Punial State

Punial State was formerly a princely state (under the British it was a "Special Political District" of the Gilgit Agency and not a Princely State) in the northwest part of the Northern Areas which existed until 1974. The state bordered the Gilgit Agency to the south, the former princely state of Yasin to the west, Ishkoman to the north and Afghanistan (Wakhan Corridor) to the northwest. The state capital was the town of Sher Qila. The area of Punial now forms the above named tehsil of Ghizer District.

Punial was an independent principality for several centuries. The British gained control of the area and the neighbouring valleys by mid 19th century followed by a military engagement of severe intensity. The first Rah of Punial was Isa Bagdur of katur Dynasty, succeeded by his son Akbar Khan, who in 1913 was deposed by the British and replaced by his son, Anwar Khan, succeeded in turn by his son Jan Alam.[1]

Raja Nasir ul Din of puniyal

Raja Nasir ul Din alias Jan Alam grandson of Esa Bahdur and the last ruler of Brosh dynasty in Punial. Jan Alam sustained two out of three uprisings against the autocratic rule by people of Punial. The first uprising was in 1895 which resulted in the First Constitution (Dastoor ul amal ) of Punial in 1898 by Raj. Second uprising was instigated by father of Jan Alam (Raja Anwar Khan) the ruler himself to contain his cousin Khan Bahdur by depriving him from the privileges given in the first dastoor ul amal in 1935. This uprising resulted in amendments in the first dastoor and abolished various categories of people like Darkkhan, Raihat and gushpur etc. The third uprising in 1951 was initiated by Syeds (father and uncle of Pir Karam Ali Shah). The uprising suppressed for the time being but it was converted into a movement and spread over to other regions like Nagar and resulted into end of autocratic rule in 1971 by Bhutto as part of his nationwide reforms by abolishing the princely states.

This area and other neighbouring states were never ruled directly by Kashmir.

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References
  1. Sack, John (1959). Report from Practically Nowhere. New York: Curtis Publishing Company. pp. 202–216.


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