Kasur

Kasur, city, eastern Punjab province, Pakistan. It lies on the border of India about 30 miles (50 km) south of Lahore. Traditionally it is said to have been founded by Kusa, son of the legendary Hindu figure Rama. During the Mughal period it was settled by a Pashtun colony and in 1807 was captured by the Sikhs. It was incorporated as a municipality in 1867. It is an aggregation of 26 fortified hamlets (kots) overlooking the alluvial valleys of the Beas and Sutlej rivers. Connected by road with Amritsar and Firozpur and by rail with Lahore and Karachi, it is a local trade centre. Industries include tanning, cotton ginning, oil pressing, weaving, and leather-goods production. Among its institutions are a hospital and a college affiliated with the University of the Punjab.

The surrounding area consists of a flat alluvial plain bordered by the Ravi River to the northwest and the Sutlej River to the southeast. Five canals, used for irrigation, flow through the district. Agriculture is the principal occupation; wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton, fruits, and vegetables are grown in the region. A forestry plantation was started at Chhanga Manga in 1864 and now produces silk, honey and beeswax, and turmeric, as well as seasoned timber. Pop. (1998) 245,321.