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Shamirpur is a village in the Kangra district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located next to National Highway 20, which runs from Pathankot in Punjab to Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh. It is easily accessible from Dharmasala. The nearest airport is Gaggal Airport , alternatively known as Kangra Airport or Dharamsala-Kangra Airport, which is located in Gaggal near Kangra, southwest of Dharamshala.
The economy of Shamirpur consists primarily of agriculture and business.
There is a mention of the Trigarta Kingdom (Kangra) kingdom in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. Lepel Griffin references the Rajput dynasties of the hills, of which the Katochs’ is the oldest. The Mahabharata mentions King Susharama Chandra, who sided with the Kauravas, said to be the founder of this dynasty. At that time, Kangra was supposedly known as Bhim Kot. The reference to the prosperous Kingdom of Trigarta (Kangra) is found in Panani literature. The mention of Kangra (Nagarkot) is also found in the works of Firishta.
In a later period, perhaps that of the Muhammadan invasion, the Katoch princes were driven into the hills where Kangra was one of their main fortresses. In spite of constant invasions, the little Hindu kingdoms (secure within their Himalayan glens) held out against the aggressive Mohammedan power for a long period.
In 1009 the riches of the Nagarkot temple attracted the attention of Mahmud of Ghazni, who defeated the Hindu princess at Peshawar, seized the fort of Kangra, and plundered the immense booty of gold, silver and jewels from the shrine.
After this time, Kangra does not re-appear in general history until 1360, when the emperor Firoz Tughlak led another force against it. The Raja submitted and was permitted to retain his dominion but the Mohammedan once more plundered the temple.
In 1556, Akbar launched an expedition into the hills and occupied the fort of Kangra. Kangra passed to the British at the end of the first Sikh War in 1846 and there were several revolts against them. Ram Singh, a Pathania Rajput, invaded the British garrison at Shahpur. The British immediately rushed their forces, which surrounded Shahpur fort. Ram Singh finding himself at a disadvantageous position sneaked into the nearby forest to rearm himself.
After the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857, some disturbances took place in the Kulu subdivision. Local authorities took precautions; Executing the six ring leaders and imprisoning the others. This became the first overt act of rebellion and effectively subdued the tendency to lawlessness. The disarming of the native troops in the forts of Kangra and Nurpur occurred quietly and without opposition. The national movement in Kangra district was spearheaded by Comrade Ram Chandra, Thakur Panchan Chandra, and Baba Kanshi Ram.
Baba Kanshi Ram did a great deal for the liberation movement in Kangra district, where he was responsible for the liberation movement in the hills. He was given the title of "Hill Gandhi" by Jawaharlal Nehru for his work and "Bulbule Hills" for his melodious throat by Sarojini Naidu.
With the freedom of British India, Kangra district escaped foreign rule and entered an era of democracy.
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