Jammu Explained

Jammu
Settlement Type:City
Nickname:City of Temples[1]
Image Map1:Kashmir region. LOC 2003626427 - showing Jammu division administered by India in neon blue.jpg
Map Caption1:Jammu lies in the Jammu division (neon blue) of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded tan) in the disputed Kashmir region.
Coordinates:32.73°N 74.87°W
Subdivision Type1:Administering country
Subdivision Type2:Region of administration
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name1:India
Subdivision Name2:Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir
Subdivision Name3:Jammu
Established Title:Settled
Established Date:2900 BC
Founder:Jambu Lochan-->
Government Type:Municipal Corporation
Governing Body:Jammu Municipal Corporation and Jammu Development Authority
Leader Title1:Mayor
Leader Name1:Chander Mohan Gupta, BJP[2]
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Km2:240
Elevation Footnotes:[4]
Elevation M:300–400
Elevation Ft:1000-1300
Population Total:502,197
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:45
Population Metro:657,314
Population Rank:94th
Population Demonym:Jammuwala, Jammuwale, Jammuites
Demographics Type1:Language
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Hindi,[5] [6] Dogri,[7] Urdu,[8] Kashmiri, English
Demographics1 Title2:Other
Demographics1 Info2:Punjabi
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:180001[9]
Registration Plate:JK-02
Blank1 Name Sec1:Sex ratio
Blank1 Info Sec1:867 / 1000
Blank1 Name Sec2:Climate
Blank1 Info Sec2:Cwa (Köppen)
Blank2 Name Sec1:Literacy
Blank2 Info Sec1:90.14%
Blank3 Name Sec1:Distance from Delhi
Blank3 Info Sec1: NW
Blank4 Name Sec1:Distance from Mumbai
Blank4 Info Sec1: NE (land)
Blank2 Name Sec2:Precipitation
Blank3 Name Sec2:Avg. summer temperature
Blank3 Info Sec2:29.6°C
Blank4 Name Sec2:Avg. winter temperature
Blank4 Info Sec2:17.7°C
Module:
Wikidata:yes
Total Type:City

Jammu is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.[10] It is the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an Indian-administered union territory. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of,[3] is surrounded by the Himalayas in the north and the northern plains in the south. Jammu is the second-most populous city of the union territory. Jammu is known as "City of Temples" for its ancient temples and Hindu shrines.

Etymology

According to local tradition, Jammu is named after its founder, Raja Jambulochan, who is believed to have ruled the area in the 9th century.[11] Local tradition holds the city to be 3000 years old but this is not supported by historians.

Geography

Jammu is located at 32.73°N 74.87°W.[12] It has an average elevation of . Jammu city is situated on a series of uneven ridges of low heights in the Shivalik hills. It is surrounded by the Shivalik range to the north, east, and southeast while the Trikuta Range borders it in the northwest. It is approximately 600km (400miles) from the national capital, New Delhi.

The city straddles the Tawi river. The old city overlooks the river from the north (right bank) while the new neighbourhoods are spread around the southern side (left bank) of the river. There are five bridges over the river.

History

According to Tarikh-i-Azmi, Jammu came into existence around 900 CE. The state of Durgara (modern forms "Duggar" and "Dogra)") is also attested from around this time. The capital of the Durgara state at that time is believed to have been Vallapura (identified with modern Billawar). Its rulers are repeatedly mentioned in Kalhana's Rajatarangini. Babbapura (modern Babor) is another state mentioned in Rajatarangini, some of whose rulers also appear by in the Vamshavali (family chronicles) of later Jammu rulers. These rulers are believed to have enjoyed almost independent status and allied themselves with the Sultans of Delhi.

