Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Coordinates: 34°13′N 73°17′E / 34.21°N 73.28°E / 34.21; 73.28
Country
Pakistan
Territory
Azad Kashmir
District
Muzaffarabad District
Area
- Total
6,117 km2 (2,361.8 sq mi)
Elevation
3,000 m (9,843 ft)
Population (1998)
- Total
0.725 million
- Estimate (1999)
0.742 million
Time zone
PST (UTC+05:00)
Muzaffarabad Local Government
Muzaffarabad
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
105
14
2
156
15
4
196
19
8
122
26
13
80
31
17
107
36
21
384
32
21
311
31
21
100
31
17
48
27
11
44
22
6
87
16
3
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
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A
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4.1
57
36
6.1
59
39
7.7
66
46
4.8
79
55
3.1
88
63
4.2
97
70
15
90
70
12
88
70
3.9
88
63
1.9
81
52
1.7
72
43
3.4
61
37
average max. and min. temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
Muzaffarabad (Urdu: مظÙر آباد, Pahari: Ù…ÙظÙٌر آباد)
is the capital of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad
District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is
bounded by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla
districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and
the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north. According to the 1998
Census, the population of the district was 725,000, and according to a
1999 projection, the population had risen to almost 741,000. The
district comprises three tehsils, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as
the capital of Azad Kashmir.
Contents
1 Location
2 History
2.1 Early history
2.2 Modern history
2.3 2005 Kashmir Earthquake
3 Sites of interest
3.1 Muzaffarabad Fort
3.2 Other sites of interest
4 Valleys
5 Administration
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
//
Location
Muzaffarabad is situated at the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum
rivers. The city is 138 kilometres from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and
about 76 kilometres from Abbottabad. Cradled by lofty mountains,
Muzaffarabad reflects a blend of various cultures and languages. The
main language is a form of Hindko. The Neelum river plays a dominant
role in the microclimate of Muzaffarabad which joins Jehlum River near
Domail.
History
Early history
The original name of Muzaffarabad was Udabhanda.
“
Hieun tsang, the celebrated Buddhist pilgrim who is said to have visited
the valley in 633 A.D mentions Pan-nu-tso i.e. modern day Punch,
Ho-lo-she-pu-to i.e. modern day Rajauri. He entered India from
Udabhanda, Urasa (present Muzafrabad and Uskara) entered the valley via
Baramula gorge.1
â€
Udabhanda was the capital of the Shahi dynasty. The Shahi (Devanagari
शाही), also called Shahiya,23 dynasties ruled portions of the
Kabul Valley (in eastern Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara
(northern Pakistan and Kashmir) from the decline of the Kushan Empire in
third century to the early ninth century.3 The kingdom was known as
Kabul-shahan or Ratbel-shahan from (565 - 670 CE) when they had their
capitals in Kapisa and Kabul, and later Udabhandapura (also known as
Hund)4 for its new capital. The term Shahi is the title of the rulers,
likely related to the Kushan form Shao3 or Persian form Shah and refers
to a series of 60 rulers probably descended from the Kushans or Turks
(Turshkas).3 They are split into two eras the Buddhist Turk-Shahis and
the later Hindu-Shahis, with the changeover occurring sometime around
870.
Modern history
The name "Muzaffarabad" (meaning Muzaffar's Town) comes from the name
of Sultan Raja Muzaffar Khan (a Muslim ruler of Khandan-e-Bomba). After
the 1948-49 war, Muzaffarabad was made the capital of Azad Jammu and
Kashmir.
On October 8, 2005, the city was struck by an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter Scale.
2005 Kashmir Earthquake
Main article: 2005 Kashmir earthquake
The city was the site of the epicentre of the 2005 Kashmir
earthquake, which occurred on October 8, 2005 and had a magnitude of
7.6. The disaster destroyed 50% of the buildings in the city (including
most of the official buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to
80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir, alone.
As of 8 November, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350. Some estimates put the death toll over 100,000.5
Humanitarian aid reaches the devastated far-flung areas of Pakistan's Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA).
Pakistani Soldiers carry tents away from a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook
helicopter that was there on October 19. The United States took part in
the multinational effort to provide humanitarian assistance and support
to Pakistan and Afghanistan following the devastating October 8
earthquake.
Heavy snowfall in the region around the epicentre, shown here in a
January 6, 2006 NASA satellite image, hampered the relief efforts which
began shortly after the earthquake struck.
Sangam Hotel in Muzaffarabad that was destroyed in the earthquake.
Sites of interest
Muzaffarabad Fort
There are two historical forts on opposite sides of the Neelum River, known as the Red Fort and the Black Fort.
The construction of the Red Fort was finally completed in 1646 by
Sultan Muzaffar Khan, the founder of Muzaffarabad city. After the
Mughals took over Kashmir, the fort lost its importance. The Mughals
were more interested in Kabul, Bukhara, and Badakshan. During the period
of Durrani rule, however, the fort again once again assumed its
importance.
Maharaja Gulab Singh and Rambir Singh, the Dogra rulers,
reconstructed and extended the fort for their political and military
operations. Towards the middle of 1947, the Dogra forces left, leaving
the fort abandoned.
The architecture of the fort shows that great experts in design and
structure participated in its construction. It is surrounded on three
sides by the Neelum River, formally known as the Kishenganga River. The
northern part of the fort had terraces with steps leading to the bank of
the river. The eastern side was well protected from the hazards of
flood waters, but some parts on the north side have suffered damage.
There used to be an inn at the entrance to the fort, but only traces of
that structure remain now.
Other sites of interest
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court
Mosque Assembly Secretariat
Kh. Khurshid Tomb
Chehla Bridge
Subri (Langarpura) Lake
Valleys
Pirchinassi
Patikha
Neelum Valley
Leepa Valley
Jhelum Valley
Chickar
Garhi Dopatta
Nakkah
Bugna Kairabad
Administration
The district is administratively subdivided into three tehsils.
See also
Srinagar - capital of Jammu and Kashmir
Gilgit - capital of Gilgit-Baltistan
References
^ A STUDY OF CULTURAL ROUTES OF JAMMU REGION Chaudhary Poonam / India
^ Sehrai, Fidaullah (1979). Hund: The Forgotten City of Gandhara, p. 1.
Peshawar Museum Publications New Series, Peshawar.
^ a b c d "Shahi Family". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 16 Oct 2006.
^ Sehrai, Fidaullah (1979). Hund: The Forgotten City of Gandhara, p. 2.
Peshawar Museum Publications New Series, Peshawar.
^ IoS Appeal: Last chance to donate to quake victims
External links
v • d • e
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Mardan · Nowshera
Balochistan
Chaman · Gwadar · Khuzdar · Quetta** · Ziarat
Azad Kashmir
Bhimber · Kotli · Mirpur · Muzaffarabad** · Rawalakot
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*Federal capital **Provincial/Territorial capitals
v • d • e
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Federally Administered Tribal Areas) · Quetta (Balochistan)
Kashmir
Gilgit (Gilgit-Baltistan) · Muzaffarabad (Azad Kashmir)
Coordinates: 34°21′N 73°28′E / 34.35°N 73.467°E / 34.35; 73.467
