Jullundur was the headquarters of Jullundur District in the Jullundur Division of Punjab Province during the British period. Its nearby cities include Ludhiana to the south and Amritsar to the north.
In 1901 Jullundur had two flour mills and a brass and iron foundry, and its trades included silk manufacture and carpentry.
The Jullundur cantonment had been established in 1846, four miles to the west of the town, and usually contained two batteries of field artillery, one battalion of British infantry, one regiment of native cavalry and a battalion of native infantry.