Balti: بنجی) is a town in
Astore District,
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. it is historically important being in the end of Dogra rule before 1948 and on the edge of ancient Yagistan. It was economically hub for barter trade between Yagistan and Dogras. The distance from Bunji to
Gilgit
Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a ...
is about on the
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal i ...
. Bunji, located at the junction of Three Great Mountain Ranges, has its historical importance. The village has its prominent traces in the socio-political and economical situations of the region in History. River Indus covers the village from North to west while from eastern side it is connected with river Astore. Baltistan region joins its territory from the North-East.
Etymology
The town was earlier known as Bawanji.
By the 20th century, the name had been shortened to Bunji.
History
Bunji is in the
Astor principality, which came under the control of
Skardu
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(
Baltistan
Baltistan ( ur, ; bft, སྦལ་ཏི་སྟཱན, script=Tibt), also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet ( bft, སྦལ་ཏི་ཡུལ་།, script=Tibt), is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gil ...
) during the rule of
Ali Sher Khan Anchan
Ali Sher Khan Anchan ( Balti: علی شیر خان انچن) (also called Ali Rai, Ray Alī, Alī Rai, Raja Sher Ali Mir, Mir Ali, Sher Ali and Ali Zad; 1590–1625) was a famous Balti king. He was a Maqpon dynasty king who unified Baltistan a ...
().
The 19th century geographer
Frederic Drew
Frederick Drew FGS, FRGS (11 August 1836 – 28 October 1891), was an English geologist, who is noted for his geographical study of Kashmir. He worked as a geologist for over a decade in Maharaja Ranbir Singh's government and also served as the ...
states that Bunji had significant agriculture and horticulture at this time. But it was laid "waste" during the invasions of Sulaiman Shah (ruler of
Yasin, –1825), after which only a small area was cultivated.
General
Zorawar Singh, the governor of
Kishtwar
Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar District in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division.
...
under Raja
Gulab Singh
Gulab Singh Jamwal (1792–1857) was the founder of Dogra dynasty and the first Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, the largest princely state under the British Raj, which was created after the defeat of the Sikh Empire in ...
, conquered
Skardu
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in 1840, and sent his forces to occupy Rondu and Astor. Raja Jabbar Khan of Astor eventually surrendered and he was sent to Zorawar Singh. However, the
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
governor of Kashmir, Ghulam Mohiuddin, contested Zorawar Singh's claim, and retrieved control of Astor and reinstated Jabbar Khan as his subsidiary.
After the
Dogras
The Dogras or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group in India and Pakistan consisting of the Dogri language speakers. They live predominantly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, and in adjoining areas of Punjab, Himachal ...
established the princely state of
Jammu and Kashmir under British suzerainty (1846), the Dogras built a fort at Bunji and stationed troops there. Bunji was regarded as a strategic point on the road from
Srinagar
Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its na ...
to
Gilgit
Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a ...
.
In the early years of Dogra rule, Gilgit was repeatedly invaded by Raja Gauhar Rehman of
Punial
The valley of Punial (Urdu: پونیال) is situated in Ghizer District in the Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of tourists visit annually. Punial is a mountainous valley situated at an elevation of about 5000–9000 fee ...
and Bunji troops became involved in the conflicts. The frontier states were subdued only after the British established the
Gilgit Agency
The Gilgit Agency ( ur, ) was an agency of the British Indian Empire consisting of the subsidiary states of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir at its northern periphery, mainly with the objective of strengthening these territories agains ...
in 1889.
Until 1935, Bunji was part of the Astore tehsil of the Gilgit ''wazarat''. After that date, the British leased the Gilgit tehsil to the north of Indus as the Gilgit leased area, and Astore became an independent ''wazarat'' administered as part of the Kashmir province of the state.
Shortly before the
partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...
in 1947, the British transferred the Gilgit Agency to the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The 6th battalion of
Jammu and Kashmir State Forces
Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...
was sent to Bunji to support the Gilgit Agency (which had its own forces in the form of the
Gilgit Scouts
The Gilgit Scouts constituted a paramilitary force of the Gilgit Agency in northern Jammu and Kashmir. They were raised by the government of British India in 1913, on behalf of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, to police the northern fron ...
). The Muslim troops of the state force battalion, under the leadership of
Mirza Hassan Khan, joined the rebellion raised by the Gilgit Scouts on 1 November 1947. Subsequently Bunji was attacked by the Gilgit Scouts and all the non-Muslims of the battalion were taken prisoner. Some of the non-Muslim forces escaped to
Skardu
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where they
held out till August 1948.
Geography
Climate
Bunji has a
cool arid climate (
Köppen ''BWk''), typical for Gilgit-Baltistan valleys though hotter than almost all other such localities.
The annual temperature averages . In a year, the average rainfall is . The hottest month is July and January is the coldest month of the year in Bunji. The driest month is November with of precipitation. In May, precipitation reaches its highest peak at an average of .
Tourism
Bunji is a tourist destination in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. The main attractions are the historic Bunji Mess and the
Bunji Bridge.
Bunji Hydropower Project
BHPP is a sub project of Pakistan with a planned capacity of 7100 MW, if constructed. Currently, this project is undergoing a feasibility study and detailed design. The companies conducting the feasibility and detailed design studies are involved in a joint venture, consisted of
Mott MacDonald UK,
Mott MacDonald Pakistan, Sogreah Consultants (
France), Nippon Koei (
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
) and Development & Management consultants (Pakistan). This joint venture is known as Bunji Consultants Joint Venture (BCJV).
The dam site area is located from
Gilgit
Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a ...
on
Skardu
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road near Asmani Mor. The proposed powerhouse is located in the Bunji village.
See also
*
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal i ...
*
Gorikot
References
Works cited
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{{Astore District
Populated places in Astore District
Cities in Pakistan