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Chapter – 1
Historical Background
The evidence of the earliest settlements of the world was found in the river valleys like
Mesopotamia, Egypt and Indus Valley. However, in India the existence of settlements is
traced back to as early as third millennium B.C. in Indus Valley. Most of the settlements
have been found from Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Kalibangan, Lothal and other areas of
India. In Jammu region the evidence of the earliest settlements of Harappan civilization
was found from village Manda in Akhnoor. In the period followed after Indus valley
civilization till the beginning of Kushan reign we didn‟t found any remains of the
settlements in Jammu region. It was in Kushan reign we found the remains of settlements
from Ambaran, Chatta, Damana, Nagbani and Palaura. Some artifacts pertaining to Gupta
period have been discovered from Akhnoor, Ambaran, Mandli ka Mehra and Gudda
region.
The different historical events and political processes from early times have played an
important role in shaping the settlement pattern. The history of settlements in Jammu city
is traced from the date of foundation of Jammu town. The history of Jammu town has no
authentic proof. Rajdarshni of Ganesh Das Badhera is considered as primary work on the
history of Jammu. After him all the writers have traced the history of Jammu from it.
However Rajdarshni is not considered as an authentic source till medieval time as he had
described it based on traditions. He constructed ancient history on the basis of
vanshavalis. The correct chronology is missing in his work. S.D.S Charak the translator
of Rajdarshani had made an attempt to give the date of various events but they are also
not in proper chronological order. But in the absence of any other authentic source we are
mostly depended on the legendry history as given in Rajdarshni.
The early history of the Jammu is lost in the mist of past and even common tradition is
silent. According to Ganesh Das Badhera the first Raja named Agnigarb, is said to be
descendent of Raja of Ayodhya. He entered Punjab through Kangra and after crossing
Ravi settled at Parol near Kathua. Hutchson and Vogel author of “Punjab Hill States”
writes that if it is authentic it must have been at a very early period. After that his
successors occupied the adjacent political units (which were in small size). These were
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Bhupanagari, Pushpavati, Ariva, Arianwati and Dhara nagri. In these towns the
settlements began to add and flourish till the reign of Raja Shakti Karan (3277 B.C).
After that we got no reference of settlements from Jammu region.
Ganesh Das Bhadera further wrote that in 2548 B.C Jammu town was rehabilitated by
Raja Jyoti Prakash. Jammu was inhabited by Charaks, Jamwals, Brahmans, Batwals,
Meghs and people of lakh tribe. We get the reference of 84 villages of Charak Rajputs
living in Jammu, Samba and R.S Pura tehsil. Gradually Jammu town began to develop
and attracted the people of different cast.
After the death of Raja Jyoti Prakash 16 rulers came to the throne and ruled Jammu from
time to time. But during the rule of these rulers not much development took place.
However we found a reference of new settlements in Jammu region during the time of
Raja Bodh Arjun who ascended the throne in 1894 B.C. His reign was known for peace
and development. He made the town attractive by beautifully laying the gardens, orchards
and buildings. The royal building complex was surrounded by a large bazaar containing
the shops and the houses of merchants, craftsmen, artisans, goldsmiths, shaukars and
Government officers. The houses of the affluent class were made of marble and white
stone. This reference gives us the idea that Jammu town was probably well developed and
people were mostly rich.
During this period Jammu also developed as pilgrimage and education centre. Temples of
Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn was constructed on the banks of river Tawi. Besides
that, the evidences of saries (rest houses) also appeared whichtells that they were built
near temple complex. In saries free lodging and eating facilities were provided to
pilgrims. The temple complex served as an education centers, providing free religious
education to students. The students flocked here from Jammu and its adjoining areas.
With the passage of time, new settlements grew at this place and this place become
popular by the name of Bastni mohalla, situated on the bank of Tawi river. Itwas spread
over a larger area of three Krohs.
Besides that, Jammu town became a focal point of attraction for the traders because of the
favorable trading conditions. Raja Bodh Arjun reduced the custom duties on the export of
goods which encouraged the trading activities. This might have increased migration of
people especially the traders and workers for the purpose of trade and job. This
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possibility is further supported by the reference of the expansion of Jammu towns due to
the growth of new settlements. Ganesh Das wrote that at that time Jammu town expanded
up to Chak Lehrian in the east to Sherkhanian in the west, Babaliana in the south to
Nagrota in the north. The town of Dhara nagri (also called Lod- shahr), Sati, Balahora,
Rajpora, Ghoa and Gool were the outer limits of Jammu town. The town was expanded
on both the sides of Tawi river.
Another local tradition tells that Jammu town was founded by Raja Jambo Lochan in
1400 B.C. He established a new capital of his State at Jammu. After Jambolochan about
55 rulers came to the throne but during their ruling period hardly any change took place.
Then in 450 B.C a notable change took place in the settlement pattern. During this time
Jammu town was destroyed due to the invasion of Raja Mangal Chand of Kangra.
Meanwhile Banu Jakh, cousin of Raja Balabh (the last ruler of Jammu) defeated Mangal
Chand in the war. After this the whole of Jammu came under his control. He took every
effort to rehabilitate Jammu town and for this gave call to the people to return back. But
Jammu town could not come to that level except some thatched houses and shops. After
him, his son Samundar Jakh established his capitals at Dhara nagari the modern Narwal
town. He shifted his residence to this town and built fort and also developed the
neighboring areas. But the new capital town did not attract the people. It was generally
said that for about more than three centuries Jammu town remained neglected.
Then in about 100 B.C Jammu was invaded and destroyed by Raja Shal of Sialkot. This
invasion affected the inhabitants who were mostly Jamwal Rajputs. They became
homeless and got displaced to the safer areas especially in the hills of Pir Panjal, Bhuttan
and Kashmir. Perhaps invasion in Jammu might be the reason for the destruction of the
existing settlements in Jammu town and its nearby areas which brought decline in the
growth of new settlements.
Further we don‟t find any evidences of settlements particularly from Jammu town as it
was deserted and uninhabited for a longer period. But at the same time a new town called
Babbapura or Babor emerged in Majalta area of the present Ramnagar tehsil. According
to the local tradition this town was founded by Babar-vahan son of Arjun (the Pandvas
family of Mahabharata). Babor town emerged as an important political centre and capital
town of Jammu State. It remained flourished for five hundred years (till the capital was
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shifted to Jammu). This also led to the possibility that Babor town was only developed
town at a time when Jammu town was destroyed so it might be possible that people of
Jammu town or nearby areas have migrated and settled in Babor town.
In the 7th century A.D we get the reference of the growth of small political entities
popularly called duggar States. They were twenty-two in number and began to develop
along with Jammu town. Infact, Jammu was the prominent political centre among them.
Prominent writers like Hutchson and Vogal, Ganesh Das Badhera, Alexendra
Cunningham, W.B Cunningham hold view that from 7th century onward we find growth
of small political principalities in Jammu province. They were basically offshoots of
Jammu State, Basholi State and Poonch State. It was from these three original stem States
a more than a dozen offshoots were born during the course of time. Another special
feature of this period is that these twenty two duggar States did not exist at the same
time. For example when Jasrota, Lakhanpur and Bhadu formed as separate States at the
same time States like Dalpatpur, Trikot and Samba had reduced to a position of jagirs.
The coming of small new political units on the one hand and the decline of older political
units on the other led to a possibility that people of older towns migrated to the new
towns because the growth of new towns attracted the people for job.
Besides that, we get the reference of the existence of towns like Parnotsa (Poonch),
Rajapura (Rajouri), Kotli and Sakala (Sialkot) in the account of Hiuen Tsang a Chinese
pilgrim and traveler who also gave the reference of these places in his returning journey
from Kashmir to Punjab. At that time these were the small States or political entities and
were under the subjugation of Kashmir rulers. Besides that, there was another route used
by traders for trade purpose. It passed through Sialkot, Jammu and Akhnoor. The
gazetteer also refers to Sialkot Srinagar route passing via Akhnoor and Rajouri. While
proceeding from Sialkot one has to pass through Akhnoor, the Budil pass, Shopian to
reach Srinagar. At that time Akhnoor was the famous commercial centre from there the
goods (mostly Kashmiri goods) were sailed to different ports like Bargyaza (port of
Western country). The trade through Akhnoor continued in later years though it was
popular trading centre in the early medieval period.
But to the close of 9th century and in the beginning of 10th century A.D it was found that
the small political principalities such as Dalpatpur, Trikot and Samba had lost the
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political glory and became weak. Due to decentralization of political power their place
had been taken by the new political principalities such as Saran or Bahu, Vallapura or
(modern Billawar), Kishtwar, Chenani and Bhoti. These new towns began to influence
the politics and trade in Jammu region. For example the capital town of Bhoti State in
Krimachi situated on the busiest trading route. The traders from Punjab and Himachal
Pradesh used the trading route passing from Dunera on Ravi river, Basholi, Plassey,
Karanwara, Mahanpur, Billawar, Ramkot, Babor (majalta), Udhampur, Krimachi,
Ramban and thence to Kashmir. They used this route to carry their rich merchandise to
Kashmir till the present Udhampur-Banihal route was adopted. Apart from this Krimachi
also served as headquarter for the local Government. Similarly Kishtwar State was also
situated on the trading route. A route proceeding to Kashmir passed through Simla hills,
Haripur, Makrot, Basholi, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar. This was considered the safest route.
Moreover the towns which fall on the trading routes developed as trading centers such as
Basholi, Bilawar, Babor, Krimachi and etc. This is evident by the series of temples that
still existed in these trading centers. They were either built by the trade guild or the ruling
authorities.
On the basis of the above account we can conclude that in the ancient period most of the
settlements were generally found in the small new political principalities (22 Duggar
States) which also acted as trading towns. But these twenty two Duggar State did not
exist at the same time. It is probable that the town was mostly populous at time of glory
and depopulated during the decline period. This very nature of Duggar State affected the
settlement pattern of that period.

