Mirpur میرپور | |
|---|---|
City administered by Pakistan | |
| New Mirpur City | |
    Clockwise from the top: Mirpur City,Ramkot Fort, Panoramic view of the city,Tomb ofMian Muhammad Bakhsh, | |
| Nickname: Little England | |
 Interactive map of Mirpur | |
![A map showing Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir shaded in sage in the disputed Kashmir region[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aKashmir_region._LOC_2003626427_-_showing_sub-regions_administered_by_different_countries.jpg) | |
| Coordinates:33°9′N73°44′E / 33.150°N 73.733°E /33.150; 73.733 | |
| Administering country | Pakistan |
| Territory | Azad Kashmir |
| Division | Mirpur |
| District | Mirpur |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | Mirpur Development Authority |
| • Mayor | Usman Ali Khalid (PTI) |
| • Deputy Mayor | Ramzan Chughtai (PTI) |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Ch. Amjad IqbalBPS-18(PAS) |
| • District Police Officer | Raja Irfan SalimBPS-18(PSP) |
| Elevation | 458 m (1,503 ft) |
| Population | |
• City | 124,352 |
| • Rank | 74th, Pakistan |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Urdu[3][4][note 1] |
| • Spoken | |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PKT) |
| Calling code | 05827 |
| Number ofTehsils | 3 |
| Number ofUnion councils | 21 |
Mirpur (Potwari:مرپر[mɪɾˈpəɾᵊ];Urdu:ميرپور[miːɾˈpuːɾ]), officially known asNew Mirpur City, is the capital ofMirpur district located inPakistani-administeredAzad Kashmir in the disputedKashmir region.[1] It is the second largest city of Azad Kashmir and the74th most populous city in Pakistan.[5]
A significant portion of the population from the district, theMirpuri diaspora, migrated to the United Kingdom in the mid-to-late 1950s and in the early 1960s. Mirpur is thus sometimes known as "Little England".[6] Many British products are found, and many shops in the city accept thepound sterling.[7]
The city of Mirpur was founded in around 1640 AD or 1050 AH by the localGhakhar chief Miran Shah Ghazi duringMughal rule. TheImperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series Kashmir and Jammu (1909) reports that Mirpur "is said to have been founded by Miran Shah Ghazi and Sultan Fateh Khan." An alternative view is that the city was founded byMira Shah Gazi andGosain Bodhpuri, both regarded as saints. The word 'Mir' was taken from the name of the former and 'Pur’ from the latter.[8]
The area that is now Mirpur has been historically associated withPothohar region of NorthernPunjab, though the modern demarcation ofPothohar devised by the British excludes Mirpur, by using theJhelum River as its eastern boundary. By the end of the 18th century,Gakhar power inPothohar had declined. Mirpur had become part of Chibb, which ruled the state of Khari Khariyali with its capital located atMangla Fort. With the rise of the Sikh power in thePunjab, MaharajaRanjit Singh established his position and set his eyes to the north on the Chibh states ofBhimber and Khari Khariyali. In 1810, a force was sent against Raja Sultan Khan of Bhimber and was met with fierce resistance, causing the Sikhs and their Dogra allies to retreat. However, in 1812 another Sikh army under princeKharak Singh defeated Raja SultanKhan, and theBhimber state was annexed as Jagir of Kharak Singh. Around the same time, Ranjit Singh acquiredGujrat and invaded Khari Khariyali, then ruled by Raja Umar Khan. Exhausted by conflict, Raja Umar Khan made peace with Ranjit Singh; but before a settlement could be made, he died. The state and Mirpur ultimately became part of Ranjit Singh's territories.[9]
In 1808, Ranjit Singh annexed Jammu state, which had been a tributary since 1780. In 1820, he awarded Jammu to his commanderGulab Singh, who hailed from Jammu and had been under the service of Ranjit Singh for the past eight years. Between 1831 and 1839 Ranjit Singh bestowed on Gulab Singh the royalty of the salt mines in northern Punjab, and the northern Punjab towns includingBhera,Jhelum,Rohtas andGujrat. Gulab Singh kept on expanding his kingdom, and in 1840, Baltistan was made subject to Jammu while Gilgit fell to aSikh force from Kashmir in 1842. The state of Kashmir was annexed by Ranjit Singh in 1819. However, the rebellion inHazara in the beginning of 1846 compelled the country to be transferred to Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu as well.[9]
Ranjit Singh had given Poonch, Mirpur, and Bhimber as a Jagir to Gulab Singh's younger brother Dhian Singh. However, in 1843 Dhian Singh died, and Gulab Singh considered these areas now part of his territory. He was not able to establish full control due to resistance movements.[10]
