Poonch uprising and reasons for Pashtun's jihad

[Marwat Khan Lodhi]

Why Poonchis revolted?
In the spring of 1947, the Poonchis had mounted a vigorous campaign against the oppressive tax regime imposed by Dogra ruler on every hearth & every window. Even buffalo and sheep were taxed besides every wife. An additional tax was imposed to finance for the salaries of taxmen, rent of tax offices etc. In July 1947, Muslims of Poonch were directed to surrender their arms only to be handed over to Hindus & Sikhs of the area.
Poonch Rebellion And Tribal Incursion Of Kashmir By Abdul Majid Zargar
In September 1947, in the southern Kashmir region of poonch and jammu, mobs of hindus , aided by maharaja’s soldiers, began slaughtering muslims. Muslim sources claim 200,000 of the region’s total muslim population of 500,000 were killed and the rest drived as refugees to Pakistan.
War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet - Eric Margolis - Google Books

British daily The London Times quoting its special correspondent in India stated that the Maharaja, under his own supervision, got assassinated 2,37,000 Muslims, using military forces in the Jammu area.
KASHMIR - THE UNTOLD STORY - Christopher Snedden - Google Books
It seems only Poonchis were armed and capable of offering armed resistance, as many of them had served in British indian army in world war, so Maharaja hari singh began with disarming them first before the crisis of partition and after partition encouraged hindu mobs , assisted by his soldiers, to cleanse Jammu from muslims.

The muslim revolt merits a special note as it was originally an autonomous jagir and more than 60,000 poonchis of Pathan Sudhan tribe had seen action in the second world war.
Strategic Studies - Google Books

My research says in 1947 there were 50,000 Poonchis who had served in the British Army. Poonch was one of the major recruiting grounds for the British. These people would always think of themselves as fighters. There were no economic opportunities and inadequate landholdings in this area. So, most of them fought alongside the British, unlike Kashmiri Muslims, who had enough land to till and were involved in economic activities. Poonchis had military and combat skills. Although the Maharaja’s forces disarmed them, they went across the border to arms manufacturers in North-West Frontier Province and Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan. They had a lot of local support; they managed to liberate their own area, defeated the Dogra army and even captured their arms.
Christopher Snedden's interview.
‘Nehru didn’t want to publicise the Poonch rebellion because it would have strengthened Pakistan’s case’ | Tehelka.com

Ties of Poonchis with Pashtun Tribesmen

In July 1947, Muslims of Poonch were directed to surrender their arms . Fearing that these will be used to carry out a massacre of Muslims, which fears later turned out to be true, Poonchis, among whom many had matrimonial relations with various pashtun tribes ,sought fresh weapons from them as they were well known for manufacture of arms. This laid the basis for direct contact between the members of Poonch resistance and the pashtun tribesmen. And when the stories of Muslim massacre in Jammu started reaching them, they offered their assistance for liberation of their co-religionists in Kashmir. And that is how an incursion started to take a definite shape
Poonch Rebellion And Tribal Incursion Of Kashmir By Abdul Majid Zargar
The martial people of Poonch , sudhans, were related to Pashtuns.
.....any Pakistani support or leadership for jammuites was probably not officially sanctioned. Rather Punjabi or NWFP muslims, with whom Jammu muslims had close ethnic, familial, cultural, geographical and economic links. For example Sudhans from poonch considered themselves to be sudhu zai pathans (pakhtoons), which for them, explained why the pathans lost no time coming to help J&K muslims. Furthermore and importantly poonch muslims had the capability, given their military abilities and experiences, and the intent, given their anti-maharaja’s grievances, to foment and sustain anti-maharaja actions themselves. They didn’t need any Pakistani encouragement or assistance.....
KASHMIR - THE UNTOLD STORY - Christopher Snedden - Google Books

The muslim revolt merits a special note as it was originally an autonomous jagir and more than 60,000 poonchis of Pathan Sudhan tribe had seen action in the second world war.
Strategic Studies - Google Books
Poonchis were in touch with Pashtun tribesmen and they directly asked them to assist them against Maharaja's dogra forces which had started killing jammu muslims.
Pashtun's reasons for assisting poonchis

