Kasur

Kasur or Qasur (Urdu: قصُور‎), (Punjabi: قصور), is the headquarters of Kasur District, Pakistan. It is the 20th most populous city of Pakistan. Bordered to the north by Lahore, by India to the south and east, the city is adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala, a border with its own flag-lowering ceremony similar to that of Wagah but far more intimate and less jingoistic. Kasur is also the burial place of the legendary Sufi-poet Bulleh Shah.

History

Kasur region was an agricultural region with forests during the Indus Valley Civilization. The Vedic period is characterized by Indo-Aryan culture that supposedly migrated from Central Asia and settled in the Punjab region. Kasur was said to be ruled by Kusha, son of Lord Ram. The Kambojas, Daradas, Kaikayas, Pauravas, Yaudheyas, Malavas and Kurus invaded, settled and ruled the ancient Punjab region. After overunning the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BCE, Alexander marched into the present-day Punjab region with an army of 50,000. The Kasur region was ruled variously by the Maurya Empire, Indo-Greek kingdom, Kushan Empire, Gupta Empire, White Huns, Kushano-Hephthalites and Shahi kingdoms.