As an aftermath of theFirst Anglo-Sikh War and theTreaty of Lahore, theTreaty of Amritsar was signed between the British East India company 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 to him all the hill states between Ravi and Indus. The transfer included Kashmir,Hazara, and the southern hill states, including the former Khari Khariyali, thus sealing the fate of Mirpur with the new state of Jammu and Kashmir.[9]
Since Mirpur lies in between where theJhelum River meets the densely forested foothills of thePir Panjal mountains and above the plains of the largely treeless Punjab, it was an ideal spot for the construction of the boats used to carry goods from the Himalayas down the five rivers of the Punjab to theIndus River and on to the seaports in the Indus delta. Traders have been operating from there across theIndian Ocean for more than 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 boatbuilder was a necessary prerequisite for becoming a boatman.[11]
On 1st of April 1847Captain James Abbott, who was demarcating the Punjab-Kashmir boundary after theFirst Anglo-Sikh War, noted in his journal "Marched to Meerpoor. As the boundary betweenLahore andJumboo for many miles is the stream of the river Jelum, no boundary pillars are requisite during that extent of limit. I am therefore hastening to the point at which the boundary quits the Jelum".[12] He noted that there was no need to erect boundary pillars as the River Jhelum formed the boundary along that stretch land.
The following day, Abbott noted, "Boundary pillars in earth are now set up from the Ravi to the Jelum, about two-thirds of the entire line of frontier between the States."
During the modern period of the Dogra principality, a British dominion, the thriving river trade diminished due to colonial construction of railway lines fromBombay andKarachi into the interior of the Sindh and Punjab.[13]
After thePartition of India, the city was part of the princely state ofJammu and Kashmir led byMaharaja Hari Singh, which chose to remain independent. During theIndo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, Mirpur was captured by the local rebels and tribal forces. Local intervention on 25 November 1947 contributed to it becoming part ofAzad Kashmir.
Mirpur lies at the foothills of theHimalayas mountain range of an altitude of 648 metres or 2,126 feet above sea level and is linked with the mainPeshawar-Lahore Grand Trunk Road atDina Tehsil inJhelum District. It is the headquarters of Mirpur District, which has two subdivisions: Mirpur and Dudial.[14]
Mirpur has ahumid subtropical climate.[15] The average annual temperature is 25.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1,380 millimetres or 54.3 inches. Since it is in the extreme south of Jammu and Kashmir, the city has a climate that is extremely hot during summer, making it very similar to the Pakistani areas ofJhelum andGujar Khan.
| Climate data for Mirpur, Azad Kashmir | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 27.8 (82.0) | 33.9 (93.0) | 39.2 (102.6) | 41.0 (105.8) | 37.0 (98.6) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.3 (93.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 21.1 (70.0) | 30.6 (87.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.1 (50.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.6 (81.7) | 26.7 (80.1) | 18.5 (65.3) | 10.3 (50.5) | 4.2 (39.6) | 15.9 (60.7) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 78 (3.1) | 142 (5.6) | 139 (5.5) | 98 (3.9) | 44 (1.7) | 98 (3.9) | 281 (11.1) | 270 (10.6) | 104 (4.1) | 38 (1.5) | 36 (1.4) | 48 (1.9) | 1,376 (54.3) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 103 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 66 | 64 | 57 | 45 | 35 | 43 | 71 | 78 | 70 | 57 | 58 | 62 | 59 |
| Source 1:[16] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:[17] | |||||||||||||
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The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has successfully developed Mirpur industrially and promoted private investment in a diverse economy:foam, polypropylene, synthetic yarn, motorbikes and scooter, textile, vegetable oil (ghee), wood and sawmills, soap,cosmetics,marble, ready-made garments, matches and rosin,turpentine. The economy of Mirpur generated economy of Azad Kashmir. However, much of the infrastructure still needs improvement so that high-quality products can be obtained.
As part of the relief/compensation package in the wake of Mangla Dam, a new city is being developed along the southeastern outskirts of Mirpur, with the main city of Mirpur being doubled. Much construction is occurring around the whole district by Pakistani and Chinese contractors, raising the dam. Four towns in the district have been planned near the new city to resettle the population affected by the project.
