Nagar (Urdu: ریاست نگر, Riyasat Nagar) was a princely state located in the northern region of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. Before August 1947, it maintained a subsidiary alliance with British India. It shared its borders with the Gilgit Agency states to the south and west, while to the north and east, it bordered the princely state of District Hunza. From November 1947 to 1974, Nagar was recognized as a princely state within Pakistan, with its administrative center in the town of Nagar.
The land that was previously part of Nagar now comprises three tehsils within the Nagar District of northern Pakistan.
Nagar, established in the 14th century, operated as an autonomous principality until the British exerted control over the region during the Hunza–Nagar Campaign (1889–1893). Subsequently, it became a colonial princely state under the jurisdiction of the Gilgit Agency until 1947.[1] However, starting in 1868, Nagar was a vassal state under the authority of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, even though it was never directly governed by Kashmir. The rulers of Nagar were considered to be among the most loyal vassals of the Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir, sending annual tributes to their Durbars until 1947. The British granted them a hereditary gun salute of 15-guns.
In November 1947, the ruler, Mir Shaukat Ali Khan acceded Nagar to Pakistan, which became responsible for its external affairs and defense, while Nagar maintained internal self-government.[citation needed] In 1968, Syed Yahya Shah, the first educated politician of the valley, demanded civil rights from the Mir of Nagar. In 1972, the Pakistan People's Party government (under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) forced the Mir of Nagar to abdicate. The area was then merged with the Northern Areas.[2]
The state was governed by the hereditary rulers of the Maglot dynasty, who were styled as Mir. The details of these early rulers are uncertain; the first definite dates available are from 1839. In November 1947, the state became one of the princely states of Pakistan. Brigadier Mir Shaukat Ali Khan was the last ruler of the State before it was abolished by Pakistani PM Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1972.[3]
There are around 90,000 inhabitants of the Nagar valley (AKRSP Census, 2000).
Nagar is home to two main ethnic groups – the Burushaski speakers and the Shina speakers. An older type of Burushaski is still spoken in the valley with a mild modern accent. A third language, Bedeski, is also still spoken in Chalt Nagar.
The population is traditionally predominantly Shia Isna'asheri (Jafaria).
The terrain of Nagar is extremely mountainous, which provided a certain degree of protection against invading forces. The highest mountain is the 7,885 m Mount Dastagilsar of Hisper, south of the town of Nagar. The Karakoram Highway crosses Nagar, connecting Pakistan with China via the Khunjerab Pass. The road follows the Hunza river for some distance through Nagar and into the Hunza region. In terms of the languages spoken locally, Nagar Valley is divided into two parts: Nagar Shinaki and Nagar Burosho.
Shina Speaking Villages in Nagar (Shinaki/Sheenbar)
Burushaski Speaking Villages in Nagar
Bilingual Valleys in Nagar
The Nagar villages are mainly populated by religious scholars, Educationists, Sportsmen, Craftsmen and Craftswomen, farmers, hunters and fishermen, handicrafts, miners, Shepherds, adventurers, mountaineers and so on.