View source for Gilgit

{{Short description|Capital of Gilgit–Baltistan, Kashmir}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Gilgit
| official_name      = 
| native_name        = {{native name|scl|{{Nastaliq|گلیٗت}}}}<br />{{native name|ur|{{Nastaliq|گلگت}}}}
| other_name         = 
| nickname           = 
| settlement_type    = City administered by Pakistan
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a  = Gilgit City a View from Gilgit serena hotel.jpg
| photo2a  = The Central Imaamia Mosque Gilgit City, GB.jpg
| photo2b  = River Gilgit and the Gilgit City.jpg
| photo3a  = Gilgit waters.jpg
| size     = 270
| spacing                   = 1
| color_border              =black
| color                     =black
}}
| image_alt          = {{!}} photo3b = Passu, Gilgit Baltistan.jpg{{!}} photo2b = View of Rakaposhi from Jutial.jpg
| image_caption      = ''From top:''<br />City of Gilgit, Central Imaamia Mosque, [[Gilgit River]], [[Rakaposhi]] Mountain (South View)
| image_map1         = Kashmir region. LOC 2003626427 - showing sub-regions administered by different countries.jpg
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption1       = A map showing Pakistan-administered [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] shaded in [[sage (color)|sage]] in the disputed [[Kashmir]] region<ref name=tertiary-kashmir />
| image_map          = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=300|frame-height=170|frame-align=center|zoom=4|type=point|title=Gilgit|marker=city|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080}}
| map_caption        = Interactive map of Gilgit
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|55|15|N|74|18|30|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Administering country
| subdivision_name   = [[Pakistan]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Adm. Unit]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Gilgit–Baltistan]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[District]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Gilgit District]]
| leader_title       = Commissioner
| leader_name        = Najeeb Alam (PAS)
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
| founder            = 
| government_type    = Divisional Administration
| governing_body     = 
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_rank          = 
| area_total_km2     = 
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk/geodemo.htm|title=Geography of Chitral|work=Chitralnews.com|access-date=2015-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304202635/http://www.gilgitbaltistanscouts.gov.pk/geodemo.htm|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| elevation_m        = 1500
| population_total   = 261,440
| population_as_of   = 2011
| population_rank    = 
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = 
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite book |last1=Annandale |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ZaJjwEACAAJ |title=Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Master Plan for Gilgit City |last2=Bailly |first2=Hagler |publisher=IUCN Pakistan (National Impact Assessment Programme) |year=2014 |isbn=978-969-643-003-2 |location=Islamabad |pages=116 |language=en}}</ref>
| demographics_type1 = Demographics
| demographics1_title1 = Language(s)
| demographics1_info1 = [[Urdu]], [[Shina language|Shina]]
| timezone1          = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PST]]
| utc_offset1        = +5:00
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal codes in Pakistan|Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 1571 – 1xx<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cellsaa.com/post-code-area/GILGIT|title=Post Codes|publisher=Pakistan Post Office|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref>
| area_code          = +92
| registration_plate = 
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
| module             = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=16|coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
| leader_title1      = Deputy Inspector General (DIG)
| leader_name1       = Hassan Raza Khan (PSP)
}}

'''Gilgit''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɪ|l|ɡ|ɪ|t}}; [[Shina language|Shina]]: {{Nastaliq|گِلیٗت}} {{IPA|scl|ɡi˧.leː˨˦t̪|IPA}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|گِلْگِت}}}} {{IPA|ur|ˈɡɪlɡɪt̪|IPA}}) is the capital and [[List of cities in Gilgit-Baltistan by population|most-populous]] city in [[Pakistan]]i-administered [[Gilgit-Baltistan|Gilgit–Baltistan]] in the disputed [[Kashmir]] region.<ref name=tertiary-kashmir>The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of [[Kashmir]] and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the [[WP:TERTIARY|tertiary sources]] (a) through (d), reflecting [[WP:DUE|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 politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below). <br />
(a) {{citation|title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |accessdate=15 August 2019}} (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.";<br /> (b) {{citation|last1=Pletcher|first1=Kenneth|title=Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin |accessdate=16 August 2019}} (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."; <br /> (c) {{citation|chapter=Kashmir|title=Encyclopedia Americana|publisher=Scholastic Library Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l_cWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA328|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7172-0139-6|page=328}} 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"; <br /> (d) {{citation|last1=Osmańczyk|first1=Edmund Jan|title=Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fSIMXHMdfkkC&pg=PA1191|year=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-93922-5|pages=1191–}} Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute betw een India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China." <br />(e) {{citation|last=Talbot|first=Ian|title=A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eNg_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA28|year=2016|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-19694-8|pages=28–29}} 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."; <br />  (f) {{citation|title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |accessdate=15 August 2019}} (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."; <br /> (g) {{citation|last=Bose|first=Sumantra|title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ACMe9WBdNAC&pg=PA294|year=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-02855-5|pages=294, 291, 293}} 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." <br /> (h) {{citation|last=Fisher|first=Michael H.|title=An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZVuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA166|year=2018|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-11162-2|page=166}} 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."; <br /> (i) {{citation|last=Snedden|first=Christopher|title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5amKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-1-84904-621-3|page=10}} Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."</ref> It is located in a broad [[valley]] near the confluence of the [[Gilgit River|Gilgit]] and the [[Hunza River|Hunza]] rivers. It is a major [[Tourism in Pakistan|tourist destination in Pakistan]], serving as a hub for [[Backpacking (hiking)|trekking]] and [[mountaineering]] expeditions in the [[Karakoram]] mountain range of [[Northern Pakistan]].

