Fall of Dogras in
Gilgit by Late Col. Hassan Jarral Sahib(1947)
Nov - 1947, Col. Hassan Khan Jarral
Sahib who was then Company Commander - revolted against the ruling Gogras
and captured Gilgit with a small team of Muslim Rajputs and locals.
He also arrested the Governer 'Brigadier Ghansara Singh' and appointed
Raja Raees Khan as President of the new Republic.
British Lease Gilgit - 1935
The settings of this revolt can be traced
back to the year 1935 of the 'GREAT GAME ERA', when Maharaja Hari Singh
withdrew his own administrative machinery and handed over Gilgit Agency
to the British on a sixty year lease due to persistent British interest.
Military Cross - 1943
This was followed by the outbreak of
Second World War. Two Battalions of Jammu and Kashmir State Forces i.e.
2 & 4 Jammu and Kashmir participated in this war in a big way. Captain
Mirza Hassan Khan Jarral Sahib and Captain Mohammad Aslam of 4 Jammu
and Kashmir, considered to be the crackest unit of State Forces, were
promoted as Major together on 3 November 1943, beside bestowment of
the coveted award of Military Cross.
Quid-e-Azam meeting - Bombay
During this period Mirza Hassan Khan
Sahib along with other Muslim officers met Quaid-e-Azam in Bombay and
sought his guidance. Who prophetically advised that the interest, which
has brought them to him, would guide them further . After Second World
War, the Muslim elements of Jammu and Kashmir State Army reached back
Satwari Cantonment, Jammu from overseas in January 1946;to find themselves
in an atmosphere of changed attitudes, religious intolerance and turbulent
times. The future of the state of Jammu and Kahmir in general and that
of its Muslim population in particular was in doldrums, due to impending
partition of the Sub-Continent.
Secret Military Revolution Council 1946
The motivated Muslim officers of the
State Forces got together and hatched a secret Military Revolutionary
Council, headed by Major Mirza Hassan Khan Jarral sahib and it initially
consisted of Major Afzal Shaheed, Major Mohammad Din, Major Rehmat Ullah,
Major Sher, Major Ghazanfar Ali Shah, Major Feroz Din, Captain Mansha.
Major Aslam (Shangrila fame) was cultivated with difficulties. Gradually
with hard work some other Muslim officers were also included. The indoctrination
was amazingly welcome by majority of the Muslim Junior Commissioned
Officers and other ranks. According to Colonel (late) Mansha Khan,the
over clever type were not included. Though there were some reasonably
senior serving Muslim officers, but they were not confided due to their
slavish mentality.
Gilgit-Before 1947 -
Brigadier
Ghansara Singh memoir
Brigadier Ghansara Singh Jamuwal, the
last Dogra Governor of the Northern Kashmir province of Gilgit-Baltistan;
very clearly mentions in his memoir 'Gilgit-Before 1947' that it was
in the knowledge of General Headquarters Sirinagar that Hassan had started
work for Pakistan in Sirinagar. It is pertinent to note that a total
of only three and a half of Muslim J&K Regiments of the State Forces
were instrumental in determining the course of War of Liberation. The
hard worked out strategy for toppling Dogra regime, in case of its accession
with India got a jolt, when opportunist Major Aslam got himself quietly
posted to undiv ided Indian Army at Ranchi to reap promotion benefits
and thus left Jammu; his task and his native town unattended. Major
Afzal Shaheed was in Nowshera and Mirza Hassan Khan was successful in
getting himself posted to an independent Company of 6 Jammu and Kashmir
at Sirinagar, Badami Bagh Cantonment in July 1947. As the secrecy of
Military Council was leaking out, therefore they were eager for a prompt
action but were hindered by the standstill agreement between Quaid-e-Azam
and Maharaja Hari Singh.
