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1947 Gilgit rebellion

April 10, 2024

In November 1947, the paramilitary force of Gilgit Scouts stationed at Gilgit rebelled against the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, soon after it acceded to the Indian Union. Under the command of a British officer Major William Brown, they executed a coup d'etat, overthrew the governor Ghansara Singh, and imprisoned him. The Muslim troops of Jammu and Kashmir State Forces stationed at Bunji joined in the rebellion, under the command of Captain Mirza Hassan Khan, imprisoned their own commander Colonel Abdul Majid and eliminated the non-Muslim troops. A provisional government was declared under a local chief Shah Rais Khan, which lasted for about two weeks. On 16 November, a Pakistani political agent Khan Mohammad Alam Khan arrived and took over the administration.[1]

Gilgit Scouts raising the Pakistani flag

Background edit

 
Gilgit Agency at the northern periphery of Jammu and Kashmir

In August 1947, there was a rumor in Gilgit Baltistan that the government of the Jammu and Kashmir is making plans to disband the Gilgit Souts. This rumor caused the 'disciplined and secular Souts' to oppose the government.[2]

Gilgit's population did not favour the State's accession to India. The Muslims of the frontier ilaqas (Gilgit and the adjoining hill states) had wanted to join Pakistan.[3][4]

William Alexander Brown was a British major who was entrusted the task of directing the Gilgit Scouts, a paramilitary force under the control of Gilgit military. As per the plan of the partition of erstwhile India, the princely states had the option of either joining Pakistan or India. Kashmir was in a conundrum to join India or Pakistan. It pushed for an independent country as its borders were loose to roam. At the last minute, the king of Kashmir took the side with India signing Secretly the instrument of annexation to India. Brown went to the governor-general of Gilgit and Baltistan and ordered to cede with Pakistan as the population was majorly Muslim.[5]

Planning edit

 
Major William Brown, commander of Gilgit Scouts

Major Brown was mindful of the anti-maharaja sentiments amidst the people in Gilgit. Sensing their resentment, Major Brown organised a coup on 1 November, 1947, overthrowing the Governor, Brigadier Ghansara Singh.[2][6] The soft coup d'etat was planned by Brown to the last detail under the code name Datta Khel. Major Brown is also credited to have come to rescue Hindu population in Gilgit from being harmed. Major Brown acted to prevent bloodshed and took some personal risk in doing so. The local populace of Gilgit supported the tribal fighters as they were eager to force the Dogras rule out of Gilgit-Baltistan.[7] Pakistan took over Gilgit when, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan countenanced an intrusion of the Princely state, by Major Khurshid Anwar in the north and a Force led by the ex-Indian National Army personnel in the south . These invasions eventually led to the First Kashmir War fought between India and Pakistan, and the formation of Azad Kashmir provisional government. The Poonch jagir has been since then diverged across Azad Kashmir, administered by Pakistan and the state of Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India.[8]

Coup d'etat edit

The governor, Ghansara Singh, refused the manifesto. Brown, along with his group of indigenous personnel under the Gilgit Scouts, mounted a bloodless coup d'état and took control over the region. Taken into custody, Singh was banished to Kashmir. Brown then handed over control of the region to the Pakistan. Pakistan declared Gilgit Baltistan as an autonomous region administrated by Pakistan. Pakistan avoided absorbing the region to Pakistan as it might be caused reverberations for its claim in Kashmir.[4] After taking control of Gilgit, the Gilgit Scouts (a paramilitary force comprising trained Muslim locals but commanded by British officers) along with Azad irregulars moved towards Baltistan and Ladakh and captured Skardu after a lengthy siege by May 1948. They successfully blocked the Indian reinforcements and subsequently captured Dras and Kargill as well, cutting off the Indian communications to Leh in Ladakh. The Indian forces mounted an offensive in Autumn 1948 and recaptured all of Kargil district. Baltistan region, however, came under Gilgit control

