Mansehra District

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Batgram, Mansehra

Mansehra (Urdu: مانسہرہ ) is a district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan that contains the town of Mansehra, and the Kaghan Valley area, a popular tourist destination in Pakistan. The Karakoram Highway passes through the district.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Subdivisions
4 Demographics
5 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Alexander the Great & Ashoka

Bust of Alexander III in the British Museum.

Mansehra has one of the oldest histories in the Asian sub-continent. Alexander the Great after conquering parts of punjab established his rule over a large part of the district. It is also believed by historians that in the year 327 B.C. Alexander the Great handed this area to Abisaras, The Raja of the Poonch state. Mansehra remained a part of Taxila during the rule of the Maurya dynasty. At this time the Great Ashoka was the governor of this area. After the death of Ashoka’s father, Bidusara, Ashoka inherited the throne and ruled this area along with Gandhara. Today the famous edicts of Ashoka inscribed on three rocks near Bareri Hill, serve as evidence of his rule. These edicts also serve as proof that this area was a famous religious centre for pilgrims.

[edit] Hindu Shahi Dynasty & Kashmiris

In second century A.D. a mythical Hindu king Raja Risalu, son of Raja Salbahan of Sialkot, brought this area under his sway. The local people consider him as their hero and even today parents narrate to their children the stories of Raja Risalu and his wife Rani Konklan in the winter nights. When a Chinese pilgrim Hiun-Tsang visited Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent this area was under the control of Durlabhavardhana, the ruler of Kashmir.

It is also said that Turkey Shahi and Hindu Shahi Dynasties ruled Mansehra one after another. Among the Hindu Shahi dynasty rulers, Raja Jaipala was the most recognized. Mehmood of Ghazni defeated Raja Jaipala during his first Indian campaign. Please note that there is no historical evidance that Mehmood of Ghazni ever came or passed through mansehra. After the fall of Hindu Shahi dynasty in 11th century A.D., the Kashmiris took control of this area under the leadership of their ruler, Kalashan (1063 to 1089 A.D.) From 1112 A.D. to 1120 A.D. King Susala ruled this area. In the 12th century A.D. Asalat Khan captured this area but soon after Mohammad Ghuri’s death the Kashmiris once again regained control of Mansehra.

[edit] Mughals

A record of Mansehra’s history resumes during 1399 A.D. The great Muslim warrior Timur on his return to Kabul, stationed his soldiers for the protection of the important route between Kabul and Kashmir. By 1472 A.D. Prince Shahab-ud-Din came from Kabul and established his rule here. He founded the state and named it Pakhli Sarkar and chose Village Gulibagh as his capital. During the Mughal rule the local Turk chiefs acknowledged Mughal authority. In fact, Mansehra (Pakhli) provided the main route to Kashmir and was the most commonly used route for Emperor Akbar to travel to Kashmir. During the last days of Emperor Akbar's rule, the Turkish Chief Sultan Hussain Khan revolted against the Mughals. He claimed that the Mughals were interfering with his internal affairs. After this complaint he was exiled by the Mughals but later on he was pardoned.

Akbar as a boy around 1557

[edit] Sikh Rule

The Turks became miserable during the first quarter of the 18th century, their rule came to an end due to the increased aggression of the Pashtuns and their allied forces. In 1703 A.D. the Turks came under the attack of the Swatis. The Swatis then ousted the Turks and captured the hills and plains of the whole area. When Ahmad Shah Durrani expanded his kingdom to Punjab, Mansehra also came under his control. Durranis had considered it wise to ruled the area through local tribal chiefs, such as Saadat Khan of Garhi Habibullah, he was such an authoritative man amongst Swatis even the disputed matters of Jadoons and Tanolis had been sent to him for rectification through Jirgas. The Durranis ruled for quite some time, their rule ended abruptly in the beginning of the 189th century A.D. The fall of the Durranis led way for the Sikhs to rise to power under Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh began to expand his empire. The Sikhs got a hold of Mansehra in the year 1818 after a stiff resistance from its inhabitants. When Mansehra fell under Sikh control, it was annexed to Punjab. Syed Ahmad Shaheed with the help of the Mujahadeen, including the Swatis of Balakot and Syeds of Kaghan, led many revolts and attacks against the Sikhs. At last in 1831 during a fierce battle Syed Ahmad Shaheed along with a few of his soldiers were martyred. This allowed the Sikhs to gain an even stronger hold on Mansehra. After Rajit Singh's death, the Sikh empire began disintegrating. At this time, the British gained control of Punjab, thus also gaining control of Mansehra.

