Poonch
Encyclopedia
Poonch is a town and a municipal committee in Poonch District in the India
n state
of Jammu and Kashmir
. Based on the Mahābhārata
evidence, and the evidence from 7th Chinese
traveler Xuanzang
, the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas
during epic
times.
, Poonch had a population of 23,442. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Poonch has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 72%. In Poonch, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Muslims form 87% of the total population,Hindus 6% and Sikhs 7%. About 50% of the total population of the district belong to the ST category which consists primarily of Gujjar and Bakarwaal population.Now poonch is connected with shopian with nearest distance of 180 km.
. Around 850 AD Poonch became a sovereign state ruled by Raja Nar, who was basically a horse trader. According to Rajtrangani Raja Trilochan Pal of Poonch gave a tough fight to Mahmood Ghaznvi who invaded this area in 1020 A.D.
In 1596, the Mughal
emperor Jahangir
made Raja Siraj-Ud-Din Rathore
, the descendant of Rao Jodha
and Rao Suraj Singh, new ruler of Poonch. Siraj-Ud-Din and his descendent Raja Shahbaz Khan Rathore, Raja Abdul Razak Rathore, Raja Rustam Rathore and Raja Bahadur Rathore ruled this area up to 1798 AD. In 1819 this area was captured by Maharaja Ranjit Singh
and it remained under the occupation of Sikh Empire until 1850.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
. Based on the Mahābhārata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
evidence, and the evidence from 7th Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
traveler Xuanzang
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period...
, the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
during epic
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
times.
Geography
Poonch is located at 33.77°N 74.1°E. It has an average elevation of 981 metres (3218 feet). Pir Panjal range of mountains separates Poonch valley from Kashmir valley. For a long time the only road connection between the two valleys was from Jammu. But now with the completion of Mughal Road (connecting Bufliaz in Poonch to Shopian in Kashmir) there will be a direct connectivity between the two. It consist of 4 tehsils viz Haveli, Mendhar Surankote and MandiDemographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Poonch had a population of 23,442. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Poonch has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 72%. In Poonch, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Muslims form 87% of the total population,Hindus 6% and Sikhs 7%. About 50% of the total population of the district belong to the ST category which consists primarily of Gujjar and Bakarwaal population.Now poonch is connected with shopian with nearest distance of 180 km.
History
Poonch has witnessed many historical era. Around 326 BC when Alexander the Great invaded the lower Jhelum belt to fight with Porus, this region was known as Dravabhisar. In 6th Century AD, the famous Chinese traveller Huien Tsang passed through this area. According to his observation, this region was known as Part of KashmirKashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. Around 850 AD Poonch became a sovereign state ruled by Raja Nar, who was basically a horse trader. According to Rajtrangani Raja Trilochan Pal of Poonch gave a tough fight to Mahmood Ghaznvi who invaded this area in 1020 A.D.
In 1596, the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
made Raja Siraj-Ud-Din Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
, the descendant of Rao Jodha
Rao Jodha
Rao Jodha was a Rajput ruler of Mandore . He was the son of Rao Ranmal of the Rathore clan. He is known for founding the city of Jodhpur in 1459.-Ancestry:...
and Rao Suraj Singh, new ruler of Poonch. Siraj-Ud-Din and his descendent Raja Shahbaz Khan Rathore, Raja Abdul Razak Rathore, Raja Rustam Rathore and Raja Bahadur Rathore ruled this area up to 1798 AD. In 1819 this area was captured by Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
and it remained under the occupation of Sikh Empire until 1850.
See also
- Poonch District (J&K)Poonch District (J&K)District Poonch or Punch is one of the remotest districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is bounded by the Line of Control on three sides . The 1947-48 war between India and Pakistan divided it into two parts...
, a district of Jammu and Kashmir, India - Poonch District (AJK), a district of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
Further reading
- Hutchinson, J. & J. PH Vogel (1933). History of the Panjab Hill States, Vol. I. 1st edition: Govt. Printing, Pujab, Lahore, 1933. Reprint 2000. Department of Language and Culture, Himachal Pradesh. Chapter XXIII Punch State, pp. 698–724.