Gilgit was once a major centre for [[Buddhism]]; it was an important stop on the ancient [[Silk Road]], and today serves as a major junction along the [[Karakoram Highway]] with road connections to China as well as the Pakistani cities of [[Skardu]], [[Chitral]], [[Peshawar]], and [[Islamabad]]. The city's economic activity is mainly focused on [[agriculture]], with wheat, maize, and barley as the main crops.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gilgit|title=Gilgit {{!}} Kashmir region, Indian subcontinent, Asia|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-06-20}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The city's ancient name was ''Sargin'', later to be known as ''Gilit'', and it is still referred to as ''Gilit'' or ''Sargin-Gilit'' by the local people. The native [[Khowar language|Khowar]] and [[Wakhi language|Wakhi]]-speaking people refer to the city as ''Gilt'', and in [[Burushaski]], it is called ''Geelt''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=paderbornersj|date=2017-03-26|title=Welcome to 'Happiness': In ancient times Gilgit was known as 'Sargin Gileet' which means the happy land of Gilgit in Shina language — Pamir Times Net|url=https://sjpaderborn.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/welcome-to-happyness-in-ancient-times-gilgit-was-known-as-sargin-gileet-which-means-the-happy-land-of-gilgit-in-shina-language-pamir-times-net/|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Paderborner 'SJ' Blog|language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|History of Gilgit-Baltistan}}

=== Early history ===
[[Brokpa]]s trace their settlement from Gilgit into the fertile villages of Ladakh through a rich corpus of hymns, songs, and folklore that have been passed down through generations.{{sfn|Bhan|2013}}{{page needed|date=November 2022}} The [[Dard people|Dards]] and Shinas appear in many of the old [[Puranas|Pauranic]] lists of people who lived in the region, with the former also mentioned in [[Ptolemy]]'s accounts of the region.{{sfn|Bhan|2013}}{{page needed|date=November 2022}}

=== Buddhist era ===
{{Main|Patola Shahis}}
Gilgit was an important city on the Silk Road, along which Buddhism spread from South Asia to the rest of [[Asia]]. It is considered a Buddhism corridor, along which many Chinese monks came to Kashmir, to learn and to preach Buddhism.<ref name=Drew /> Two famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrims, [[Faxian]] and [[Xuanzang]], traversed Gilgit, according to their accounts.

[[File:Enthroned Buddha with inscription, Gilgit Kingdom, circa 600 CE.jpg|thumb|left|Enthroned Buddha of the [[Patola Shahis]], Gilgit Kingdom, circa 600 CE.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metropolitan Museum of Art |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/76445 |website=www.metmuseum.org}}</ref>]]
[[File:Kargah Buddha Gilgit Baltistan.jpg|thumb|The [[Kargah Buddha]] outside of Gilgit dates from around 700 [[Common era|C.E.]]]]
[[File:Henzal Stupa Gilgit.jpg|thumb|The ''Hanzal'' [[stupa]] dates from the Buddhist era.]]
According to Chinese records, in the 600s and 700s, the city was governed by a Buddhist dynasty referred to as ''Little Balur'' or ''Lesser Bolü'' ({{lang-zh|c=小勃律}}).<ref>{{Cite book
| title = Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade: The Realignment of India–China Relations, 600–1400
| last = Sen
| first = Tansen
| publisher = Rowman & Littlefield
| date = 2015
| access-date = 2017-02-19
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gUt7CgAAQBAJ&q=gilgit&pg=PA24
| isbn = 978-1-4422-5473-2
}}</ref> They are believed to have been the [[Patola Shahis]] dynasty mentioned in a Brahmi inscription,<ref>{{Cite book
| title = A Grammar of the Shina Language of Indus Kohistan
| first1 = Ruth Laila
| last1 = Schmidt
| first2 = Razwal
| last2 = Kohistani
| date = 2008
| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
| access-date = 2018-01-23
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mZzD86umtbAC&pg=PA1
| isbn = 978-3-447-05676-2
}}</ref> and are devout adherents of [[Vajrayana Buddhism]].<ref>{{Cite book
| title = Patronage, Devotion and Politics: A Buddhological Study of the Patola Sahi Dynasty's Visual Record
| last = Twist
| first = Rebecca L.
| publisher = Ohio State University
| date = 2007
| isbn = 978-3-639-15171-8
| access-date = 2017-02-19
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=BdyyDAEACAAJ
}}</ref>

In mid-600s, Gilgit came under Chinese suzerainty after the fall of the [[Western Turkic Khaganate]] to the [[Tang campaigns against the Western Turks|Tang military campaigns in the region]]. In the late 600s CE, the rising [[Tibetan Empire]] wrested control of the region from the Chinese. However, faced with growing influence of the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] and then the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] to the west, the Tibetans were forced to ally themselves with the Islamic caliphates. The region was then contested by the Chinese and Tibetan forces, and their respective vassal states, until the mid-700s. Chinese records of the region continue until late the 700s, at which time the Tangs' western military campaign was weakened due to the [[An Lushan Rebellion]].<ref>{{Cite book
| last = Stein
| first = Mark Aurel
| author-link = Aurel Stein
| title = Ancient Khotan: Detailed Report of Archaeological Explorations in Chinese Turkestan
| publisher = [[Clarendon Press]]
| year = 1907
| location = Oxford, UK
| volume = 1
| pages = 4–18
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=FaMMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA4
}}</ref>