On November 2, the Pakistani flag was raised on the old tower in the Gilgit Scout Lines, under the command of Major Brown.[9]

On 12 January 1948, the authority was handed over to Colonel Aslam Khan the first local commander of the Gilgit Scouts, under the Command of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir provisional government.[10]

Aftermath edit

The provisional government persisted for 16 days. According to, a scholar Yaqub Khan Bangash, it was short of sway over the population. The Gilgit Coup did not have civilian involvement and was absolutely the work of military leaders, not all of whom had been in favor of joining Pakistan, at least in the short term. Historian Ahmed Hasan Dani says that although there had been a scarcity of public participation in the Coup, pro-Pakistan sentiments were intense in the civilian population and their anti-Kashmiri sentiments were also clear. According to various scholars, the people of Gilgit as well as those of Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, Yasin, Punial, Hunza and Nagar joined Pakistan by choice.[11][12] The Government of Azad Kashmir handed over the administration of Gilgit-Baltistan to the federal government under the Karachi Agreement.[13]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Bangash, Three Forgotten Accesions (2010).
  2. ^ a b Warikoo, K. (2009). Himalayan Frontiers of India: Historical, Geo-Political and Strategic Perspectives. Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series. Taylor & Francis. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-134-03294-5.
  3. ^ Bangash, Yaqoob Khan (2010). ""Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar",". "Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar", The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History: 117–143.
  4. ^ a b Sajjad Ahmad (1 November 2020). . Dawn. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Who Is Responsible for the Gilgit-Baltistan Dispute?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  6. ^ "Gilgit Rebellion: The Major who Mutinied over Partition of India | www.1947partitionarchive.org". 1947partitionarchive.org. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  7. ^ Sudheendra Kulkarni (23 September 2020). . The Wire. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024.
  8. ^ Snedden, Christopher. "The forgotten Poonch uprising of 1947". India-seminar.
  9. ^ Schofield, Victoria (2003) [First published in 2000], Kashmir in Conflict, London and New York: I. B. Taurus & Co, p. 64, ISBN 978-1860648984
  10. ^ Schofield 2003, p. 64.
  11. ^ Yaqoob Khan Bangash (2015). A Princely Affair: The Accession and Integration of the Princely States of Pakistan. Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199066490.
  12. ^ Bangash, Yaqoob Khan (9 January 2016). "Gilgit-Baltistan—part of Pakistan by choice". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 5 January 2017. Nearly 70 years ago, the people of the Gilgit Wazarat revolted and joined Pakistan of their own free will, as did those belonging to the territories of Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, Yasin and Punial; the princely states of Hunza and Nagar also acceded to Pakistan. Hence, the time has come to acknowledge and respect their choice of being full-fledged citizens of Pakistan.
  13. ^ Sahni Paul (2009). Himalayan Frontiers of India: Historical, Geo-Political and Strategic. K. Warikoo. pp. 67–77. ISBN 9780203887325.

Bibliography edit

  • Bangash, Yaqoob Khan (2010), "Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar", The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 38 (1): 117–143, doi:10.1080/03086530903538269
  • Brahma Singh, K. (1990), History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 1820-1956: The State Force Background, Lancer International, ISBN 978-81-7062-091-4
  • Dani, Ahmad Hasan (2001), History of Northern Areas of Pakistan: Upto 2000 A.D., Sang-e-Meel Publications, ISBN 978-969-35-1231-1
    • Dani, Ahmad Hasan (1991), History of Northern Areas of Pakistan (2nd ed.), National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research – via pahar.in
    • Dani, Ahmad Hasan (1989), History of Northern Areas of Pakistan, Islamabad: National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research – via archive.org


