Dipalpur (), also spelt Depalpur, is a city in the Okara District of Pakistani province of Punjab that served as headquarters of Depalpur Tehsil. It is situated 150 kilometres from the province capital Lahore on a bank of the river Ravi. It is located west of Kasur District.
Depalpur has a great historical past and is a very ancient town. It was founded by Raja Depa Chand Bhatti. The fortified town of Dipalpur is built on an old Kushan site (40 AD to 172 AD). The fortifications themselves are very ancient; though it is impossible to determine their dates. All that can be said is that they are older than the visitation of Timur in 1398 AD. From the time of Alexander to the time of Mahmud Ghaznavi, there were no found accounts of Dipalpur. According to the Gazetteer ofÃÂ 1935, the modern name is claimed to have been named by Raja Deva Pala Bhati Rajput after he re-founded the town.
However, in older times, Dipalpur fell on the way to Delhi and, as such, was considered to be a place where an invader could be engaged. Dipalpur, therefore, was one of the 3 lines of defense; the other two begin Uch Sharif, Samana, and Hansi. Ain-i-Akbari reveals that the militia force at Dipalpur, during the reign of Abul Fazal, consisted of 5,210 mounted Horsemen and 53,300 infantry. In the 14th Century, Firuz Shah Tughlaq regularly visited this place. It is also believed that he built a large mosque outside the city, which no longer remains.
The Mongols invaded this part of the country repeatedly, and they were checked at Dipalpur by Ghiyas-ud-Din Balban and his son Muhammad Khan, during their last invasion of Punjab in 1285 AD. Pir Muhammad Khan Mangol (also called Samar Khan) was defeated at Dipalpur, but during the pursuit of the retreating Mongols, Muhammad Khan was killed. It is believed that Shahzada Muhammad Khan is laid to rest in a small tomb to the west of the Badshahi Mosque. Confirmation from any authentic sources is, however, not available.
At the time of TimurâÂÂs invasion, Depalpur was second to Multan in size and importance. The town, it is believed, may have been deserted due to TimurâÂÂs invasion and drying up of the old Beas River.
In the Baburnama, Babur the first Mughal Emperor wrote: referring to his conquest in 1524. The Mughal Emperor Akbar, along with his son Saleem (Jahangir), along with their royal entourage, stayed in Dipalpur when he came to pay homage to Fariduddin Ganjshakar in 1578. Akbar named the corridor Bari Doab by combining the syllables of the names of the two rivers, the Beas River and Ravi River, that bounded the area.
Many Muslim saints have come to preach in this area. Bahawal Haq, commonly known as Bahawal Sher Qalandar, came from Baghdad and settled in the village of Patharwall near Dipalpur. The saint constructed a hujra (small living room) and a mosque outside the village. His grandson Shah Muqeem continued his mission. The village came to be known as Hujra Shah Muqeem. This is the place mentioned in the famous Punjabi love story Mirza Sahiban, where Jati Sahiban came here are pray, although there is no historical evidence to that. A Muslim saint named Saayin Abdul Razaq stayed in Dipalpur, and later on, he started his volunteer activity for local people. And after his death, he was buried in the city. Now, his death place is known as Razaqia Darbar.
Several historical figures are recorded or traditionally believed to have visited Dipalpur due to its strategic importance as a military and administrative center. These visits highlight Dipalpur's historical significance, drawing rulers, saints, and conquerors who aimed to strengthen their power, establish governance, or impose their beliefs through force.
According to 2023 census, Dipalpur had a population of 122,759.