Official History of The Jammu &
Kashmir Rifle by
Major General D.K Palit
Major General D.K Palit.VrC in his
book on 'Official History of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles' writes "There
was a plot in the offing to subvert the Muslim elements of Jammu and
Kashmir. In these troubled times some among the Muslim officers continued
to tender loyal service, but there were many who had begun to plan acts
of treachery and betrayal that were to deal a crippling blow to the
defence of the State".
Rajauri Operations 1947 by
Lieutenant Colonel Rehmat Ullah Khan
Furthermore, Major then Lieutenant
Colonel Rehmat Ullah Khan in his reports of 25 April 1948 and 3 June
1952,respectively on 'Rajauri Operations' writes, In 1947,out of the
15000 strength of State Forces, only about 1500 were Muslims, most of
whom were in 2nd, 4th and 6th Kashmir Rifles, where they formed 50%
of the strength. These units were stationed in Noashera, Muzafarabad
and Gilgit respectively.
Dogra Ruler and the discrimining policy
of the Muslim Officers
Since 1940, the Dogra Ruler who was
himself the Commander in Chief of the State Forces, had been following
a policy of open discrimination against the Muslim officers, who were
being superseded. Muslim troops were therefore disgruntled. All of them
were, moreover, pro Pakistan and expected the State to from part of
it. Some Muslim officers of the Dogra Army had long been in league with
each other to rebel against Dogra Raj in the State, when the British
withdrew. In 1947, these officers were scattered in the State, in Noashera,
Muzzafarabad, Gilgit etc. thus when the Dogra started a planned massacre
of the unarmed Muslim population of the Jammu province, and the Maharaja
decided to accede to India, these troops rose in revolt and a widespread
and spontaneous uprising took place in the Mirpur, Muzzafarabad and
Gilgit areas.
Mirs and Rajas allegiance to Maharaja
Kashmir
At this juncture, all important Mirs
and Rajas of Gilgit, Baltistan were summoned to Srinagar and they vowed
their allegiance to Maharaja Kashmir, beside earning allocation of jagirs
in Srinagar valley. August was a month of mounting tension in the State.
As a direct result of leaked out secrecy of the Secret Military Council,
Mirza Hassan Khan Sahib alongwith his D company was posted out forthwith
to Bunji, in order to relieve a company of 5 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
commanded by Captain Dugra Singh.
It is to be observed that initially
the intension was only to dispose off a troublesome field officer in
a remote corner and the rest of 6 Jammu and Kashmir Battalion stationed
at Nowshera was not to be rushed to Gilgit/ Baltistan; especially in
wake of the troubled state of affairs of the state and fact that out
of a total of nine Battalions of the state Army, almost one Battalion
was already looking after the peaceful Northern regions. It is worth
mentioning here that at this stage there were hectic movements of the
State troops to and fro.
Accession of
Kashmir to the Indian Union
Oct 1947
About the beginning of October 1947,
there was some local disturbances due to a clash between the Muslim
and Sikh elements in the Kashmir State Forces. The tension accentuated
by the sudden announcement of the accession of Kashmir to the Indian
Union.
Liberation of Gilgit by Hassan Jarral
Sahib & Company - Nov. 1947
Then Company Commander Hassan Khan
Jarral Sahib (who was retired by Pakistan as Colonel later) of 6 J &
K regiment and Subedar Maj. Gilgit scouts Raja Babar Khan revolted against
the ruler of Jammu & Kashmir and arrested
his appointed Governor, Brigadier Ghansara
Singh and established an independent state of Gilgit on Ist November,
1947.
New Local Provisional Government Setup
& Pakistan Government Invitation
There was an almost bloodless revolution
and after the arrest of Ghansara Singh, Military Revolutionary Council,
led by Capt. Mirza Hassan Khan Jarral Sahib, appointed Raja Shah Raees
Khan as President of the Republic of Gilgit and Mirza Hassan Khan Jarral
as Commander-in-Chief of the army. They then happily invited the Pakistan
Government to take-over. Pakistan got this occupation of Gilgit without
any efforts or loss at the time.