However, with the advent of Muslim rule again the settlement pattern underwent a
change. This period was known for the invasions in which most of the houses were
destroyed and people became homeless and displaced to the safer areas. On 1021 A.D
Mohammad Ghazni invaded Jammu and successfully captured the fort of Loharin in
Poonch district. Again the invasion of Mohammad Ghori caused change in the settlement
pattern. It was in 1186 A.D Mohammad Ghori attacked and destroyed the towns of
Rajouri which was the famous trading centers of the province and it remained ruined for
many years.
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Moreover the invasion of Mohammad Ghori and destruction of Rajouri town also resulted
in the emergence of new trading centers. Now the trade was carried out from the towns of
Akhnoor and Reasi. This increased the economic prosperity of the towns. With the
passage of time they also gained political advantage. Both Akhnoor and Reasi towns
were carved out independent principalities. It is probable that this gave further boast to
the development and prosperity to these towns. This led us to assume that the emergence
of trading cum political towns attracted people to migrate and settle there. This would
have added flip to the growth of new settlements.

During that period Jammu town occupied a prominent place among all the duggar States.
It remained prosperous throughout the medieval period. The change of ruling authority at
Delhi or Lahore did not disturb the prosperity and the settlement pattern of Jammu
region. It was because the influence of Delhi authority was up to Punjab. Moreover, it
was difficult for Delhi authority to rule from distant place. The ruling authority at Lahore
was ambitious to occupy the throne of Delhi rather than to capture Jammu. Under this
situation Jammu remained independent and dominant principality among the hill States.
The glory of Jammu town further increased during the reign of Raja Mal Dev who came
to power in 1360 A.D and ruled till 1400 A.D. It was he who shifted his capital from
Babbapura to Jammu. This probably enhanced the glory of Jammu town. He also raised
new buildings and laid the foundation of the Jammu city. The local traditions tell that
Raja Mal Dev coroneted himself at this place called kali janni or (black stone) while
sitting on the rock which was brought from the bank of Tawi. This rock is still present in
this mohalla named Kali janni. Infact this mohalla got its name from this very rock which
in Dogri language called Jann.
Thus, Jammu was once again became the capital of the Dogra Kingdom. At PuraniMandi,
an old spot is also found where the buildings of Raja Mal Dev existed. At present, on that
place the building of Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha is erected. Rajput mohalla has formed
near to it. Along with them we also found settlements of Hindus particularly the people of
Meghs caste that migrated and settled there. During this period a Muslim missionaries
also came to Jammu. One such missionary was Pir Mitha who settled in Jammu and now
that locality is known by the name of Pir Mitha.
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In the beginning of 13th and in the close of 14th century we get the reference of the
emergence of small political entities in Jammu regions. These were the offshoot of
Duggar States that came into existence because of the weakening of the central authority.
They were Mankot, Jasrota, Lakhanpur, Samba, Bhaderwah, Poonch, Khari Khariali and
Bhimber. With the passage of time these small political towns became the centre of
trading activities. Increasing economic prosperity further boosted the process of
urbanization and growth of new settlements in such areas.

But suddenly a radical change came in the settlement pattern due to the invasion of Amir
Timur. In 1339 A.D due to his invasion we find name of Jammu in the Muslim historical
record such as Malfuza‟t -i-Timuri. According to Gulabnama, Timur entered Jammu
through Mansar-Baila route and moved up to Manun village. Timur plundered people and
destroyed their houses which came on his way and then set them on fire. This ruined
condition of Jammu town did not improved much under the successors of Raja Mal Dev
as they remained indulged in feuds. Because of this reason hardly any important change
took place in the settlement pattern in Jammu.

