Ludhiana () is the most populous city in the Indian state of Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Category: Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estimated population of 1,618,879 2011 census and distributed over , making Ludhiana the most densely populated urban centre in the state. It is a major industrial center of Northern India, referred to as "India's Manchester" by the BBC. It is also known as the commercial capital of Punjab.XIM University https://shs.xim.edu.in › uploadsPDF LUDHIANA
It stands on the old bank of Sutlej River, that is now to the south of its present course. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has placed Ludhiana on the 48th position among the top 100 smart cities, and the city has been ranked as one of the easiest cities in India for business according to the World Bank.
History
Founding Although the area around present-day Ludhiana had been inhabited since ancient times, the modern city was established during the late fifteenth century under the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Prior to its foundation, the region comprised several agricultural settlements located along the southern bank of the Sutlej River, whose course has since shifted further north.
During the rule of the Tughlaq dynasty, a fort was constructed to protect the strategic route linking Delhi with north-western India. The fort was captured by the Khokhar ruler Jasrat during his campaign in Punjab in 1421–22, illustrating the declining authority of the Delhi Sultanate in the region.
Ludhiana was founded in 1480 during the reign of the Lodi dynasty. According to tradition, Sultan Sikandar Lodi sent two military commanders, Yusuf Khan and Nihad Khan, to restore Lodi authority in Punjab. While Yusuf Khan crossed the Sutlej River and established Sultanpur Lodhi, Nihad Khan founded Ludhiana at the village of Mir Hota.
The city's name was originally Lodi-ana, meaning "the town of the Lodis", which gradually evolved into Lodiana and eventually Ludhiana.
The Lodhi Fort, popularly known as Purana Qila, is the only surviving monument from the city's foundation. It was repaired during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and later maintained by the British administration before falling into disrepair after independence. In December 2013, it was declared a state-protected monument by the Government of Punjab.
Mughal period Following the establishment of the Mughal Empire in 1526, Ludhiana became part of the Lahore Subah. Owing to its location on important commercial routes between Delhi and Lahore, the town developed as a regional trading centre for agricultural produce, textiles and handicrafts. Local administration was carried out through Mughal officials, while the surrounding countryside remained predominantly agrarian.
The city was also influenced by the growth of Sikhism. Several Sikh Gurus, including Guru Hargobind, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, travelled through the region, contributing to the religious significance of nearby settlements.
Sikh Confederacy
During the eighteenth century, Mughal authority in Punjab weakened following repeated invasions by Ahmad Shah Durrani. Ludhiana changed hands several times between Afghan forces and various Sikh misls. By the late eighteenth century, the area had come under the influence of the Phulkian chiefs and the Cis-Sutlej states, becoming an important frontier settlement in central Punjab.
British rule
Following the Treaty of Amritsar between the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Ludhiana became an important British military cantonment on the southern bank of the Sutlej River. The British established a political agency in the city to supervise the Cis-Sutlej princely states and maintain diplomatic relations with the Sikh Empire.
After the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46) and the annexation of Punjab in 1849, Ludhiana became part of British Punjab. Railways, roads and irrigation projects transformed the town into a major commercial centre. Industries relating to hosiery, textiles, metalworking and agricultural machinery began to emerge during the late nineteenth century.
Educational institutions, missionary schools and municipal administration expanded rapidly during this period. The Ludhiana Municipality was established in 1867, providing civic services and urban governance.
Indian independence movement Ludhiana was an active centre of political and revolutionary activity during the Indian independence movement. The district contributed significantly to the Ghadar movement, with many emigrants from Ludhiana who had settled in North America joining the Ghadar Party. Several revolutionaries returned to Punjab during the First World War to organise an armed uprising against British rule, leading to arrests and prosecutions in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
The district is closely associated with the revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha, one of the youngest leaders of the Ghadar movement, whose sacrifice later inspired Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters.
Ludhiana also witnessed widespread participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement. Public meetings, processions, strikes and the boycott of foreign goods were organised throughout the district, while many local political activists were imprisoned for anti-colonial activities.
Partition and post-independence
The Partition of India in 1947 transformed Ludhiana's demographic and economic landscape. The city received tens of thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees from West Punjab in present-day Pakistan, while much of its Muslim population migrated in the opposite direction.
The refugee population included skilled artisans, industrialists and entrepreneurs who established small-scale manufacturing units. Their contribution accelerated the growth of the bicycle, hosiery, sewing machine, machine-tool, auto component and textile industries, earning Ludhiana the nickname "Manchester of India".
