, near the Kabul! Gate at Gujrat, remained affiliated to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee until it was abandoned in the wake of mass migrations caused by the partition of the Punjab in 1947.During the latter half of the eighteenth century, Gujrat district formed part of Char Mahal, i.e. four revenue units of Sialkot, Pasrur, Aurarigabad and Gujrat, which had been ceded by the Mughals to the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah DurranT in 1752, but had fallen to the Sikhs following the defeat of the Afghan general Shaharichi Khan in 1797.

Gujrat was occupied by Sahib Singh of the Bharigi misi, who lost it to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1801. The final and decisive battle of the second AngloSikh war was fought at Gujrat. After the battle of Chcliarivala, the Sikh forces had advanced towards the Chcnab and entrenched themselves between the town of Gujrat and the river. The battle took place on 21 February 1849 when the Sikhs after a grim fight lost to the British.

References :

1. Tara Singh, Sri Gur Tirath Sangrahi. Amritsar, n.d.
2. Thakar Singh, Giani, Sn Curdudre Darshan. Amritsar, 1923