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English is common in educational institutes.[citation needed] Previously, theUniversity of Azad Jammu & Kashmir was the only institution for higher studies but there have been significant changes in the educational infrastructure. TheMirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), theAkson College of Health Science and theMohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College have been formed.
TheAJK 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 sections of the society:
Other notable colleges and schools include:
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Football, cricket and volleyball are popular in Mirpur. Mirpur has a cricket stadium,Quaid-e-Azam Stadium.
There are registered sports clubs: Al-Fatah Cricket Club is one of the top clubs in the city which is among the top 10 Clubs of Pakistan. Other clubs include Eagle star Cricket Club, South Asia Cricket Club. Notable cricketers includeZaman Khan who plays for Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League,Hassan Raza who has represented Pakistan in U-19 world Cup andShadab Khan who is also playing for Northerns in Quiad Azam Trophy.
Pilot Football Club, Youth Football Club and Kashmir National FC. The district football team of Mirpur take part in the AllAzad Jammu and Kashmir football championships.
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 inAzad Kashmir notablyBhimber,Jatlan,Chakswari,Dadyal,Kotli andKhoi Ratta and to major cities inPakistan as well as including services toGujrat,Jhelum,Kharian,Gujranwala,Lahore andRawalpindi.There is no railway station in Mirpur. The closest station is in Dina. The promise of a rail extension to Mirpur has not been fulfilled.[18][self-published source?]
Islamabad Airport, which services the Mirpur region, is 130 km away.Sialkot International Airport is 110 kilometres away. An international airport has been planned. The location of the airport has not been determined, but possible locations near Mirpur areMangla,Jatlan and Bhalwhara.[citation needed] In August 2013, the National Assembly and the prime minister approved the airport. It was determined that the airport would be constructed in two years after funding.[19] The promise of an international airport is yet to be fulfilled, and a group of British MPs have written to the Pakistani PM to bring it to his attention.[20]
According to the 2017 census, Mirpur had a population of 124,352.[21] Mirpur's original population comprises different tribes similar to that of Punjab. However, since 1947, residents from the neighbouringRajouri andPoonch districts of the Indian administeredJammu and Kashmir have largely settled in the Mirpur city and the surrounding areas. The bulk of theMirpuri diaspora resides in England.[22]
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Before theKashmir War in 1947, theMirpur District had about 75,000 Hindu and Sikhs, who made the majority population of Mirpur city and amounted up to 20 percent of the population of the district.[23] A great majority of them lived in the principal towns of Mirpur,Kotli andBhimber. Many Hindu and Sikh refugees from thePotohar region of Northern Punjab had taken refuge in Mirpur town, causing the non-Muslim population to increase by 25,000. On 25 November 1947, during the1947 Jammu massacres tribesmen and Pakistani military members attacked and seized the city. Of the minority population, only about 2,500 Hindus or Sikhs escaped to the Jammu and Kashmir along with theState Forces. The remainder were marched to Alibeg, where a gurdwara was converted into a prison camp, but the raiders killed 20,000 of the captives along the way and abducted 5,000 women. Only about 5,000 made it to Alibeg, but they continued to be killed at a gradual pace by the captors. In March 1948, theICRC rescued 1,600 of the survivors from Alibeg, who were resettled toJammu and other areas of India.[24][25][26][27][28][self-published source?]
There are the following places of interest:
Mirpur has friendly relations with:
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom[30]Bradford, England, United Kingdom[31]London, England, United Kingdom[32]The situation between the two nations was complicated by the 1957–1959 uprising by Tibetans against Chinese rule. Refugees poured across the Indian border, and the Indian public was outraged. Any compromise with China on the border issue became impossible. Similarly, China was offended that India had given political asylum to the Dalai Lama when he fled across the border in March 1959. In late 1959, there were shots fired between border patrols operating along both the ill-defined McMahon Line and in the Aksai Chin.
Territorial Dispute: The situation along the Sino-Indian frontier continued to worsen. In late July (1959), an Indian reconnaissance patrol was blocked, "apprehended," and eventually expelled after three weeks in custody at the hands of a larger Chinese force near Khurnak Fort in Aksai Chin. ... Circumstances worsened further in October 1959, when a major class at Kongka Pass in eastern Ladakh led to nine dead and ten captured Indian border personnel, making it by far the most serious Sino-Indian class since India's independence.
The city of Mirpur, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, is known as "Little England" due to its large British Pakistani community.
