Ferozepur Cantonment, also known as Firojpur Cantonment and Firojepur Cantonment, is a

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

town in

Firozpur district Firozpur district, also known as Ferozepur district, is one of the twenty-three districts in the state of Punjab, India. Firozpur district comprises an area of . Firozpur (Ferozepur) is the capital city of the district. It is situated inside t ...

in the state of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is located adjacent to and south of the city of

Firozpur Firozpur, also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India. After the partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the India–Pakistan border with memorials to soldiers who di ...

. During the

First Anglo-Sikh War The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company in 1845 and 1846 in and around the Ferozepur district of Punjab. It resulted in defeat and partial subjugation of the Sikh empire and cession of ...

, Firozpur Cantonment played a key role for the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

. Today, it is the headquarters for a

Division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

. Firozpur district's key administrative offices and residences, including the district courts and the commissioner's office, are in the Cantonment rather than the city. The Mall Road is the main road of the Cantonment and runs through most of its length. All key offices and institutions as well as residences are located on, or in close proximity to, the Mall Road.

Demographics

, Firozpur Cantonment had a population of 57,418. Males constitute 60% of the population and females 40%. Firozpur Cantonment has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 74.04%; male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. In Firozpur Cantonment, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History

Firozpur Cantonment was established in the year 1839 when Captain H. M. Lawrence was posted as the Assistant Political Agent of the Northwest Frontier. It is situated east of the

Sutlej River The Sutlej or Satluj River () is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as ''Satadru''. It is the easternmost tributary of the Ind ...

, and about south of Firozpur city. Firozpur city and Cantonment, being situated on the

India–Pakistan border The Indo–Pak border or India-Pakistan border is the international boundary that separates India and Pakistan. At its northern end is the Line of Control, which separates Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistani-administered Kashmir; and at ...

, have not witnessed much industrial or commercial development. Firozpur Cantonment is a Class I Cantonment. The Cantonment is connected to the city by Jhoke Road and to the Sutlej by the

Grand Trunk Road The Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sarak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sarak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. ...

Historically, it was an important Cantonment for the British. It was a vital base for their forces, particularly during the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846), but also over the course of the

Second Anglo-Sikh War The Second Anglo-Sikh War was a military conflict between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company, British East India Company that took place in 1848 and 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab r ...

(1848–1849). It continued as an important base for supporting forward positions in modern-day

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it was one of the largest Cantonments in this region. After the

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

, the Cantonment's importance declined. There is an abandoned airstrip of British-era vintage in the Cantonment. The

Battle of Saragarhi The Battle of Saragarhi was a last-stand battle fought before the Tirah Campaign between the British Raj and Afghan tribesmen. On 12 September 1897, an estimated 12,00024,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen were seen near Gogra, at Samana Suk, an ...

Gurudwara is a part of the Cantonment's military history as the men in the battle were mostly from adjoining areas. Saragarhi Memorial Ferozepur

Profile

Firozpur Cantonment Board is constituted under the provisions of the Cantonments Act, 1924, which was enacted by the Central Government. This Board is under administrative control of Government of India through the Ministry of Defence. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, (GOC-in-Chief) Western Command, Chandimandir, acts as the local government. The Officer Commanding the Station is the President of the Board. The administration of the Cantonment Board is supervised by the Defence Estates Organisation. An officer of the Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) is posted as chief executive officer. Principal Director, Defence Estates, of the level of Additional Secretary at the centre, is posted in each Command, who is advisor to the GOC-in-Chief and is answerable to the Director General Defence Estates and, through him, to the Ministry of Defence. The military units at the Cantonment come under the administrative and operational control of the 1st Armoured Division,

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...

. 2nd Battalion of

Madras Sappers Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, 2 companies of 8th Battalion

Bengal Sappers The Bengal Engineer Group (BEG) (informally the Bengal Sappers or Bengal Engineers) is a military engineering regiment in the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The unit was originally part of the Bengal Army ...

, 2nd and 9th

Garhwal Rifles The Garhwal Rifles, formerly known as the Royal Garhwal Rifles, are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal) Regiment of the Bengal Army. It then became part of the British Indian Army, and a ...

, 2/

9 Gorkha Rifles The 9th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army and, previously, the British Army. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independe ...

, 1 Squadron 3rd Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Regiment, 3 Squadrons of 5th Battalion

Scinde Horse The Scinde Horse is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment, known before independence as the 14th Prince of Wales's Own Scinde Horse was a regular cavalry regiment of the Bombay Army, and later the British Indi ...

, I Battery 34th Medium Artillery Regiment (equipped with 122 mm

howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...

), D Signals Company of Divisional Signals Battalion and 23rd Field Mobile Ambulance Squadron of the

Army Medical Corps A medical corps is generally a military branch or officer corps responsible for medical care for serving military personnel. Such officers are typically military physicians. List of medical corps The following organizations are examples of medica ...

are the units stationed at Firozpur Cantonment.

Schools and colleges

* B.M Jain Sr. Sec. School * Doon Junior School * Guru Nanak College * D.C. Model Sr. Sec. School * Army School * Army Public School * Grammar Model High School * St.Joseph's Convent School * Khalsa Girls Senior Secondary School * Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2 * D.A.V College * M.L.M Sr.Sec.School * D.S.Public School. * Vivekananda World School

References

{{Firozpur district Cities and towns in Firozpur district Cantonments of India Cantonments of British India