Doda district

Doda district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. 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 politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below). (a) (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)  (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)  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) 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) 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)  (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)  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) 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)  Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."

Administration
The district consists of 18 tehsils: Thathri, Bhaderwah, Doda, Mohalla, Bhagwa, Assar, Bhalla, Gundna, Marmat, Kahara, Gandoh (Bhalessa), Bhella, Bharat Bagla, Chiralla, Chilly Pingal, Phagsoo and Kastigarh.

Climate
The climate of the area is not uniform due to its wide variations in altitude. The area, in general, enjoys a temperate to sub-tropical climate. The climate of the district is almost dry and rainfall is scanty. The temperature varies from place to place. Ramban and Doda tehsils are warmer, while regions like Dessa Valley, tehsil Bhagwah, Gundna, Padder, Marwah and Warwan remain snow-bound for five-six months of the year. Summer is generally without precipitation. Almost all regions experiences snowfall in the winter, either in the form of snowfall in higher regions or as rainfall in the lower regions. Monsoons prevail from July to September. Rainfall in the Doda district is heavy during July and September. The average annual rainfall is 926 mm and snowfall of about 135 mm.

History
The demography of Doda district is complex compared to neighbouring districts, because of its very diverse population. In the past, Doda was largely inhabited by a Sarazi population before people started settling here from Kashmir and other adjoining areas. It got the name Doda due to the opium plant, known as doddi in the local language. Kashmiri populations settled here in the 17th and 18th centuries. Sumantra Bose says repression by feudal classes elsewhere drew people to the districts of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar.

The Doda district consists of areas drawn from the ancient principalities of Kishtwar and Bhadarwah, both of which became part of a district by the name of 'Udhampur' in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The district of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir has a long history intertwined with legends and stories of various rulers and dynasties. According to records from the State Revenue Department, the district got its name from its headquarters in Doda, which was named after a migrant from Multan, a utensil maker. He was persuaded by one of the ancient rulers of Kishtwar to settle in the area and establish a utensil factory. Over time, the name Deeda was distorted into Doda.

The early history of Doda is not well documented, with few chronicles available about the rulers of Kishtwar. The settlement reports indicate that the area was ruled by various groups including Ranas, Rajas, and independent chiefs from time to time, including the Jaral, Ranas, Katoch Rajas, Bhaus Manhases, Chibs, Thakkars, Wanis, and Gakkars. In 1822 AD, Doda was conquered by Maharaja Gulab Singh and became the winter capital of the Kishtwar state.

The Fort of Doda was significant in the district's history and was one of the seventy forts in Jammu province, according to author Thakur Kahan Singh Balowria. The fort served as the office of the Thanedar and provided storage space for armaments and food grains. The fort was also built to protect against potential attacks from the Bhaderwah Rajas. The fort was made of unbaked bricks and had walls that were four feet wide and forty to fifty feet high, with dome-like towers at the corners. The fort was demolished in 1952 and as of 2023, the Government Boys Higher Secondary School occupies its site.

English traveller G.T. Vigne visited Doda in 1829 and described his journey through the district. He mentions traveling through a deep and rocky nullah which joins the Chenab River, and then crossing the river over a dangerous bridge in the Himalayas. Vigne writes about the bridge in Doda, a strong rope stretched from one bank to the other, tied to rocks. A wooden structure was placed over the rope and additional ropes were tied to it, allowing the structure to move back and forth. He also encountered another type of bridge, which was crossed on foot, made of small ropes bound with pieces of bark and woven into a thick rope. Hanging ropes were provided for support.

The area that includes the tehsil of Bhaderwah has a long history dating back to the 10th century. In 1846, Doda and Kishtwar became part of the newly created Jammu and Kashmir state after the Amritsar pact between the British government, Lahore Darbar, and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu. Bhaderwah was once a principality with 15 administrative units and has a recorded history going back to the Rajatarangini of Kalhana. The state of Bhadhrwah was established in the 15th century by a Sicon of the Baloria family of Bilawar. It was later ruled by the Raja of Chamb until Raja Nagpal became the ruler in the 16th century. Bhaderwah was then ruled by Nagpal's descendants until it was captured by the Kishtwar Raja. It became part of Chamba in 1821 and was transferred to Jammu Darbar in 1846. During this time, Bhaderwah was military-administered Label was appointed as the Kardar. The Bhaderwah Jagir was later bestowed upon Raja Amar Singh of Jammu and then to his son, Raja Hari Singh. When Raja Hari Singh became the Maharaja of J&K in 1925, he dissolved his Jagirs and converted Bhaderwah into a tehsil of Udhampur in 1931.

In 1948, the erstwhile Udhampur district was partitioned into the present Udhampur district, containing the Udhampur and Ramanagar tehsils, and 'Doda' district containing the Ramban, Bhadarwah, Thathri and Kishtwar tehsils.

