History
Bhallan, founder of the Faridkot principality, was an ardent follower Guru Har Gobind, the 6th Sikh Guru. He helped Guru Har Gobind Ji in the Battle of Mehraj, but died issueless in 1643. He was succeeded by his nephew, Kapura, who founded the town of Kot Kapura in 1661. Nawab Kapura was the chaudhry of eighty-four villages. Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, en route from Machhiwara, after staying at Dina and after short stopovers at various other places, reached Kot Kapura and asked Nawab Kapura Brar for his fort to fight the pursuing Mughal army. Kapura was a Sikh, but did not want to earn the ire of the Mughals by helping Guru Gobind Singh openly in his war with them; otherwise, the famous last battle of Muktsar (Khidrane Di Dhaab; now a historic town) between Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal army would have been fought at Kot Kapura. However, Nawab refused the fort to the guru.
After refusal from Kapura Brar, Guru Gobind Singh Ji reached the village of Dhilwan Kalan (at that time called Dhilwan Sodhian), where his relatives received him with great cordiality. At Dhilwan Kalan, one of the Prithi Chand's descendants, Kaul Sodhi, presented Guru Gobind Singh with new clothes. The guru took off his blue robe which he had been wearing since he left Machiwara, and tearing it piece by piece burned it in fire. The historic words that Guru Gobind Singh Ji are said to have uttered on this occasion are memorable: "I have torn the blue clothes which I wore, and with that the rule of the Turks and Pathans is at an end". Some historians think that the guru said "Turks, Pathans and Kapuras". It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed a couple of days at Dhilwan Kalan in the house of Sodhi Kaul on his request. On Kaul's request, Guruji also discarded his blue dress and changed to white dress. Descendants of Kaul Sodhi’s family claim that the guru gave a "syeli topi" believed to be of the first guru, Nanak Dev Ji, and a "chola" (cloak), socks and turban, two daggers believed to belonging to Guru Gobind Singh Ji, which is still in their custody.
Guru Gobind Singh's clothes can still be seen at Dhilwan Kalan. Nowadays, the village is approximately 2566 hectares in area, with a population of around 7000. In memory of Guru Gobind Singh Ji's visit to Dhilwan Kalan, "Gurdwara Godavari Sar Sahib" is situated about 200 m north of the village. Guru Gobind Singh Ji bathed in the sarover and changed cloths provided by the residents of the village. He named the village sarover "Godavari Sar". Guru Gobind Singh Ji announced that dipping in this sarover, now the "Holy Sarover of Gurdwara", will bear the same pilgrimage as taking a holy dip in the Godavari River, a sacred river in central India near Nanded. The Godavari River has been held as a special place of pilgrimage for many thousands of years in central India. A dip in the holy Godavari River is considered sacred in central India, similar to taking a holy dip in the Ganges River in northern India by Hindus.
Chaudhry Kapura, being repentant of his disgraceful act of not helping Guru Gobind Singh, later came to see the Guru and asked for his forgiveness. The Guru moved from Kot Kapura to Dhilwan Kalan, and then to Talwandi Sabo via Guru Ki Dhab. Later, in the battle of Muktsar in 1705, Nawab Kapura helped Guru Gobind Singh Ji in an underhand manner. In 1708, Kapura was slain by Isa Khan Manj. Kapura had three sons: Sukhia, Sema and Mukhia. Mukhia killed Isa Khan and took control of the entire area. Sema was also killed in this battle in 1710. Kapura’s eldest son, Sukhia, again came into power in 1720. A dispute between the sons of Sukhia, grandsons of Kapura, led to the division of the state in 1763. The older brother, Sardar Jodh Singh Brar, retained control of Kotkapura, while his younger brother, Sardar Hamir Singh Brar, was given Faridkot, which later became known as Faridkot Riyast during the British Raj. Nawab Kapura’s state was captured in 1803 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1808, Ranjit Singh captured the principality of Faridkot up to Muktsar. But Ranjit Singh vacated this area on the behest of the British. During the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1845, Pahara Singh Brar, from Kapura’s ancestral background, aided the British by providing secret intelligence to the British army. Pahar Singh Brar was rewarded with more territory of Faridkot Riyast being placed under his control after the British capture of the Sikh kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Raja Harinder Singh Brar was the last king of Faridkot Riyast before the independence of India in 1947. Raja Harinder Singh Brar had four issues, a son and three daughters; his son died issueless as did his youngest daughter years later. His eldest daughter Rajkumari Bibiji Amrit Kaur Sahiba and second eldest Rajkumari Bibiji Deepinder Kaur Sahiba live with issues. There is currently a legal dispute over the Raja's assets. Giani Zail Singh, former president of India belongs to the Sandhwan village of Kot Kapura. Renowned art historian Dr. Subhash Parihar who has done pioneer research on Mughal architecture of north-western India, also belongs to the town.Kotkapura was well known by name of "oil City".
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