Kotli

Kotli (Pahari-Pothwari / Urdu: کوٹلی; pronounced [koːʈ.liː]) is a city and headquarters of the Kotli District in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. The city lies along the Poonch River, which is known for its natural secenary and waterfalls. According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the city has a population of 46,907 people.^{[citation needed]}

For other uses, see Kotli (disambiguation).

Kotli کوٹلی
City
Administering country	Pakistan
Territory	Azad Kashmir
Division	Mirpur
Constructed	Mid 15th Century
Union Councils	18
Government
• Type	Health Minister
• Member of Legislative Assembly	Dr Nisar Ansar Abdali (Ex, PTI Joint Government)
Population  (2017 Census)
• Total	46,907
Languages
• Official	Urdu[1]
• Spoken	Pahari-Pothwari Gojri
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Postal Code	11100
Area code	0092-58264
Website	District Website

History

The city of Kotli dates back to the twelfth century, when it was settled by a branch of the Royal Mangral family of Kashmir, descendants of Raja Mangar. Originally known as Kohtali, literally meaning "under the mountain" due to the surrounding mountainous landscape. Kotli remained as a semi-autonomous state until it was finally subdued by Ranjit Singh in 1819 and incorporated into the Sikh Empire.^[2]

After the independence of Pakistan and India from the British rule, "bands of deserters from the State Army, some serving soldiers of the Pakistan Army on leave, ex-servicemen, and other volunteers who had risen spontaneously"^[3] reached Kotli in November 1947. They expelled the Dogra garrison at the town after a night of fighting. India then sent its armed forces to Kashmir where they attacked Kotli in an attempt to recapture it. The Pakistan Army counter-attacked with the aid of the native tribesmen, winning a decisive victory in the Battle of Kotli.^[4] It has been under Pakistani control ever since.

Education

Kotil is home to the University of Kotli (Urdu: کوٹلی یونیورسٹی) (UoK), formerly a constituent college of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It became a university as a result of Presidential Ordinance VIII passed in 2014.^[5]

Tourism

Two well-known waterfalls in the area are the Lala Waterfall, close to Kotli town and the Gulpur Waterfalls, found in the village of Gulpur to the southwest.^{[citation needed]} Sarda Point View is great place to see kotli City