Poonch

Poonch is a district in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in India. District Poonch is also popularly known as mini Kashmir is the smallest in area and the remotest district of Jammu and Kashmir state. It is situated between 33°25' to 34º01' north latitude and between 73°58' to 74º35' east longitude. It is bounded by the Actual Line of Control (ALC) from three sides.The ALC is about 103 Kms. from Tarkundi in Balakote to Sawjian in Mandi Block.

Spread over an area of 1,674 sq. Kms, Poonch District is totally hilly and mountainous barring few-low lying valleys. In winters all the areas height are covered with snow.

The total area of the district is 113675 Hect., out of which cultivable area is 27765 Hect. and net area sown is 27459 Hect . On the other hand, the forest area is 34050 Hect., while Area under double cropping works to 11000 Hect approximately. There are 36796 land holdings. The average size of land holding is 1.28 Hect.

The district has a projected population of 348635 as per census 2001.

Presently Poonch district consists of 178 Villages , 115 Panchayats , 51 Patwar Halqas, 8 Niabats, 6 Blocks (1. Poonch 2.Mandi 3.Mendhar 4.Balakote 5.Surankote and 6.Buffliaz) , 4 Tehsils (1. Haveli 2.Mandi 3.Mendhar and 4.Surankote) , and 1 Sub-division.

History

Around 326 BC when Alexander the Great invaded the lower Jhelum belt to fight with Porus, this region was known as Dravabhisar.

In the 6th Century A.D. Chinese traveller Huien Tsang passed through Poonch. He wrote that Poonch was famous for graphics, fine tea (Musloom) and good horses. Around 850 A.D., Poonch became a sovereign state when Mr. Nar, a horse trader declared himself Raja of Poonch . In 1596 A.D. Mughal King Jehangir nominated Siraj-ud-din of village Kahuta as Raja of Poonch. Siraj-Ud-Din and hisdescendent Raja Shahbaz Khan, Raja Abdul Razak, Raja Rustam Khan and Raja Khan Bahadur Khan ruled this area upto 1792 AD. In 1798 A.D. a Gujjar leader Rooh-ullah-Sangu became the ruler of this area.

From 1819 A.D. to 1850 A.D. Poonch remained a part of Khalsa Darbar , Lahore. In 1850 A.D. Dogra Raja Moti Singh laid foundation of Dogra Raj in Poonch . On the death of Raja Jagat Dev Singh in 1940, Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan became administrator of Poonch under the orders of Kashmir Government. In 1947 two and half tehsils of Poonch principality went under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, while as the rest became a constituent of Rajouri Poonch district. In 1967 for administrative convenience this district was further divided into two parts , viz district Rajouri and district Poonch.

Politics

Assembly constituencies and their areas after delimitation order of 2008
The above Order for the State of Jammu and Kashmir is as per the details given in Order No. 1 of the Delimitation Commission, Jammu and Kashmir notified in the Central and the State Gazettes on 27th April, 1995.

85 Surankote Vidhan Sabha Constituency - All PCs in Surankote tehsil and PCs 12-Rajpur, 21-Shindra, 22-Seri-Khawja in Poonch tehsil.

86 Mendhar Vidhan Sabha Constituency - All PCs of tehsil Mendhar

87 Poonch Haveli Vidhan Sabha Constituency - All PCs of tehsil Poonch except 12-Rajpur, 21-Shindra, 22-Sheri Khawja.

Places of interest
Noori Chamb, Girgan Dhok, Poonch Fort, Mandi, Loran, Nandi Shool, Surankote, Behramgala, Dehra Gali, Gurudwara Nangali Sahib, Mandir Budha Amar Nath ji, Ramkund Mandir, Shri Dashnami Akhara Mandir, Ziarat Chhote Shah Sahib, Ziarat Pir Fazal Shah Sahib, Ziarat Sain Illahi Bakash Sahib, Ziarat Sain Miran Sahib