POONCH STATE (NON SALUTE
STATE )
Poonch was a Princely State in the Kashmir Residency. Presently it is divided between the Azad Kashmir territory of Pakistan and the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir. The first stamp was issued around 1876 during the reign of Raja Moti Singh who ruled the state from 1859 to1892. Population of the State was around 2,00,000 in 1901 AD.
The long and storied
history of Poonch dates back to the time of Alexander the Great. The name is
found in records from the 600s CE. Its location, near Kashmir, has
assured it a lively place in the empire trading of many eras. Poonch is known
as the City of Sufi Saints, and has a Muslim majority, though it has,
historically, been ruled by Hindus.
Poonch is first recorded as
a sovereign state in about 850 under Raja Nar, a horse trader. It fended
off various invasions but came under Mughal influence from 1596 to 1792.
In 1819 much of this area was captured by the Sikh empire, ruled by Maharaja
Ranjit Singh. His brother, Dhyan Singh, was appointed “Raja of Chibbal
and Poonch.” Ranjit Singh died in 1839, and several of other family members
were murdered. Ranjit’s son confiscated Pooch, seizing it from his uncle,
for himself.
The British
entered the scene in 1846, after the First Anglo-Sikh war, and gave Jawahir
Singh, the eldest remaining son of Dyhan, control over Poonch. But two
other members of the Singh family contested. In 1852, the British
Resident in Lahore reconfirmed that Dyhan had some claim, but gave the
territory to brothers Jawahir Singh and Moti Singh. The new ruling brothers
were to give Jawahir a horse outfitted in gold and consulted him on important
matters. This matter continued to be contested through 1940.
Predictably,
Jawahir and Moti quarreled. In a division of property, Moti Singh got the
Poonch district. Jawahir Singh was forced into exile, and the various feudal
payments continued to be fought over.
In 1925, Britain
imposed a council of Administration on Jammu and Kashmir, and attempts were
made to appeal to Britain over the status of Poonch. However, the British
decided that it was a vassal of Jammu and Kashmir, and not subject to British
interference. Arguments continued to go back and forth about whether Poonch was
state, a jagir,
or merely a tract of land. In 1928, the British ruled that Poonch was
part of the state of Jammu-Kashmir, “a subordinate Jagirdar of Kashmir,” and
relations between Poonch and Jammu-Kashmir were simply domestic, and not
subject to British interference. Concerns about excessive taxation and local
impoverishment brought about some more oversight by the British government, but
also resulted in more taxes. The death of the Raja of Poonch in 1940
resulted in heavy-handed administration in the form of a regency from the
Maharaja of Jammu-Kashmir.
In 1947, there was an
uprising, which included Poonch, against the Maharaja of Jammu-Kashmir.
Factors included corruption; dissatisfaction of Muslims; and disarming of
Muslim soldiers, with weapons given to Hindus. Lord Mountbatten and the
Maharaja of Jammu/Kashmir summarily handed Kashmir, including Poonch, over to
India. There was a massive uprising in Poonch, known as the Azad revolt, which
was dealt with harshly.
Finally, the territory of Poonch was divided. One part went to India as
part of Kashmir. The other is now part of Pakistan.
Four Annas Postage stamp of 1888 AD (Photo taken from wikipedia for reference)
Court Fee Stamp :-
Type-5
:- 1938-49, Size 58 x 31mm. , Perf. 14, Wove paper.
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