April 10, 2024
1947, gilgit, rebellion, november, 1947, paramilitary, force, gilgit, scouts, stationed, gilgit, rebelled, against, princely, state, jammu, kashmir, soon, after, acceded, indian, union, under, command, british, officer, major, william, brown, they, executed, c. In November 1947 the paramilitary force of Gilgit Scouts stationed at Gilgit rebelled against the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir soon after it acceded to the Indian Union Under the command of a British officer Major William Brown they executed a coup d etat overthrew the governor Ghansara Singh and imprisoned him The Muslim troops of Jammu and Kashmir State Forces stationed at Bunji joined in the rebellion under the command of Captain Mirza Hassan Khan imprisoned their own commander Colonel Abdul Majid and eliminated the non Muslim troops A provisional government was declared under a local chief Shah Rais Khan which lasted for about two weeks On 16 November a Pakistani political agent Khan Mohammad Alam Khan arrived and took over the administration 1 Gilgit Scouts raising the Pakistani flag Contents 1 Background 2 Planning 3 Coup d etat 4 Aftermath 5 See also 6 References 7 BibliographyBackground edit nbsp Gilgit Agency at the northern periphery of Jammu and KashmirIn August 1947 there was a rumor in Gilgit Baltistan that the government of the Jammu and Kashmir is making plans to disband the Gilgit Souts This rumor caused the disciplined and secular Souts to oppose the government 2 Gilgit s population did not favour the State s accession to India The Muslims of the frontier ilaqas Gilgit and the adjoining hill states had wanted to join Pakistan 3 4 William Alexander Brown was a British major who was entrusted the task of directing the Gilgit Scouts a paramilitary force under the control of Gilgit military As per the plan of the partition of erstwhile India the princely states had the option of either joining Pakistan or India Kashmir was in a conundrum to join India or Pakistan It pushed for an independent country as its borders were loose to roam At the last minute the king of Kashmir took the side with India signing Secretly the instrument of annexation to India Brown went to the governor general of Gilgit and Baltistan and ordered to cede with Pakistan as the population was majorly Muslim 5 Planning edit nbsp Major William Brown commander of Gilgit ScoutsMajor Brown was mindful of the anti maharaja sentiments amidst the people in Gilgit Sensing their resentment Major Brown organised a coup on 1 November 1947 overthrowing the Governor Brigadier Ghansara Singh 2 6 The soft coup d etat was planned by Brown to the last detail under the code name Datta Khel Major Brown is also credited to have come to rescue Hindu population in Gilgit from being harmed Major Brown acted to prevent bloodshed and took some personal risk in doing so The local populace of Gilgit supported the tribal fighters as they were eager to force the Dogras rule out of Gilgit Baltistan 7 Pakistan took over Gilgit when Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan countenanced an intrusion of the Princely state by Major Khurshid Anwar in the north and a Force led by the ex Indian National Army personnel in the south These invasions eventually led to the First Kashmir War fought between India and Pakistan and the formation of Azad Kashmir provisional government The Poonch jagir has been since then diverged across Azad Kashmir administered by Pakistan and the state of Jammu and Kashmir administered by India 8 Coup d etat editThe governor Ghansara Singh refused the manifesto Brown along with his group of indigenous personnel under the Gilgit Scouts mounted a bloodless coup d etat and took control over the region Taken into custody Singh was banished to Kashmir Brown then handed over control of the region to the Pakistan Pakistan declared Gilgit Baltistan as an autonomous region administrated by Pakistan Pakistan avoided absorbing the region to Pakistan as it might be caused reverberations for its claim in Kashmir 4 After taking control of Gilgit the Gilgit Scouts a paramilitary force comprising trained Muslim locals but commanded by British officers along with Azad irregulars moved towards Baltistan and Ladakh and captured Skardu after a lengthy siege by May 1948 They successfully blocked the Indian reinforcements and subsequently captured Dras and Kargill as well cutting off the Indian communications