Then, the advent of Mughals in Jammu hills had brought drastic change in the settlement
pattern. Before that Jammu town found a rare mention in the Indian historical sources
because of its independent status. However it was in 1580 Akbar subjugated Lakhanpur,
Jasrota, Samba, Mankot, Jammu, Bhimber, Rajouri, Poonch and Kashmir. Again in 1615
A.D Jahangir, the Mughal emperor attacked Jammu hill States and brought them under
subjugation.Generally Mughals used the old salt route known as Poonch route to visit
valley. Later this route becomes popular by the name of Mughal route. Different Mughal
emperors and their governors constructed saries (rest houses) on this route to facilitate
the travelers and traders. The remains of the saries still exist on this route. To a great
extend these saries also promoted the export of handicrafts in the Mughal suba (province)
of Kashmir.
Again settlement pattern underwent change during the reign of Raja Ranjit Dev. Raja
Ranjit Dev‟s reign is known for peace and prosperity which attracted the people to settle
in Jammu. This period witnessed the mushroom growth of new settlements. During
theinvasion of Ahmad Shah Abdali (1762A.D) people displaced from Punjab, Delhi and
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Lahore were migrated and settled in Jammu town. The prominent among was Mughlani
Begamthe widow of Muni- ud- Din, governor of Punjab. Raja Ranjit Dev built a house
for Mughlani Begam which became famous by the name of Haweli Begam and the
locality which grew near it is still known by the name of Haweli Begam. At that time a
separate Muslim mohalla was created by the Muslim merchants in Jammu town. This
mohalla became popular by the name of „Mughalpura‟ and later by the name of Mastgarh
.
Further diversion of the trade route through Jammu region probably added to the new
settlements. Earlier the merchants used to proceed to Kashmir from Sialkot through
Babor. But another route was opened from Nahan passing through Bilaspur, Basholi,
Jammu and then Kashmir. The diversion of routes naturally shifted the movement of
people especially the traders from old route to new routes. Instead of Punjab plains they
had to pass through Jammu hills. This made Jammu town a prosperous market where the
traders of Kabul, Multan, Lahore and Delhi gathered for trade purpose. Consequently,
Jammu market extended from Gumat gate to Purani Mandi. G.C Smyth author of “A
History of the Reigning Family of Lahore” of the town extended to about three and half
miles in circumference and was inhabited by 150,000 people. It is of course an imaginary
estimate because there was no room for such a large population on the site of the present
town. In this context another foreign writer David Rose wrote that Jammu had well
developed marketinhabited by about 8000 people. There is no doubt that population of
Jammu town was increased due to the migration of Punjabis and the emergence of
Jammu town as a prosperous trading centre. But in the absence of published Government
record we cannot estimate the exact population of Jammu town which existed in those
days.
Thus, in the medieval period we find that settlement pattern of Jammu province was
changing due to constant invasions particularly the Muslim invasions. Generally, they
attacked prospered towns such as Jammu, Jasrota, Mankot, Samba, Poonch, Rajouri and
Kishtwar. The existing settlements were destroyed in the invasion but when peace was
restored people were again rehabilitated in their home. This phenomenon continuously
repeats and affected the settlement pattern throughout the medieval period. Settlement
Pattern from 1782 to 1889
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In 1782 Raja Ranjit Dev died and led to political instability in Jammu. The prosperity
which Jammu attained during the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Dev declined because
Jammu faced the frequent invasions of Sikh misls. It is natural that the political instability
would have affected the existing pattern of settlements in Jammu region. In these
invasions most of the houses were generally plundered and destroyed. This gives us the
idea of the poor economic position of Jammu town.
In 1808 when Sikh army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh invaded Jammu, Gulab Singh fought
on the side of Dogra forces in the unsuccessful defence of Jammu. Soon thereafter Gulab
Singh was recruited a ghor chara running footman in Ranjeet Singh‟s court. He
distinguished himself in several campaigns including the conquest of Multan (1815) and
Reasi in 1816. It was with the help of Gulab Singh Maharaja Ranjeet Singh acquired
Kashmir and Peshawar in 1819. After then he conquered Rajouri and Kishtwar in 1821.
In 1822 Jammu was granted as a hereditary principality to Gulab Singh and he was
recognized as “Raja” of Jammuby Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. After becoming ruler of
Jammu, Raja Gulab Singh was mainly engaged in war and consolidating activities and
because of this he could not carried out the developmental reforms in his State.
Consequently, the prosperity attained by Jammu town under his predecessor ruler
(Maharaja Ranjeet Dev) was gradually declined. This is further evident by the account of
the foreign travelers.
In 1835, Baron Charles Hugel an Austrian traveler visited the State. He was impressed by
the grandeur of two large buildings- one was Bhau fort and another was the palace of
Raja Gulab Singh. At that time Jammu city was a mass of ruin, depilated and broken
buildings showing the sign of wilderness and poverty. There was a sort of bazaar, a usual
feature of old city, in an open space between the decaying uninhabited structures on one
side and palace on the other side. Hugel also gives the reference of Akhnoor town which
had now lost its ancient importance that was indicated by the remains of the ruin
palace.Besides them, there were scattered settlements in the road side area especially in
the area between Pathankot and Jammu.
In 1839, G.T Vignie an English traveler also visited the State. Like Hugel, Vignie also
made the main focus on the two major buildings of Jammu region and that was royal
palace and Bahu fort. Unlike Hugel, Vignie said that the main bazaar was in good
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condition, consisted of numerous streets and houses inhabited by 7000 or 8000 people.
Ramnagar was another populous town and also called as “city of refuge” especially for
the criminals. It was inhabited by 500 or 600 people. Besides the populous towns there
were some developing towns which were generally found in the hilly areas of Jammu.
The important developing towns were Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and Doda. They were mostly
inhabited by Kashmiri Mohammedans who migrated to these towns in the past. The
towns of Bhaderwah and Doda were larger in size than Kishtwar. These towns were
known for the manufacturing of shawls and blankets. At that time Chenani was just a
village and was at a developing stage.
Besides the travelling account, the local writers viz Thakur Kahan Singh Baloria,
Narsingh Das Nargis and Shiv Nirmohi had given the reference of the forts which were
the major buildings of that time. Thakur Kahan Singh Baloria wrote that there were 70
fort buildings in Jammu region. Another writer, Narsingh Das Nargis had given the
history of 22 Duggar principalities and had also given the reference of the major forts
which found in these States. But Shiv Nirmohi had given the reference of 128 forts which
existed in Jammu region during the reign of Maharaja Gulab Singh. At present there are
only few forts left which are in good conditions.
Besides the major buildings of that time, we also get the reference of the settlements of
immigrants (outsiders) living in Jammu. They were mostly Punjabis who were enrolled in
the administration of Maharaja Gulab Singh. It seems that the inflow of Punjabis in the
Government services began under his reign. They were largely engaged in administrative
services in the court of Maharaja. Among them, the Diwan family had greatly helped
Gulab Singh in acquiring and consolidating his hold over his territories. It had the
privilege to put forward potential candidates for Diwanship. For instance Diwan Amir
Chand was the Chief Minister and Diwan of Raja Gulab Singh. After his death he was
succeeded in the office by his son Jawalla Sahi and then Diwan Kirpa Ram. Besides the
courts, we also found outsiders employed in the Dogra army. For instance Diwan Hari
Chand was mainly employed in the military expeditions. He was succeeded by Diwan
Nihal Chand. In 1849 Maharaja Gulab Singh is said to have raised „Kashmir rifles‟ which
was mainly consisted of Gor khas. Apart from this, we also get the reference of
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Kashmirs, Baltis, Pahris of various caste and ladakhis who came to Jammu in search of
work.
Besides the employment of outsiders in the Government services we also find them
engaged in the industrial towns. At that time Samba was the biggest industrial town in the
whole Jammu region. It was known for calico printing industry (cotton textile). There
were about 150 handlooms and 400 establishments of calico printers. The manufactured
cloth was exported to the markets of Kabul and China. The financial position of the
weavers of Samba town was far better. There were about 250 settlements of weavers who
used to stay and worked in Samba town. It was probable that traders, weavers and
workers from outside the State would have also migrated to Samba town for trade and to
seek employment.
Thus the existence of major buildings such as palaces, forts and the presence of bazaars,
industrial town and the enrollment of outsidersin the State servicespointed out the growth
of new settlements in Jammu. It is infered from the above account that in this period most
of the settlements were found near the forts, palaces and in the manufacturing centers as
we found in the towns of Jammu, Ramnagar, Bhadarwah, Kishtwar and Samba. On the
other hand the ruined palace of Basholi, Akhnoor etc showed the declining trend in the
settlements.
After then again change in the settlement pattern was notice in 1857 when the powers of
the State passed into the hands of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. He inherited the disorganized
and economically weak State from his father. But Maharaja Ranbir Singh led an era of
reforms and development in the State. He framed various policies to bring out the State
from the shackles of poverty and exploitation. This probably added flip to the growth of
new settlements.
He introduced territorial change which caused due to the demarcation of boundaries. At
that time Jammu province was divided into seven districts such as Jammu, Jasrota,
Ramnagar, Udhampur, Reasi, Nowshera and Manawar. In 1877 Udhampur and Kishtwar
were made separate districts. Besides that, there were 25 tehsil in the entire province.
Probably the creation of various administrative units further speeded up the process of
development. These administrative units began to develop according to their status as
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district or tehsil. Before the demarcation the concept of hierarchical development was
absent. This probably added flip to the growth of development and the settlements.
But it was later the condition of Jammu towns improved with the introduction of
developmental reforms. The rapid expansion of economic activities brought a brisk
growth in Jammu and in the outer towns. This is evident from Fedrick Drew‟s
observation that Jammu was the flourishing town, contained a big market extending from
Gumat to Mubarak Mandi and from Jogi Darwaza to Panjteerthi. In the town, there were
several streets and narrow lanes consisting of several small shops and the single storied
houses. After Jammu the next populous towns were Mirpur and Kotli. A large portion of
the towns covered by the spacious houses of Khatries(class of traders) indicates that a
larger portion of population was of traders who were basically from Punjab and other
areas were settled there. Besides that, the town of Basholi, Ramnagar, Bhadarwah and
Kishtwar were known for the manufacturing of cloths and woollen products.
Charles. E. Bates another foreign writer also presented the condition of Jammu town. He
described that Gumut gate was the entry point of Jammu town in the south. The town was
entered by a paved road about 30 feet wide consisted of shops on either side. The
southern and lower portion of the town was consisted of wide streets and was sparsely
populated. This was the new and expanded portion of the town. While the old or upper
portion of the town was lying in the north, its main streets was getting more and more
narrow due to the growth of the new settlements. This portion was overcrowded because
all trading and Government business was carried out from this area. On the east side of
the town, there was a large house for the accommodation of European guest. On the left
bank of Tawi near the ferry, there was a serai sheltering about 150 people. From this
serai a path led to Bahu fort and in the east of it lies Bahu village which contained 50
mud brick houses and two shops.
After Jammu, Poonch was another populous town comprised of 750 houses. It was the
prominent trading centre and the trade was carried out at a large scale. It was inhabited by
variety of races, Hindus were in majority. In Mirpur it was said that about 2000 Hindus
included few Sikhs and 600 Mohammedans included 200 Kashmir‟s were living. It was
another prominent trading centre and carried out considerable trade with Punjab and
neighbouring hill towns. Besides that, it was known for the good cultivation and gardens.
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It was estimated that about 200 gardeners lived there. Bates also mentioned about
settlements in Krimachi which was consisted of 400 houses, Reasi 300 houses and 100
houses in Kishtwar.
On the basis of the above account we can form an idea of the economic conditions of the
towns of that time. Due to the introduction of developmental measures most of the towns
had shown an increasing trend of population which resulted in the expansion of towns.
The increase might be due to the settlements of immigrants in the towns. They were
mostly trading class who generally migrated and settled in the major trading centers for
the purpose of trade.
Jammu a city of temple always remained a point of attraction for the visitors. The credit
for making Jammu a spiritual city goes to Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Maharaja Ranbir
Singh generally built temples in Jammu and in its surrounding areas. But today these
have become well known shrines and temples in that particular area. The most prominent
temples were Gadadharji and Raghunathji at Uttarbehni, Panchvakhtra temple,
Raghunath temple complex, Ranbirreshwar temple, Hanuman temple, Luxmi Naryan
temple at pahkidhaki and Baldevji‟s temple at dhownthly in Jammu proper. These
temples generally had a huge structure where one can find the staying arrangement for
pujaris and pilgrims. Similar arrangement we find in the temple of Ranbireshwar in
Jammu. The presence of so many temples gave a vertical shape to the settlements of
Jammu town. This pattern still dominates the present city structure.
Besides Jammu city, Parmandal, Uttarbhani, Sruisar and Mansar were the known
pilgrimage places in Jammu province. At that time people used to visit these places for
taking purificatory bath. This practice is still continuing. The shrine of Vaishno Devi was
another place of pilgrimage in Katra. People of Jammu and Punjab used to visit these
shrines. During summer, the number of pilgrims remained high. Maharaja Ranbir Singh
also built the pucca shrine of Baba Roshan Wali Shah and raised a mosque in its
surrounding area. The popularity of the pilgrim centers and the tradition of pilgrimage
lead us to infer that these pilgrim centers always remained a busiest place in those days. It
was probable that small shopping centers might have developed along the pilgrimage
places. This would have accelerated the growth and development of these towns and
encouraged the people to migrate and settled there.
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Further the pace of migration to Jammu town increased with the emergence of Jammu as
a centre of education. Maharaja Ranbir Singhbuilt Jammu another Kashi as centre of
Sanskrit learning. He established educational institutes called pathshalas alongwith
dharamshalas to provide free boarding to visitors at Raghunathji temple and Gadadharji
temples at Jammu and Uttarbeni respectively. Free kitchens were also established there.
We get the reference of the admission of the students belonging to Wazartum, Tasilum
and Cheklone in these institutes. In 1882-83 about 400 were passed out students from
these institutes. Besides students, even learned persons were also brought from all over
India. For instance Brij Lal of Jaipur, Rasmohan Bhatacharya from Bengal and Kalifa
Noorudin of Qadian were brought for teaching purpose, besides several learned men from
within the State. Even some reputed scholars from outside the State were also brought
and deputed for the translation of manuscripts into different languages. There is every
possibility that those who came to Jammu and Kashmir State would have settled here
permanently.
Besides that, we get the evidence of outsiders who migrated to Jammu for job purpose.
Bengalis sought enrolment in the State services in large numbers. Their entry began
withBabu Nilamber Mukerjee who was appointed as chief judge in 1868 and in charge of
sericulture industry in 1871. He himself appointed 22 Bengalis as overseers in the
Government filatures. The services of 14 professional silk reelers from Bengal were
utilized to train the locals in this job. Besides the civil departments, outsiders were found
recruited in the State army. The major constituents of his army were Goorkha Regiments,
Kuka Reigments and Dogra army. There were some regiments of Gor khas whom
Maharaja had persuaded them by grant of land etc so as to settle them in his territory. A
larger proportion of soldiers were recruited from Baltistan and North West frontiers.
Raghunath battalion was mostly consisted of Gor khas in larger number. The Kuka
regiment was generally consisted of Kuka sect of Sikhs. The Dogra army was consisted
of Khola Faujand Khushalla Fauj. The Khola Fauj was an army of irregulars, based on
the bardari (caste) basis, almost all the communities were represented in it. Thus, it had
men from among the Sikhs, Dogras, Purbias (Hindustanis). The commanders were mostly
Rajputs and Sikhs. The recruitment in the Khola Fauj served as a refuge for most of the
frustrated people such as Pathans from Swat and Buner. The Dogra artillery consisted
 15

