Faridkot district is an administrative district in the state of Punjab, in north-western India. It lies in the Malwa region of Punjab and forms part of the cotton-growing belt that stretches across the southern plains of the state. The district takes its name from its headquarters town, Faridkot, which is associated with the Sufi saint Baba Sheikh Farid (Fariduddin Ganjshakar), after whom the town and district are named.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Punjab |
| Region | Malwa |
| Headquarters | Faridkot |
| Type | District |
| Named after | Baba Sheikh Farid |
Faridkot district is situated in the south-western part of Punjab, on the alluvial plains between the Sutlej and the Ghaggar systems. The terrain is generally flat and is intensively cultivated, with irrigation supported by canals drawn from the Sutlej as well as by tube wells. The district shares boundaries with several neighbouring districts of Punjab, including Moga, Bathinda, Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Ferozepur.
The district is administered by a Deputy Commissioner and is divided into sub-divisions, tehsils and community development blocks. The principal urban centres include Faridkot town, Kotkapura and Jaitu. Faridkot serves as the seat of the district administration and houses the offices of the Deputy Commissioner, the Senior Superintendent of Police, and the district judiciary.
The region around Faridkot has a long historical association with Baba Sheikh Farid, the 12th–13th century Sufi saint of the Chishti order, whose verses are also incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. In the medieval and early modern periods the area formed part of the Phulkian confederacy of Sikh chiefs.
Faridkot State, ruled by a Sidhu Brar dynasty, was a princely state under British paramountcy and acceded to the Indian Union after independence in 1947. It was integrated into the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) and later, following the reorganisation of states, became part of Punjab. Faridkot district was constituted as a separate district within Punjab; the present district was reorganised when parts of the earlier larger Faridkot district were carved out to form new districts such as Sri Muktsar Sahib and Moga.
The town of Jaito within the district was the site of the Jaito Morcha of the 1920s, a non-violent agitation linked to the Sikh Gurdwara Reform Movement, which drew wide participation from across India.
The economy of Faridkot district is predominantly agricultural. Wheat and paddy form the main rabi and kharif crops respectively, while cotton, sugarcane and oilseeds are also cultivated. Kotkapura is an important market town and trading centre for agricultural produce. Small and medium-scale agro-based industries, including rice shellers and cotton ginning units, operate in the district.
Faridkot is the seat of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, a state university dedicated to medical, dental, pharmaceutical and nursing education. The Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, located in Faridkot, is among the major tertiary care institutions in the Malwa region.
The cultural life of the district reflects the broader Malwai Punjabi tradition, with strong elements of Sikh religious heritage and Sufi devotional traditions associated with Baba Farid. Punjabi is the principal language and is written in the Gurmukhi script. Annual fairs and religious gatherings are held at historical gurdwaras and shrines in and around Faridkot, Kotkapura and Jaitu.
Faridkot district is connected by road and rail to other parts of Punjab. National and state highways link Faridkot town with Bathinda, Ferozepur, Moga and Ludhiana. The railway