Districts of Jammu and Kashmir
The Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir consists of two divisions: Jammu Division and Kashmir Division, and is further divided into 20 districts: [1]
The Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir consists of two divisions: Jammu Division and Kashmir Division, and is further divided into 20 districts: [1]
Prior to 1947, Kashmir was a princely state under the paramountcy of the British Indian Empire. The central part of the princely state was administratively divided into the provinces Jammu and Kashmir. In addition there were frontier districts and semi-autonomous jagirs (principalities). They were subdivided as follows: [2]
The Gilgit district and the frontier ilaqas were administered by the British administration as the Gilgit Agency, which were returned to the princely state prior to the Partition of India.
After the partition of India and subsequent independence of India and Pakistan, in October 1947, following a rebellion coupled with a tribal invasion from newly independent Pakistan, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in return for armed assistance. India and Pakistan fought the First Kashmir War that lasted through 1948, at the end of which large parts of the three western districts of Mirpur, Poonch and Muzaffarabad, the whole of the Gilgit Agency and the Skardu sub-district of Ladakh came under Pakistani control. The remainder of the princely state had been organised as a state of India under the name Jammu Kashmir.
The territory under Indian control include: [3] [4]
The districts were reorganised by 1968, breaking up some of the larger districts. [6] In 2006, eight new districts were created: Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi, Samba, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kulgam and Shopian. [7]
In August 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament. The provisions contained in the bill reorganised the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) and Ladakh with effect from 31 October 2019.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) is the head of the district administration. They are responsible for overall administration and development activities in the district. The DC functions as District Magistrate (DM) for maintenance of law and order and as Collector for revenue administration. In the capacity of Collector, the DC oversees revenue administration, managing tasks such as revenue collection, land records maintenance, and implementation of government fiscal policies. The DC is usually an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. The Deputy commissioner is assisted by Additional Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners and Sub-divisional magistrates. The districts are further divided into sub-districts and tehsils. [8]
| Name | Region claimed by India | Headquarters | Before 2007 [9] | After 2007 | Population 2011 Census [10] | Population 2011 Census [10] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area (km2) | Area (km2) | Area (sq miles) | ||||||
| Kathua district |  | Kathua | 2,651 | 2,502 | 966 | [11] | 550,084 | 615,711 |
| Jammu district |  | Jammu | 3,097 | 2,342 | 904 | [12] | 1,343,756 | 1,526,406 |
| Samba district |  | Samba | new district | 904 | 349 | [13] | 245,016 | 318,611 |
| Udhampur district |  | Udhampur | 4,550 | 2,367 | 914 | [14] | 475,068 | 555,357 |
| Reasi district |  | Reasi | new district | 1,719 | 664 | [15] | 268,441 | 314,714 |
| Rajouri district |  | Rajouri | 2,630 | 2,630 | 1,015 | [16] | 483,284 | 619,266 |
| Poonch district |  | Poonch | 1,674 | 1,674 | 646 | [17] | 372,613 | 476,820 |
| Doda district |  | Doda | 11,691 | 2,625 | 1,014 | [18] | 320,256 | 409,576 |
| Ramban district |  | Ramban | new district | 1,329 | 513 | [19] | 180,830 | 283,313 |
| Kishtwar district |  | Kishtwar | new district | 7,737 | 2,987 | [20] | 190,843 | 231,037 |
| Total for division | Jammu | 26,293 | 26,293 | 10,152 | 4,430,191 | 5,350,811 | ||
| Name | Headquarters | Before 2007 [9] | After 2007 | Population 2011 Census [10] | Population 2011 Census [10] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area (km2) | Area (km2) | Area (sq miles) | |||||
| Anantnag district | Anantnag | 3,984 | 3,574 | 1,380 | [21] | 778,408 | 1,070,144 |
| Kulgam district | Kulgam | new district | 410 | 158 | [22] | 394,026 | 422,786 |
| Pulwama district | Pulwama | 1,398 | 1,086 | 419 | [23] | 441,275 | 570,060 |
| Shopian district | Shopian | new district | 312 | 120 | [24] | 211,332 | 265,960 |
| Budgam district | Budgam | 1,371 | 1,361 | 525 | [25] | 607,181 | 735,753 |
| Srinagar district | Srinagar | 2,228 | 1,979 | 764 | [26] | 1,027,670 | 1,269,751 |
| Ganderbal district | Ganderbal | new district | 259 | 100 | [27] | 217,907 | 297,003 |
| Bandipore district | Bandipore | new district | 345 | 133 | [28] | 304,886 | 385,099 |
| Baramulla district | Baramulla | 4,588 | 4,243 | 1,638 | [29] | 843,892 | 1,015,503 |
| Kupwara district | Kupwara | 2,379 | 2,379 | 919 | [30] | 650,393 | 875,564 |
| Total for division | Srinagar | 15,948 | 15,948 | 6,158 | 5,476,970 | 6,907,623 | |
Jammu and Kashmir was a region formerly administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019, constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India, Pakistan and China since the mid-20th century. The underlying region of this state were parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, whose western districts, now known as Azad Kashmir, and northern territories, now known as Gilgit-Baltistan, are administered by Pakistan. The Aksai Chin region in the east, bordering Tibet, has been under Chinese control since 1962.
