Mirpur, Azad Kashmir

Mirpur
میر پور
Mirpur
Mirpur
Coordinates: 33°9′N 73°44′E / 33.150°N 73.733°ECoordinates: 33°9′N 73°44′E / 33.150°N 73.733°E
Country Pakistan
Territory Azad Kashmir
District Mirpur District
Government
 • Administrator Gulam Rasool Awaami
Area
 • Total 1,010 km2 (390 sq mi)
Elevation 458 m (1,503 ft)
Population (2013)
 • Total 523,500
 • Density 518/km2 (1,340/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Calling code 05827
Number of towns 3
Number of Union councils 21

Mirpur (Urdu, Mirpur Punjabi: مِيرپُور or more commonly known as New Mirpur City) is the capital of Mirpur district and is one of the largest cities of the Pakistan administered Kashmir region. The city itself has gone through a process of modernization, while most of the surrounding area remains agricultural. Mirpur is known for its grand buildings and large bungalow-houses primarily funded through its ex-pat community, which comes mainly from the United Kingdom, Europe, Hong Kong, Middle East and North America. The main crop cultivated during summer is millet and pulses. However, there are places where other crops such as wheat, maize and vegetables are also grown. The produce of quality rice from the paddy fields of khari Sharif between Upper Jhelum Canal and Jhelum river are very famous and popular for its aroma and taste. The production of electricity, through Mangla Dam makes this district somewhat unique in the entire region which provides energy needs for Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Punjab province.

A significant portion of the population from the district migrated to the United Kingdom in mid to late 1950s and in early 1960s – mostly to West Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands, Luton, Peterborough, Derby and East London. For this reason Mirpur is sometimes known as "Little England". Many products from the UK are found in this city. Many shops in the city accept Pound sterlings.[1]

History

Bawli, Old Mirpur

The area that is now Mirpur has always been a crossroad for major invasions of the South Asia and has formed part of various empires over time including Achaemenid empire of Persia, an outlying region of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Kingdom of Gandhara, the Mauryan empire, the Kushan empire, the Sultanate of Ghazni, the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal empire amongst others.

The Mirpur city itself was founded in around 1642 AD or 1052 AH by the Ghakhar chief Miran Shah Ghazi.

The Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series Kashmir and Jammu (1909) provides this information about Mirpur history as "it is said to have been founded by Miran Shah Ghazi and Sultan Fateh Khan".

An alternate view is that the city was founded by Mira Shah Gazi and Gosain Bodhpuri, both regarded as saints. The word 'Mir' was taken from the name of the former while 'Pur’ from the latter.[2]

In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin, In 1005 he conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of Kashmir. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Kashmir region.

The area that is now Mirpur has been historically associated with Pothohar. Though modern demarcation of Potohar devised by British excludes Mirpur by using Jhelum river as the eastern boundary. By the end of the 18th century, Gakhar power in Pothohar had declined. Mirpur had become part of Chibb ruled state of Khari Khariyali with capital at Mangla Fort. With the rise of Sikh power in Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh established his supremacy and set his eyes on the Chibh states of Bhimber and Khari Khariyali. In 1810, a force was sent against Raja Sultan Khan of Bhimber and was met with fierce resistance. However, in 1812 another Sikh army under prince Kharak Singh defeated Sultan Khan and the Bhimber state was annexed as Jagir of Kharak Singh. Around the same time, Ranjit Singh acquired Gujrat and invaded Khari Khariyali ruled by Raja Umar Khan. Raja Umar Khan made peace with Ranjit Singh. But before a settlement could be made, he died and the state and Mirpur became part of Ranjit Singh's territories.

In 1816, Ranjit Singh annexed Jammu state and in 1820 awarded Jammu to his commander Gulab Singh who hailed from Jammu and was under the service of Ranjit Singh for the past eight years. Between 1831–39 Ranjit Singh bestowed on Gulab Singh the royalty of the salt mines in northern Punjab, and the northern Punjab towns including Bhera, Jhelum, Rohtas, Mirpur and Gujrat. Gulab Singh kept on expanding his kingdom and in 1840 Baltistan was made subject to Jammu and Gilgit fell to a Sikh force from Kashmir in 1842. The state of Kashmir was annexed by Ranjit Singh in 1819. However the rebellion in Hazara in the beginning of 1846, compelled the country to be transferred to Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu as well.