The Pathans who had for months hearing hindu and Sikh outrages against their muslim brothers and sisters in the Punjab, were already gearing up for what they did best: making war. The tribesmen , mosty Afridis and Mahsuds, tied a bright strip of cloth around their rifles, a sign of their oaths not to return home until they had avenged the deaths of muslims in Punjab.
Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire - Alex von Tunzelmann - Google Books

It seems they were in the mode of avenging massacres and rapes of Muslims of east punjab
The telegram from prime minister of Pakistan to prime minister of India, October 30,1947.
For Pandit Nehru from liaqat Alki Khan,
I have received your telegrams including that of 28th October to which I reply. The position is that sikh attacks on muslims on east Punjab greatly inflame feeling throughout Pakistan and it was only with greatest difficulty the Pathan tribes were prevented from entering west Punjab to take revenge on Hindu and Sikhs…
Modern History of Jammu and Kashmir: Ancient times to Shimla Agreement - J. C. Aggarwal, S. P. Agrawal - Google Books

Syent smith , a reporter for daily express, had managed to get himself kidnapped by pathans near baramula, confirmed on his release that tribal leaders chanted prayers every night for the success of their jihad against Sikhs. ‘Every tribal leader agrees on the war aims’, wrote smith.’They are: To wipe out Hari Singh minority rule in Kashmir; to march on and exterminate the chief Sikh state Patiala and; to capture Amritsar and try-one day-to reach New Delhi”
Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire - Alex von Tunzelmann - Google Books

Pashtun tribesmen of kashmir war


Indian mechanized army against tribesmen

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[jandk]

Why are we Dogras always blamed? Dogra rule was not oppressive as is portrayed by some revisionists with a vested interest.

 

[INDIC]

Why are we Dogras always blamed? Dogra rule was not oppressive as is portrayed by some revisionists with a vested interest.

I had read about some extremely exaggerated claims that 2.5-5 Lakh Muslims were killed in this Poonch uprising but later on found that total population of entire princely state of Kashmir was only 40 Lakhs in 1947.

 

[jandk]

I had read about some extremely exaggerated claims that 2.5-5 Lakh Muslims were killed in this Poonch uprising but later on found that total population of entire princely state of Kashmir was only 40 Lakhs in 1947.

They are liars of the first order. Some even accuse us of genocide. There is no evidence for any of these claims.

 

[GreenFalcon]

They are liars of the first order. Some even accuse us of genocide. There is no evidence for any of these claims.

Typical brainwashed Indian thoughts

 

[INDIC]

They are liars of the first order. Some even accuse us of genocide. There is no evidence for any of these claims.

I read about some massacre in Mirpur where thousands of Hindus and Sikhs were butchered in captivity where Hindus and Sikhs were taking shelters after towns after towns were falling to the invading militia.

Typical brainwashed Indian thoughts

The population of entire Jammu and Kashmir was 40 lakhs in 1947 and majority of them lived in Kashmir valley and while other half lived in Jammu comprising of a Hindu majority, I can't understand the exaggerated casualty claim that 5 Lakh Muslims were kill in Poonch alone. If I look for it, I mostly find Pakistani website claiming such thing.

 

[GreenFalcon]

I read about some massacre in Mirpur where thousands of Hindus and Sikhs were butchered in captivity where Hindus and Sikhs were taking shelters after towns after towns were falling to the militia of.



The population of entire Jammu and Kashmir was 40 lakhs in 1947 and majority of them lived in Kashmir valley and while other half lived in Jammu comprising of a Hindu majority, I can't understand the exaggerated casualty claim that 5 Lakh Muslims were kill in Poonch alone. If I look for it, I mostly find Pakistani website claiming such thing.

