[6] The city was initially founded by the Mughal emperor Akbar as Atak-Banāras (Urdu: اٹک بنارس).

[6] The name was changed to Campbellpur to reflect that of the Commander-in-Chief of British forces Sir Colin Campbell, who rebuilt the city.

Alexander the Great, Mahmud of Ghazni, Timur, Nader Shah and Babur crossed the Indus at or about this spot (Attock Fort) in their invasions of India.

The Sikh Kingdom (1799–1849) under Ranjit Singh (1780–1839) captured the fortress of Attock in 1813 from the Durrani Nawab[citation needed].

Following the Indian Rebellion in 1857, the region's strategic value was appreciated by the British, who established the Campbellpur Cantonment in 1857–58.

Today the Attock district consists of six tehsils: Fateh Jang, Hazro, Hasan Abdal, Jand, and Pindi Gheb.