Anantnag district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of ten districts which make up the Kashmir Valley. The district headquarters is Anantnag city. As of 2011, it was the third most populous district of Jammu and Kashmir, after Jammu and Srinagar.
Baramulla district or Varmul is one of the 20 districts in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. Baramulla town is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district covered an area of 4,588 km2 (1,771 sq mi) in 2001, but it was reduced to 4,243 km2 (1,638 sq mi) at the time of 2011 census. In 2016, the district administration said that the area was 4,190 km2 (1,620 sq mi). Muslims constitute about 98% of the population.
The Pulwama district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is located to the south of Srinagar. Its district headquarters are situated in the city of Pulwama. It is located in the central part of the Kashmir Valley.
Jammudistrict is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the most populous district in the Jammu division.
Anantnag, also called Islamabad, is the administrative headquarters of Anantnag district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is located at a distance of 53 kilometres from the union territory's capital Srinagar. It is the third largest city in Jammu and Kashmir after Srinagar and Jammu with an urban agglomerate population of 159,838 and a municipal limit population of 109,433.
Rajouri is a district in the Jammu division of Indian Jammu and Kashmir in the Kashmir region. The Line of Control, between the Indian- and Pakistan's occupied Jammu and Kashmir, lies to its west, Poonch to its north, the Reasi district to the east and the Jammu district to its south. Rajouri is famous for its "Kalari". Representing an ancient principality, Rajouri was a joint district, along with Reasi, at the time of the princely state's accession to India in 1947. The two tehsils were separated and Rajouri was merged with the Poonch district. Rajouri again became a separate district along with Reasi in 1968 till 2006 when both were separated again. The Rajouri district comprises 13 tehsils (boroughs). The land is mostly fertile and mountainous. Maize, wheat and rice are the main crops of the area and the main source of the irrigation is the river Tawi that originates from the mountains of Pir Panjal.
Kupwara district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 10 districts located in the Kashmir Valley Division of Indian administered Kashmir. The Pohru River and Mawar river are two main rivers in the district. Both of them meet Jhelum river in Baramulla district.
Budgam district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in Kashmir region. Created in 1979 with its headquarters at the town of Budgam, it is the district with the largest population of Shia Muslims in the Kashmir valley.
Reasi district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Jammu region. The Reasi district is bordered by Udhampur district and Ramban district in the east, Jammu district in the south, Rajouri district in the west and by Kulgam district on the north. The Reasi and Rajouri tehsils formed a joint district called the "Reasi district" at the time of the princely state's accession to India in 1947. As part of the reorganisation, the two tehsils were separated and Reasi was merged with the Udhampur district. It again became a separate district in 2006.
Ramban district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is located in a valley surrounded the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. The district headquarters are at Ramban town, which is located midway between Jammu and Srinagar along the Chenab river in the Chenab valley on National Highway-44, approximately 151 km from Jammu and Srinagar.
Shopian district, known as Shupyan in Kashmiri, is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is a hill district with its administrative headquarters in Shopian town. As it is situated on the historical road commonly known as Mughal Road, most of its area is occupied by forests. Shopian district comes under the Pir Panjal Range which makes it very cold in winter. After partition of India, it was a tehsil of Pulwama district. In March, 2007, the district status was granted by the Government of India. The economy of the district depends on agriculture, particularly apple growing.
Jammu and Kashmir, also known as Kashmir and Jammu, was a princely state in a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company from 1846 to 1858 and under the paramountcy of the British Crown, from 1858 until the Partition of India in 1947, when it became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries: China, India, and Pakistan. The princely state was created after the First Anglo-Sikh War, when the East India Company, which had annexed the Kashmir Valley, from the Sikhs as war indemnity, then sold it to the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh, for rupees 75 lakhs.
Bandipore district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 20 districts in the Jammu and Kashmir. Bandipore town is the administrative headquarters of the district. Bandipore is located in the foothills of the snow-clad peaks of Harmukh overlooking the shores of Wular Lake and has produced hundreds of scholars and intellectuals. The district is known for its tourist places such as Wular Vintage Park, Athwatoo and Gurez valley. Before 1947, this town was a big trade and literary centre of Kashmir. This district was carved out from the erstwhile Baramulla district in 2007. The district is bounded by Kupwara district from the north, Baramulla district from west,Ganderbal district from the east, Kargil district in Ladakh, Neelum District in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and Astore district in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan. Bandipore district is the only district in Kashmir Division that shares border with Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan region. This district occupies an area of 398 km2. The district has a population of 392,232 as per 2011 census.
Kulgam district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is in the Kashmir division and is located at a distance of 18 kilometres (11 mi) towards south-west of Anantnag. The district comprises block, tehsil and town of Kulgam.
Kishtwar district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the Jammu Division. As of 2011, it is the largest and the least populous district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Kashmir division is a revenue and administrative division of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It comprises the Kashmir Valley, bordering the Jammu Division to the south and Ladakh to the east. The Line of Control forms its boundary with the Pakistani-administered territories of Gilgit−Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the north and west and west, respectively.
The Jammu division is a revenue and administrative division of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is bordered by the Kashmir division to the north. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most of the land is hilly or mountainous, including the Pir Panjal Range which separates it from the Kashmir Valley and part of the Great Himalayas in the eastern districts of Doda and Kishtwar. Its principal river is the Chenab.
Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory.
