The Importance of Gilgit -The 'Gilgit Mission' Of Colonel W.S.A. Lockhart And Colonel R.G. Woodthorpe, Jammu & Kashmir1885.

Maharaja Gulab Singh proved to be a strong and stern ruler. He did not live long to rule over Kashmir, but during the short period of about eleven years he tried to establish peace in the country with a strong hand. Much of his energy was spent unsuccessfully in trying to subdue the frontier district of Gilgit which continued to be in a state of disturbance.

In 1852 the Dogras were expelled from all that part of Dardistan which is on the right bank of the Indus. Gilgit went out of their hands and Gulab Singh decided to advance no further. Maharaja Ranbir Singh  wanted to regain what his father had lost and to re-establish the name and reputation of his army. and turned his attention towards the frontier of Gilgit.

 There were internal dissensions between the Rajas of various parts of the frontier. The Rajas of Hunza and Nagar hated each other and were in bitter state of affairs.

 Gauhar Rehman, who had held Gilgit from 1852, died before Maharaja's troops reached the frontier.Maharaja Ranbir Singh did not only regain what his father had lost but he subdued even Yasin in 1863.

 In 1865, then at the instigation of the Mehtar of Chitral disturbances reappeared on the frontier, reinforcements were sent by the Maharaja, and this time Darel valley was also occupied.

The Maharaja's power was no longer required to lessen the force of the Sikhs.

The value of Kashmir and the importance of Gilgit was becoming every day clearer to the Government of British India and they waited now for an opportunity to meddle in the affairs of the State. It was at this stage that they made the suggestion for the appointing of a British Resident, which Maharaja Ranbir Singh did not accept.

In the meanwhile the Afghan War broke out in 1878. The loyal Maharaja as usual readily volunteered help and sent a contingent of troops and artillery to assist the British Government. This war made the British more anxious than ever about the Gilgit frontier and their desire to interfere in the affairs of the State became keener.

The Government of  British India wanted to appoint a political Resident, which the Treaty of Amritsar did not allow them to do. They wanted to occupy the frontier of Gilgit, for which no occasion had arisen. They did not hide their purpose

Maharaja's resignation became a settled fact, the British Government reverted to its usual charge that there was misgovernment in Kashmir; that the Maharaja had not carried out the reforms proposed by the Viceroy, that there was no money in the State Treasury and that the administration was corrupt.
In his letter William Digby has proved that all these charges were false, and the only motive that prompted the British to take such a drastic action was that they wanted the control of the State in order to safeguard their Empire against any aggression on the North-Western Frontier from Afghanistan through the Gilgit District.


Maharaja Partap Singh was in this manner deprived of all his power of ruler ship and the political Resident became the virtual ruler of the State.

Gilgit was forthwith fortified and British troops were sent to that district. The Government of British India attempted to convince the world that these arrangements had been made because of the inefficiency of Partap Singh to rule and his unwillingness to introduce, reforms to ameliorate the lot of the half-naked peasants and famishing artisans of the State.
 An anonymous writer in The Times of London, one who had worked in the country for nearly ten years, said:  Kashmir is of no military importance; that the British Government do not cast greedy eyes on it. Blame me as you will, but record it for yourself, unless there is a decided change of policy, before long

Kashmir will soon be as much British India as is now Burma.

The value of Gilgit to the Kashmir State commanding as it does the Indus valley and mouth of Hunza river, and so holding in check the unruly tribes on either side is obvious enough; but it is only recently that the great strategical importance to the Empire of this position has been fully realized. This region is now attracting some attention.
It is necessary for the safeguarding of our Empire that we should at any rate hold our side of the mountain gates but unless we looked to it Russia would soon have both sides under her control."


At one time it was seriously suggested by some that the words of the Treaty of Amritsar, namely, "the hilly or mountainous country, with its dependencies, situated eastward of the river Indus and westward of the river Ravi", did not include Gilgit, and so it should not be in the possession of the Dogras

 At Present Gilgit is the capital city of Gilgit-Baltistan, a territory in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and Hunza River.

Gilgit was an important stop on the ancient Silk Road, and today serves as a major junction along the Karakoram Highway with road connections to China, Skardu, Chitral, Peshawar, and Islamabad. Currently, it serves as a frontier station for local tribal areas.