mostly of men from among Rajputs and Punjabi Muslims. Thus, the recruitment of
Bengalis, Goor khas, Sikhs, Pathans and Punjabi Muslims gives us the idea that these
people would have migrated and settled in Jammu. Later, they have become a part and
parcel of Jammu society. Even today people of these caste are still living in Jammu.

On the basis of the above account we can conclude that the foundation of modern State of
Jammu and Kashmir was a turning point in the history of State. The establishment of
Dogra Raj over the entire Jammu and Kashmir State gave stability and uniformity to its
administration before that, the State was divided into three units and governed by
different authorities since the ancient times. It also boosted the pace of development and
encouraged the growth of new settlements.

Pattern of Settlements from 1889 to 1947

The year 1889 is considered a landmark in the history of development of Jammu and
Kashmir State. From this very year the State entered the phase of modernization and
development. At that time Maharaja Pratap Singh was the ruler of the State and soon after
the accession he re-demarcated the boundaries of the State. Province of Jammu was
divided into five wazarats (districts) such as Jasrota, Jammu, Udhampur, Mirpur, and
Reasi. Before the delimitation Ramnagar, Mirpur and Naushera were the districts but now
the former two were degraded to the status of tehsil and Naushera formed the naibat (the
subdivision of tehsil) of Mirpur district. Similar change was introduced in the
demarcation of tehsils. In the past there were twenty five tehsils in Jammu province. But
their number have been reduced to sixteen such as Basohli, Kathua, Jasmirgarh, Samba,
R.S Pura, Jammu, Akhnoor, Rajouri, Bhimber, Mirpur, Kotli, Reasi, Udhampur,
Ramnagar, Ramban and Kishtwar. Among them R.S Pura, Ramban and Jasmergarh were
the new tehsils. Ramban formed the tehsil of Udhampur district in 1903. Jasmergarh was
another new tehsil of Kathua district which came into being during the time of Maharaja
Pratap Singh. In this tehsil land settlement took place twice which supports the fact that it
was known for good cultivation. In addition to them Chenani and Poonch were the two
autonomous jagirs.The creation of different political units with different status gave
impetus to their development and also added flip to the pace of rural- urban migration.
 16