During the second half of the twentieth century, Ludhiana expanded rapidly as Punjab's principal industrial and commercial centre. The establishment of institutions such as Punjab Agricultural University in 1962 further strengthened its importance in agricultural research and education. In the twenty-first century, the city has continued to expand as a centre for manufacturing, trade, healthcare and higher education, while also being selected under the Government of India's Smart Cities Mission.
Geography Ludhiana is located at . It has an average elevation of . Ludhiana City, to its residents, consists of the Old City and the New City. The new city primarily consists of the Civil Lines area which was historically known as the residential and official quarters of the colonial British encampment.
The Old Fort was at the banks of the Sutlej (and now houses the College of Textile Engineering). Legend has it that a tunnel connects it to the fort in Phillaur– although why this should be is debatable, as the Sutlej was the traditional dividing line between the principalities, often occupied by enemy forces (see History section).
The tree of largest natural extraction was the kikar, or Acacia Indica, but has been supplanted by the eucalyptus, transplanted from rural Australia in the late 1950s by the Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon.
Climate
Ludhiana features a relatively dry monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa) under the Köppen climate classification, although bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), with three defined seasons; summer, monsoon and winter. Ludhiana on an average sees roughly of precipitation annually. The official weather station for the city is in the compound of the Civil Surgeon's Office to the west of Ludhiana. Weather records here date back to 1 August 1868.
Ludhiana has one of the worst air pollution problems in India since 2011, with particulate matter being over six times the World Health Organization recommended standard, making it the 13th most polluted city in the world. Industrial water pollution is also of significant concern in portions of Ludhiana, notably along the Budha Dariya.
Demographics
Literacy As per the 2011 census, Ludhiana had a population of 1,618,879. The literacy rate was 86.50 per cent, and the population consisted of 950,123 males and 743,530 females.
Religion
With around 66% adherents according to 2011 Indian Census, Hinduism is the predominant religion of Ludhiana, followed by Sikhism with 29% of the population. Islam is followed by 2.8% and Christianity by less than 1%.
Prior to India's partition, Ludhiana had a population of 111,639 with Muslims being the majority with 62.9%. The Hindus were 31.1% and Sikhs 4.7%. It changed post-partition with a drastic reduction in Muslim percentage and simultaneous increase in Hindu and Sikh population, owing to migration of people between West and East Punjab. + Religious groups in Ludhiana City (1868–2011) Religiousgroup 1868 1881 1891 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 2011 Islam 27,860 29,045 30,257 31,472 27,197 30,921 42,981 70,182 45,473 Hinduism 10,208 12,969 13,871 15,249 14,079 17,092 20,758 34,704 1,067,744 Christianity 79 328 368 552 631 1,049 596 11,044 Sikhism 45 1,077 1,065 756 1,684 2,550 3,445 5,273 465,393 Buddhism 0 0 0 0 0 4 1,700 Jainism 752 813 804 658 667 344 605 16,941 Zoroastrianism 0 0 0 19 5 Others 1,791 320 0 0 0 0 0 279 10,584 Total population 39,983 44,163 46,334 48,649 44,170 51,880 68,586 111,639 1,618,879
Language
According to the 2011 Census of India, Punjabi is the predominant mother tongue in Ludhiana, spoken by 67.00% of the city's population. Hindi is the second most common first language, accounting for 29.24% of the population, while Bhojpuri is spoken by 1.35%. The remaining 2.41% of residents reported other mother tongues, reflecting the city's linguistic diversity.
As Punjab's largest industrial and manufacturing centre, Ludhiana has experienced significant in-migration from other parts of India, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Consequently, Hindi serves as an important link language in commerce, industry and inter-state communication, while Bhojpuri and several other regional languages are also spoken among migrant communities.
Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the official language of Punjab and is the principal language of administration, education and local governance in Ludhiana. English is widely used for higher education, judicial proceedings, business and official correspondence, while Hindi is commonly understood and spoken throughout the city owing to its diverse population.
Administration Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is the urban local body responsible for the civic administration of the city. Established in 1977, the corporation is headed by the Mayor, while the Municipal Commissioner, an officer of the Punjab Civil Service or Indian Administrative Service, serves as the executive head appointed by the Government of Punjab. The corporation is responsible for the provision and maintenance of civic infrastructure and public services, including roads, street lighting, water supply, sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, public health, parks, and urban planning.
Municipal finance