Hisar is an ancient city located in the north-west of
Haryana, on the banks of the western Yamuna Canal. It is the administrative headquarters of
Hisar District.
Hisar has a long history to fall back on. Excavations have unearthed various relics of Harappan settlements in the region. The city had also been associated with the Vedic tribes of Bharatas, Purus, Kurus, Mujavatas and Mahavrishas.
The origin of the city in modern times has been recorded as 1356, founded by Emperor Feroze Shah Tughlaq. Owing to its strategic location outside Delhi, the city topped the territorial expansion plans of many rulers, and witnessed many upheavals and conquests in the medieval times. It formed a part of the Delhi Empire under the Lodhis and was later gifted to Humayun by
Babur. In the early 19th century, the city came under the control of the British.
Hisar played a major role in India’s first war of independence in 1857. It was the seat of many political operations against the British. It was in this volatile town that Lala Lajpat Rai spent his formative years.
Now Hisar is a prominent center for agriculture and industry in Haryana. Many steel and cotton industries dot the city outskirts.
Places of tourist interest in and around the city include the Feroze Shah's palace and fort, Lat ki Masjid, Humayun’s mosque,
Jahaz Kothi and
Gujari Mahal.
Hisar is a major rail junction in the
North Western Railways. The nearest airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport (161 km).