Further in the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh the influence of British authorities in the
administration of Jammu and Kashmir State was increased. It seems that after succeeded
in the appointment of a British resident in the State, the British authorities in India
wanted to increase the European and British elements in the State services. Maharaja
Pratap Singh wanted to introduce a land settlement in the State. He wrote a letter to Sir
Charles Atchison, Lt. Governor of Punjab to select a British official, preferably a
Muslims for this job. But Plowden, the resident impressed upon Maharaja to employ an
Englishmen for the settlement work. As a result Wingate was appointed.
The State recruitment policy entered a new phase when Maharaja Pratap Singh was
virtually deposed from the rulership in 1889 and State council took over his functions.
The State council was to work under the Presidentship of British resident. One of the
initial order issued by the State council was to change the court language from Persian to
Urdu. This sudden change surprised the locals because majority of them were deprived of
the jobs. Only very few of them knew the language and it opened the doors of
employments to the outsiders. This led to inflow of people from Punjab and other States
to Jammu town. But no information is available which clearly indicates that how many
people entered Jammu on the change of official language. It is just on the basis of the
secondary sources we can infer that inflow of outsiders was witness in Jammu region at
the time of change of official language. It is thus probable that the migration of
employees would have added the new settlements in Jammu region.
With the excuse to bring reforms in the State administration, the British Government
pursued a policy of sending “Indian lent officials” to run the various departments in the
State. They also overhauled the entire State administration on the model of British lines.
Various reforms and reconstructions took place and this brought socio-economic changes
in the settlement pattern. The new departments such as accounts, public work, education
and so on were established on modern lines in Jammu province. In 1901 the number of
European employed were 37 which increased to 70 in 1907. Beside this, the trade,
business and indigenous banking had slipped into the hands of Hindu shaukars and
tradesmen who were mostly Punjabis. It was obvious that more and more employment of
outsiders in the State departments added the new settlements in Jammu. The settlements
of the employees belonging to the British States in Jammu were further corroborated by
 17

the State subject movement. The State subject movement was basically started by the
local educated youngmen against the employment of outsiders in the State service.
Prominent leaders of Muslim Conference such as Mohmmad Sheikh Abdullaha,
Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas and Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah demanded the reservation of the
State employment for the State subject.
Further the growth of infrastructural facilities directly and indirectly accelerated the urban
growth. It was in 1890 postal and telegraphic system was reorganized in Jammu region.
The postal and telegraph system of the State was linked with Indian postal and telegraph
system. About 13 post offices opened in the whole province. Jammu town was
telegraphically connected with the towns of Akhnoor, Chenani, Batote, Kishtwar and
Bhaderwah. In 1890 Jammu town was linked to Sialkot town in Punjab through railways
. In Jammu the railway station was established at Vikram Chowk. The
construction of railways also benefited to R.S. Pura town in Jammu district.
It was in 1890 the first metalled road was constructed to link Mandi palace with residency
and Ajeb Ghar. In the same year Raghunath Mandir road was constructed to link with
Wazarat and Kanak Mandi market. In 1897 another road was built to connect the outer
towns of Satwari and Suchetgarh with Jammu town. It is apparent that emergence of new
settlements and also the establishment of new infrastructure forced the Government to
construct these roads. The opening of these routes naturally boosted the economy of
Jammu and its outer towns. Under this process the settlement pattern had undergone an
immense change. Consequently, Jammu town was declared as III class town.

However, landmark change in the settlement pattern of the whole Jammu province was
observed in 1921 with the opening of Banihal cart road. It diverted the whole trade of the
State from old Poonch route to the newly constructed Banihal route. This also brought
decline in the trade of Poonch and Kotli town and on the other hand Jammu city was
brought in the direct contact of the emporiums of Kashmir, Lahore, Amritsar and Delhi.
Government constructed various saries at Ramsu, Peerah and Kud which lied on B.C
road gave further encouragement to the private business enterprises in those areas.
Consequently the new trading centers such as Udhampur, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah were
emerged.
 18

But in the whole province Jammu was the largest trading centre because of its central and
strategical location. Jasmergarh, Samba, Pathankot and Rajouri also emerged as big grain
market towns. These towns were known for the export of dhan (rice), wheat, pulses and
ghee. Besides them, there were minor grain centers like Hiranagar, Marin, Jandi, Thana,
Rajnagar and Kotli.
The mushroom growth of the towns forced the Government authorities to manage the
urban affairs in an organized manner. It was during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh
that the first systematic attempt was made to improve the sanitary condition of these
towns through municipality. Before the establishment of municipal system in the State
the condition of Jammu town was deplorable. Hence the work of improving general
condition of cities and providing civic amenities was quite a challenging job. But the
growth of civic sense among the citizens and their elected representatives bounded the
municipal committees to function efficiently. From these humble beginnings Jammu
municipality grew an effective local self governing body. Its powers, responsibility and
scope of activities increased from time to time. It was in 1888-89 the municipal
committee was formed in Jammu while Udhampur and Mirpur districts were brought
under the category of „Notified Area‟. Thus the establishment of municipal offices in
these towns accelerated the pace of development in a systematic manner.
In 1901 municipality launched the water work scheme in Jammu city. In 1915 about
140,000 gallons of drinkable water were supplied to Jammu city. In 1919 a new scheme
of water work was implemented in Jammu city. About 10, 000, 00 gallons of water per
day was supplied to fulfill the needs of 34000 people. In 1920 the water supply scheme
were also launched in Katra, Samba, Doda and Kishtwar.
Besides that, electric light scheme was also introduced in Jammu by 1914. Street light
was provided on the main road which was running from the old railway station to
Mubarak Mandi and Residency to Raghunath temple. Not only this, Satwari camp was
also electrically lit. In 1922-23, Jammu city was lighted with 197 oil lamps and 417
electric lamps which increased to 210 oil lamps and 446 electric lamps in 1924-25.
Besides that, municipality played an important role in the growth of new settlements by
clearing the dirty areas in Jammu city and its adjacent waste areas so as to make them
suitable for the setting up of new settlements. It has been observed that before the
 19

formation of municipality Jammu city was presenting a dirty picture. The bazaar above
the Gumat gate and the main bazaar were presenting a grim picture indicating the low
economic growth. It was because in Gumat area most of the shopkeepers and people of
affluent class had left their homes. Only the low caste and poor people were left. This
was giving the idea of weak economic condition. Similar condition prevailed in the centre
of Jammu town. The depopulation of trading class was responsible for this condition. But
municipality played an important role in improving the condition of Jammu town. It
removed the huts of the sweepers and other small houses from the Residency and the
main road. These people were shifted in the newly constructed Government houses at
canal road. Due to this enough space was created for the traders to establish shops and
other commercial establishments to carry out commercial activities. Moreover, the
municipal limit was extended up to Canal bridge on Nawabad road.
Further municipality improved the sanitary condition of Jammu town by constructing the
number of latrines and drains. Steps were also undertaken to fill up number of pits which
were used as dumping ground for the waste material. This is apparent that all these steps
have improved the living conditions in the town and also accelerated the expansion of
urban areas.
The Government also paid special attention to the areas which were affected by the
overflow of rivers. From time to time schemes were implemented to make the affected
areas suitable for the settlements. In Kathua district a stream (Khud) caused havoc by the
over flow in the rainy season. To prevent floods and to regulate its overflow the streams
were divided into several channels and built boulder spurs on Kathua stream. Similar
problems were faced by the people living in the villages of Hamirpura, Siddar and also in
R.S Pura and Akhnoor tehsil. Channels were constructed at different places to prevent
floods.
We can thus analised that implementation of the flood control schemes made the area
suitable for the establishment of structures. The supply of drinking water and electricity
in the urban areas had improved the living conditions. Urban towns became more
attractive for the people of rural areas. Thus, it led to the rapid expansion of the
settlements in the towns.
 20

