The history of Pathankot can be traced back to the ancient period of the great epic, the Mahabharata. It is believed that the city, which was named Prathisthan during that time, was under the kingdom of Audambra. The name Prathisthan meant "the firmly established place". And in the ancient book of Ain-i-Akbari, Pathankot was noted as Pargana Headquarter. The numerous antique coins suggest that the city had a significant place in the past ruled by many rulers. It is said that Pathankot is world famous for its military station known as Mammon Cantonment, which is known to be the biggest Military base in Asia.
During the 17th century, Pathankot was under the administration of the Pathania Rajputs, who ruled from Nurpur in Himachal Pradesh. The Nurpur state was established by Rana Bhet, a Taur Rajput of Delhi, who was well-known as Jatpal. He established his dynasty at Pathankot and took control of the whole country in the foothills of the Himalayas. Till 1781, the city of Pathankot was ruled by Raja Sayed Khan of Nurpur state, who was one of the Muslim descendants of a Mughal Emperor. By the end of the 17th century, Jatpal shifted his capital to Nurpur. Pathankot"s history is seeped with a long line of generations relating to various religions and royal clans. Thus according to Sikh history, it is believed that, Pathankot was established by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. During the medieval period, when the Ghilzai tribe of Pathan in Afghanistan came into power, the Pathan tribes of Afghanistan, namely the Marwat, Khattak, Yusufzai and other Pathans moved to India. They settled in places like Pathankot and Hoshiarpur. According to a famous historian named Sir A Cunnigham, the name of Pathankot originated from the word "Pathan". And thus, came forth the name Pathankot. It is also known that between the 17 to 18th century this region was ruled by Rajput rulers.
After the independence of India in 1947, Pathankot developed as an important township in many aspects. The city"s strategic location has prompted the establishment of an army and air force station. And after the partition of India, a huge number of people migrated from West Punjab also known as present day Pakistan, and settled in and around Pathankot. Most of these people started their own trade and contributed to the growth of the city and its surrounding area.
Visiting Information on Pathankot
The domestic civil airport, Pathankot Airport IXP is just 3 km from the main city of Pathankot and is 7 km from the city"s railway station located on the Pathankot to Majra Road under Pathankot Air Force Station. The Pathankot Airport is well connected to major cities like Delhi. The nearest International Airport from Pathankot is Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport at Amritsar, which is about 119 km from the city.