Jammu is mentioned by name in the chronicles of Timur, who invaded Delhi in 1398 and returned to Samarkand via Jammu. Raja Bhim Dev is prominently mentioned in the Delhi chronicles as a supporter of Mubarah Shah against Jasrat. Between 1423 and 1442, Jammu came under control of Jasrat who conquered it after killing his arch-enemy Bhim Dev in 1423. Later, Jasrat appointed Manik Dev (also known as Ajeo Dev) as vassal, and married his daughter.[13] In the Mughal chronicles of Babur in the early 16th century, Jammu is mentioned as a powerful state in the Punjab hills. It is said to have been ruled by Manhas Rajputs. Emperor Akbar brought the hill kingdoms of the region under Mughal suzerainty, but the kings enjoyed considerable political autonomy. In addition to Jammu, other kingdoms of the region such as Kishtwar and Rajauri were also prominently mentioned. It is evident that the Mughal empire treated these hill chiefs as allies and partners in the empire.

Modern history

After the decline of the Mughal power in the 18th century, the Jammu state under Raja Dhruv Dev of the Jamuwal (Jamwal) family asserted its supremacy among the Dugar states. Its ascent reached its peak under his successor, Raja Ranjit Dev (r. 1728–1780), who was widely respected among the hill states. Ranjit Dev promoted religious freedom and security, which attracted many craftsmen and traders to settle in Jammu, contributing to its economic prosperity.

Towards the end of Ranjit Dev's rule, the Sikh clans of Punjab (misls) gained ascendency, and Jammu began to be contested by the Bhangi, Kanhaiya and Sukerchakia misls. Around 1770, the Bhangi misl attacked Jammu and forced Ranjit Dev to become a tributary. Brij Lal Dev, Ranjit Dev's successor, was defeated by the Sukerchakia chief Mahan Singh, who sacked Jammu and plundered it. Thus Jammu lost its supremacy over the surrounding country. In the Battle of Rumal, Jammu ruler was killed by Sikhs.[14]

In 1808, Jammu itself was annexed to the Sikh Empire by Ranjit Singh, the son of Mahan Singh.

In 1818 Raja Kishore Singh, father of Raja Gulab Singh, was appointed and anointed the ruler of Jammu principality, and hence started the Jamwal dynasty, aka Dogra dynasty, which came to rule the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under British suzerainty. The rulers built large temples, renovated old shrines, built educational institutes and many more. A 43 km long railway line connecting Jammu with Sialkot was laid in 1897[15]

Jammu has historically been the capital of Jammu Province and the winter capital of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (1846 - 1952).

After the partition of India, Jammu continues as the winter capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Battles

  1. Battle of Jammu (1712)
  2. Battle of Rumal[16]
  3. Battle of Jammu (1808)

Climate

Jammu, like the rest of north-western India, features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with extreme summer highs reaching 46C, and temperatures in the winter months occasionally falling below 4C. June is the hottest month with average highs of 40.6C, while January is the coldest month with average lows reaching 7C. Average yearly precipitation is about 1400mm with the bulk of the rainfall in the months from June to September, although the winters can also be rather wet. In winter dense smog causes much inconvenience and temperature even drops to 2C. In summer, particularly in May and June, extremely intense sunlight or hot winds can raise the temperature to 46C. Following the hot season, the monsoon lashes the city with heavy downpours along with thunderstorms; rainfall may total up to in the wettest months. The city is exposed to heatwaves.

Highest recorded temperature: 47.4C on 31 May 1988.[17]

Lowest recorded temperature: 0.5C on 24 January 2016.[17]

Transport

Jammu city has a railway station called Jammu Tawi (station code JAT) that is connected with major cities of India. The old railway link to Sialkot was suspended by Pakistan in September 1947, and Jammu had no rail services until 1971, when the Indian Railways laid the Pathankot-Jammu Tawi Broad Gauge line. The new Jammu Tawi station opened in October 1972 and is an origination point for express trains.With the commencement of the Jammu–Baramulla line, all trains to the Kashmir Valley will pass through Jammu Tawi. A part of the Jammu–Baramulla project has been executed and the track has been extended to Katra. Jalandhar - Pathankot-Jammu Tawi section has been doubled and electrified.