The pace of the growth of new settlements in the urban centers particularly in Jammu and
its outer district towns further increased with the establishment of various enterprises and
business. It was in 1923 industrial department was established. We find the sprawl of
industries after the establishment of this department. The growth of industrial towns
attracted the labor class from the different areas within and outside Jammu. We get the
references of small scale industries from the villages of Samilpur, Kot Patwal, Bishnah
and Sarwal of Jammu districts. They were known for the production of truser tape or
Nara weaving. In 1925 business of silk rearing was at its peak. It was extended to all
tehsil of Jammu province except the tehsil of Akhnoor, Samba and Jasmergarh because of
low production. In the same year the factories of carpet, ice, tent, tannery, proclain, rice
husking, manufacturing of sports material, brass utensils, iron and steel trunks etc were
established in Jammu town. The outer towns such as Mirpur, Reasi, Billawar and
Udhampur also emerged as the centers of crude resin. The growth of industries would
have encouraged the new settlements in these towns because industries generated a lot of
employment opportunities for the people.
Further, it has been seen that people preferred those areas to settle where Government
buildings were established and the area around was developed by the efforts of the
Government. It became a crowded place as people used to visit there for different
purposes. At that time dharmshalas were the major public buildings constructed for the
welfare of the people. In 1920 two dharmshalas were constructed one near the Gumat
gate and another near Tawi bridge in Jammu. Two residential colonies were constructed
one near Tawi bridge and another in Jammu city for the employees of police and
telegraph office. But with the passage of time markets began to develop around
dharamshalas. In 1924-25 residential quarters were constructed at Mohre and Bhimber
for accommodating students and medical staff respectively. In Batote 1.88 acres of land
was acquired for the construction of staff quarters of telegraph office. Later these
residential areas probably developed in the form of colonies.
In 1890‟s the construction of various canals such as Satwari canal and Jogi gate canal
accelerated the pace of migration and the setting up of new settlements in the province. In
Jammu district Ranbir canal with 6 distributaries was completed in 1912. Basantpur canal
was completed in 1917 and Ujh canal in 1919 in Kathua district. In the same year 8
 21

distributaries from upper Jhelum canal were laid out in Mirpur. The opening of canals
boosted the process of commercialization of agriculture. It also made the land more
fertile and profitable. It attracted the moneyed classes who found it beneficial to invest in
land. This led to a large scale transfer of proprietary rights from the cultivators to the non-
cultivating class. For example if we analysis the pre-settlement period (1894-95) and
settlement period (1914-15) in R. S Pura tehsil we come to know that before settlements
about 9.3% of the total area was under cultivation and about 13.3% was mortgaged to
shaukars (non cultivating class). But after settlement the half of the nahri area or irrigated
area was sold and mortgaged to shahukars (non cultivating class). The Assessment report
of R.S Pura tehsil tells that about 18.3% of the area was under the occupation of Gujjars
as land owners while in the whole tehsil they owned only 14.3% of the total area. Besides
Gujjars, the increment was also found in the land occupied by Khatris and Mahajans. We
find similar conditions in Jasmergarh tehsil in which about 46% of land was sold and
mortgaged to shaukars. Though, in Reasi and Kishtwar tehsilthe sales and mortgage of
land took place. Thus at that time the extension of irrigation facilities raised the market
value of the land and it was mostly purchased by non cultivating class like Shaukars and
Gujars thereby encouraged the new settlements.
In 1925 Maharaja Pratap Singh died. His reign was known for the innovative reforms
which change the demography of the province. The improvement in the infrastructural
facilities the sprawl of public welfare institutes led to the expansion of the urban areas.
All this boosted the growth of new settlements for instance R.S. Pura and Jasmergarh
emerged as towns which were known for the good agricultural production.
Maharaja Pratap Singh was succeeded by his nephew Maharaja Hari Singh. He was the
son of Raja Amar Singh the younger brother of Maharaja Pratap Singh. Soon after the
accession, administrative changes were also introduced in the State. Besides the already
existing five districts towns, sixteen tehsils and two jagirs a new tehsil such as
Bhaderwah and Gulabgarh the niabat of Reasi district was formed. Besides them two
new towns such as Katra in Reasi district and Hamirpur Sidhar in Jammu district were
also formed. The creation of the new administrative units and towns further boosted the
pace of development.
 22

In the history of Dogras the reign of Maharaja Hari Singh is known for peace and
development. He vigorously forwarded the work of reforms and development started by
his father. Besides them, he introduced various innovative reforms in all sphere of life.
The expansion of industries and the growth of infrastructural facilities improved the
living conditions in the urban centers and also led to the era of urbanization in Jammu
region.
During this period the growth of infrastructural facilities was further improved. The
different means of communication was not only improved but had brought the new areas
under its scope. In 1932-33, a telephone trunk line was laid from Jammu to Suchetgarh
with this Jammu was directly linked with telephonic service of British India. In 1935
another telephonic trunk line connected Jammu with Srinagar. In 1937 telephonic circuit
lines were laid from Satwari exchange to R.S Pura and from Jammu to Banihal for the
better shorter distance conversation. In the same year new post offices were opened at
Banihal, Kud and Darbargarh and they were also attached with the telegraph offices of
that area. In 1938 automatic telephonic exchange was set up in Jammu . In 1939
wireless stations were established in Jammu and Nowshera. After two years similar
wireless stations were also installed at Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimber and Rajouri towns.
Similar expansion was noticed in the construction of road network. In 1940‟s a number of
new roads were opened to link the far flung areas with Jammu city. Jammu city got
connected the towns of Reasi, Katra, Bhimber, Kotli, Akhnoor, Poonch, Sadhnoti,
Jagalgali and with Kalakote coal mines. Similarly Jammu city was also linked with the
town of Udhampur, Ramnagar, Patnitop, Sanasar, Batote, Bhaderwah, Doda, Kishtwar
and Paddar. It also connected with the southern towns of Kathua and Basholi . The
growth of vast network of roads facilitated the movement of people and this boosted the
local economy.
Improved infrastructure led to the growth of tourist industry in Jammu province. Picnic
spots were established in Kishtwar, Bhadarwah, Batote, Kud, Patnitop and Sanasar. To
provide greater housing accommodation for travelers, rest houses and huts were
constructed at various tourist places. Small tourist bureaus were established at Suchetgarh
and in Jammu city. All these development encouraged the inflow of tourist in Jammu
region. The Annual report of 1940-41 shows the increase in the number of tourists both
 23

locals and non locals. Beside this the ancient shrine of Vaishnoo Devi attracted the
pilgrims from all part of northern India. As per estimate 1085 pilgrims visited the shrine
in 1942. Thus the establishment of tourist spots boosted the economy of Bhaderwah,
Kishtwar, Udhampur, Basohli, Kathua, Samba, Mirpur, Bhimber and Poonch. It was
probable that the prosperity of these towns attracted the people to settle over there.
At that time regional markets also emerged in the province. The town of Akhnoor
occupied a commanding position on the river Chenab at a place where the river enters
into the plains and become navigable. The town exported ghee, bunafsha and anardana
to British India and other parts of Jammu and supplied the adjoining villages with salt, oil
and other articles. Timber was available in a large quantity and an industry for building
material and furniture was well furnished. Samba, R.S Pura, Kathua, Parol, Bhimber and
Munawar etc were the towns of the same level. Samba was the hilly principality and
known for khadi weaving and calico printing. R.S Pura possessed the advantage of being
served by railways. It was rapidly expanding towards the northern side. Kathua export
rice to Pathankot and Gurdaspur in Punjab and it was linked with Jammu city by a
motarable road. Mangoes abound in the locality. Bhimber supplied wheat, rice, hides and
little khadi to Gujrat and Lalamusa in British territory and to Rampur, Rajouri and
Kashmir in the State. Mirpur carried a thriving trade in wool, hides and ghee with Jhelum
Gujranwala, Lyallpora and Amritsar. Khadi was manufactured and sold in the markets of
Kotli, Rampur, Rajouri and Poonch. In the outer hills Basholi, Reasi, Udhampur,
Bhaderwah Kishtwar, and Ramnagar were also the prominent trading centers of ghee,
wool and hides.
The discoveries of minerals further accelerated the pace of development of the hilly
towns. Iron found from the areas of Kandli, Ramsu, Jangal Gali, Buniyar and Khaleni.
Zinc found in Anji valley and Gainta in Reasi district. Besides that, copper deposits found
in Reasi, Kishtwar andBanihal. Similarly the mineral resources like coal, lead, silver and
gypsum were located at Ramban, Ramsu, Batote and Assar etc. Thus the discoveries of
vast mineral deposits accelerated the work of mining and the process of extraction of
minerals. This opened the large avenue of employment for the people.
The growth of mining industry further encouraged the growth of various types of
industries in Jammu region. During that time Jammu emerged as a biggest industrial town
 24

