Dipalpur: History
Depalpur has a long and ancient history. Its foundation is traditionally attributed to a ruler named Raja Deva Pala (also rendered Depa Chand or Dipa Chand in various local traditions), though his exact date is unknown and predates reliable written record. A competing local tradition instead credits a Khatri named Bija Chand as founder, with the settlement originally called Sripur after his son Sri Chand. The fortified town is built on an old Kushan-era site (c. 40–172 AD), and coin finds indicate occupation as early as the Indo-Scythian period; Cunningham tentatively identified it with the "Daidala" mentioned by Ptolemy. The fortifications themselves cannot be precisely dated, but are known to predate Timur's invasion in 1398 AD. No accounts of Dipalpur survive from the period between Alexander and Mahmud Ghaznavi. According to the 1935 District Gazetteer, the modern name Depalpur/Dipalpur derives from this founder's name.
==== Delhi Sultanate ====
However, in older times, Dipalpur fell on the way to Delhi and, as such, was considered to be a place where an invader could be engaged. Dipalpur, therefore, was one of the 3 lines of defense; the other two begin Uch Sharif, Samana, and Hansi. Ain-i-Akbari reveals that the militia force at Dipalpur, during the reign of Abul Fazal, consisted of 5,210 mounted Horsemen and 53,300 infantry. In the 14th Century, Firuz Shah Tughlaq regularly visited this place. It is also believed that he built a large mosque outside the city, which no longer remains.
The Mongols invaded this part of the country repeatedly, and they were checked at Dipalpur by Ghiyas-ud-Din Balban and his son Muhammad Khan, during their last invasion of Punjab in 1285 AD. Pir Muhammad Khan Mangol (also called Samar Khan) was defeated at Dipalpur, but during the pursuit of the retreating Mongols, Muhammad Khan was killed. It is believed that Shahzada Muhammad Khan is laid to rest in a small tomb to the west of the Badshahi Mosque. Confirmation from any authentic sources is, however, not available.
At the time of Timur’s invasion, Depalpur was second to Multan in size and importance. The town, it is believed, may have been deserted due to Timur’s invasion and drying up of the old Beas River.
In the Baburnama, Babur the first Mughal Emperor wrote: I defeated Pahar Khan and took Lahore and Dipalpur. referring to his conquest in 1524.
The Mughal Emperor Akbar, along with his son Saleem (Jahangir), along with their royal entourage, stayed in Dipalpur when he came to pay homage to Fariduddin Ganjshakar in 1578. Akbar named the corridor Bari Doab by combining the syllables of the names of the two rivers, the Beas River and Ravi River, that bounded the area.
Many Muslim saints have come to preach in this area. Bahawal Haq, commonly known as Bahawal Sher Qalandar, came from Baghdad and settled in the village of Patharwall near Dipalpur. The saint constructed a hujra (small living room) and a mosque outside the village. His grandson Shah Muqeem continued his mission. The village came to be known as Hujra Shah Muqeem. This is the place mentioned in the famous Punjabi love story Mirza Sahiban, where Jati Sahiban came here are pray, although there is no historical evidence to that. A Muslim saint named Saayin Abdul Razaq stayed in Dipalpur, and later on, he started his volunteer activity for local people. And after his death, he was buried in the city. Now, his death place is known as Razaqia Darbar. …