Control of the region was left to the Tibetan Empire. They referred to the region as Bruzha, a toponym that is consistent with the ethnonym "[[Burusho people|Burusho]]" used today. Tibetan control of the region lasted until the late 800s CE.<ref>{{Cite journal
| title = A Tibetan Toponym from Afghanistan
| last = Mock
| first = John
| journal = Revue d'Études Tibétaines
| publisher = Centre national de la recherche scientifique
| issue = 27
| pages = 5–9
| date = October 2013
| access-date = 2018-01-22
| url = https://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ret/pdf/ret_27_01.pdf
| issn = 1768-2959
}}</ref>

==== Gilgit manuscripts ====
This corpus of manuscripts was discovered in 1931 in Gilgit and contains numerous Buddhist texts, including four [[sutra]]s from the Buddhist canon, most notably the [[Lotus Sutra]]. The manuscripts were written on [[birch bark]] in the Buddhist form of [[Sanskrit]] in the [[Sharada script]]. They cover a wide range of themes such as [[icon]]ometry, [[Folklore|folk tales]], [[philosophy]], [[medicine]], and several related areas of life and general knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17935041 |title=BBC News – India: Rare Buddhist manuscript Lotus Sutra released |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=3 May 2012 |access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref>

The Gilgit manuscripts<ref name="Marwah">{{cite web
|author=Gyan Marwah
|work=The South Asian Magazine
|title=Gilgit Manuscript&nbsp;— Piecing Together Fragments of History
|url=http://www.the-south-asian.com/Aug2004/Gilgit_manuscript.htm
|location=Haryana, India|date=August 2004
|access-date=6 February 2014
}}</ref>
are included in the [[UNESCO]] [[Memory of the World]] register.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gilgit Manuscript {{!}} United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/gilgit-manuscript |access-date=2018-07-31 |website=unesco.org |language=en}}</ref> They are among the oldest [[manuscript]]s in the world, and the oldest manuscript collection surviving in Pakistan,<ref name="Marwah" /> having major significance in [[Buddhist Studies|Buddhist studies]] and the evolution of [[Asian literature|Asian]] and [[Sanskrit literature]]. The manuscripts are believed to have been written in the 5th to 6th centuries AD, though more manuscripts were discovered from the succeeding centuries, which were also classified as Gilgit manuscripts.

Many of the original manuscripts from Gilgit can be found in the [[National Archives of India]] and the [[SPS Museum|Pratap Singh Museum]] in [[Srinagar]]. Two manuscripts collected by the orientalist [[Sir Aurel Stein]] are in the [[British Library]] in London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://idpuk.blogspot.com/2016/05/a-gilgit-manuscript-at-british-library.html?m=1|title=IDP Blog – International Dunhuang Programme|website=idp.bl.uk/}}</ref> They include a rare paper version of the [[Lotus Sutra]].

As of 6 October 2014, one source claims that the part of the collection deposited at the Sri Pratap Singh Museum in [[Srinagar]] was irrecoverably destroyed during the [[2014 India–Pakistan floods]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-dna-exclusive-kashmir-floods-damage-2000-year-old-buddhist-treasures-2023160 |title=Kashmir floods damage 2000-year-old Buddhist treasures |website=www.dnaindia.com |date=3 October 2014 |access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>

{{multiple image|perrow=3|total_width=900|caption_align=center
| align    = center
| direction =horizontal
| header=Gilgit manuscripts
| image1   = Buddhas, Gilgit, 627-628 CE.jpg
| image2   = Samghatasutra book cover, Gilgit, 627-628 CE.jpg
| image3   = Samghatasutra page, Gilgit, 627-628 CE.jpg
| footer=Buddhas, devotees with Buddhist deities on the painted cover from Manuscript 3, Saṃghāṭa Sūtra, with a sample page, commissioned by Devaśirikā and Atthocasiṃgha, 627-628 CE. Gilgit.<ref name="H2018">{{cite journal | doi=10.3390/h7040092 | doi-access=free | title=Images of the Crowned Buddha along the Silk Road: Iconography and Ideology | year=2018 | last1=Twist | first1=Rebecca L. | journal=Humanities | volume=7 | issue=4 | page=92 }}</ref><ref name="VH">{{cite web |last1=von Hinüber |first1=Oskar, Professor Emeritus, University of Freiburg |title=Bronzes of the Ancient Buddhist Kingdom of Gilgit |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia/video/collections/asian/bronzes-of-ancient-gilgit |website=www.metmuseum.org}}</ref>
}}

=== Pre-Trakhàn ===
[[File:Donor with Sanskrit name venerating a stupa, Thalpan-Ziyarat, northern Pakistan, circa 7th century CE.jpg|thumb|upright|Devotee in [[Central Asia]]n dress with a Sanskrit name, venerating a Buddhist stupa, [[Chilas|Thalpan-Ziyarat]], circa 7th century CE.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Flood |first1=Finbarr Barry |title=A Turk in the Dukhang? Comparative Perspectives on Elite Dress in Medieval Ladakh and the Caucasus |date=2017 |publisher=Austrian Academy of Science Press |page=231 |url=https://www.academia.edu/35061254}}</ref>]]
{{cquote|The former rulers had the title of ''Ra'', and there is a reason to suppose that they were at one time [[Hindu]]s, but for the last five centuries and a half they have been [[Moslems]]. The names of the [[Hindu]] Ras have been lost, with the exception of the last of their number, [[Shri]] Ba'dut. Tradition relates that he was killed by a Mohammedan adventurer, who married his daughter and founded a new dynasty, since called [[Trakhàn Dynasty|Trakhàn]], from a celebrated Ra named Trakhan, who reigned about the commencement of the fourteenth century. The previous rulers—of whom Shri Ba'dut was the last—were called [[Shahreis]].<ref name=b1 />}}