in the province. In 1936 pottery industry was established and the products like jars,
mortars, pestles and tea tumblers began to manufacture.Tannery was another prominent
industry manufacturing shoes, sandals of different types and transport saddlers etc. In
1940‟s the growth of various factories like ice, tent and proclain etc were also started. In
the same year Miran Sahib also grew as an industrial town. Factories of cricket bat
making and resin and turpentine were establish at Miran Sahib in 1941. The resin and
turpentine factory further encouraged the growth of small and related industries
producing soaps, phenyle, paints, polishes and etc. The two sugar mills one at Miran
Sahib and another at R.S Pura was also established.
Besides that, we find an expansion in the traditional industries such as cotton textile and
woollen industries. Now cotton textile industry was not remain confined to Samba and
Jammu but expanded in the towns of Mirpur, Basohli, Kathua, R.S Pura, Akhnoor, Reasi,
Udhampur, Ramban, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Ramnagar and Rajouri. Moreover, the hilly
towns such as Basholi, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Reasi, Ramnagar, Udhampur and
Kathua were famous for the manufacturing of woollen products. Beside this, bee keeping
centers were also opened in the towns of Udhampur, Katra and Batote. Thus, it is
probable that the mushroom growth of industries led to urban growth.
Increasing industrialization and urbanization further led to the growth of public welfares
institutes for instance education and medical institutes in turn accelerated the pace of
migration. We find the striking increase in the college students who were coming in
towns for the study purpose. Private Engineering College, Intermediate Arts College and
Maharani Mahilla College were established in Jammu. In 1944 Karan Singh College was
establish in Mirpur. Besides that, there was also a sprawl of technical institutes in Jammu,
Mirpur, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar and Samba. Similar expansion was notice in the medical
institutes. In 1944 two well equipped hospitals such as Maharaja Gulab Singh hospital
and Yuvraj Karan Singh hospital were open in the districts of Jammu and Mirpur
respectively. In the whole region there were 7 hospitals and 39 dispensaries .
Besides that the decentralization in the development activities further accelerated the
growth of outer towns. There was constant inflow of people in the towns for the
employment or business purposes. Subsequently it led the expansion of outer towns. The
annual report of 1937-38 tell that 12 towns such as Kathua, Samba, R.S Pura, Akhnoor,
 25

Rajouri, Mirpur, Kotli, Reasi, Katra, Udhampur, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar were
categorized as “Notified Town Areas” in the province. Thus the upgradation of these
towns pointed out the urban growth which took place at that time.
Besides the outer towns an immense development was also noted in Jammu city. It was
because Jammu was the capital of the States and much of the attention was paid to its
development. An immense work was done by municipality to improve the civic condition
so as to make comfortable living in the city. During this time, the water supply had
improved to a great extent. This is evident by the increasing number of private water
connections earlier there was no idea of private water connection. Water tax was levied
on private water connections. This improved the quality of water supply this was
corroborate from time to time the chemical examination of the water pipe, reservoir and
tube wells. The pumping station and filtration plants were installed for keeping the water
clean. Tubewells were also installed at various places. The water work department was
now able to supply an adequate quantity of pure water to the people of Jammu. In 1941
the available quantity of water per head was 35 gallons per day. In 1945 about 220
private connections were made. With a view to improve the water supplies of existing
taps, new pipelines were installed in mohalla Dalpatian, Residency road, Jogi gate, Thati
Sweepers, Panjtherthi, Davidwara, kutcha Dalpat Rai, Chowni Sain and Alaf Shah. Water
taps were installed in the parks of Talab Khatikan and Dennis gate for watering lawns
and flowers. The watering of street was done by water carts instead of mashkies.
Lightening of streets and public places was yet another important function of the
municipalities in the State. In 1940‟s it was found that about 53 additional electric lamps
and 8 kerosene oil lamps were installed in the city and estimate for installing 30 lamps in
Rehari colony was sanctioned by the Government. Apart from this, 8 more street lamps
were installed.
Beside this, municipality introduced several reformative measures to improve drainage
facilities in Jammu city so as to improve the living conditions of the people. In 1946
about 15 streets were paved, 52 streets were provided with pucca drains and about 21
drains were repaired in the city. In the same year, the work of covering big drain in
mohalla Altaf shah was completed. By the end of the year in 1946 a new drain was
constructed in the mohalla Rehari and Purani Mandi. The Karalai lane, S. Randir lane and
 26

Dogra hall lane were paved. Moreover, pakki dhakki, Pirmitha dhakki and hajaman
dhakki were also repaired.
Besides that, in Rehari a bridge was constructed over nalla Rehari and also built the
pucca road. The rehari road was linked with grand trunk road on one side and with the
silk factory road on the other side. Several other roads were again repaired and mettled
particularly the city roads like Jogi gate road, Pucca Danga road, bazaar road and
telephone exchange road. The pathway leading to Tawi river near Samadhi was turned
into a regular road.
Municipality took various steps to improve the condition of cities so as to remove the
congestion from the crowded area of Purani Mandi. In 1938 the entire area of Purani
Mandi was taken by the municipality to remove the traffic congestion. It was because of
this reason the market of vegetable and fruit sellers were also shifted to new vegetable
and fruit market.
In beautifying the city of Jammu the municipality left no stone unturned. It laid new park
at canal bank and Residency road. Plants with shady trees were planted. Flower shed
were laid down and lawns developed. The Chowgn Slathian park, the Nagrota park, the
canal park, the Karan park at Parade ground and park at Talab Khatikan, and the Hari
Singh Zanana park were improved and maintained in proper condition. The municipality
also met the public demand for recreational places. For this purpose a public reading
room was constructed in Talab Khatikan. Inorder to made more attractive public radio set
was installed in the Karan park and Talab Khatikan park.
The net result of all these development was the expansion in the area of Jammu city. It is
evident from the annual report of 1936 that the area of Jammu city was increasing every
year. In 1936 the city extended in 1/1/4 square miles excluding the area beyond Tawi
bridge which had been transferred to the control of military department. The population
of the city was fast increasing and in order to remove congestion in the more densely
populated part, the extension of the municipal limits of Jammu was under consideration
by the Government. With the construction of new rehari road and bridge the city was
expanding towards Roulki and Rehari.
In 1943 the area of Jammu city including the recent extension towards Rehari and Palora
sides received consideration by the Municipal Committee. The development scheme was
 27

being examined by the town planning expert. The number of inhabited house was about
8600 and the total population was 40,000 giving the average of 60 persons per acre.
Later, the revenue authority sold the plots on Rehari and Palora side.
No further additions were made to the municipal limits of the city during the next three
years. However, a proposal to extend the municipal limit towards Roulki and Jaunipur
was under consideration by the Government. In 1940-41 the area and the population of
the Jammu municipality was substantially increased. The area of Jammu municipality
was recorded as 4/1/2 sq. miles and population according to census of 1941 was 50,379.
After that in 1946 the municipal limit of Jammu municipality extended from the staff
quarters at Jogi gate in the North to Tawi bridge and power house in the south and from
Jaunipura, Roulki, Talab Tillo and the southern boundary of Wazir Ganga Ram‟s garden
in the west to the river Tawi and the residency garden in the east.
Besides that, we also found change in the architectural style in the construction of
building. During this period an immense influence of British Government in the State
administration was observed and the same also indicated by their settlements in the
province. European style of architecture was reflected in the buildings constructed by
them for instance the old building of Prince Wales College, Shalimar Government
hospital, Ranbir Singh Library, Ranbir Singh Higher Secondary School and Mahila
College at Prade in Jammu point out the new style of buildings. The supply of tap water
and electricity, construction of drains and latrines apparently brought the concept of
modern kitchens and bathrooms. Besides that improved infrastructural facilities brought
an immense change in the housing style. This led to the construction of Pucca houses in
the city.
Thus, the net results of the creation of new administrative units, change of official
language, introduction of mettled roads, railways, growth of tourism, setting up of
various industries, public welfare institutes, improvement in the civic facilities and the
creation of recreational places and etc would have added the new settlements particularly
in the urban areas of the province. At that time linear growth of settlements took place
along theroad sides and also change in the housing style further shows the change in the
settlement pattern.
Table 1 Showing Demographic Change in Jammu Province
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Total Rural Variation

