Kotli (
Pahari-Pothwari / ; ) is a city and headquarters of the
Kotli District in Pakistan-administered
Azad Kashmir. The city lies along the
Poonch River, which is known for its natural secenary and waterfalls. According to the
2017 Census of Pakistan, the city has a population of 46,907 people.
History
The city of Kotli dates back to the twelfth century, when it was settled by a branch of the Royal
Mangral family of Kashmir, descendants of
Raja Mangar. Originally known as Kohtali, literally meaning "under the mountain" due to the surrounding mountainous landscape. Kotli remained as a semi-autonomous state until it was finally subdued by
Ranjit Singh in 1819 and incorporated into the
Sikh Empire.
After the
independence of Pakistan and
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
from the
British rule, "bands of deserters from the State Army, some serving soldiers of the Pakistan Army on leave, ex-servicemen, and other volunteers who had risen spontaneously" reached Kotli in November 1947. They expelled the Dogra garrison at the town after a night of fighting. India then sent its armed forces to Kashmir where they attacked Kotli in an attempt to recapture it. The
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
counter-attacked with the aid of the native tribesmen, winning a decisive victory in the
Battle of Kotli. It has been under
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
i control ever since.
Education
Kotil is home to the
University of Kotli (
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
:کوٹلی یونیورسٹی) (UoK), formerly a constituent college of the
University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It became a university as a result of Presidential Ordinance VIII passed in 2014.
Tourism
Two well-known waterfalls in the area are the
Lala Waterfall, close to Kotli town and the
Gulpur Waterfalls, found in the village of Gulpur to the southwest.
Sarda Point View is great place to see kotli City
References
External links
{{Pakistani cities
Populated places in Kotli District
Tehsils of Kotli District