Baba Ala Singh (1691–1765), a Sikh
chieftain from the village
Rampura Phul in
Bathinda District of Punjab, with his army of young brave men migrated to
Barnala where Baba Ala Singh in 1763 set up his new state. Later Baba Ala Singh moved to a small village of
Lehal where he built a new city on the village, naming it as
Patiala. He laid the foundations of a steady and stable state known as the
Phulkian Dynasty south of
Sirhind. In and around Patiala District he founded many villages within his territory, and reconstructed many historical
Gurdwaras relating to
Sikh religion. It was since Baba Ala Singh's time that Patiala District came into being as before the area was under the Sirhind Government. Baba Ala Singh made
Sirhind,
Tohana,
Mansa,
Bathinda,
Sangrur and Barnala,
Fatehabad District part of Patiala State. In 1809, Patiala State came under British protection during the reign of Raja-e-Rajgan Sahib Singh (1773–1813), under the
Treaty of Amritsar. During the British era, Patiala district in
Patiala State consisted of two tehsils: Patiala and Rajpura. After integration, Patiala district was reorganized by incorporating areas from
Nabha State, along with seven villages near Wazidpur and the Kularan area from the former
Jind State, forming a district with three tehsils: Nabha, Patiala, and Rajpura & District became part of the
Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). Later, in 1953, the districts of Fatehgarh Sahib and Kohistan were merged into Patiala district. Kohistan district had been formed earlier from the entire
Nalagarh State and parts of
Patiala &
Kalsia State. Later, in April 2006, when SAS Nagar (Mohali) district was created, the Dera Bassi area was included in the newly formed district. ==Geography==