Mirpur, Azad Kashmir
Mirpur
میرپور | |
---|---|
Urban | |
New Mirpur City | |
Number of Tehsils | 3 |
Number of Union councils | 21 |
Mirpur (
A significant portion of the population from the district, the Mirpuri diaspora, migrated to the United Kingdom in the mid-to-late 1950s and in the early 1960s, mostly to West Yorkshire, East and West Midlands, Birmingham, Luton, Peterborough, Derby and East London. Mirpur is thus sometimes known as "Little England".[5] Many British products are found, and many shops in the city accept the pound sterling.[6]
The city itself has gone through a process of modernization, but most of the surrounding area relies on agriculture.
History
The city of Mirpur itself was founded in around 1640 AD or 1050AH by the local Ghakhar chief Miran Shah Ghazi during Mughal rule. The Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series Kashmir and Jammu (1909) reports that "it is said to have been founded by Miran Shah Ghazi and Sultan Fateh Khan". An alternate view is that the city was founded by Mira Shah Gazi and Gosain Bodhpuri, both regarded as saints. The word 'Mir' was taken from the name of the former and 'Pur’ from the latter.[7]
The area that is now Mirpur has been historically associated with
In 1808, Ranjit Singh annexed Jammu state, which was already a tributary since 1780, and in 1820 awarded Jammu to his commander
Ranjit Singh had given Poonch, Mirpur and Bhimber as a Jagir to Gulab Singh's younger brother Dhian Singh. However, in 1843 Dhian Singh died and Gulab Singh considered these areas now part of his territory. Though he wasn't able to establish full control due to resistances.[9] As an aftermath of the
Early Mirpur
Since Mirpur lies in between where the Jhelum River meets the heavily forested foothills of the Pir Panjal mountains and above the plains of the largely treeless Punjab, it was an ideal spot for the construction of the boats used to carry goods from the Himalayas down the five rivers of the Punjab to the Indus River and onto the seaports in the Indus delta. Traders have been operating from there across the Indian Ocean for over three thousand years. Most of the crew on the boats trading up and down the Punjab and Indus River system were drawn from Mirpur, as training as a boat-builder was a necessary prerequisite for becoming a boatman.[10]
British Dominion
During the modern period of the Dogra principality, a British dominion, the thriving river trade diminished due to the construction of railway lines from Bombay and Karachi into the interior of the Punjab.[11]
Independence and War
The city was part of the princely state of
Geography
Mirpur lies at the foothills of the
Climate
Mirpur has a
Climate data for Mirpur, Azad Kashmir | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) |
20.4 (68.7) |
25.8 (78.4) |
31.9 (89.4) |
37.2 (99.0) |
38.0 (100.4) |
34.0 (93.2) |
32.5 (90.5) |
32.3 (90.1) |
30.4 (86.7) |
24.8 (76.6) |
20.1 (68.2) |
28.8 (83.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
18.5 (65.3) |
24.3 (75.7) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.9 (89.4) |
29.8 (85.6) |
28.5 (83.3) |
27.0 (80.6) |
22.9 (73.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
22.3 (72.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.8 (60.4) |
20.4 (68.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 78 (3.1) |
142 (5.6) |
139 (5.5) |
98 (3.9) |
44 (1.7) |
98 (3.9) |
281 (11.1) |
270 (10.6) |
104 (4.1) |
38 (1.5) |
36 (1.4) |
48 (1.9) |
1,376 (54.3) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 96 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
66 | 64 | 57 | 45 | 35 | 43 | 71 | 78 | 70 | 57 | 58 | 62 | 59 |
Source 1: [14] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: [15] |
Industry
The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has successfully developed Mirpur industrially and promoted private investment in a diverse economy: foam, polypropylene, synthetic yarn, motorbikes and scooter, textile, vegetable oil (ghee), wood and sawmills, soap, cosmetics, marble, ready-made garments, matches and rosin, turpentine. The economy of Mirpur generated economy of Azad Kashmir. However, much of the infrastructure still needs improvement so that high-quality products can be obtained.
As part of the relief/compensation package in the wake of Mangla Dam, a new city is being developed along the southeastern outskirts of Mirpur, with the main city of Mirpur being doubled. Much construction is occurring around the whole district by Pakistani and Chinese contractors, raising the dam. Four towns in the district have been planned near the new city to resettle the population affected by the project.
Education
The AJK Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Mirpur is responsible for the studies at lower levels. In addition to the state-run schools and colleges, Mirpur has a well-developed private sector providing the education to all sections of the society:
Other notable colleges and schools include:
- The City School
- Mohi ud Din Islamic Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Mohi-ud-Din Islamic Medical College
- Punjab College, Mirpur
- Roots Millennium Schools
- Beaconhouse School System
Sport
Football, cricket and volleyball are popular in Mirpur. Mirpur has a cricket stadium, Quaid-e-Azam Stadium.
There are registered sports clubs: Al-Fatah Cricket Club is one of the top clubs in the city which is among the top 10 Clubs of Pakistan. Other clubs include Eagle star Cricket Club, South Asia Cricket Club. Notable cricketers include Zaman Khan who plays for Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League, Hassan Raza who has represented Pakistan in U-19 world Cup. He is currently representing Northerns in Quaid Azam Trophy and Shadab Khan who is also playing for Northerns in Quiad Azam Trophy.
Pilot Football Club, Youth Football Club and Kashmir National FC.The district football team of Mirpur take part in the All
Transport
. There is no railway station in Mirpur. The closest station is in Dina. The promise of a rail extension to Mirpur has not been fulfilled.[16][self-published source?]Demographics
According to the 2017 census, Mirpur had a population of 124,352.[18] Mirpur's original population comprises different tribes similar to that of Punjab. However, since 1947, residents from the neighbouring Rajouri and Poonch districts of the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir have largely settled in the Mirpur city and the surrounding areas. The bulk of the Mirpuri diaspora resides in England.[19]
Hindu and Sikh communities
1947 Mirpur Massacre Before the ICRC rescued 1,600 of the survivors from Alibeg, who were resettled to Jammu and other areas of India.[21][22][23][24][25][self-published source? ]
GenealogyAlongside other group administrators, Awais Hussain manages the Mirpur Y-DNA and Genealogy project on Family Tree DNA with the aim to research and study the genealogy of people in Mirpur and its villages, using oral history, family history of clans and tribes, as well as genetic evidence to research the origins and lineages of castes, subcastes and clans within the region.[26] LandmarksThere are the following places of interest: Notable people
Friendship citiesMirpur has friendly relations with:
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography
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Poonch |
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