Kotli District

Infobox Pakistan district
district = Kotli
area = 1862
population = 640,000
pop_year = 1998
density = 352
caption =
region = Azad Kashmir
established = 1975
nazim =
naib_nazim =
seats =
tehsils = 3
languages = Pahari, Gojri & Punjabi
website =

Kotli ( _ur. کوٹلی) is one of the eight districts of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Kotli the chief town of the district [ [http://www.ajk.gov.pk/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=37&id=210&Itemid=138 Azad Kashmir government website] ] , was originally a minor town between Mirpur and Muzaffarabad, but has recently seen major growth.

Etymology

There are two theories about the origin of the name "Kotli". One school of thought claims that in ancient times Prince Raja Shahswar Khan built a small residence here and called it "Kot", which became "Kotli". Another theory states that the name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kotli" which means to reside or take up residence. (The two theories are not, of course, mutually exclusive.) At one stage the area was inhabited by the Mangran and Solhan peoples, and was called Kotli Solwhan [ [http://www.apnakotli.com/aboutkotli.asp History Of Kotli] ] .

Administration

The area now comprising district Kotli was a sub-division of Mirpur District up to the year 1975. Prior to 1947, it was a part of the Jammu area. The district is bounded by the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in the east, and by Mirpur District in the south and Rawalakot to its north. The district is divided into three tehsils (sub-divisions)

*Kotli (City)
*Fatehpur Thakiala or Nakyal
*Sehnsa

The district covers a total area of 1862 square kilometres. Kotli is now the largest city by population (656,000).

Before the division of Kashmir in 1947, Nakyal was part of Mehndar sub-division of Poonch.

History

Dogra Rule

In 1849, under the terms of the treaties of Lahore and Amritsar the British handed over the territory to Gulab Singh, for the sum of Rs.705 million.

Raja Sawar Khan inhabited a town with the name of “Ket” on the Halakari at Dakhari, after acquiring Kashmir Gulab Singh sent a message to Raja Shah Sawar Khan to obey his supremacy, which he refused. After that the forces of Raja Gulab Singh attacked the town and destroyed it. Shah Sawar Khan moved to another town at the bottom of the mountain at the present place and gave the name “Kot Tali” which is now the headquarters of District Kotli.

1947

With the onset of the India Pakistan Partition (1947) Kotli city became the standing post to the flood of immigrants that crossed the borders at Khoi Ratta(32 miles east of Kotli). Kotli steady growth came through the trickle of migrants from the eastern Hindu states and signalled the gradual fall of the reigning land barons that settled the town.

Mosques

Kotli is well known for its mosques, and is often referred to as "Madina-al-Masajed" ("city of mosques"). Aghaar Sharif, consisting of a large mosque and a shrine (of the late Qazi Fateh Alam), under the guidance of Hazrat Sahib, is a large complex on the outskirts of the city. Hazrat Sahib (Sahbzada Mohammed Sadiq) is well known for building mosques, madrassas and providing Islamic education and spiritual guidance throughout the Kotli and Mirpur districts. Hazrat Sahib can only be seen at the Friday prayers as due to his ill health. Every day between 10-11am, visitor from other places can see him. He is engaged in worship in seclusion at all other times.

Geography

Kotli is a hilly area rising gradually towards the high mountains of Poonch District. Its climate is more moderate than that of Mirpur due to the sub-mountainous topography. The river Poonch passes through Kotli to be joined by a smaller river called the Baan at Brahli, a short distance from Kotli.The district headquarters is at a distance of 141 km from Islamabad - the capital of Pakistan. It is linked with Mirpur by two metalled roads, one via Gulpur and Rajdhani, and the other via Dhungi and Charohi. It is also directly linked with Islamabad and Rawalpindi via Sehnsa and Holar. Kotli has basic facilities like a main bazaar, banks, hospitals, colleges, telephone and telegraph office and hotels.Kotli has a scenic landscape with many mosques. Dahmole a beautiful village is near by Kotli city and is a great place to live.At a distance of 26 km from Kotli via a metalled road lies Tattapani, a popular tourist and mythical destination. Thousands of people flock to the sulphur springs each year in the hope to find magical cures for illnesses.

