Mahilpur

Mahilpur is a city and a Nagar Panchayat in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state Punjab. It is situated on Hoshiarpur to Garhshankar stretch of State Highway 24. It is famous for the game of football in the region. Mahilpur is connected by road to nearby districts, states and towns such as Jaijon, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Mohali, Chandigarh. Mahilpur is a development block. Mahilpur block has 140 villages in it. It as also known as the soccer-town of India given the craze of football among the people of Mahilpur town and its surrounding villages. It belongs to the Kandi area in the Doaba region of Punjab.Mahilpur had its first bank as Punjab National Bank in 1946 which operates two branches in the city. Mahilpur is famous for mangoes in the region.

History
As per story the village was founded by Bains Jatts and the headquarters of this tribe as well as 16 villages that belongs to this area. they say their ancestor Bains came here from Pothohar region of Punjab during the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq.

During the reign of Akbar under the emperors of Delhi, prior to the Sikh contest, the Jullundur Doab was divided into 36 parganas, in Hoshiarpur Zamindaris were held by Ghorewah Rajpúts of  Garhshankar,( Bains Jatts of Mahilpur, Gill Jatts of Budipind and Sahota Jatts of Garhdiwala) and(Jullundur) city  by Patháns.

The Sirdárs of Alawalpur are Bains Jats, originally of 5. Máhalpur, in Hoshiarpur, and their family has belonged to this Doáb from time immemorial; but it rose to eminence through its connection with the Nábha State, and in history is generally called Jalawála, from Jala, a village in Nábha, about four miles south- west of Sirhind. In 1759 Chaudhri Guláb Rái Bains is said to have made himself master of Jalbhah and two neighbouring villages, near Adampur, after which he attached himself to the Nábha family, and took up his residence in that State. He had five sons, of whom we are concerned with only two, Amar Singh and Himmat Singh.Amar Singh's son was the General Rám Singh who, it is said, was employed by the Sikh Government, in 1845, to induce the Nabha Rája to prove false to the English (The Rájás of the Punjab, pp. 411-414). He was afterwards employed as Judge (adálati) at Lahore and Gujrát. He died in 1852, and his grandson, with other members of the family, resides at Jala, in Nábha.

Himmat Singh was employed in various negotiations for the greater Phúlkián Chiefs with the British authorities, Mr. Metcalfe and Colonel Ochterlony, which he conducted with such skill that he acquired valuable jagírs, not only in Nabha, but also in Patiala and Jind. Abont 1812, the Rája of Núbha introduced him to Ranjit Singh, who gave him the ilága of Aláwalpur, which had lapsed. He also got Datárpur, Khera, Acharwal and Kutahra in Hoshiarpur and Machhiwára in Ludhiana, and subsequently jágírs in Multan and Peshawar, besides Kalál Mazara' now under riyasat Patiala  and other villages in tahsil Samrála, which Fatah Singh, Ahluwalia, gave him. (1) Part of this last grant is still in the family. Albel Singh, eldest son of Himmat Singh, was killed in the Jhang campaign in 1816. When Himmat Singh died, in 1829, his jágirs were largely curtailed through the influence of the Jammu family, and what was left went to Achal Singh, son of, and Kishan Singh, brother of, Albel Singh, who resided, the former at Aliwalpur, the latter at Dhogri. Kishen Singh died in 1841 (?) in the Kohát campaign, and his jágírs were resumed, as his son, Basáwa Singh, was a minor and could not discharge his duties. But Basawa Singh retained some of the Ludhiana estates, where his widow, Mussammát Bishan Kaur, has a small revenue-free-grant in Kalál Mazara'a. Dhogri went for a time through the influence of the Shaikhs to Abdus-Samad Khán, an Afghán, of Dhogri. On the introduction of British rule, Sirdár Achal Singh was exempted from supplying eighty sowárs which he formerly provided, and his jagire were reduced to 6 villages, assessed at Rs. 9,180 at the regular settlement. On his death, in 1857, his sons, Sirdars Partáb Singh and Ajit Singh, were given a pension of Rs. 2,000, which was subsequently (1874) changed into a grant of three-quarters of the revenue of Alawalpur, now worth Rs. 2,065 per annum, to descend in perpetuity to the male heirs of Sirdar Achal Singh. These are now represented by Achar Singh, son of Partáb Singh (b.1875) and Gurbachan (b. 1891) and Gurcharan (b.1895) grandsons of Ajit Singh.

Sardar Himmat Singh Singh also Founded Famous Jallianwala Bagh it was known as Bagh Sardara Himmat Singh Jallewalia (  designated due to Jalla Jagir in Nabha Riyasat). the. It came to be known as Jallewalia da bagh and at last Jallianwala after 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre as per the professor Pyara singh Padam's Sankhep Sikh itehas  the bagh was purchased by Yadgar committee in 1923 for 5'65'000 rupees

MacGregor (History of the Sikhs 1, 167) says: "Himmat Singh of Jilleewal, who was Vakeel of Maharaja Juswant Singh of Nábha, deserted from his master, and took service with the Mahárájá Ranjit Singh He became Wuzeer or prime minister, and received Alawalpur purgunah in jáger" This account is hardly consistent with the subsequent relations of the family to Nabha. The date according to MacGregor would be 1809. Mr. Barkley says the family property in Jala was confiscated when Himmat Singh left tho Nábha service, This supports MacGregor's story. The above is Sirdár Ajít Singh's sccount of the affair.

