Daska is ethnically diverse and is home to many different tribes, ethnic Kashmiris and the Rajputs are dominant in the urban area, with a large amount of Pashtuns overwhelmingly from the Kakazai tribe are significant in the urban and rural area having migrated centuries ago. Several Gujjar and Jatt tribes are dominant in the rural areas. Others smaller groups such as the Awan, ArainKhokhars, and Gakhars, there are also found while there is also a large amount of the ethnic Mewati speaking people from Haryana having migrated there during the partition of India.
History
17th-19th centuries
Daska was founded during the reign of Shah Jahan, and was initially named Shah Jahanabad, according to Mughal revenue records.[2] It was later renamed Daska as it is das ("ten") koh (Mughal unit of distance) from Sialkot, Pasrur, Gujranwala, and Wazirabad.[3] During the Afghan Durrani invasion of the 18th century, Daska was ruined, and its inhabitants were forced to seek shelter in the nearby mud fort of Kot Daska.[4] Daska was later repopulated during the Sikh era.[5] Daska was captured by Ranjit Singh in 1802 and made part of the Sikh Empire.[6]
20th century
In 1929, Daska was the site of Hindu-Sikh riots when AkaliSikhs attempted to seize control of Gurdwara Sant Wayaram Singh. The local Hindu community claimed it was originally built to be a Hindu temple.[7]
In August 1947, 5,000 refugees from surrounding areas gathered at Daska Camp for two weeks before being escorted to the Indian border by the Pakistan Army.[8]