=== Trakhàn Dynasty ===
{{Main|Trakhan dynasty}}
[[File:A Dance at Gilgit.jpg|thumb|A Dance at Gilgit by [[G. W. Leitner]], 1893|left|331x331px]]

Gilgit was ruled for centuries by the local Trakhàn Dynasty, which ended about 1810 with the death of Raja Abas, the last Trakhàn Raja.<ref name="Drew">[[Frederick Drew]] (1875) ''The Jummoo and Kashmir Territories: A Geographical Account'' E. Stanford, London, [https://worldcat.org/oclc/1581591 OCLC 1581591]</ref> The rulers of [[Hunza Valley|Hunza]] and [[Nagar Valley|Nager]] also claim origin with the Trakhàn dynasty. They claim descent from a heroic [[Kayanian dynasty|Kayani]] Prince of Persia, ''[[Azur Jamshid]]'' (also known as ''Shamsher''), who secretly married the daughter of the king ''Shri Badat''.

She conspired with him to overthrow her [[Human cannibalism|cannibal]] father. Sri Badat's faith is theorised as [[Hindu]] by some<ref>Amar Singh Chohan (1984) ''The Gilgit Agency, 1877–1935'', Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, p. 4</ref><ref>Reginald Charles (1976) ''Between the Oxus and the Indus'', Francis Schomberg, p. 249</ref> and Buddhist by others.<ref>Henry Osmaston, Philip Denwood (1995) ''Recent Research on Ladakh 4 & 5: Proceedings of the Fourth and Fifth'', Motilal Banarsidass, p. 226</ref><ref>Ahmad Hasan Dani (1989) ''History of Northern Areas of Pakistan'', Islamabad : National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, p. 163</ref>

Prince Azur Jamshid succeeded in overthrowing King Badat who was known as the ''Adam Khor'' (literally "man-eater"),<ref>''Imperial Gazetteer of India. Provincial Series: Kashmir and Jammu'', {{ISBN|0-543-91776-2}}, Adamant, p. 107</ref><ref>Reginald Charles (1976) ''Between the Oxus and the Indus'', Francis Schomberg, p. 144</ref> often demanding a child a day from his subjects, his demise is still celebrated to this very day by locals in traditional annual celebrations.<ref>[https://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jneelis/dissertation/Chapter1.pdf]{{dead link|date=November 2013}}</ref> In the beginning of the new year, where a Juniper procession walks along the river, in memory of chasing the cannibal king ''Sri Badat'' away.<ref>Henry Osmaston, Philip Denwood (1995) ''Recent Research on Ladakh 4 & 5'', Motilal Banarsidass Publ., p. 229</ref>

Azur Jamshid abdicated after 16 years of rule in favour of his wife ''Nur Bakht Khatùn'' until their son and heir ''Garg'', grew of age and assumed the title of [[Raja]] and ruled, for 55 years. The dynasty flourished under the name of the Kayani dynasty until 1421 when Raja Torra Khan assumed rulership. He ruled as a memorable king until 1475. He distinguished his family line from his stepbrother ''Shah Rais Khan'' (who fled to the king of Badakshan, and with whose help he gained Chitral from ''Raja Torra Khan''), as the now-known dynastic name of Trakhàn. The descendants of ''Shah Rais Khan'' were known as the ''Ra'issiya Dynasty''.<ref>Ahmad Hasan Dani (1999) ''History of Civilizations of Central Asia'', Motilal Banarsidass Publ, pp. 216–217</ref>

=== 1800s ===
{{cquote|The period of greatest prosperity was probably under the [[yashkun of Hindukush|Shin]] Ras, whose rule seems to have been peaceable and settled. The whole population, from the Ra to the poorest subject lived by agriculture. According to tradition, [[Shri]] Buddutt's rule extended over [[Chitral]], [[Yasin Valley|Yassin]], [[Tangir]], [[Darel]], [[Chilas]], [[Gor, Gilgit|Gor]], [[Astore Valley|Astor]], [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]], [[Nagar (princely state)|Nagar]] and [[Haramosh]] all of which were held by tributary princes of the same family.<ref name=b1>John Bidduph (2004) ''Tribes of the Hindoo Koosh'',  Adamant Media Corporation, {{ISBN|1402152728}}, pp. 20–21</ref>}}

The area had been a flourishing tract but prosperity was destroyed by warfare over the next fifty years, and by the great flood of 1841 in which the river [[Indus]] was blocked by a landslip below the Hatu Pir and the valley was turned into a lake.<ref name="IGI">{{cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V12_244.gif |title=Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 12 – Imperial Gazetteer of India – Digital South Asia Library |page=238 |publisher=Dsal.uchicago.edu |date=18 February 2013 |access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref> After the death of Abas, Sulaiman Shah, Raja of [[Yasin Valley|Yasin]], conquered Gilgit. Then, Azad Khan, Raja of [[Punial]], killed Sulaiman Shah, taking Gilgit; then Tahir Shah, Raja of Buroshall ([[Nagar Valley|Nagar]]), took Gilgit and killed Azad Khan.