National Highway 44 which passes through Jammu connects it to the Kashmir valley. National Highway 1B connects Jammu with Poonch town. Jammu is 80km (50miles) from Kathua town, while it is 68km (42miles) from Udhampur city. The famous pilgrimage town of Katra is 49km (30miles) from Jammu.

Jammu Airport is in the middle of Jammu. It has direct flights to Srinagar, Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Jammu Airport operates daily 30 arrival and departure of flights which are served by Go First, Air India, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Vistara.

The city has JKSRTC city buses and minibusses for local transport which run on some defined routes. These minibusses are called "Matadors". Besides this auto-rickshaw and cycle-rickshaw service is also available. Local taxis are also available.

Administration

See also: Darbar Move. Jammu city serves as the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir state from November to April when all the offices move from Srinagar to Jammu. Srinagar serves as the summer capital from May to October.[18] Jammu was a municipal committee during 2001 census of India. With effect from 5 September 2003, it has upgraded status of a municipal corporation.[19]

Economy

Jammu city is the main cultural and economic centre of the administrative division of Jammu. A famous local basmati rice is produced in the RS Pura area near Jammu, and processed in rice mills in Jammu. The industrial estate at Bari Brahamna has a large presence of industrial units manufacturing a variety of products including carpets and electronic goods.

Tourism

See main article: Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Tourism is the largest industry in Jammu city. It is also a focal point for the pilgrims going to Vaishno Devi and Kashmir valley as it is second last railway terminal in North India. All the routes leading to Kashmir, Poonch, Doda and Laddakh start from Jammu city. So throughout the year, the city remains full of people from all the parts of India. Places of interest include old historic palaces like Mubarak Mandi Palace, Purani Mandi, Rani Park, Amar Mahal, Bahu Fort, Raghunath Temple, Ranbireshwar Temple, Karbala, Peer Meetha, Old city.

Demographics

As of 2011 census,[20] the population of Jammu city was 502,197. Males constituted 52.7% of the population; females numbered constituted 47.3% of the population. The sex ratio was 898 females per 1,000 males against the national average of 940. Jammu had an average literacy rate of 89.66%, much higher than the national average of 74.4%: male literacy was 93.13% and female literacy was 85.82%. 8.47% of the population were under 6 years of age. The urban agglomeration of Jammu had a population of 657,314.[21] Most of Jammu and Kashmir's Hindus live in the Jammu region; many speak Dogri.[22]

RankLanguage1961[23]
1Dogri55%
2Punjabi22%
3Hindi11.6%
Other11.4%

Muslim communities

See main article: 1947 Jammu massacres. The city of Jammu had a significant Muslim population prior to the Partition of India, 30.4 per cent by the 1941 census.[24] During the 1947 Jammu massacres, which preceded and continued during the Pakistan tribal invasion of Kashmir, many Muslims were killed and many driven away to Pakistan. The estimates of the number killed in the whole province vary between 20,000 and 100,000. The killings were carried out by extremist Hindus and Sikhs, allegedly orchestrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and aided and abetted by the state forces and the Maharaja Hari Singh.[25] [26]

As a result of the violence and migration, by 1961, about 17.2 per cent of the population in the city of Jammu was Muslim.[27] The displaced Muslims took refuge in the Sialkot District and other parts of Pakistani Punjab. Many prominent Punjabi residents in Pakistan, including politician Chaudhry Amir Hussain, economist Mahbub ul Haq, Air Marshal Asghar Khan, journalist Khalid Hasan and singer Malika Pukhraj were from Jammu. A large number of these refugees also returned and resettled in the territory.[28]

Education

thumb|Government College of Engineering and Technology, JammuIn the 2014–2015 General Budget of India, Arun Jaitley, the Finance Minister of India, proposed an Indian Institute of Technology and an Indian Institute of Management for the division. List of some educational institutions is provided below.