In 2006, Ramban was made into an independent district and the hilly area to the east of the present Doda district was separated as the Kishtwar district. The remaining areas include the Doda tehsil carved out of Kishtwar and the original Bhadarwah, now divided into three tehsils.

In 1990s, various incidents were reported about the suppression of Hindus by the Militant organizations. In response to the rising terrorism, the government authorities made Village Defense Committee (VDC) in various villages. However some reports of VDC members indulging in criminal activities have also reported in the past. In a village called Karada, four Muslims were allegedly killed by VDC members. This incident also triggered the Terrorist organisations to target those who supported the VDCs, believing them to be anti-Muslim. Since 1990s, many such incidents of killings by Terrorist and VDCs have been reported.

June 2023 earthquakes
On 13 June 2023, an earthquake occurred at 01:33PM in Doda district. It was centred near the town of Thathri and registered a magnitude of 5.0 on the richter scale. Several secondary low-intensity earthquakes and aftershocks followed over the next few weeks. At least 56 buildings had collapsed and 369 others were damaged in Kishtwar. Dozens of buildings including a hospital were also damaged in Bhaderwah. At least five people were injured and hundreds were displaced.

Demographics
According to the 2011 census, Doda district has a population of 409,936, roughly equal to the nation of Malta. This gives it a ranking of 556th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 79 PD/sqkm. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 27.89%.

Doda has a sex ratio of 922 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 65.97%.

Religion
The district has a Muslim majority 53.82%, with Hindus constituting 45.77% of the population and the remainder consisting of Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains.

Doda's society is a mixture of all religions with Hindus and Muslims being two major communities. The population ratio between the Muslims and the Hindus as per the census report of 2011 is around 55:45. Muslims of the region are mostly ethnic Kashmiris and are culturally and linguistically connected to the people of Kashmir.

Languages
Prominent Scholar Sumantra Bose states that the plurality of population of Doda speaks Kashmiri as their mother language. A study conducted in 2014 identified 40% of the population as Kashmiri-speaking. The Pahadi languages are spoken by the second largest group: Bhadarwahi and Sarazi are the main ones. Others in the district speak Gojri and Dogri.

Doda's population comprises different communities who live together peacefully despite following different religions and speak different languages. Most of the people of the region are well-versed with all the languages spoken in the area.

Administration
Administratively, the district has 406 villages. Doda District has been divided into three subdivisions viz., Doda, Thathri, Bhaderwah and Bhalessa (Gandoh). It has eighteen tehsils.


 * Marmat
 * Kahara
 * Bhella
 * Bharth Bagla
 * Chirala
 * Chilly Pingal
 * Gandoh (Bhalessa)
 * Gundna
 * Kastigarh
 * Phagsoo
 * Thathri

Villages

 * Badroon
 * Bankanthawa
 * Binola
 * Bloriya
 * Sunarthawa
 * Amritgarh

Politics
Doda district has three assembly constituencies: Bhaderwah, Doda and Doda West. While it is the part of Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency.

Terrorism
Doda had a history of terrorism, with one of the highest concentration of militants in Jammu and Kashmir. According to local authorities, about 200 militants were active in the district in the early 2000s.

Militants targeted the Hindu and Muslim villagers. Some anti-social outfits mostly misused the VDCs. A report said that the 489 civilians had been killed in the region as of 2005.

There have been a number of killings of innocent civilians by militants and anti-social outfits including:
 * On June 19, 1998, 25 Hindus were brutally massacred by militants in Chapnari village of Doda district.
 * In August 1998, four Muslims were allegedly killed by VDC members in Karada village.
 * On 25 October 1998, four Muslim civilians were shot dead, allegedly by Indian troops in Doda, according to police and local residents.
 * On 3 August 2001, 17 Hindu Civilians brutally massacred by Militants in ladder village.
 * The 2006 Doda massacre in which 35 Hindu civilians were killed on 30 April 2006.
 * Massacre of 19 Hindu villagers in Thawa village on 15 May 2006.
 * On 15 May 2019, Nayeem Ahmad Shah was killed by cow vigilantes in Bhaderwah, while he was not carrying any animal during attack. Eight Hindus were arrested in this case.
 * Three terrorists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces on June 26, 2024. The gunfight took place after the Army cordoned off a hideout with four terrorists, three of whom were killed.
 * Four Army personnel including an officer and a cop (Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay Naruka) were killed on 15th July 2024 during a gunfight. The encounter took place during a cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in Desa forest belt, some 55 km from Doda town. In a statement, the terror group 'Kashmir Tigers', a shadow group of the banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad said the clash and gunfire erupted while the security forces launched a search operation for the "Mujahideen".