Poonch District
Encyclopedia
Poonch District is a district of Kashmir that is divided between India
and Pakistan
. The Pakistani part of Poonch District is part of its Azad Kashmir
territory, whilst Indian Poonch
is part of Jammu and Kashmir
state. The capital of the Pakistan controlled side is Rawalakot
; while the capital of the Indian side is Poonch
.
Based on the Mahabharata
evidence, and evidence from 7th century Chinese
traveler Yuan Chawang, the districts of Rajaori, Poonch and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas
during epic
times.
, a chronicle of Kashmir
written by Kalhan
. It was called Prontsa then. According to Rajtrangani Raja Trilochan Pal of Poonch gave a tough fight to Mahmood Ghazanavi who invaded this area in 1020. Ghazanavi failed to enter Kashmir, as he could not capture the fort of Lohara (modern day Loran, in district Poonch).
In 1819 this area was captured by Maharaja Ranjit Singh
and it remained under the occupation of Khalsa
Darbar of Lahore
till 1850.
In 1850, Raja Moti Singh who was son of Raja Dhayan Singh, the Prime Minister of Khalsa Darbar set up its separate principality known as Poonch state. Until 1935/36 Poonch remained a separate state, under the Khalsa Durbar. Then it was reduced to a Jagir
by Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu
. The period from 1850 to 1947 is considered as the Golden era of the history of Poonch. The Principality of Poonch obtained the status of a state from the British Raj
in 1901 during the reign of Raja Baldev Singh
. The rule of Raja Moti Singh, Baldev Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jagatdev Singh and Raja Shiv Rattan Dev Singh witnessed all round development of Poonch state. The historic Poonch fort was renovated and redesigned. Many other buildings were also constructed.
s of Poonch always resented the oppressive policies of the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu, after he took charge of Poonch in 1936. At the time of partition, there were rumours that Muslims were being massacred in Jammu. It enraged the Poonchies and they intensified the struggle for independence from Jammu. A major part of the district went to Azad Kashmir. During the 1947-48 war between India and Pakistan, Poonch city was under attack of the rebel Poonchies, Pakistani tribals and Pakistan army for about one year. It was in the month of November 1948 that Poonch city was re-united with Indian-administered Kashmir.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The Pakistani part of Poonch District is part of its Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
territory, whilst Indian Poonch
Poonch District (J&K)
District Poonch or Punch is one of the remotest districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is bounded by the Line of Control on three sides . The 1947-48 war between India and Pakistan divided it into two parts...
is part of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
state. The capital of the Pakistan controlled side is Rawalakot
Rawalakot
Rawalakot , is a city in Azad Kashmir, and is the capital of Poonch Division and Poonch District. It is in a saucer-shaped valley at an elevation of 1,615 metres ....
; while the capital of the Indian side is Poonch
Poonch
Poonch is a town and a municipal committee in Poonch District in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Based on the Mahābhārata evidence, and the evidence from 7th Chinese traveler Xuanzang, the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas...
.
Ancient History
When Alexander invaded the lower Jhelum belt to fight Porus, this region was known as Dravabhisar.Based on the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
evidence, and evidence from 7th century Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
traveler Yuan Chawang, the districts of Rajaori, Poonch and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
during epic
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
times.
Sovereign State
Around 850CE, Poonch became a sovereign state ruled by Raja Nar, who was basically a horse trader. Its name also appears in RajataranginiRajatarangini
The Rājatarangiṇī is a metrical chronicle of North west of the Indian subcontinent particularly the kings of Kashmir from earliest time written in Sanskrit by Kalhaṇa. The Rājatarangiṇī often has been erroneously referred to as the River of the Kings. In reality what Kalhana means by Rājatarangiṇī...
, a chronicle of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
written by Kalhan
Kalhan
Kalhan is a gotra of Jats found in India.In the confederation of tribes called Puru, mentioned in the Rigveda, was Sanyati whose son was Virabhadra...
. It was called Prontsa then. According to Rajtrangani Raja Trilochan Pal of Poonch gave a tough fight to Mahmood Ghazanavi who invaded this area in 1020. Ghazanavi failed to enter Kashmir, as he could not capture the fort of Lohara (modern day Loran, in district Poonch).
Mughal Era
In 1596, Mughal King Jahangir made Siraj-Ud-Din ruler of Poonch. Siraj-Ud-Din and his descendant Raja Shahbaz Khan, Raja Abdul Razak, Raja Rustam Khan and Raja Khan Bahadur Khan ruled this area up to 1792.Modern Era
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
and it remained under the occupation of Khalsa
Khalsa
+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...
Darbar of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
till 1850.
In 1850, Raja Moti Singh who was son of Raja Dhayan Singh, the Prime Minister of Khalsa Darbar set up its separate principality known as Poonch state. Until 1935/36 Poonch remained a separate state, under the Khalsa Durbar. Then it was reduced to a Jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
by Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
. The period from 1850 to 1947 is considered as the Golden era of the history of Poonch. The Principality of Poonch obtained the status of a state from the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in 1901 during the reign of Raja Baldev Singh
Baldev Singh
Baldev Singh was an Indian Sikh political leader, he was an Indian independence movement leader and the first Defence Minister of India. Moreover, he represented the Punjabi Sikh community in the processes of negotiations that resulted in the independence of India, as well as the Partition of India...
. The rule of Raja Moti Singh, Baldev Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jagatdev Singh and Raja Shiv Rattan Dev Singh witnessed all round development of Poonch state. The historic Poonch fort was renovated and redesigned. Many other buildings were also constructed.
Division of Poonch
October 1947 changed it all. The MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s of Poonch always resented the oppressive policies of the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu, after he took charge of Poonch in 1936. At the time of partition, there were rumours that Muslims were being massacred in Jammu. It enraged the Poonchies and they intensified the struggle for independence from Jammu. A major part of the district went to Azad Kashmir. During the 1947-48 war between India and Pakistan, Poonch city was under attack of the rebel Poonchies, Pakistani tribals and Pakistan army for about one year. It was in the month of November 1948 that Poonch city was re-united with Indian-administered Kashmir.
See also
- Poonch District (AJK) - Administered by Pakistan.
- Poonch District (J&K)Poonch District (J&K)District Poonch or Punch is one of the remotest districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is bounded by the Line of Control on three sides . The 1947-48 war between India and Pakistan divided it into two parts...
- Administered by India.