to Leh in Ladakh The Indian forces mounted an offensive in Autumn 1948 and recaptured all of Kargil district Baltistan region however came under Gilgit controlOn November 2 the Pakistani flag was raised on the old tower in the Gilgit Scout Lines under the command of Major Brown 9 On 12 January 1948 the authority was handed over to Colonel Aslam Khan the first local commander of the Gilgit Scouts under the Command of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir provisional government 10 Aftermath editThe provisional government persisted for 16 days According to a scholar Yaqub Khan Bangash it was short of sway over the population The Gilgit Coup did not have civilian involvement and was absolutely the work of military leaders not all of whom had been in favor of joining Pakistan at least in the short term Historian Ahmed Hasan Dani says that although there had been a scarcity of public participation in the Coup pro Pakistan sentiments were intense in the civilian population and their anti Kashmiri sentiments were also clear According to various scholars the people of Gilgit as well as those of Chilas Koh Ghizr Ishkoman Yasin Punial Hunza and Nagar joined Pakistan by choice 11 12 The Government of Azad Kashmir handed over the administration of Gilgit Baltistan to the federal government under the Karachi Agreement 13 See also editIndo Pakistani War of 1947 1948 Siege of Skardu 1947 Poonch rebellion Battle of Pandu Stand Down Order 1947 Kashmir conflictReferences edit Bangash Three Forgotten Accesions 2010 a b Warikoo K 2009 Himalayan Frontiers of India Historical Geo Political and Strategic Perspectives Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series Taylor amp Francis p 60 ISBN 978 1 134 03294 5 Bangash Yaqoob Khan 2010 Three Forgotten Accessions Gilgit Hunza and Nagar Three Forgotten Accessions Gilgit Hunza and Nagar The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 117 143 a b Sajjad Ahmad 1 November 2020 HISTORY THE GILGIT BALTISTAN CONUNDRUM Dawn Archived from the original on 5 December 2023 Who Is Responsible for the Gilgit Baltistan Dispute thediplomat com Retrieved 2021 03 27 Gilgit Rebellion The Major who Mutinied over Partition of India www 1947partitionarchive org 1947partitionarchive org Retrieved 2023 11 27 Sudheendra Kulkarni 23 September 2020 How and Why Gilgit Baltistan Defied Maharaja Hari Singh and Joined Pakistan The Wire Archived from the original on 4 January 2024 Snedden Christopher The forgotten Poonch uprising of 1947 India seminar Schofield Victoria 2003 First published in 2000 Kashmir in Conflict London and New York I B Taurus amp Co p 64 ISBN 978 1860648984 Schofield 2003 p 64 Yaqoob Khan Bangash 2015 A Princely Affair The Accession and Integration of the Princely States of Pakistan Karachi Pakistan Oxford University Press ISBN 9780199066490 Bangash Yaqoob Khan 9 January 2016 Gilgit Baltistan part of Pakistan by choice The Express Tribune Retrieved 5 January 2017 Nearly 70 years ago the people of the Gilgit Wazarat revolted and joined Pakistan of their own free will as did those belonging to the territories of Chilas Koh Ghizr Ishkoman Yasin and Punial the princely states of Hunza and Nagar also acceded to Pakistan Hence the time has come to acknowledge and respect their choice of being full fledged citizens of Pakistan Sahni Paul 2009 Himalayan Frontiers of India Historical Geo Political and Strategic K Warikoo pp 67 77 ISBN 9780203887325 Bibliography editBangash Yaqoob Khan 2010 Three Forgotten Accessions Gilgit Hunza and Nagar The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 38 1 117 143 doi 10 1080 03086530903538269 Brahma Singh K 1990 History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles 1820 1956 The State Force Background Lancer International ISBN 978 81 7062 091 4 Dani Ahmad Hasan 2001 History of Northern Areas of Pakistan Upto 2000 A D Sang e Meel Publications ISBN 978 969 35 1231 1 Dani Ahmad Hasan 1991 History of Northern Areas of Pakistan 2nd ed National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research via pahar in Dani Ahmad Hasan 1989 History of Northern Areas of Pakistan Islamabad National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research via archive org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1947 Gilgit rebellion amp oldid 1217660259, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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