Treaty of Amristar between the British Government and Gulab singh-signed on March 16, 1846

Treaty of Amristar between the British Government and Gulab singh-signed on March 16, 1846

History

Jammu and Kashmir came into being as a single political and geographical entity following the Treaty of Amristar between the British Government and Gulab singh signed on March 16, 1846. The Treaty handed over the control of the Kashmir State to the Dogra ruler of Jammu who had earlier annexed Ladakh. Thus a new State comprising three distinct regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh was formed with Maharaja Gulab Singh as its founder ruler. 

The feudal dispensation in the State, however, was too harsh for the people to live under and towards the end of a hundred years of this rule when their Indian brethren were fighting for independence from the British under the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Kashmiris led by a towering personality, the Sher-I-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, rose against the autocracy. The autocratic rule came down heavily on the people’s freedom movement. However, the people laid their lives in the cause of freedom and to uphold the ideals of secularism, equality, democracy and brotherhood. 

Bhaderwah also know as Nagon ki bhoomi (land of Snakes)

Bhaderwah in Jammu -also know as “Nagon ki bhoomi” means ‘land of Snakes'

Bhaderwah also know as “Nagon ki bhoomi” means ‘land of Snakes'. The history is very little known to general masses. The Bhaderwah Town (Nagar Bhaderwah) was known as Hettary Nagar and prior to that, there were two other towns namely Donga nagar and Udho Nagar. Both the Nagar was situated around villages Mondha which is about 3 Kms. In the East of present Bhaderwah town.

History tells us that sometime back both the Nagars were flooded due to torrential floods from Himalayan Ranges , and the presence of the big boulders in abundance available in the present era reveal the story of disaster occurred then. Later on, the people of Bhaderwah selected a place for their rehabilitation in Seeri (from word ‘SEER' meaning a vast piece of land), now known as Seeri Bazar, a vast field belonging to a Zamindar (Farmer) and reconstructed their dwellings around  it.

The revolutionaries followed him with great Zeal, and killed him in the cave itself. After two months from this incident, the Govt. of Chamba once again raided Bhaderwah. The forces under the command of Shagtu Kotwal fought with the forces of Chamba Raja at Padri Dhar for at least three days wherein the general Nathu Ram of Chamba was badly defeated.

A few days after repulsing the Chamba Force, he managed to present himself before Maharaja Gulab Singh at Jammu for accession of Bhaderwah with the J&K State. The Maharaja Gulab Singh gladly accepted the proposal and the brave General Shagtu Kotwal was awarded with a Jagir (Poperty) in Kailar named Droundi. It occurred during the year of 1902 Bikrami i.e. in about 1854, when the revenue of Rabi Crop was collected by the Chamba Rulers and that of Kharief Crop Revenue by the Jammu and Kashmir Rulers.