Shrine of Meeran Shah

As an aftermath of the First Anglo-Sikh War and the Treaty of Lahore, The Treaty of Amritsar was signed between the British Government and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu on March 16, 1846. The British Government sold Kashmir to the Raja of Jammu for 75 lakhs Nanak Shahi Rupees. This treaty transferred him all the hill states between Ravi and Indus. The transfer included Kashmir, Hazara and the southern hill states (including former Khari Khariyali Thus sealing the fate of Mirpur with the new state of Jammu and Kashmir.[3]

Early Mirpur

Mirpur was not historically a part of Kashmir. It was part of the northern Punjab Potohar region. However, upon it became a part of the Jammu division of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir in a deal between the rulers of that state and the British. Since Mirpur lies at the point where the Jhelum River breaks out of the heavily forested foothills of the Pir Panjal mountains into the plains of the largely treeless Punjab. It was an ideal spot for the construction of the boats used to carry goods down the five rivers of the Punjab to the Indus River and onto the seaports in the Indus delta. Traders have been operating from there across the Indian Ocean for over three thousand years. Most of the crew on the boats trading up and down the Punjab and Indus River system were drawn from Mirpur, as training as a boat-builder was a necessary prerequisite for becoming a boatman.

British rule

With the arrival of British rule however, the thriving river trade was decimated due to the construction of railway lines from Bombay and Karachi into the interior of the Punjab. Moving goods by rail was both cheaper and quicker, and hundreds of Mirpuri boatmen found themselves out of a job.

At the same time long-distance ocean trade was shifting from sail to steam. There was a huge demand for men who were prepared to work in the hot, dirty and dangerous stokeholds of the new coal-fired steamers. European seamen avoided such jobs whenever they possibly could. They preferred to work on deck. But in the 1870s Mirpuri ex-river boatmen were desperately searching for a new source of income. Although unfamiliar with stoking coal-fired boilers, they were prepared to learn and quickly gained a virtual monopoly of jobs as engine-room stokers on new steamships sailing out of Karachi and Bombay, a position they retained until coal-fired ships were finally phased out of service at the end of the Second World War. Many Mirpuris fought in world war 2 in Burma.

Indo-Pakistan War of 1947

In the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, a number of campaigns were organised all around the Western mountains of Kashmir and Jummu, including Poonch, Muzafarabad and Mirpur to liberate Kashmir from Dogra rule of Hari Singh.

On the Mirpur front, Col Khan Muhammad Khan played a leading role in the campaign with the strategic aim to cut off the India's supply line into the rest of Kashmir. In October 1947, Col Khan ambushed two Dogra despatch-riders at Balah Gala on their motorcycle armed with one sten gun. This gun was used to raid Gobindpur Police Station a few nights later. This raid provided further supplies and consolidated their position. A number of further attacks ensued leading up to the Battle of Mirpur where five attacks were organised. On 25 November, finding the situation beyond control, Wazir Wazarat Mirpur, Rao Rattan Singh and Brig Karki from Nepal decided to abandon town at 1400 hours.[4]

Post war

After World War II a new set of opportunities opened up. Britain's economy was just setting off on what proved to be a long post-war boom, and there was an acute short of labour in the foundries of the Midlands, and the textile mills of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Now it was the turn of ex-seamen to become industrial workers in Britain. So when the Mangla Dam was about to be constructed in 1960, the affectees of the dam who were going to be deprived of their agricultural land were afforded the opportunity to migrate to the United Kingdom and to join those of their kinsfolk who long before had established themselves in Britain.

As a result, Mirpur is one of the principal sources of migration from the State of Azad Kashmir to Europe, and especially to Britain, so much so that out of a million migrants from the state of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan, most of them i.e. 82% are Kashmiris. Although it is widely believed that the principal reason for this outflow was the construction of the Mangla Dam, which in no doubt is true, but the fact is that long before construction of dam, a sizable Kashmiri community existed in the UK.

Hindu and Sikh communities

Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the Mirpur District had majorities of Hindu and Sikh populations in the principal towns of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber. Refugees from Jhelum in Western Punjab had taken refuge in Mirpur town, causing the non-Muslim population to increase to 20,000. Tribesmen and Pakistani military members moved into the town, seizing the city. Majority of Hindus and Sikhs were killed and their women kidnapped by Pathan tribesmen and Pakistanis. Around 5,000 were made prisoners in Alibeg. About 2500 Hindus or Sikhs escaped to the Jammu and Kashmir. In March 1948, the ICRC rescued 1,600 of the survivors from Alibeg, who were resettled to Jammu and other areas of India.[5][6][7]

Mirpur City

Regency Hotel, Bank Square

Mirpur city is situated at 459 meters above sea-level and is linked with the main Peshawar-Lahore Grand Trunk road at Dina Tehsil. It is the headquarters of Mirpur District, which comprises two sub-divisions, Mirpur and Dadyal.[8] The building of the new city in late 1960s paved the way for New Mirpur situated on the bank of Mangla lake.

