The city of Kasur is a town of considerable antiquity. It is situated upon the north bank of the old bed of the Beas upon the Ferozpur Road 53 Kilometer south-east of Lahore. It is built upon the high bank which marks the termination of the Majha, and looks down upon the lowlands of the Sutlej and Beas.

The city of Kasur is an aggregation of fortified hamlets, called kots, small in themselves, but together forming a considerable town. Their names are Pacca Qila, Kot Ghulam Muhammad, Kot Murad Khan, Kot Usman Khan, Kot Badar-ud-Din Khan, Kot Azam Khan, Kot Halim Khan, Kot Fateh Din Khan, Kot Piran, Kot Ruken Din Khan, Kot Budha, Kot Sher Baz Khan, Dhoor Kot, Roarr Kot, Kot Mir Baz Khan, Kot Qatal Garhi, Kot Ali Garh.

Within historical times, Kasur has been in the possession of a remarkable colony of Pathans, perhaps the most remarkable on this side of the Indus. There is little doubt, however, that the site was occupied by a Rajput town long before the period of the earliest Muslim invasions. There are various traditions about the origin of the name of Kasur.

According to some historians, its name is corrupted form of Kashawar, in the  same way as Lahore is said to be a shortened form of Lahawar. Tradition refers the foundation of the town to Kush, a brother of Loh or Lav, son of Rama, who is said to have founded Lahore. Some historians opine that Kasur is the Persian word and is plural form of  Kasr or Qasr (Kot). However this may be, Kasur does not appear in history until far on in the Muhammad period. The colony of Pathans was located at some time during the reign of Babar, but more probably in 1560, during the reign of his grandson Akbar. At that time the town is said to have numbered 3500 souls. Among the Pathans who settled here were certain Hasanzais, whose descendents became the chiefs of the town and founded a considerable principality, including territory on both banks of the Sutlej.

When the Sikhs rose to power, they experienced great resistance from the brave Sikhs of Kasur. In 1763 and again in 1970. However, later, they were able to subdue the territory. Large numbers of Pathans embraced martyrdom on these occasions. In 1794, two Pathan brothers, Nizam ud Dian and Kutab ud Din again expelled the Sikhs from Kasur and re-established the Pathan rule, held their own against the repeated attacks of Sikhs until 1807, when at last Kutab ud Din was forced to give way before Ranjit Singh and retire to his territory at Mamdot beyond the Sutlej. The town of Kasur was then incorporated in the dominion of Ranjit Singh. After the Sikhs the area was taken over by the British.

In 1867, the Kasur Municipality was constituted. Kasur remained a tehsil of Lahore District.  During the times of the British, and Extra Assistant Commissioner used to be the in-charge of the Sub-Division. Kasur remained a Sub-Division of Lahore District till when it was made a district on 1st July 1976.

Initially, the district comprised to sub-divisions namely Kasur & Chunian. Later on, in 1992, the Government of Punjab created another sub-division with its headquarter at Pattoki. At present Kasur consists of three sub-divisions; namely, Kasur, Chunain and Pattoki.