Tair Shah's son Shah Sakandar inherited, only to be killed by Gohar Aman, ethnic Kho Raja of Yasin of the Khushwakhte Dynasty when he took Gilgit. Then in 1842, Shah Sakandar's brother, Karim Khan, expelled Yasin rulers with the support of a [[Sikh Confederacy|Sikh]] army from Kashmir. The Sikh general, Nathu Shah, left garrison troops and Karim Khan ruled until Gilgit was ceded to [[Gulab Singh of Jammu and Kashmir]] in 1846 by the [[Treaty of Amritsar, 1846|Treaty of Amritsar]],<ref name="Drew" /> and [[Dogras|Dogra]] troops replaced the [[Sikh]] in Gilgit.

Nathu Shah and Karim Khan both transferred their allegiance to Gulab Singh, continuing local administration. When [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]] attacked in 1848, both of them were killed. Gilgit fell to the Hunza and their Yasin and Punial allies but was soon reconquered by Gulab Singh's Dogra troops. With the support of Raja Gohar Aman, Gilgit's inhabitants drove their new rulers out in an uprising in 1852. Raja Gohar Aman then ruled Gilgit until his death in 1860, just before new Dogra forces from [[Ranbir Singh (Maharaja)|Ranbir Singh]], son of Gulab Singh, captured the fort and town.<ref name="Drew" />

In the 1870s Chitral was threatened by Afghans, Maharaja Ranbir Singh was firm in protecting Chitral from Afghans, the Mehtar of Chitral asked for help. In 1876 Chitral accepted the authority of Jammu Clan and in reverse get the protection from the Dogras who have in the past took part in many victories over Afghans during the time of Gulab Singh Dogra.<ref>{{cite book|author=Prakash Nanda|title=Rising India: Friends and Foes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_U55rXIijnsC&pg=PA167|year=2007|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-0-9796174-1-6|page=167}}</ref>

=== British Raj ===
{{Main|Gilgit Agency}}
In 1877, in order to guard against the advance of Russia, the British India Government, acting as the [[suzerain]] power of the princely state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], established the [[Gilgit Agency]]. The Agency was re-established under control of the British Resident in Jammu and Kashmir. It comprised the Gilgit [[Wazarat]]; the State of Hunza and Nagar; the Punial Jagir; the Governorships of Yasin, [[Kuh-Ghizr]] and [[Ishkoman]], and Chilas.

The [[Tajiks in China|Tajiks of Xinjiang]] sometimes enslaved the Gilgiti and Kunjuti Hunza.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JxwPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA56|title=Report of a mission to Yarkund in 1873, under command of Sir T. D. Forsyth: with historical and geographical information regarding the possessions of the ameer of Yarkund|author=Sir Thomas Douglas Forsyth|year=1875|publisher=Printed at the Foreign department press|page=56|author-link=Sir Thomas Douglas Forsyth}}</ref>
[[File:100 years of the RAF MOD 45163719.jpg|thumb|British [[Westland Wapiti]]s based in Gilgit around 1930]]
In 1935, the British India government demanded from the Jammu and Kashmir state to lease them Gilgit town plus most of the Gilgit Agency and the hill-states Hunza, Nagar, Yasin and Ishkoman for 60 years.{{sfn|Bangash|2010|p=122}}

[[Abdullah Sahib]] was an [[Arain]] and belonged to Chimkor Sahib village of [[Ambala]] district [[Punjab, British India]]. Abdullah Sahib was the first Muslim governor of the Gilgit in [[British India|British]] time period and was close associate of Maharaja Partap Singh.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Khan Bahadur Kalay Khan, a Mohammed Zai Pathan, was the Governor of Gilgit Hunza and Kashmir before partition.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

=== 1947 Kashmir war ===
{{Main|Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948|1947 Gilgit rebellion}}
On 26 October 1947, [[Maharaja Hari Singh]] of Jammu and Kashmir, signed the [[Instrument of Accession]], joining India. The tribal invasion by Pakistan was not simply a tribal invasion. Pakistani Major General Akbar Khan has given account of the invasion in his book ''Raiders in Kashmir''. General Akbar Khan, then serving as a colonel in the Pakistan army, has described at least four meetings with Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan to discuss the planning and conduct of the operations. Justice Muhammad Yusuf Saraf, at the time a Muslim Conference activist, has pointed out that such a major operation could not have been launched without Jinnah's knowledge and approval. The 'Azad Forces' that were part of the so-called tribal invasion were led by Pakistan army officers, and the UNCIP report records Pakistan's admission that they were under Pakistan's 'tactical command'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Srivastava |first=Dinkar P. |title=Forgotten Kashmir: The Other Side of the Line of Control |publisher=[[HarperCollins India]] |year=2021 |isbn=9789390327775 |edition=1st |location=New Delhi |pages=28–29 |language=}}</ref>

