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Kargil ( , ) or Kargyil is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh 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 (a) through (e), reflecting 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 (h) through (i) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (j) 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 between 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)
(g)
(h) 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.), 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."
(i) 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.";
(j) Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
It is the joint capital of Ladakh, an Indian-administered union territory, and the headquarters of the Kargil district. It is the second-largest urban centre in Ladakh after Leh. Kargil is located east of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, and to the west of Leh. It is on the bank of the Suru River near its confluence with the Wakha Rong River, the latter providing the most accessible route to Leh.
The Kargil basin does give the feel of an expanse surrounded by low-pitched mountains, with the low Khurbathang plateau at the southeastern corner. This is in sharp contrast to the deep gorges that give access to the valley. View of the Kargil valley from the north, Google Maps, retrieved 17 January 2023.
The people of Kargil, however, relate the name to Khar (fort) and rkil (centre) and interpret it as a central place among many forts. Radhika Gupta has opined that it is a fitting description for a place that is equidistant from Srinagar, Leh and Skardu.
The normal trade route between Leh and Skardu also ran via Kargil, using the Wakha Rong and Suru valleys. Even though both the towns are on the bank of the Indus River, the latter's narrow gorge between Marol and Dah was not easily traversable prior to the modern period.
After the Partition of India and the First Kashmir War, Baltistan came under the control of Pakistan. The Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan-administered Kashmir is roughly to the north of Kargil. The peak known as Point 13620, which overlooks the Kargil town and the Srinagar–Leh Highway, remained in Pakistani control at the end of this conflict. During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, Indian forces pushed the Line of Control north of the ridgeline, ensuring Kargil's security. A key village called Hunderman came under Indian control as a result of this push.Naseer Ganai, Unlocking History: Hunderman's Transformation From Rock Dwellings To A Museum Village, Outlook, 7 February 2024.
In 1840, after another rebellion in Ladakh, Zorawar Singh deposed the Gyalpo of Ladakh and annexed the kingdom. He also decided to invade Baltistan which had assisted the Gyalpo in rebellion. On the way to Baltistan, he made a detour to Sod, routed the rebels and annexed the whole of Purig. He appointed kardars for Dras and Suru.
After Zorawar Singh's death in Tibet, there was another rebellion in Ladakh and Purig with the support of the Tibetan forces. But Dogras sent fresh forces under Wazir Lakhpat, who beat back the Tibetans and reestablished status quo ante. On returning, the Wazir garrisoned the Kargil fort and took all the Rajas of the region as prisoners.
Alexander Cunningham described the Kargil fort in 1854 as a square of about sixty yards on the left bank of the Suru River immediately above its junction with Wakha Rong. It was able to defend the bridge over the Suru River and completely command the Kashmir–Ladakh road.
In 1854, there were three ilaqas (subdistricts) in the present day Kargil district, at Kargil, Dras and Zanskar respectively. They were headed by civil officers called Thanadars. During the reign of Pratap Singh, a wazarat (district) was established for all the frontier regions (including Gilgit), and Kargil was made a tehsil of the wazarat. Sometime later, Gilgit was separated, and Kargil, Skardu and Leh made up the Ladakh wazarat. The district headquarters shifted between the three locations each year.
At the end of Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the two nations signed the Simla Agreement, converting the former ceasefire line with some adjustments into a Line of Control, and promising not to engage in armed conflict with respect to that boundary. Pg 4 In 1999, the area saw infiltration by Pakistani forces, leading to the Kargil War. Fighting occurred along a 160 km long stretch of overlooking the only road linking Srinagar and Leh. The military outposts on the ridges above the highway were generally around 5,000 m (16,400 ft) high, with a few as high as 5,485 m (17,995 ft). After several months of fighting and diplomatic activity, the Pakistani forces were forced to withdraw to their side of the Line of Control by their Prime minister Nawaz Sharif after he visited the United States.
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