Engineering Colleges in Jammu

Medical Institutions

Legal Institutions

General Degree Courses (colleges)

Universities

Schools

Cuisine

Jammu is known for its sund panjeeri, patisa, rajma with rice and Kalari cheese. Dogri food specialties include ambal, khatta meat, kulthein di dal, dal patt, maa da madra, rajma, and Uncoded languages: italic=no|auriya. Pickles typical of Jammu are made of kasrod, Uncoded languages: italic=no|girgle, mango with saunf, jimikand, Uncoded languages: italic=no|tyaoo, Uncoded languages: italic=no|seyoo, and potatoes. Auriya is a dish made with potatoes. Jammu cuisine features various chaats, especially gol gappas, kachalu, Chole bhature, gulgule, rajma kulche and dahi palla, among various others.[29]

Refugees

Kashmiri Pandit refugees

See main article: Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus. Being comparatively safe from terrorism, Jammu city has become a hub of refugees. These primarily include Kashmiri Hindus who migrated from Kashmir Valley in 1989. Hindus from Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir who migrated to India have also settled in Jammu city. According to records, approximately 31,619 Hindu families had migrated from Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir to India. Of these 26,319 families are settled in Jammu.

Rohingya refugees

See main article: 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis. Rohingyas who fled Myanmar during 2016 have also currently settled in Jammu.[30] [31] Some believes the settlements of Rohingya Muslims have also raised security threats in Jammu.[32] [33] [34] During the 2018 Sunjuwan attack, intelligence agencies suspected but did not prove involvement of Rohingya Muslims in the attack.[35] [36] [37]

Notable people

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. News: Jammu-Srinagar NH reopens for one-way traffic . Press Trust of India . 30 January 2019 . Business Standard India . 28 February 2019 . Jammu, the City of Temples, recorded a low of 7.7 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's 4.1 degrees Celsius.
  2. News: PTI . Jammu gets new mayor, deputy mayor India News - Times of India . 1 April 2020 . The Times of India . 15 November 2018 . en.
  3. Web site: Jammu City.
  4. Book: Akhtar, Rais . Regional Planning for Health Care System in Jammu and Kashmir . Concept Publishing Company . 9788180696275 . 1. 2009 .
  5. Web site: The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020. The Gazette of India. 27 September 2020.
  6. Web site: Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020 . Rising Kashmir . 23 September 2020 . 23 September 2020 . 24 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200924141909/http://risingkashmir.com/news/parliament-passes-jk-official-languages-bill-2020 . dead .
  7. News: Pathak . Analiza . 2 September 2020 . Hindi, Kashmiri and Dogri to be official languages of Jammu and Kashmir, Cabinet approves Bill . en . 8 September 2020.
  8. Web site: 52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India. nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. 23 January 2019 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141614/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf. 25 May 2017.
  9. Web site: Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India . Village/Locality based Pin mapping as on 16th March 2017 . data.gov.in . 4 October 2018. 16 March 2017 .
  10. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (d), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (f) through (h) below, "held" is also considered politicised usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below).
    (a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";
    (b) (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state.";
    (c) C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
    (d) Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute betw een India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
    (e) Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
    (f) (subscription required) Quote: "... China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region) since 1962.";
    (g) Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. AJK has six districts: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad. AJK has its own institutions, but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities, especially the military), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
    (h) Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
    (i) Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
  11. News: Priya Sethi lays foundation stone of statue of Jambu Lochan . Daily Excelsior . 1 August 2016 . 16 April 2019 .
  12. Web site: Maps, Weather, and Airports for Jammu, India. www.fallingrain.com.
  13. Book: Charak, Sukh Dev Singh . A Short History of Jammu Raj: From Earliest Times to 1846 A.D. . 1985 . Ajaya Prakashan . en. 76–78.
  14. Book: Indian Conquest of the Himalayan Territories. Sukhdev Singh Charak. 1978. 37. Ajaya Prakashan, Jammu .
  15. Web site: Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 14, page 49 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library. dsal.uchicago.edu.
  16. Book: History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls. Hari Ram Gupta. 1982. 339–340.
  17. Web site: World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Jammu . ncei.noaa.gov . . 22 March 2024 . XLSX . WMO number: 42056.
  18. Web site: Scheme for voting by postal ballot by a person holding any office under the Govt. and verified to be moving along with the headquarters of the Govt. from Kashmir Province to Jammu Province or vice-versa.. Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir. 8 December 2008. 1. ...the State Govt. functions for six months (November to April) in the winter capital Jammu after which it moves to the summer capital Srinagar....
  19. Web site: History of Jammu Municipal Corporation . Official website of Jammu Municipal Corporation . 4 December 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090410050036/http://jmc.nic.in/jmc.html . 10 April 2009 .
  20. Web site: Jammu Municipal Corporation Demographics. Census of India. 25 April 2017.
  21. Web site: Jammu & Kashmir (India): State, Major Agglomerations & Cities – Population Statistics in Maps and Charts. City Population. 25 April 2017.
  22. Encyclopedia: Jammu and Kashmir. Encyclopædia Britannica. 21 May 2023 .
  23. Web site: District Census Handbook, Jammu & Kashmir: Jammu. India Superintendent of Census Operations, Jammu and. Kashmir. M. H.. Kamili. 1966. Google Books.
  24. Web site: Wreford. R.G.. Jammu and Kashmir. 1941 Census of India. 102, 103.
  25. News: Jammu 1947. Ved Bhasin. Ved Bhasin. 17 November 2015. Kashmir Life. 4 June 2017.
  26. Book: Revisiting India's Partition: New Essays on Memory, Culture, and Politics. Singh. Amritjit. Iyer. Nalini. Gairola. Rahul K.. 15 June 2016. Lexington Books. 9781498531054. 149. en.
  27. Web site: Kamili. H.M.. Jammu and Kashmir, District Census Handbook, 7, Jammu District. 1961 Census of India. Jammu and Kashmir Government. 42.
  28. "Towards the middle of 1949, a movement for return started on a small scale which gained momentum by the end of 1950. A fair estimate of the returnees is about a hundred thousand. Sheikh Abdullah's Government re-settled them on their abandoned properties, advanced taqqavi loans and appointed a special staff to look after their problems."

