Sialkot in the context of "Hari Singh Nalwa"

Punjab (/pʌnˈdʒɑːb/ pun-JAHB; Punjabi: Panjāb, pronounced [pəɲˈd͡ʒaːb] ) is a geographical, ethnolinguistic, and historical region in South Asia, located in its northwestern part, comprising areas of modern-day Pakistan and northwestern India. It is primarily inhabited by the Punjabi people. Lahore is its largest city and historic capital, with other major cities including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Bahawalpur in Pakistan; alongside Ludhiana, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali, Bathinda, Firozpur, and Fazilka in India.

Punjab grew out of the settlements along the five rivers, which served as an important route to the Near East as early as the ancient Indus Valley civilization, dating back to 3000 BCE, followed by migrations of the Indo-Aryan peoples. Agriculture has been the chief economic feature of the Punjab and formed the foundation of Punjabi culture. The Punjab emerged as an important agricultural region, especially following the Green Revolution during the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, and has been described as the "breadbasket of both India and Pakistan."

Sagala, Sakala (Sanskrit: साकला), or Sangala (Ancient Greek: Σάγγαλα) was a city in Punjab, which is generally identified as the predecessor of the modern city of Sialkot that is located in what is now Pakistan's northern Punjab province. The city was the capital of the Madra kingdom and it was razed in 326 BC during the Indian campaign of Alexander the Great. In the 2nd century BC, Sagala was made capital of the Indo-Greek kingdom by Menander I. Menander embraced Buddhism after extensive debating with a Buddhist monk, as recorded in the Buddhist text Milinda Panha. Sagala became a major centre for Buddhism under his reign, and prospered as a major trading centre.

Mihirakula (Gupta script: , Mi-hi-ra-ku-la, Chinese: 摩酰逻矩罗 Mo-hi-lo-kiu-lo), sometimes referred to as Mihiragula or Mahiragula, was the second and last Alchon Hun king of northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent between 502 and 530 CE. He was a son of and successor to Toramana of Huna heritage. His father ruled the Indian part of the Hephthalite Empire. Mihirakula ruled from his capital of Sagala (modern-day Sialkot, Pakistan).

In around 520 CE, the Chinese monk Song Yun met with Mihirakula. According to the 7th-century travelogue of the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim and student Xuanzang, Mihirakula ruled several hundreds of years before his visit, was initially interested in Buddhism, and sought a Buddhist teacher from monasteries in his domain. They did not send him a learned Buddhist scholar. Feeling insulted, he became anti-Buddhist and destroyed the monasteries in his kingdom.

Sialkot District is a district within the Gujranwala Division of Punjab, Pakistan. Located in northeastern Punjab, the city of Sialkot is the headquarters of the district. It houses the Sialkot Cantonment, established in 1852.

Taank Kingdom (also known as Takka or Taki) was a kingdom based in the Punjab from 6th to 10th century CE. The kingdom was located south of Kashmir and north of Sindh, extending from the Indus in the west to the Beas river in the east. Its capital was the city of Sagala (modern day Sialkot).

Jasrat Khokhar, (c. 1375 – 1442) also known as Jasrath, was a 15th-century Punjabi Muslim chieftain who ruled parts of Punjab from 1410 until his death in 1442. He had his capital at Sialkot.

A son of Shaikha, Jasrat fought against Tamerlane during his invasion of Delhi Sultanate in 1398. He was defeated and made captive but regained his power after getting free. Jasrat supported Shahi Khan against Ali Shah and obtained significant spoils after his victory in the Battle of Thanna. In 1423 he conquered Jammu after defeating its ruler Bhim Dev. Encouraged by the early victories, Jasrat aimed for Delhi and invaded the Delhi Sultanate several times between 1421 and 1432. Although mostly unsuccessful in these campaigns, Jasrat managed to expand his control over most of Punjab and Jammu as well as parts of present-day Himachal Pradesh. He is considered a folk hero of Punjab.

Pushyamitra Shunga (IAST: Puṣyamitra Śuṅga; reigned c. 185 – c. 149 BCE), also known as Pushpamitra Shunga (IAST: Puṣpamitra Śuṅga) was the founder and the first ruler of the Shunga Empire which he established to succeed the Maurya Empire. Pushyamitra is recorded to have performed the Ashvamedha ritual to legitimize his right to rule. Inscriptions of the Shungas have been found as far as the Ayodhya (the Dhanadeva–Ayodhya inscription), and the Divyavadana mentions that his empire stretched as far as Sakala (now Sialkot) in Punjab region, now in Pakistan.

Though Buddhist texts claim that Pushyamitra persecuted Buddhists, past and contemporary scholars have rejected these claims.