Gilgit's military leaders did not favour the State's accession to India.{{sfn|Bangash|2010|p=128|ps=: [Ghansara Singh] wrote to the prime minister of Kashmir: 'in case the State accedes to the Indian Union, the Gilgit province will go to Pakistan', but no action was taken on it, and in fact Srinagar never replied to any of his messages.}} However, there was also written evidence of Gilgit troop leaders wanting to set up an independent Islamic state. Major William Brown in his book Gilgit Rebellion describes the Gilgit troop leaders stating, "''We know of course that you are loyal to Pakistan-all Britishers are-but it is not our intention to join Pakistan. We intend to set up an independent Islamic State called the United States of Gilgit, and although we shall keep the friendliest relation with Pakistan we shall in no way owe allegiance to that dominion''."{{sfn|Brown|2014}}{{page needed|date=March 2023}} The military leaders of the Frontier Districts Province (modern day Gilgit-Baltistan) wanted to join Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cPjAAAAQBAJ&q=muslims+in+jammu+province+and+frontier+province+wanted+to+join+pakistan+snedden&pg=PT14|title=Kashmir-The Untold Story|last=Snedden|first=Christopher|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers India|year=2013|isbn=9789350298985|quote=Similarly, Muslims in Western Jammu Province, particularly in Poonch, many of whom had martial capabilities, and Muslims in the Frontier Districts Province strongly wanted J&K to join Pakistan.}}</ref> Sensing their discontent, [[William Brown (British Army officer)|Major William Brown]], the Maharaja's commander of the [[Gilgit Scouts]], mutinied on 1 November 1947, [[1947 Gilgit rebellion|overthrowing the Governor Ghansara Singh]].{{sfn|Brown|2014|p=264}} The bloodless ''coup d'etat'' was planned by Brown to the last detail under the code name "Datta Khel", which was also joined by a rebellious section of the Jammu and Kashmir 6th Infantry under [[Col Mirza Hassan Khan|Mirza Hassan Khan]]. Brown ensured that the treasury was secured and minorities were protected. A provisional government (''Aburi Hakoomat'') was established by the Gilgit locals with Raja Shah Rais Khan as the president and Mirza Hassan Khan as the commander-in-chief. However, Major Brown had already telegraphed [[Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan]] asking Pakistan to take over. The Pakistani political agent, Khan Mohammad Alam Khan, arrived on 16 November and took over the administration of Gilgit.{{sfn|Schofield|2003|pp=63–64}}{{sfn|Bangash|2010}} Brown outmaneuvered the pro-Independence group and secured the approval of the mirs and rajas for accession to Pakistan. Browns's actions surprised the British Government.<ref name="Schofield2000">{{cite book|author=Victoria Schofield|title=Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unending War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkTetMfI6QkC&pg=PA64|year=2000|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-86064-898-4|pages=63–64}}</ref>

The provisional government lasted 16 days. The provisional government lacked sway over the population. The Gilgit rebellion did not have civilian involvement and was solely the work of military leaders, not all of whom had been in favor of joining Pakistan, at least in the short term. Historian [[Ahmed Hasan Dani]] mentions that although there was lack of public participation in the rebellion, sentiments were intense in the civilian population and their anti-Kashmiri sentiments were also clear.{{sfn|Bangash|2010}} According to various scholars, the people of Gilgit as well as those of Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, Yasin, Punial, Hunza and Nagar joined Pakistan by choice.{{sfn|Bangash|2010}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1024253/gilgit-baltistan-part-of-pakistan-by-choice/|title=Gilgit-Baltistan—part of Pakistan by choice|last=Bangash|first=Yaqoob Khan|date=9 January 2016|work=The Express Tribune|quote=Nearly 70 years ago, the people of the Gilgit Wazarat revolted and joined Pakistan of their own free will, as did those belonging to the territories of Chilas, Koh Ghizr, Ishkoman, Yasin and Punial; the princely states of Hunza and Nagar also acceded to Pakistan. Hence, the time has come to acknowledge and respect their choice of being full-fledged citizens of Pakistan.|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="Zutshi2004">{{cite book|author=Chitralekha Zutshi|title=Languages of Belonging: Islam, Regional Identity, and the Making of Kashmir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7Ptp4Iod8EC&pg=PA309|year=2004|publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers|isbn=978-1-85065-700-2|pages=309–}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Sokefeld |first=Martin |title=From Colonialism to Postcolonial Colonialism: Changing Modes of Domination in the Northern Areas of Pakistan |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=64 |pages=939–973 |number=4 |date=November 2005 |doi=10.1017/S0021911805002287|s2cid=161647755 |url=https://boris.unibe.ch/115111/1/S0021911805002287.pdf }}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Mount hunza.jpg|thumb|Gilgit is situated amongst some of the world's most dramatic mountain scenery]]
[[File:City Park Gilgit.jpg|thumb|right|CAA Park Gilgit]]
[[File:Jama Masjid Raja Bazar Gilgit.jpg|thumb|right|Jama Mosque located in Raja Bazar Road Gilgit]]
Gilgit is situated in a valley formed by the confluence of the [[Indus River]], [[Hunza River]], [[Astore River]] and [[Gilgit River]].

=== Climate ===
Gilgit experiences a [[desert climate|cold desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWk''). Weather conditions for Gilgit are dominated by its geographical location, a valley in a mountainous area, southwest of [[Karakoram]] range.

Gilgit lacks significant rainfall, averaging in {{convert|120|to|240|mm|abbr=on}} annually, as [[monsoon]] breaks against the southern range of [[Himalayas]]. Irrigation for land cultivation is obtained from the rivers, abundant with melting snow water from higher altitudes.