[edit] British Rule & Pashtun Resistance

By 1849 the Sikhs were no longer in power, the British had gained control of all of Mansehra. However, the Western Pashtun tribes, significantly the clans of Allai, Batagram (Nandhiar valley) and the tribes inhabiting on both slopes of the Black Mountain of Hazara, remained rebellious and willing to fight, the British sent out many expeditions against the Pashtun tribes to crush this rebellion. The British also declared Hazara as a district containing three subdivisions: Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur and decided to annex it to Punjab. In 1901 when NWFP was formed, Hazara was separated from Punjab and made a part of NWFP. Throughout their rule in Mansehra the British met fierce resistance from the local Pashtun tribes, the people of Mansehra's many villages had established their own rules for governing themselves. Many of Mansehra's citizens joined the Khilafat movement. When the Muslim League in Pakistan finally started its movement for a separate land, the local people joined it and struggled for liberation from the alien rules under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam and got triumphant victory against them, culminating in the creation of Pakistan, an independent state for the Muslims of the Sub-continent. During Bhutto's regime Mansehra was upgraded to a district level, containing two subdivisions: Mansehra and Batagram. Later, the Mansehra district had the Balakot subdivision added to it.

[edit] Geography

Mansehra is located at the eastern border of NWFP, being 2 hours away from Peshawar and three hours away from Islamabad. The district is located at 34º - 12' and 35º - 50' and 47º - 07' cast longitudes. It is closely linked to Afghanistan in the West which has increased Mansehra's Afghan refugee count over the past years.

The district of Mansehra has been heavily blessed with wonderful sceneries, some of Mansehra's main features are mountain ranges, plains, valleys, and numerous lakes and rivers.

[edit] Bordering districts

Mansehra shares its borders with numerous other districts, it is bordered by the Kohistan and Diamir districts in the north, in the south by the Abbottabad district, in the east by the Muzaffarabad district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and in the west by Swat district It also comes in contact with the Haripur District to its southwest, Shangla District to its northwest, Batagram District to its north-northwest, and the Gilgit District to its northeast.

Spring Image of Saif ul Maluk, Kaghan Valley

[edit] Lakes

There are three lakes in the district, Lulusar lake, Dudipatsar lake and Saiful Muluk lake. All three lakes are located in the beautiful Kaghan Valley and act as a mirror reflecting the snow clad mountains surrounding them.

Lulusar Lake is approximately 48 kilometers away from Naran and has an altitude of 3325 meters. Surrounded by wild flowers in almost all colors imaginable, this lake is the main source for the Kunhar River. Lake Lulusar is said to be one of the most tranquil spots on the Kaghan Valley, the lake is fenced by snowcapped mountains whose image is reflected on the standstill blue-green waters of the lake.

Dudipat Lake is enclosed with beautiful high snow drizzled peaks. The word "Dudi" means white, and "sar" means lake. Dudipat is one of the hardest places to reach requiring a tough hiking trip of about 4 to 7 hours. The hike is rewarding as tourists are greeted with green pastures and the lake blue-green waters.

The most famous of the district's many lakes is Lake Saiful Muluk, named in a folk tale - the Qissa Saiful Muluk - about a romance between a Persian prince and a fairy princess. In the folk tale the lake was the meeting site for the two lovers. Lake Saiful Muluk is located at the northern end of the Kaghan valley. At an altitude of 10,578 feet above sea level it is probably one of the highest lakes in Pakistan. The water is spectacularly clear with a slight green tone. It is accessible by a jeep road during the summer months or can be hiked up from the village below in 4-6 hours. The clarity of the water comes from the multiple glaciers all around the high basin feeding the lake.

[edit] Rivers

The largest river is the Kunhar River also known as the Kunar (not to be confused with the Kunar River of the Chitral District). The river is the gateway to the Kaghan Valley and runs through Balakot.

[edit] Subdivisions

The district consists of three tehsils and one PATA (Provincially Administered Tribal Area):

Mansehra tehsil
Oghi tehsil
Balakot tehsil
Kaladhaka, Black Mountain of Hazara PATA

[edit] Demographics

Mansehra is home to a diverse group of people, ranging from Afghan refugees, Pashtuns, Hazara, Kashmiris, Hindko, Tanolis, Rajputs, Swatis and Arians among many other ethnic groups. Aside from containing a diverse population the district of Mansehra also has a rich and textured history. Being ruled by the Greeks, Sikhs, Kashmiris, Mughals, Turks and Pashtuns. Mansehra is greatly renowned for its natural scenic beauty.