Offcourse as I said that u guys are brainwashed by ur govt and media, we can't help your cause.. btw Congratz on Modi winning.. Modi is the kind of a character that will show u the reality of the Indian extremism ...just wait n watch

 

[Marwat Khan Lodhi]

@INDIC
No one is saying that 5 lakh muslims were killed in poonch alone, it were not mostly poonchis among jammu muslims who got butchered like sheeps, as they were able to arm themeselves from weapon factories in pakhtun areas. The muslim population of jammu was 5 lakh, in which, according to our sources, 2 lakh got killed by dogra forces and hindu mobs.
Genocide took place in mostly rest of jammu, while poonchis defended themeselves to great extent and started capturing areas with the help of pashtun tribesmen, which were invited by them. Indian governament highlighted only pashtun incursion for purpose of propaganda, poonch uprising was the trigger, pashtun fighters were only 2000-3000 in number, rest were poonchis who also accompanied tribesmen towards srinagar.

 

[INDIC]

@INDIC
No one is saying that 5 lakh muslims were killed in poonch, it were not poonchis among jammu muslims who got butchered like sheeps as they were armed. The muslim population of jammu was 5 lakh, in which, according to our sources, 2 lakh got killed by sikhs and hindus.
Genocide took place in rest of jammu, while poonchis successfully defended themeselves and started capturing areas with the help of pashtun tribesmen, which were invited by them. Indian governament highlighted only pashtun incursion for purpose of propaganda, poonch uprising was the trigger, pashtun fighters were only 2000-3000 in number, rest were poonchis who also accompanied tribesmen towards srinagar.

I have read about claims of 2.5-5 Lakh casualties and since the population of entire Jammu and Kashmir was only 40 Lakhs in 1947, the casualties figure looks a bit doubtful. About the half of Kashmir's population lived in Kashmir valley and another half in Jammu and Ladakh of whom majority were Hindus, so very doubtful to believe 2.5 Lakhs people killed in Poonch alone,

 

[Chak Bamu]

@Pak-one thanks for this thread.

People who deny this are not worth replying to. I came across the Poonch rebellion and the oppression that caused it when I read Sahahab Nama. Of course Qudratullah Shahab was well-suited to write about this, since he directly saw the disturbances and their results. He was an ethnic Punjabi ICS officer (family from Chamkore), he was brought up in Sri Nagar, where his father was a high-level government functionary who had served on top (governor?) in Gilgit under Raja's rule.

He was the highest placed bureaucrat in Azad Kashmir and oversaw the efforts to deal with refugees and setup of post-Raja administration.

@jandk you can not just issue statements denying that anything happened. Your having Dogra background should have nothing to do with dealing with facts of history. Dogras were the ruling class, and having a rebellion is not a complement to their governance.

 

[Marwat Khan Lodhi]

I have read about claims of 2.5-5 Lakh casualties and since the population of entire Jammu and Kashmir was only 40 Lakhs in 1947, the casualties figure looks a bit doubtful. About the half of Kashmir's population lived in Kashmir valley and another half in Jammu and Ladakh of whom majority were Hindus, so very doubtful to believe 2.5 Lakhs people killed in Poonch alone,

I have read about claims of 2.5-5 Lakh casualties and since the population of entire Jammu and Kashmir was only 40 Lakhs in 1947, the casualties figure looks a bit doubtful. About the half of Kashmir's population lived in Kashmir valley and another half in Jammu and Ladakh of whom majority were Hindus, so very doubtful to believe 2.5 Lakhs people killed in Poonch alone,

You are not paying attention, no source is claiming that 2.5 lakh muslims got killed in poonch alone....there were also muslims in kathua, udhampur, reasi , mirpur and jammu city...

 

[Jaanbaz]

Why are we Dogras always blamed? Dogra rule was not oppressive as is portrayed by some revisionists with a vested interest.

If I had my way I would send all dogras on a deserted Island.

 

[Jaggu]

I think over all Sikhs have been unjustly blamed for all the violence in 1947. In east Punjab yes, but how can Sikhs be responsible for violence that took place in J&K state when Sikhs were less than 4% of the entire population?

 

[jandk]

I think over all Sikhs have been unjustly blamed for all the violence in 1947. In east Punjab yes, but how can Sikhs be responsible for violence that took place in J&K state when Sikhs were less than 4% of the entire population?

Dogras are not Sikhs. Most of us are hindus.

 

[third eye]

Is it ' feel good' week again ?