Chunian: History
The present city is more than 500 years old. Some parts of the city fortification and several of its old gates still exist. The city is built on a mound believed to have been built during the Indus Valley Civilisation but very little excavation has been sought to confirm this. The Archeology Department, Government of Pakistan carried out the last excavation in 1978. Among other objects, coins dating back to Alexander the Great's time (c. 323 BC) were discovered at the site. A large area of unexcavated mounds extends to the south-west of the city where ancient bricks and shards of pottery can be found on the surface. Legends believe that the city has been destroyed nine times in the past.
The present name is popularly believed to have been derived from 'Chunni', name of a daughter of Raja Todar Mal, the dewan or revenue minister to Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. Little historical evidence of this belief has been documented. People of nearby villages call the city Chooni in local dialect of Punjabi.
There is a baradari in Chunian of Raja Todar Mal.
Chunian was the capital of the Nakai dynasty one of the 12 Sikh dynasties (misls) which ruled in modern-day Kasur and Okara Districts.
During the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, as a part of Operation Sindoor, India claimed that it had conducted air and missile strikes on Pakistani military installations in Chunian on 10 May, 2025.