Nagar Valley

Nagar valley‎, was a princely salute state in the northern part of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. Until August 1947, it was in a subsidiary alliance with British India. It bordered the states of the Gilgit Agency to the south and west, and the senior princely state of District Hunza to the north and east. From November 1947 to 1974 it was a princely state of Pakistan. The state capital was the town of Nagar.

Nagar is home to two main ethnic groups – the Burushaski speakers and the Shina speakers. An older type of Burushaski is still spoken in the valley with a mild modern accent. A third language, Bedeski, is also still spoken in Chalt Nagar.

The terrain of Nagar is extremely mountainous, which provided a certain degree of protection against invading forces. The highest mountain is the 7,788 m (25,551 ft) Mount Rakaposhi, south of the town of Nagar. The Karakoram Highway crosses Nagar, connecting Pakistan with China via the Khunjerab Pass. The road follows the Hunza river for some distance through Nagar and into the Hunza region. According to local languages Nagar Valley divided into two parts. Nagar Shinaki and Nagar Burosho.

Villages of Nagar Valley

Shina Speaking Villages in Nagar (Shinaki/Sheenbar)

• Chalat (Paaeen/baala)
• Bar Valley
• Chaprote Valley
• Budalas valley
• Jafarabad Valley
• Nilt Valley
• Thol Valley
• Masot Valley
• Ghulmet Valley
• Pissan Valley
• Minapin Valley

Burushaski Speaking Villages in Nagar

• Nagar Khas Valley
• Sikandar Abad
• Miachar Valley
• Dadimal Valley
• Phakker Valley
• Hakuchar Valley
• Shayar Valley
• Askurdas Valley
• Sumayar Valley
• Hoper Valley
• Hisper Valley

Bilingual Valleys in Nagar

• Chalt Paeen Valley
• Akbarabad Valley
• Jafarabad Valley
• Ghulmet Valley
• Pissan Valley
• Minapin Valley

The Nagar villages are mainly populated by religious scholars, Educationists, Sportsmen, Craftsmen and Craftswomen, farmers, hunters and fishermen, handicrafts, miners, Shepherds, adventurers, mountaineers ans so on.

Nagar, founded in the fourteenth century, was an autonomous principality until the British gained control of the state following the Hunza–Nagar Campaign (1889-1893). It was a colonial princely state until 1947, but from 1868 it was a vassal of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, despite never being directly ruled by Kashmir. The rulers of Nagar were considered to be among the most loyal vassals of the Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir, sending annual tributes to their Durbars until 1947. The British granted them a Hereditary gun salute of 15-guns

In November 1947, Nagar acceded to Pakistan, which became responsible for its external affairs and defense, while Nagar maintained internal self-government. In 1968, Syed Yahya Shah, the first educated politician of the valley, demanded civil rights from the Mir of Nagar.