S. No. Years Population Population Urban Population percent
1. 1901 1014046 1050176 36130 (Jammu city) -

2. 1911 999109 1078316 79207 2.6

3. 1921 1040821 1113861 73040 3.19

4. 1931 123847 1210135 86288 7.9

5. 1941 1236764 1344209 107445 9.97

The above table shows that during the forty years from 1901 to 1941, there was a total
increase of 294,033 persons or 21.87% in the population of Jammu province. In the
decade of 1911-21 happened to be the most disastrous for the Jammu province on the
account of the following reasons. It was during this period the most of the death took
place due to outbreak of plague. Secondly Jammu division suffered most during the First
World War which reduced birth rate and increased death rate. That is why we find lowest
growth rate of 2.6% in this decade. But the next decade shows the slight improvement in
the growth rate of the population. Thus, the increasing growth rate of population gives us
the idea of the setting up of new settlements in the province.
Similar change we find in the ratio of rural population of the province since 1901.The
census of 1901 and 1941 shows the increase of 222718 persons or 18% in the rural
population of the province. Besides that we also found change in the number of inhabited
villages in the different decade. They were 8948 in 1901, 9127 in 1911, 8924 in 1921 and
4553 in 1947. This shows the steady growth of population in 1901 and 1911 decade. But
in 1921 decade population growth rate showed the decreasing trend due to the occurrence
of famine and the outbreak of plague.
It is also noted that the settlement pattern differed in different areas of the province.
Clustered settlements were found in the Jammu plains or at the foot of the Jammu hills. In
the cities the houses were generally built along the narrow streets and lanes whereas in
the hilly areas the scattered houses were built. The distance between the villages was
generally very large. Another special feature of the settlement pattern in villages was that
distinction was observed in the location of the houses of untouchables and the depressed
 29

classes. In villages we generally find a separate colony of depressed people in the one
corner of the village.
Further above table also shows the increase in the urban population. In the forty years
there was a total increase of 71315 persons or 66.3% in the urban population of the
province. Percentage of urban growth was higher to the percentage of rural population
which was 19% and to the general growth rate which was 21%.This shows the increment
in the growth of urban settlements which inturn shows change in the urban settlement
pattern.
Besides that, we find different number of towns in the province in the different decade.
The census of different decades tells that there was phenomenal increase in the number of
towns between 1901 and 1911. It was partly due to the fact that in 1901 no attempt was
made for the proper demarcation of rural and urban areas. Only Srinagar and Jammu were
treated as town. But in the succeeding decades all the areas possessed urban
characteristics or historical or administrative importance irrespective of their population
were treated as towns. In 1921, a slightly modified definition of urban areas was adopted
according to which no place other than that which possessed historical or administrative
importance and whose population was below 2000 was treated as town. It obviously
reduced the number of towns to 16 in the whole State while 6 were in Jammu province.
The subsequent two decades of 1931 and 1941 did not show any substantial change in the
number of towns.
Apart from general urban growth rate, we also found the settlements (permanent and
temporary) of immigrants in the urban centers of the province. Among them Jammu
stood at the top mainly because of the attractions of Jammu city, the winter capital of the
State. The public services and trade were largely in the hands of immigrants. In 1941 the
percentage of immigrants was 12.9 in Jammu. The immigrants from NorthWest province
and Punjab particularly were permanent and semi permanent nature because the
immigrants were mostly traders and employees. In several areas the borders of the State
touches the borders of Indian States and also the neighouring countries. It was probable
that many relatives of the people of the State resided there and marriages between the
people on the two sides were also common. This fact also swelled the number of the
Punjabi immigrants. The migration from Afghanistan was of temporary and periodic
 30

type, the immigrants were traders and labourers. People from Nepal were generally
enrolled in the Gorkha regiment of the State army. They were almost permanently settled
in the State, although sometimes they went on leave to their native land in order to refresh
the sweet memories of their homes. The foreign immigrants being generally the State
employees, traders and missionaries, tended to became permanent and semi permanent
migrants. Besides Jammu, the percentage of immigrants was 10.36 in Kathua, 3.14 in
Udhampur, 6.86 in Poonch against 61047 immigrants of the whole province. The
percentage of immigrants in the total growth of population shows the exact number of
new settlements in the province.
Further change in the settlement pattern is reflected by the change in the density of
populations. The higher density shows the higher growth of new settlements and
simultaneously brought change in the existing settlement pattern. The following table
shows the variation in the density of population.
Table 2 Showing Variations in the Density of Population
Density of Density of Density of Density of Density of
S. Population Population Population Population Population
Districts
No in 1901 in 1911 in 1921 in 1931 in 1941
1. Jammu - 280 292 327 376

2. Udhampur - 49 50 54 193

3. Kathua 208 211 210 233 376

4. Mirpur 119 198 215 230 262

5. Reasi - 110 129 131 144

6. Poonch 185 203 216 238 259

The constant inflow of people led to the growth of new settlements and emergence of
new colonies. This also caused change in the density of population which inturn brought
changes in the settlement pattern. The above table clearly shows that in each census the
density of population is constantly increasing. It was increasing in each successive
census. In 1901 the density of Kathua, Mirpur and Poonch were available. They were
208, 108 and 119 respectively. But we found the manifold increase in the densities of
 31

population in 1941. In this decade the density of population of Jammu province was 160
per square miles as against 48 of the whole State. R.S. Pura tehsil was the best irrigated
area of Jammu region and had the highest density of 1615 persons per square miles.
Jammu district was heading with 376 persons per square miles followed by Poonch jagir
259 persons, Mirpur district 262 persons, Kathua district 176 persons, Reasi district 144
persons. Chenani jagir and Udhampur district stood at the lowest rung of the density.
These towns had density of 124 and 58 persons respectively. Besides that, if we look into
the percentage of variation in the density of population from 1901 to 1941 we found the
net increase of 25.4 in Jammu, 3.6 in Udhampur and 38.5 in Reasi district.
Thus the introduction of various political and socio-economic reforms constantly
accelerated the pace of urbanization. This brought change in the settlement pattern of the
province in the period under study. The setting up of new settlements was reflected by the
change in the municipal limit of the city and the up gradation of the outer towns. Besides
that the constant inflow of people in the urban areas also increased the density of
population per square km. This reflects the growth of new settlement (both permanent
and temporary) in the province.
The above account gives us the idea that the different type of settlement pattern existed in
the different period- that were ancient, medieval and modern. The settlement pattern in a
particular period was differed from other period. The different factors affected the
settlement pattern in the each period. In ancient and medieval period the demography was
mostly caused due to the invasions, emergence of new towns and change of routes. But in
modern period change in the settlement pattern was caused due to the growth of the
infrastructural facilities, change of official languages and establishment of modern
departments, industries, opening of new routes and irrigation canals, growth of tourism,
municipality, sprawl of public welfare institutes and etc.