1947 Gilgit rebellion

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1947 Gilgit rebellion
(Operation Datta Khel)
Part of the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948[citation needed]

Gilgit Scouts raising the Pakistani flag during Operation Datta Khel[4][5]
Date1 November 1947–16th November 1947[5]
Location
Gilgit, Jammu and Kashmir
Result

Rebellion Victory[6][7]

  • Hari Singh loses control over Gilgit and surrounding areas[2]
  • Pro-Pakistan Government is setup in Gilgit and surrounding regions[8]
Territorial
changes		 Pakistan gains Gilgit and surrounding regions[2]
Belligerents

Gilgit Scouts
Princely State of Hunza[1]
Princely State of Nagar[1]

Supported by:
Pakistan Pakistan[2]

Jammu and Kashmir State Forces[3]

  • 6th Jammu and Kashmir Infantory
    • Sikh Company
    • Muslim Company
Commanders and leaders
William Brown
(Gilgit Scouts Commander)
Muhammad Jamal Khan[9][failed verification]
(Mir of Hunza)
Shaukat Ali Khan[10][failed verification]
(Mir of Nagar)

Hari Singh
(Maharaja/Ruler)

Colonel Majid Khan Surrendered[3]
(Commander of Muslim company)
Ghansar Singh  Surrendered[11][12]
(Governor of the Gilgit Agency)

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.[13]

Background

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 Scouts. This rumor caused the 'disciplined and secular Scouts' to oppose the government.[14]

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.[15][16]

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 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.[17]

Planning

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.

Poonch jagir has been since then diverged across Azad Kashmir, administered by Pakistan and the state of Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India.[21]

Coup d'etat

The

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.[16]
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
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.[22]

On 12 January 1948, the authority was handed over to Colonel

Azad Jammu and Kashmir provisional government.[23]

Aftermath

federal government under the Karachi Agreement.[26]

See also

Notelist

References

  1. ^ a b Brown 2014, Chapter 4 : The Coup D’état (October to November 1947).
  2. ^ a b c Singh 1990, pp. 239–240.
  3. ^ a b Singh 1990, p. 239.
  4. ^ Andrabi, Raafey (2020-12-07). "The past, present and future of Gilgit-Baltistan". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  5. ^ a b Brown 2014, Appendix I.
  6. ^ Brown 2014, Chapter 5: The End Game (November 1947 to January 1948).
  7. ^ Ahmad, Sajjad (2020-11-01). "HISTORY: THE GILGIT-BALTISTAN CONUNDRUM". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  8. ^ Brown 2014, Appendix I  : Singh 1990, p. 240
  9. ^ "MUHAMMAD JAMAL KHAN, MIR". www.ismaili.net. 2003. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  10. ^ Pakistan Horizon, vol. 56, Issues 1–2, p. 57: "Hunza and Nagar acceded to Pakistan on November 18, 1947, but the northern regions have not been merged into Pakistan proper, pending the determination of the status of Jammu and Kashmir."
  11. ^ Tikoo, Tej (2013). 1947–48 Indo-Pak War: Fall of Gilgit and Siege and Fall of Skardu. " With practically nothing or no one available to defend his position Brig Ghansara Singh surrendered and was immediately put under arrest"
  12. ^ THE GILGIT BALTISTAN CONUNDRUM https://www.dawn.com/news/1587950
  13. ^ Bangash, Three Forgotten Accesions (2010).
  14. ^
    ISBN 978-1-134-03294-5
    .
  15. doi:10.1080/03086530903538269
    .
  16. ^ a b Sajjad Ahmad (1 November 2020). "HISTORY: THE GILGIT-BALTISTAN CONUNDRUM". Dawn. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Who Is Responsible for the Gilgit-Baltistan Dispute?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  18. ^ "Gilgit Rebellion: The Major who Mutinied over Partition of India | www.1947partitionarchive.org". 1947partitionarchive.org. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  19. ^ Brown 2014, Chapter 3: The Gathering Storm.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Snedden, Christopher. "The forgotten Poonch uprising of 1947". India-seminar.
  22. ISBN 978-1860648984
  23. ^ Schofield 2003, p. 64.
  24. ISBN 9780199066490
    .
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ISBN 9780203887325
    .

Bibliography
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