The summer season is brief and hot, with daily high temperatures occasionally peaking at over {{convert|40|C|abbr=on}}. As a result of this extremity in the weather, landslides and avalanches are frequent in the area.{{dubious|date=July 2019}}<ref>{{cite web
|author=Alam Zaib
|title=Somethings about Gilgit
|url=http://gilgitoshikhandas.6te.net/gilgit.html
|location=Karachi, Pakistan
|access-date=11 June 2009
}}</ref>
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Gilgit
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 17.5
|Feb record high C = 22.0
|Mar record high C = 29.4
|Apr record high C = 37.2
|May record high C = 41.5
|Jun record high C = 43.5
|Jul record high C = 46.3
|Aug record high C = 43.8
|Sep record high C = 41.6
|Oct record high C = 36.0
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 24.5
|year record high C = 46.3
|Jan high C = 9.6
|Feb high C = 12.6
|Mar high C = 18.4
|Apr high C = 24.2
|May high C = 29.0
|Jun high C = 34.2
|Jul high C = 36.2
|Aug high C = 35.3
|Sep high C = 31.8
|Oct high C = 25.6
|Nov high C = 18.4
|Dec high C = 11.6
|Jan low C = -2.7
|Feb low C = 0.4
|Mar low C = 5.4
|Apr low C = 9.2
|May low C = 11.8
|Jun low C = 14.9
|Jul low C = 18.2
|Aug low C = 17.5
|Sep low C = 12.4
|Oct low C = 6.3
|Nov low C = 0.4
|Dec low C = -2.3
|Jan record low C = -10.0
|Feb record low C = -8.9
|Mar record low C = -3.0
|Apr record low C = 1.1
|May record low C = 3.9
|Jun record low C = 5.1
|Jul record low C = 10.0
|Aug record low C = 9.8
|Sep record low C = 3.0
|Oct record low C = -2.5
|Nov record low C = -8.5
|Dec record low C = -11.1
|year record low C = −11.1
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 4.6
|Feb rain mm = 6.7
|Mar rain mm = 11.8
|Apr rain mm = 24.4
|May rain mm = 25.1
|Jun rain mm = 8.9
|Jul rain mm = 14.6
|Aug rain mm = 14.9
|Sep rain mm = 8.1
|Oct rain mm = 6.3
|Nov rain mm = 2.4
|Dec rain mm = 5.1
|year rain mm = 107.8
|time day = 17:00 [[Pakistan Standard Time|PST]]
|Jan humidity = 51.3
|Feb humidity = 34.6
|Mar humidity = 26.7
|Apr humidity = 27.6
|May humidity = 26.6
|Jun humidity = 23.7
|Jul humidity = 29.8
|Aug humidity = 36.8
|Sep humidity = 36.7
|Oct humidity = 42.2
|Nov humidity = 49.1
|Dec humidity = 55.0
|year humidity = 36.7
|source 1 = Pakistan Meteorological Department<ref name=PMD>{{cite web|url=http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Gilgit_Climate_Data.txt |title=Gilgit Climate Data |publisher=Pakistan Meteorological Department |access-date=11 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613053213/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Gilgit_Climate_Data.txt |archive-date=13 June 2010 }}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

=== Climate Change Effects ===
{{Main|2022 Gilgit-Baltistan floods}}
Climate change has adversely affected this region with more rains every year. On 26 August 2022, most villages in Ghizer district and Hunza were severely affected by the ongoing flooding displacing many people.

== Administration ==
The city of Gilgit constitutes a [[tehsil]] within [[Gilgit District]]. Gilgit District itself is the part of the larger [[Gilgit Division]] which is headed by a Commissioner of BPS-20 belonging to [[Pakistan Administrative Service|Pakistan Administrative service]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bukhari |first1=Shahid Javed |title=Historical Dictionary of Pakistan |date=2015 |publisher=Lowman & Littlefield |location=Lahore |page=228}}</ref> The Current Commissioner Gilgit Division is Mr Najeem Alam (PAS).

== Transportation ==
[[File:PIA ATR-42.jpg|thumbnail|right|ATR {{not a typo|42-500}} at [[Gilgit Airport]]]]
[[File:Toyota Land Cruiser AWD in Gilgit.jpg|thumb|right|"Jeep" used to be the widely used vehicle in the region till late 2000s]]

=== Air ===
Gilgit is served by the nearby [[Gilgit Airport]], with direct flights to Islamabad. [[Pakistan International Airlines]] (PIA) is the only airline operating in Gilgit. The Government of Pakistan is planning to build a new international standard airport in Gilgit to meet the requirements of international tourists and demand from domestic investors.<ref>{{Cite news
|title= Govt planning new airport in Gilgit: Khan
|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2297884/govt-planning-new-airport-in-gilgit-khan%3famp=1
|access-date =27 May 2021
|publisher= The Express Tribune|date=25 May 2021}}</ref>

=== Road ===
[[File:Babusar Road.jpg|thumb|left|National Highway N-15 has abrupt direction changes which is a challenge for drivers who use this route to reach Gilgit]]
Gilgit is located approximately {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} from the [[Karakoram Highway]] (KKH). The roadway is being upgraded as part of the [[China–Pakistan Economic Corridor]]. The KKH connects Gilgit to [[Chilas]], [[Dasu]], [[Besham]], [[Mansehra]], [[Abbottabad]] and Islamabad in the south. Gilgit is connected to [[Karimabad (Hunza)]] and [[Sust]] in the north, with further connections to the [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] cities of [[Tashkurgan Town|Tashkurgan]], [[Upal]] and [[Kashgar]] in [[Xinjiang]]. Gilgit is also linked to [[Chitral]] in the west, and [[Skardu]] to the east. The road to Skardu will be upgraded to a 4-lane road at a cost of $475 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=PM announces construction of Skardu-Gilgit road|url=http://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/2015/11/pm-announces-construction-of-skardu-gilgit-road/|access-date=4 July 2017|publisher=Samaa TV|date=24 November 2015}}</ref>

Transport companies such as the [[Silk Route]] Transport Pvt, [[Masherbrum]] Transport Pvt and [[Northern Areas Transport Corporation]] ([https://www.natco.gov.pk/ NATCO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723174403/https://www.natco.gov.pk/ |date=23 July 2015 }}), offer passenger road transport between Islamabad, Gilgit, [[Sust]], and Kashgar and [[Tashkurgan Town|Tashkurgan]] in China.

