Mansehra District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mansehra (Urdu: مانسہرہ) is a district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan which contains the town of Mansehra and the Kaghan Valley area (a popular tourist destination in Pakistan). The Karakoram Highway passes through the district.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Alexander the Great & Ashoka
Alexander the Great, after conquering parts of Punjab, established his rule over a large part of Mansehra District. In 327 B.C., Alexander handed this area over to Abisaras, The Raja of the Poonch state. Mansehra remained a part of Taxila during the rule of the Maurya dynasty. After the death of Ashoka’s father, Bidusara, Ashoka inherited the throne and ruled this area as well as Gandhara. Today, the famous edicts of Ashoka, inscribed on three rocks near Bareri Hill, serve as evidence of his rule. These edicts also show that this area was a famous religious centre for pilgrims. The name Mansehra is a modified form of the name Maan Singh, who once ruled over this area.
[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 tell their children the stories of Raja Risalu and his wife Rani Konklan on winter nights. When a Chinese pilgrim, Hiun-Tsang, visited this area, it was under the control of Durlabhavardhana, the ruler of Kashmir.
The Turkish Shahi and Hindu Shahi Dynasties ruled Mansehra one after another. Among the Hindu Shahi dynasty rulers, Raja Jaipala is the most known. Mehmood of Ghazni defeated Raja Jaipala during his first Indian campaign. However, there is no historical evidence that Mehmood of Ghazni ever visited or passed through Mansehra. After the fall of Hindu Shahi dynasty, in 11th century, the Kashmiris took control of this area under the leadership of [[Kalashan]. From 1112 to 1120, King Susala ruled this area. In the 12th century, Asalat Khan captured this area but soon after Mohammad of Ghor's death the Kashmiris once again regained control of Mansehra.
[edit] Turkish rule
In 1399, the great Muslim warrior Timur, on his return to Kabul, stationed his Turk soldiers in Manshera to protect the important route between Kabul and Kashmir. By 1472, Prince Shahab-ud-Din came from Kabul and established his rule over the region. Prince Shahab-ud-Din, a Turk of central Asian origin, founded the state and named it Pakhli Sarkar and chose Village Gulibagh as his capital. During the Mughal rule, these local Turkish 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 was pardoned. Now, descendents of these Turkish rulers live in village Behali and other villages in Masehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur districts.
[edit] Sikh Rule
Turkish rule came to an end due to the increased aggression of the Pashtuns and their allied forces. Around beginning of eighteenth century1703, the Turks came under attack by the Swatis. The Swatis ousted the Turks and captured the major part of fertile area in Mansehra. The Turks were pushed towards the mountaneous areas of lower Tanawel (Behali) and other parts of Hazara, including Haripur (Manakrai). The Turks remained in control of certain small areas, assuming the title of Raja. Raja Amanulla of Manakrai, Haripur, one of the descendents of the Turkish rulers of Hazara, rose to prominence during post-independence era, when he became the Speaker of the NWFP assembly in 1985.
When Ahmad Shah Durrani expanded his kingdom to Punjab, Mansehra also came under his control. Durrani considered it wise to rule the area through local tribal chiefs, like Saadat Khan of Garhi Habibullah. Saadat Khan was such an authoritative man amongst Swatis, even disputed matters of Jadoons and Tanolis had been sent to him for rectification through jirgas. The Durranis ruled ended abruptly in the beginning of the 18th century.
The fall of the Durranis led way for the Sikhs to rise to power under Ranjit Singh. The Sikhs gained control of Mansehra in 1818, after 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, led many revolts and attacks against the Sikhs. At last, in 1831 during a fierce battle, Syed Ahmad Shaheed was martyred. This allowed the Sikhs to gain a stronger hold on Mansehra. After Rajit Singh's death, the Sikh empire began to disintegrate. At this time, the British gained control of Punjab, and, through this, gained control of Mansehra.
[edit] British Rule & Pashtun Resistance
By 1849, the Sikhs were no longer in power, and the British had gained control of all of Mansehra. However, the Western Pashtun tribes remained rebellious. These tribes included the clans of Allai, Batagram in the Nandhiar valley, and the tribes inhabiting both slopes of the Black Mountain of Hazara. The British sent many expeditions against the Pashtun tribes to crush the rebellion.
The British divided the Hazara into three subdivisions: Mansehra, Abbottabad, andHaripur; and decided to annex it to Punjab. In 1901, when the North-West Frontier Province 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. Meanwhile, the people of Mansehra's many villages largely governed themselves. Many of Mansehra's citizens joined the Khilafat movement.
When the Muslim League in Pakistan started its movement for a separate land, the local people joined and struggled for liberation under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam. Their eventual victory culminated 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, 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 the North-West Frontier Province, two hours away from Peshawar and three hours away from Islamabad. The district is located at 34º - 12' and 35º - 50' and 47º - 07' longitude. 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 blessed with wonderful scenery. 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: the Kohistan and Diamir districts to the north, the Abbottabad district to the south, the Muzaffarabad district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the west, and the Swat district to the east. It sits adjacent to the Haripur District to the southwest, the Shangla District to the northwest, the Batagram District to the north-northwest, and the Gilgit District to the northeast.
[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
- Black Mountain of Hazara PATA
[edit] Demographics
Mansehra is home to a diverse group of people, including Afghan refugees, Turks, 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.
Its population in 1998 was 1,152,839
[edit] External links
- Mansehra International Public School
- Mansehra International Public School and College
- Mansehra Valley
- Mansehra PHP developer
- Mansehra
- Apna Mansehra
- Hazara University
| Administrative Divisions of North-West Frontier Province |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Peshawar | |
| Districts | Abbottabad | Bannu | Batagram | Buner | Charsadda | Chitral | Dera Ismail Khan | Hangu | Haripur | Karak | Kohat | Kohistan | Lakki Marwat | Lower Dir | Malakand | Mansehra | Mardan | Nowshera | Peshawar | Shangla | Swabi | Swat | Tank | Upper Dir | |