  29. Web site: Jammu Pincode . citypincode.in . 19 May 2014.
  30. News: As Jammu becomes home for refugees from four communities, govt has to deal with complex issue of rights . Sharma . Arjun . 16 August 2018 . 28 February 2019.
  31. News: Paradise Lost - the Kashmiri Pandits . Sharma . Shivani . 28 February 2019.
  32. News: Demographic changes make Jammu a "Ticking Time Bomb" . Excelsior . Daily . 11 January 2017 . 21 March 2019 . en-US.
  33. News: Rohingya refugees: A threat to Jammu . Jain . Sandhya . 21 March 2019 . The Pioneer . 15 May 2018 . en.
  34. News: Demographic changes in Assam, Bengal, J&K, Kerala aided rise of fundamentalist forces: Himanta . IANS . 19 February 2019 . Business Standard India . 21 March 2019.
  35. Web site: 'Illegal settlement' of Rohingya to be probed by security agencies . Sharma . Arteev . After terror attack on the Sunjuwan military station in February last year, Rohingya again came under the radar of security agencies as their alleged role in assisting militants was probed. However, their involvement has not been established as yet.. 6 February 2019 .
  36. News: Examining India's stance on the Rohingya crisis . Yhome . K. . 21 March 2019 . en-US . In early February 2018, a terrorist attack on an army camp in Sunjuwan of Jammu city sparked a debate on the involvement of Rohingyas as many had settled around the camp..
  37. News: Jain . Bharti . Dua . Rohan . Sunjuwan Attack: After intelligence inputs, forces were told to be on alert . 14 February 2021 . The Times of India . 11 February 2018 . en.