The [[Astore (city)|Astore]]-[[Burzil Pass]] Road, linking Gilgit to [[Srinagar]] was closed in 1978.<ref>Ibrahim Shahid (27 March 2004) [http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2004/kashmir20040327b.html Gilgit-Srinagar Road: Govt seeks NA admin's opinion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112139/http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2004/kashmir20040327b.html |date=4 March 2016 }}. ''The Daily Times''</ref>
{{Clear left}}

=== Rail ===
Gilgit is not served by any rail connections. Long-term plans for the [[China–Pakistan Economic Corridor]] call for construction of the {{convert|682|km|abbr=on}} long [[Khunjerab Railway]], which is expected to be completed in 2030,<ref name="Post Today">{{cite news|title=Havelian to Khunjerab railway track to be upgraded under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor|url=http://sosttoday.com/5285-2/|access-date=10 February 2016|publisher=Sost Today|date=4 July 2017}}</ref> that would also serve Gilgit.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="4">
File:KKH.png|Route of the [[Karakoram Highway]]
File:Hunza Tunnel.jpg|Tunnels are common in Gilgit
</gallery>

== Education ==
[[File:PSACJG Entrance.JPG|thumbnail|right|One of the most renowned institutes in the GB Region, [[Public Schools and Colleges Jutial Gilgit]]]]

* [[Karakoram International University]] Gilgit

== Basic facilities ==
[[File:Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Plant in Gilgit.jpg|thumb|right|Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Plant in Gilgit]]
Gilgit has not received a gas pipeline infrastructure since Pakistan's independence, unlike other cities. Through the importation of gas cylinders from other provinces, many private gas contractors offer gas cylinders. The LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Air Mix Plant project by [[Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited]] was unveiled in 2020, with the goal of bringing the gas facility to Gilgit. This will significantly reduce [[deforestation]], as the public now uses wood from trees for heating and lighting purpose. The first head office has been built in Gilgit.<ref>https://www.sngpl.com.pk/SNG_Megzines/112020/newsletter.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2022}}</ref>

Severe flash floods in [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] have exposed critical infrastructure failures, with residents in [[Diamer-Bhasha Dam|Diamer]], [[Danyor]], and [[Ghanche District|Ghanche]] districts facing acute shortages of drinking water, electricity, road access, and communication. Despite repeated appeals, local authorities have failed to restore basic services, prompting threats of public protests. The crisis underscores ongoing administrative neglect and inadequate disaster response in the area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Madajewicz |first1=Malgosia |last2=Tompsett |first2=Anna |date=2018-11-21 |title=Decentralization and Local Public Goods: How does allocation of decision-making authority affect provision? |url=https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.3555 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=AEA Randomized Controlled Trials |doi=10.1257/rct.3555 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Sister cities ==
* [[Skardu]], Baltistan
* Kashgar, China (since May 2009)
<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Polo Statue Located near APSACS Gilgit.jpg|This statue is made to show the spirit of the Polo Sport. It is located at Jutial. Polo is played every year in the valley Shandoor.
File:I Love Gilgit Sign.jpg|I Love Gilgit sign made to show patriotism towards the region
File:Dumplings of Gilgit.jpg|Dumplingsm a.k.a. manto, are a widely eaten dish in the region
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[Chamogarh]]
*[[Gilgit District]]
*[[Karakoram Highway]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

=== General sources ===
* {{cite journal |first=Yaqoob Khan |last=Bangash |title=Three Forgotten Accessions: Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar |journal=The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History |volume=38 |pages=117–143 |number=1 |doi=10.1080/03086530903538269 |year=2010 |s2cid=159652497 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Bhan |first1=Mona |title=Counterinsurgency, Democracy, and the Politics of Identity in India: From Warfare to Welfare? |date=11 September 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-50983-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZTDAAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=William |title=Gilgit Rebelion: The Major Who Mutinied Over Partition of India |date=30 November 2014 |publisher=[[Pen and Sword Books]] |isbn=978-1-4738-2187-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_l9tBQAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{citation |first=Victoria |last=Schofield |author-link=Victoria Schofield |title=Kashmir in Conflict |publisher=I. B. Taurus & Co |location=London and New York |year=2003 |orig-year=First published in 2000 |isbn=1-86064-898-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkTetMfI6QkC}}

== External links ==
{{EB1911 poster|Gilgit}}
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180125163406/http://www.visitgilgitbaltistan.gov.pk/ Official Website]  of the [[Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100831072645/http://gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk/ Official Website of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan]
*[http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090629041618/http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/files/22450/1151397961157_India_Gilgit.doc/57%2BIndia%2BGilgit.doc Gilgit Nomination], UNESCO, the Memory of the World Register entry document
*[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/233661/Gilgit Britannica Gilgit]
*{{Wikivoyage inline|Gilgit}}

{{Gilgit-Baltistan topics}}
{{Pakistani cities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gilgit| ]]
[[Category:Capitals of Pakistan]]
[[Category:History of Buddhism in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Populated places in Gilgit District]]
[[Category:Populated places along the Silk Road]]
[[Category:Karakoram]]
[[Category:Cities in Pakistan]]