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Faridabad History, India

Faridabad, having been founded in 1607, is one of the oldest settlements in the Indian State of Haryana. There is every probability that like other prominent North-Indian cities, namely, Delhi, Agra and Amritsar, the area had been inhabited even prior to its foundation, but the year 1607 is generally ear-marked as the beginning of proper Faridabad history.

Faridabad was founded as a mere fort town by Shaikh Farid as per orders of the then Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, and is hence named Faridabad. (There is yet another popular account/version relating to the naming of the city and it says that the city has been named after a Sufi Saint, Baba Farid).

Faridabad History – Initial Years to India’s Independence

Faridabad was initially planned as a fort town with an aim of protecting/guarding the erstwhile Shershah Suri Marg (present National Highway No. 2) from foreign invasions. The initial structures to have been constructed under Shaikh Farid were the fort, a water-reservoir and a mosque; all these now lie in ruins and have become the prime lures of Faridabad tourism.

In the following years, rather for the next one-and-half century, Faridabad saw much slackened expansion and not much is known about this phase of Faridabad history except that the initial years of the 18th century more or less saw intermittent rules of Mughals and Jats over Faridabad. When by the mid-18th century, the power of the Mughals waned and the Jat Rajputs established the princely state of Ballabgarh, Faridabad became the H.Q. of a pargana of the Ballabgarh state. The reign of Raja Nahar Singh, the valiant martyr of India’s first war of Independence in 1857, was the most glorious period of Faridabad history in the pre-Independence era.

Faridabad History – Following India’s Independence

The post-Independence years proved a turning point for Faridabad. During this part of Faridabad history, the city started expanding – the New Industrial Town was developed to give shelter and occupation to the refugees fleeing Pakistan following the Partition.

The last and most significant incident to have happened in the history of Faridabad has been the naming of Faridabad as the 12th district of Haryana, 32 years after India’s independence on 15th August 1979. Thereafter, Faridabad has undergone unprecedented growth and development.

Today, Faridabad is not just one of the leading cities of the state of Haryana, but also an industrial and agricultural hub of the nation as a whole. The most populated city of Haryana, Faridabad has become home of people speaking different languages, following different cultures, traditions and religions – people who are lured by the diverse working opportunities that the city proffers.

Of course, it is not just ‘all work and no play’ in Faridabad and people do visit the city for pure-tourism purposes. Famous for its resorts, communication and transportation infrastructure and other tourism-related services/industries, Faridabad receives tourists in considerable numbers from far-and-wide every year.

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