In fact the remains of the old city (old Mirpur) are underneath the waters of the Mangla Lake; during the colder months of March and April, the water level recedes to such an extent that one can travel on motorcycle on old Mirpur road which still exists. Holy Shrines of Syed Abdul Karim and Meeran Shah Ghazi become visible and so do the remnants of a Sikh Gurdwara as well as a Hindu Mandir possibly dedicated to the "Mangla Mata" (Mangla mother goddess). The remains of old houses, water wells, Graveyards reappear too. People from surrounding areas visit old Mirpur during these months to pay homage to their ancient land they lived on and pray on graveyards of their loved ones. Urs Mubarak of Meeran Shah and Syed Abdul Kareem are also arranged in these months in old Mirpur.

The remains of old Mirpur depict a silhouette of pre-independence city when many faiths co-existed side by side. However after division of the State of Jammu Kashmir, the non-Muslim community consisting of Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs fled to Jammu. The New Mirpur city has been well planned with construction of modern designed buildings and ample roads serving each part of city. The affluence brought on by emigration mainly to the UK is reflected by the structure and grandiose of the residential houses. There are tell-tale signs of inward investment by the expatriate community living in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and the Middle East. The city has a number of good hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and other urban facilities.

Industry

The Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir has successfully endeavoured to develop Mirpur as an industrial place and promote private investment for establishing, foam, polypropylene, synthetic yarn, motorbikes and scooter, textile, vegetable Oil (Ghee), wood and sawmills, soap, cosmetics, marble, ready-made garments, matches and rosin, turpentine industrial units in the area. However, much of the infrastructure still needs improvement to obtain very high quality products.

As part of the relief/compensation package in the wake of Mangla Dam Raising Project, a new city is being developed along the south eastern outskirts of Mirpur. Civil works at huge scale are going on around the whole district, by the Pakistani & Chinese contractors for raising the dam. Four towns in the district have been planned besides the new city, to resettle the population affected by the project.

Education

The literacy rate in Mirpur is quite high. It is affected by the emigrating tendency in the youngsters to UK. English language is common in educational institutes. Previously the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir was the only institution for higher studies but in the last decade there are significant changes in the educational infrastructure. Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) and recently Akson College of Health Science(College of Pharmacy), Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College have been formed.

AJK Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpur is responsible for the studies at lower levels. In addition to the state-run schools and colleges, Mirpur has a well-developed private sector providing the education to all sects of the society. Some of these include:

Sport

In terms of sports, Mirpur is very popular in Football, Cricket and Volleyball. Many of tournaments are also held throughout the year ans in the holy month of Ramazan night floodlight tournaments are also organized. Mirpur has a Cricket stadium "Quaid-e-Azam Stadium", which has been taken over by the Pakistan Cricket Board for renovation for International standard.In the future the stadium will be able to host International ODI's . There are also many registered sports clubs in mainly South Asia Cricket Club, Pilot Football Club,Youth Football Club and Kashmir National FC. Pilot FC is the current champion of the District Football Association Cup (DFA Cup). The district football team of Mirpur also take part in the All AJK Football Championship, this year the competitions was held in Mirpur at Government College Ground Mirpur, Mirpur won it by beating Rawalakot in the final.

Transport

CNG auto rickshaws are very popular mode of transport for short routes within the city. The city's transport system links it to a number of destinations in Azad Kashmir notably Bhimber, Jatlan, Chakswari, Dadyal, Kotli and Khoi Ratta and to major cities in Pakistan as well included services to Gujrat, Jhelum, Kharian, Gujranwala, Lahore and Rawalpindi. There is no railway station in Mirpur. The closest station is in Jhelum City, Punjab.

The promise of a rail extension to Mirpur has never been fulfilled.

Islamabad Airport which services the Mirpur region is 130 km away. Sialkot International Airport is 110 kilometres away.

Mirpur airport

An international airport has been planned. The location of the airport has not been determined though construction workers have been thinking of possible locations near Mirpur such as Mangla, Jatlan and Bhalwhara. In August 2013 the national assembly and the prime minister approved confirmation of the airport. It was determined that the airport would be constructed in two years after funding had been made[9]

Shopping

The shopping capital of Azad Kashmir, Mirpur has a large and diverse shopping area, centred around Chowk Shaheed, Mian Mohammed Road and Allama Iqbal Road. There are many stores, plazas, shopping malls and markets in these thoroughfares, selling everything from hand made pottery to international brands, haggling is common in smaller stores. The currently under construction Nosha Shopping Centre will be one of the larger shopping centres of the city when completed. Near the police lines, Puranni Hattian (Syed Naik Alam Shah Road) sells designer replicas.

Food

Mirpur has food centres and restaurants. Samosa and (Fish) are specialities. In terms of restaurants, there is a variety of food areas from take aways to high class restaurants. There is a Thai restaurant. Mirpuri cuisine is generally the same as Punjabi cuisine. It is not Kashmiri cuisine. Kashmiri cuisine is only found in the Kashmir Valley which is currently controlled by India.