Southeast of Kotli is the town of Khoi Ratta, it is famous for its annual Baisakhi festival.

Southwest is the small town of Gulpur, where a large refugee camp is situated. Adjoining Gulpur is Throtchi famous for its castle built in 1460. It was here in 1947, that a contingent of local men headed by Col. Mahmood defeated and chased out the Dogra army.

West of Gulpur, on the Kotli-Rawalpindi road, Sehnsa lies just before Holar (the boundary point between Azad Kashmir and Pakistan). Sehnsa is a sub-divisional (Tehsil) headquarters of Kotli district in the centre of Sehnsa valley. It is situated at a distance of 35 km from Kotli. Nearby is the scenic Bruhian surrounded by Chir forests and natural beauty.

Kotli district is a hilly area with narrow valleys and rises gradually towards the high mountains of Poonch district. These hills are the southern limits of the Pir Panjal Range. The average height in the eastern and central part of the district is about 1000 meters above sea level. The rest of the area is less than 1000 meters in altitude. Hills are generally covered with coniferous trees.

Rivers and Streams

The main river is Poonch that enters the district from the north at a place called Tata Pani and flows towards south passing west of Kotli town and finally enters Mirpur district before falling in to Mangla Lake. Jhelum rivers makes the western boundary of the district and flows in north-south direction. The Rangpur Nala is an important western tributary of the Poonch river while two important streams namely Ban Nala and Mahuli Nala join it from the east. The River Poonch passes through Kotli to be joined by a smaller river called the Baan at Brahli, a short distance from Kotli.

Climate

Kotli's climate is more moderate than that of Mirpur due to the sub-mountainous topography. The climate of the district is generally hot in summer and cold in winter. The Eastern and northern parts are dry and cold. Where as the western areas are a little hot. June is the hottest month with the mean maximum and minimum temperature of about 38 C to 25 C respectively. January is the coldest in month with the mean maximum and minimum temperatures of about 18C and 5C respectively.The mean annual rainfall is about 1300 millimetres, more than half of which occurs during July and August.

Notable places

*KurtiSituated 4 Kilometers from Kotli City Center and famous for one the campuses of Azad Jammu & Kashmir University. The institute is one of the country's best educational institutes for Business Studies, Public Administration, Commerce and Information Technology Degrees.
*Teenda 6 kilometres from Kotli city.
*Hajiabad a midway point for the travellers coming from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
*Sehnsa is well known for its variety of shops and as a trading base, connecting the town to many other parts of Azad Kashmir as well as Pakistan.

*Khoiratta located 38 kilometres from Kotli famous for its vasakhi mela.

* Nidi Sohana, union council it has the highest point in Kotli district the "Muthrani post".

*Fatehpur or Fatehpur Thakiala- due to its high altitude it is a comparatively cold part of the district.

*Karela Majhan - A tourist site is located 10 kilometres from Fatehpur.

*Dandli located 13 kilometres from Kotli, contains many mineral resources.

*Nailan is a small village located on the bank of tiny river at the bottom of hills, it is one the coldest places in the district.

*Barali is a small village located between Kotli and Gulpur, it is a very beautiful little town with vast fields and great views.

*Rajdhani a village located centrally between the cities of Kotli & Mirpur.

People

Kotli now has a diverse mix of people. The main tribe of the district are Ansaari, Chibb, Rathore, Pakhtuns, Malik, Arain,Janjua, Rajpoot, Syed, Gujar, Jat, Thakial Rajputs, Rajput, Awan, Sudhan ,Khawaja,and Mir

Languages

The native languages spoken in this district are Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi.

Images

References

External links

* [http://www.ajk.gov.pk/tourism/kotli.html Azad Jammu and Kashmir Govt. Kotli page]
* [http://www.apnakotli.com Apna Kotli]
* [http://www.pbase.com/hgharib/kotli_dist_ajk Photos from Kotli by Gharib Hanif]
* [http://www.ummah.net/kashmir/ajk/kotli.htm Ummah.net Kotli Page]
* [http://www.http://www.orXXXkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=23465647 OrXXXkut Community]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
]