Kupwara district

District of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kupwara district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.^[1] It is one of the 10 districts located in the Kashmir Valley Division of Indian administered Kashmir. The Pohru River (originating in Lolab Valley and flowing from east to west) and Mawar river are two main rivers in the district. Both of them meet Jhelum river in Baramulla district.^[9]

Administering countryIndia

Established1979

HeadquartersKupwara

TimezoneUTC+05:30 (IST)

Quick facts Kopwor, Administering country ...

Kupwara district Kopwor
District of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir^[1]
Bangus Valley in Kupwara
Kupwara district is in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region^[1] It is in the Kashmir division (bordered in neon blue).
Interactive map of Kupwara district
Coordinates (Kupwara): 34°37′N 74°13′E
Administering country	India
Union Territory	Jammu and Kashmir
Division	Kashmir Division
Established	1979
Headquarters	Kupwara
Government
• Lok Sabha Constituency	Baramulla
• MP^[2]	Engineer Rashid
• Vidhan Sabha Constituencies	6 : Karnah, Trehgam, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara and Langate
Area ^[3]
• Total	2,379 km² (919 sq mi)
• Urban	47.3 km² (18.3 sq mi)
• Rural	2,331.7 km² (900.3 sq mi)
Population (2011)^[4]^[5]
• Total	870,354
• Density	365.8/km² (947.5/sq mi)
• Urban	104,729
• Rural	765,625
Demographics
• Literacy^[6]	64.51%
• Sex ratio^[6]	835 ♀/ 1000 ♂
Languages ^[7]^[8]
• Official	Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English
• Spoken	Gujari, Pahari
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	JK-09
Major highways	NH 701
Website	kupwara.nic.in

History

The district was carved out of the erstwhile Baramulla district in 1979 with Kupwara Town as the district headquarters.^[10]

Demographics

Population

More information Year, Pop. ...

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1901	110,979	—
1911	124,744	+1.18%
1921	137,936	+1.01%
1931	153,758	+1.09%
1941	170,079	+1.01%
1951	187,076	+0.96%
1961	204,073	+0.87%
1971	257,824	+2.37%
1981	328,743	+2.46%
1991	465,948	+3.55%
2001	650,393	+3.39%
2011	870,354	+2.96%
source:^[11]

According to the 2011 census Kupwara district has a population of 870,354.^[12] This gives it a ranking of 470th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 368 inhabitants per square kilometre (950/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 34.62%.

Ethnic groups

Kashmiri and Gujjar are two major groups in Kupwara district. As per 1999 estimates, Gujjar made up 32.18% of the district's total population, with a population of 1,50,000.^[13]

Language

Languages of Kupwara district (2011)^[4]

Kashmiri (71.1%)
Pahari (14.1%)
Gujari (9.21%)
Hindi (2.70%)
Others (2.86%)

At the time of the 2011 census, 71.11% of the population spoke Kashmiri, 14.12% Pahari, 9.21% Gujari and 2.70% Hindi as their first language. Urdu is widely-spoken as a second language. Kashmiri is spoken throughout the district, while Pahari-Pothwari is the predominant language in Karnah tehsil along the Line of Control.^[4]

Religion

More information Religion, Percent ...

Religion in Kupwara district (2011)^[14]^[5]
Religion			Percent
Islam			94.59%
Hinduism			4.27%
Sikhism			0.64%
Other or not stated			0.50%

Literacy rate and Sex ratio

Kupwara has a sex ratio of 843 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 75.60% Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 0.12% and 8.08% of the population respectively.^[12]

More information Religion (and population), Sex Ratio ...

Sex Ratio in Kupwara District in 2011 Census.
(no. females per 1,000 males)
Religion (and population)			Sex Ratio
Muslim (pop 823,286)			912
Hindu (pop 37,128)			30
Sikh (pop 5,600)			162
Other (pop 1,818)			395
Not stated (pop 2,522)			695
Total (pop 870,354)			835

More information % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census., Hindu ...

Kupwara district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.^[5]
	Hindu	Muslim	Christian	Sikh	Buddhist	Jain	Other	Not stated	Total
Total	37,128	823,286	1,700	5,600	66	39	13	2,522	870,354
Total	4.27%	94.59%	0.20%	0.64%	0.01%	0.00%	0.00%	0.29%	100.00%

Male	36,057	430,521	1,215	4,821	51	28	9	1,488	474,190
Female	1,071	392,765	485	779	15	11	4	1,034	396,164
Gender ratio (% female)	2.9%	47.7%	28.5%	13.9%	22.7%	28.2%	30.8%	41.0%	45.5%
Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males)	30	912	399	162	–	–	–	695	835

Urban	9,460	93,355	369	1,123	20	6	8	388	104,729
Rural	27,668	729,931	1,331	4,477	46	33	5	2,134	765,625
% Urban	25.5%	11.3%	21.7%	20.1%	30.3%	15.4%	61.5%	15.4%	12.0%

Geography

Kupwara district has a total area of 2,379 square kilometres (919 sq mi). The district is bordered by Bandipora district in the east, Baramulla district to the south and Pakistan-administrated Azad Jammu and Kashmir(AJK) to the north and west. The district is mostly rural/agricultural.