Language and demographics

Mirpur Punjabi, Pahari, Punjabi, Pothohari dialect are the predominant languages of the city. Other languages spoken include Urdu and English.

According to the 1998 census Mirpur had a population of approximately over 100,000. This does not include those who emigrated to the United Kingdom, Middle East, Western Europe and North America. Mirpur's original population is mostly ethnic Potoharis. However since 1947, Pahari people emigrated from the neighbouring Rajouri and Poonch districts of the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pathans as well as Afghan refugees also have become a part of the local population. But there is no ethnic Kashmiri community in Mirpur as migration of the Kashmir Valley (currently Indian controlled) has been limited due to the Pir Panjal mountain range separating Mirpur from the Kashmir Valley - and so the Kashmiri language (known as Koshur) is not spoken in Mirpur. A majority of Mirpuris living abroad reside in England.[10]

Culture

Mirpur (to the west and south) borders the Potohar plateau of Pakistan and the ethnicity, language and culture of both Potohar and the Mirpur district are virtually the same. People of Mirpur wear shalwar and Kameez along with shoes. In winter mostly people take Shaal on body.

Cultural events

Saif Ul Malook Festival

The Saif Ul Malook Festival takes place annually in April, usually in the city centre. It is an important event celebrating the anniversary of Baba Pir-e-Shah Ghazi Qalandar (Damrian Wali Sarkar) who was the spiritual guide/teacher of Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, the Sufi saint & Potwari poet famous for his poetic piece Saif ul Malook.

Rathoa Mehla

The Rathoa Mehla takes place annually in summer, in the Rathoa Town near the Dam front. It is an important event celebrating culture value peace and tolerance. Other notable events that take place in Rathoa vary from year to year and are mostly religious events.

Pahari Mushahira

Pahari Mushahira is a literary event in which poets from all over Azad Kashmir present their poems to general audience. Pahari Mushahira are celebrated regularly in Mirpur city as part of the campaign of Alami Pahari Adabi Sangat for the preservation and rehabilitation of the Pahari language and the Culture of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ethnic groups

Development

In recent times Mirpur city has seen many new developments. Some of the schemes approved and under construction include:

Tourism

Mangla Dam

The government of Azad Kashmir is paying special attention to tourism in AJK and Mirpur, building new theme parks, rest houses, hotels and renovating old forts to attract tourists to the region. Places of interest in Mirpur are:

Geography and climate

Mirpur is bounded on the north and east by Kotli District, on the west by Pothohar and on the south by Bhimber.

Mirpur is the breadbasket of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and has a climate similar to that of the neighbouring Potohar and Punjab region. The Town and district is primarily agriculturally based and is presently a tourist hotspot and a home from home for many emigrants, which can be seen by the vast amounts of villas and mansions built in the region.

Since it is located at the extreme south of the state Jammu & Kashmir, the climate is extremely hot and dry during summer – making it very similar to the Pakistani areas of Jehlum and Gujar Khan. Most of its bushy landscapes, stretching from Bhimber to Dadyal, are barren – leaving only a small stretch of fertile land but highly productive land in the surrounding of Mangla water. The only crop cultivated during the spring/summer season is millet. However, there are a few farms that grow vegetables and wheat, especially when the dam water subsides during the winter season. The hydroelectric power from the dam makes this district somewhat unique among others. However, the annoyance caused by unannounced hours-long daily blackout makes many Kashmiris resentful over unfair energy supply.

Surroundings

Notable people of Mirpur

Twin cities

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Inside Pakistan's 'Little Britain' as overseas nationals get vote". BBC News. 4 March 2012.
  2. ↑ Azad Kashmir - Kashmiri Development Foundation
  3. ↑ History of Panjab Hill States, Hutchison, Vogel 1933
  4. ↑ Regimental History Cell, History of the Azad Kashmir Regiment, Volume 1 (1947-1949), Azad Kashmir Regimental Centre, NLC Printers, Rawalpindi,1997
  5. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20131102010704/http://www.khalidhasan.net/2007/03/16/mirpur-1947-%E2%80%93-the-untold-story
  6. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20110908063433/http://udayindia.org/content_08may2010/statescan.html
  7. ↑ http://panunkashmir.org/blog/history/mirpur-massacre-of-1947/
  8. ↑ Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Web.archive.org (2009-10-27). Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
  9. ↑ http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/asianet/130409/ajk-international-airport-be-constructed-mirpur-says-majeed#2
  10. ↑ Moss, Paul (30 November 2006). "The limits to integration". BBC News. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Partner Cities – Birmingham City Council. Birmingham.gov.uk (2009-08-13). Retrieved on 2011-12-17.
  12. ↑ Life in the Community. Bradford Metropolitan District Council
  13. ↑ Town twinning. Walthamforest.gov.uk (2011-10-24). Retrieved on 2011-12-17.

External links