Finance and Banking
The oldest Financial Centre of mahilpur is Bains Co-operative thrift & Credit Society established in year 1905.


 * Punjab National bank
 * Canara Bank
 * Kotak Mahindra bank
 * ICICI Bank
 * Allahabad Bank
 * Bank of Baroda
 * HDFC Bank
 * State bank of India

Gurudwara Shahidan
This is a memorial Gurudwara dedicated to Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji and Shaheed Singhs as per history Zabar Khan a Pathan from one the Bassis kidnapped the newly married bride of Devi das Brahmin of jaijon a place 15-16 km away in the kandi mountains, Devi das requested to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji for help, Guru Gobind Singh Ji send Baba Ajit Singh and 200 Singhs to kill Zabar Khan and to rescue the bride. Baba Ajit Singh and 200 Singhs killed Zabar Khan and saved the bride. Later Baba Ajit Singh Cremated Shahid Singhs ,The Gurudwara was built to Commemorate this incident.

Battle of Mahilpur
Battle of Mahilpur was fought between Afghans and Sikh Misls Allied with faujdar Adina Beg in year 1757 Sikh and Collation forces won the battle.

Demographics
Mahilpur had a population of 11360 according to census of 2011. the current population estimate of 2024 is around 16000. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Mahilpur has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 73%. In Mahilpur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Profession of the most of the persons are agriculture based. Mahilpur is the NRI hub of the Punjab state.

Constituency
Mahilpur Falls under Sri Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency and current MP elected MP in 2024 is Sardar Malwinder Singh Kang from AAP. grahshankar is the vidhan sabha constituency of the area and the current MLA is Jaikishan Singh rouri from AAP.

Notable people

 * Buckam Singh Bains, (5 December 1893 – 27 August 1919), World War I Canadian Sikh war veteran (Private 454819, 28th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)
 * Justice Ajit Singh Bains ( Punjab & haryana high court)


 * Principal Harbhajan Singh Bains (Founder of Sporting Club & known in the field of education)
 * Sohan Singh Thandal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, State Government of Punjab
 * Piara Singh Gill, Indian nuclear physicist
 * Harjit Singh Sajjan (Punjabi: ਹਰਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੱਜਣ), Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister of National Defence,
 * Kulwinder Dhillon (Punjabi: ਕੁਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ). famous Punjabi singer from nearby village Pandori Ladha Singh.
 * Manmohan Waris, famous Punjabi Singer from nearby village Halluwal.
 * Kamal Heer, famous Punjabi Singer, brother of Manmohan Waris from nearby village Halluwal.
 * Sangtar Heer famous Punjabi Singer
 * Satinder Sartaaj, from a nearby village Bajrawar.
 * Baljit Sahni, Indian football player.
 * Harmanjot Khabra, Indian football player.
 * Jarnail Singh Dhillon, Arjuna awardee Indian football player.
 * Gurdev Singh Gill (footballer), Arjuna awardee football player.
 * Balwant Singh (footballer), Indian Professional footballer.
 * Sardar Himmat Singh Jallewale, also Known as Sardar Himmat Singh Bains Minister of Maharaj Ranjit Singh
 * Harmilan Bains, Indian Athlete
 * Chaudhry Gulab rai Bains, Chaudhry of Mahilpur a prominent jagirdar of village Achharwal and surroundings & Jallah Ludhiana.

Schools and colleges

 * Mahilpur was one of the earlier centers of educational institutions being set up during the time of the British Raj. Its government boys school, formerly known as Khalsa High School, was established in 1909. Khalsa College was established in 1946.
 * St. Soldier Divine Public school Mahilpur (CBSE Affiliated School)
 * Doaba Public School, Mahilpur (CBSE Affiliated School)
 * Sant Baba Hari Singh Model School, (ICSE Affiliated)
 * S. Baldev Singh Mahilpuri Govt. Sr. Secondary School, Mahilpur (Boys)
 * Govt, Sr Secondary School, Mahilpur (Girls)
 * S.G.G.S. Khalsa College, Mahilpur
 * Guru Nanak National Public Senior Secondary School, Mahilpur
 * K.D.International School, Mahilpur (CBSE Affliliated School)
 * King Edward Public School, Mahilpur
 * K.D College of Nursing, Mahilpur
 * Alice High School Mahilpur
 * Ankur Public School, Mahilpur
 * Adarsh Model School
 * Guru Gobind Singh College of Management and Information Technology
 * Bite Educational Institute
 * Sai College of Nursing, Sardullapur near Mahilpur
 * S.G.G.S. School, Paradasi School in Mahilpur