Adjacent districts

Bandipora district, Indian administered Kashmir – east
Neelum district, Pakistan administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) – northeast and northwest
Muzaffarabad district and Hattian Bala district, Pakistan administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) – west
Baramulla district, Indian administered Kashmir – south

Economy

Most of the people depend on agriculture and horticulture. There is a good production and business of walnuts in Kupwara.^[15]

The Department of Horticulture have developed a high density walnut nursery in Kupwara.^[16]

Transportation

Air

The nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar located 87 kilometres from district headquarters Kupwara. There are plans to construct an airport in Panzgam.^[17]

Rail

Kupwara district is not yet connected to railways. There are plans to extend the Jammu–Baramulla line up to Kupwara in the near future.^[18] The nearest railway station is Baramulla railway station located 45 kilometres from Kupwara.

Road

Kupwara is well-connected with roads and highways. The NH 701 passes through Kupwara district alongside other intra-district roads.

Notables

Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Renowned Islamic scholar from Kashmir, known for his expertise in hadith, fiqh, and theology. A key figure at Darul Uloom Deoband.
Aadil Manzoor Peer, Stock athlete who has represented India internationally with his right-hand playing style.
Assad Ullah Shah Quit Kashmir Movement leader and former MLA of Kupwara constituency
Abdul Gani Lone, Kashmiri separatist leader, founder of People’s Conference, assassinated in 2002 for his moderate views.
Ali Mohammad Shahbaz, Kashmiri poet, satirist, humanist, and philanthropist, whose work focused on the Kashmir conflict.
Ashraf Sehrai, Separatist leader and chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, elected after Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s resignation.
Engineer Rashid, Kashmiri politician, founder of Awami Ittehad Party, and an advocate for Kashmir’s autonomy and self-determination.
Maqbool Bhat, Kashmiri separatist leader, founder of NLF (JKLF), and was hanged in 1984 for his activism.
Sajad Gani Lone, Kashmiri politician, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference, and former minister in the region’s government.
Shah Faesal, Former IAS topper and founder of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement
Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Formar Rajhya Sabha MP of India, and current MLA of Kupwara constituency

References

[1]
The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (d), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (f) through (h) below, "held" is also considered politicised usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below).
(a) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 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.";
(b) Pletcher, Kenneth, Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 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.";
(c) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
(d) Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN 978-0-415-93922-5 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute betw een India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
(e) Talbot, Ian (2016), A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas, Yale University Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-0-300-19694-8 Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
(f) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 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.";
(g) Bose, Sumantra (2009), Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, Harvard University Press, pp. 294, 291, 293, ISBN 978-0-674-02855-5 Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. AJK has six districts: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad. AJK has its own institutions, but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities, especially the military), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
(h) Fisher, Michael H. (2018), An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge University Press, p. 166, ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2 Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
(i) Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN 978-1-84904-621-3 Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
[2]
"Lok Sabha Members". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
[3]
District Census Handbook Kupwara, Part A (PDF). Census of India 2011 (Report). July 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
District Census Handbook Kupwara, Part B (PDF). Census of India 2011 (Report). 16 June 2014. pp. 11, 12. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
[4]
"Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Jammu and Kashmir". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
[5]
"Table C-16 Population by Religion: Jammu and Kashmir". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
[6]
"Kupwara district Census 2011" (PDF). Govt of India Census. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
[7]
"The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
[8]
"Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020". Rising Kashmir. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
[9]
"Statement showing the number of blocks in respect of 22 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir State including newly created districts, as on 31-03-2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2008. dated 2008-03-13, accessed 30 August 2008
[10]
"Kupwara: Brief History, Places of Attraction". The Dispatch. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
[11]
Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
[12]
District Census Handbook 2011: Kupwara (PDF). Census of India. 2016.
[13]
Joshi, Manoj (1999). The Lost Rebellion. Penguin Books. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-14-027846-0. But in Kashmir, Gujjars have settled communities on both sides of the LoC, and number some 150,000 in Kupwara district itself.
[14]
"Kupwara district Population". Census India. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
[15]
Ministry of Panchayati Raj (8 September 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme" (PDF). National Institute of Rural Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
[16]
"Horticulture deptt to develop high density walnut nursery in Kupwara". Greater Kashmir. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
[17]
"Centre plans to build 11 new airports in J&K, 2 in Ladakh". Kashmir Life. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
[18]
"J&K gets ₹3,848-cr Baramulla-Kupwara railroad project". NBMCW. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2021.