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Muzaffarabad
Capital of Azad Kashmir, a region administered by Pakistan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Muzaffarabad[a] is a city in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.[1] It is the largest city and the capital of Azad Kashmir, which is a Pakistani-administered administrative territory.
The city is located in Muzaffarabad District, near the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the west, the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District in the north.
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History
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Muzaffarabad was founded in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, chief of the Bomba tribe[6] who ruled Kashmir.[7] Khan also constructed the Red Fort that same year for the purpose of warding off incursions from the Mughal Empire.
Sikh Empire
In 1827, Raja Zabardast Khan, who had succeeded his father Hassan Ali Khan as the Raja of Muzaffarabad, led a guerrilla campaign against the Sikh Empire, targeting their garrisons in Handwara, Baramulla, and the Hazara region. His leadership and strategic strikes disrupted Sikh control in the area.[8][9]
Gathering a sizable force, Zabardast Khan declared independence and planned an invasion of the Kashmir Valley. In response, Diwan Kirpa Ram led a large Khalsa army to suppress the rebellion. Between Baramula and Muzaffarabad, spanning nearly 77 miles, Zabardast Khan's forces, alongside the local Muslim population, launched persistent attacks on the advancing Sikh army using guerrilla tactics from caves, rocks, and forests. The Sikh forces suffered heavy casualties, and Diwan Kirpa Ram's army faced serious defeats and significant losses.[10]
Dogra era
On 28 May 1849 James Abbott, at the time boundary commissioner, wrote that "intelligence received from Cashmere that a Jumboo Force of 4,000 men is about to march to Moozuffurabad, where there are already 3,000. This report may be a feint of the Maharaja to overcome the hill tribes, who, though quite peaceful at present, have been much opprest [sic] and are ready enough to rise when opportunity offers." [11]
Abbott also wrote that it is "highly desirable therefore that this report, which has greatly alarmed them and may drive them to desperation, be contradicted; and I have accordingly addrest the Maharaja disclaiming belief in such a rumour, and assuring him that any movement of troops in this direction at this moment will not have a friendly aspect. The assembly of any force upon the frontier were an encouragement to the insurgents in Mooltan and to others who are disposed to join them."[11]
The following day on 29th May Abbott wrote:
I had not understood yesterday that another Jumboo force was said to be about to march from Cashmere upon Kurnao, a district between the Cashmere river and the Kishengunga. This Force is rated at 6,000. The mountaineers anxiously enquire of me whether they may not defend themselves from this invasion. I have declined putting any restraint upon their measures of self defence, assuring them, however, that any rising, excepting to resist invasion, would subject them to the displeasure of the British Government. If they can act in concert, they ought to be able to destroy this force, large as it is, their country being strong and the whole population bearing arms.
If these military movements are really contemplated, they are highly objectionable at this season, and of a most suspicious character. The information is the best I can command, and agrees perfectly with the manifest apprehension of the Jumboo Moonshee in my camp. The Maharaja would plead his right to move his troops wheresoever he pleases within his own kingdom, but he is perfectly well aware of the sensation they will create in the Punjaub.[11]
Indo-Pakistani war of 1947
The Battle of Muzaffarabad occurred on 22 October 1947 between Pakistani-backed Pashtun tribesmen, pro-Pakistani Kashmiri rebels, and the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces in the town of Muzaffarabad. The battle resulted in a rapid defeat of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces, leading to the capture of Muzaffarabad by the tribesmen.
2005 earthquake
The city was near the epicenter of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.6 Mw. The earthquake destroyed about 50 percent of the buildings in the city (including most government buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas. As of 8 October 2005[update], the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350, while other estimates have put the death toll at over 100,000.[12]
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Administrative subdivisions
The district of Muzaffarabad is administratively divided into 2 tehsils, which are subdivided into 25 union councils.[13]
- Muzaffarabad
- Pattika (Naseerabad)
Climate
Transport
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} |
Muzaffarabad's public transportation system primarily relies on buses, rickshaws, and small pickup trucks for intracity travel. Following the devastating 2005 earthquake that severely damaged infrastructure, including roads, the city government, with international aid, rebuilt roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. However, public transportation remains underdeveloped. Notably, Muzaffarabad lacks a railway system and a functional airport. The nearest railway station is located in the Rawalpindi District of Pakistani Punjab.[15]
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Notable people
- Anam Najam, medical doctor and psychiatrist
- Rashid Naseer, Pakistani cricketer
- Farooq Haider Khan, Politician
Gallery
Heightened view of the city on both riverbanks after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, c. 2014
Photo of Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium
Photo of the city's skyline, c. 2017
Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College
Muzaffarabad City, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
See also
Notes
- /ˌmʊzəˌfærəˈbæd/;[5] Urdu: مُظَفَّر آباد, IPA: [mʊzəfːərɑːbɑːd]
- Snedden (2013, p. 176): On p. 29, the census report states that Urdu is the official language of the government of Azad Kashmir, with Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Punjabi, Kohistani, Pushto, and Sheena 'frequently spoken in Azad Kashmir'. Yet, when surveyed about their 'mother tongue', Azad Kashmiris' choices were limited to selecting from Pakistan's major languages: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi, Saraiki, and 'others'; not surprisingly, 2.18 million of Azad Kashmir's 2.97 million people chose 'others'.
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References
Sources
External links
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