Hiranagar Fort/Jasmergarh fort, Jammu Kashmir

Hiranagar/Jasmergarh fort remnants of the fort symbolize the glory of erstwhile Dogra kingdoms. Raja Hira Singh S\o Raja Dhyan Singh is supposed to has formed the town of Jasmergarh when he was conferred with the honorable title of Jagir of Jasrota by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab at a time period of 1834-44 AD. During his 10 years rule, Raja spent most of his time at Jasmergarh fort. The Hiranagar town was named after the Raja Hira Singh later in 1947.

The fort lies towards North-Western side of the present day Hiranagar town situated just its outer side towards India-Pakistan Border on border road. It is surrounded by the villages Suba Chak, Chanjjal, Sanyal, Jandi etc and is situated between Tarnah and Bein Nallahs. As per historical records, the Hiranagar (Jasmergarh) fort also housed Tehsil and other government offices till they were shifted to the modern day Hiranagar town after 1947. Sikh forces attacked the Jasrota Kingdom in January 1845 and plundered the wealth of the Jasmergarh fort. They used heavy force and artillery to demolish the forts. Giving details of the Sikh attack, British agent camped at Ludhiana Mr. Broadfoot writes, “Sikh forces plundered the wealth of Jasrota Kingdom and looted the ornaments and clothes from the bodies of the queens of Raja Hira Singh while they had sit on the pyre of deceased Raja for being performed sati.” Other historians have also mentioned that the Sikh army forcefully took the girls and ladies with them after the attack. In this way a powerful and progressive kingdom came to an end. After the death of Raja Hira Singh uncertainty loomed a large over the Jagir. It was after the treaty of Amritsar of 1846 that the Jagir was made a part of Jammu and Kashmir State and was granted the status of a district. The headquarters of the district of Jasrota remained in the Jasmergarh fort. It was later shifted to Kathua in 1922 and the district was renamed as Kathua district. 

This fort is the only remnant of the Dogra Kingdom in the vicinity of Hiranagar town which represents the past of the Dogra rulers in the area. This fort had earlier been converted into a Prison for Political Prisoners during early-nineties but following the resistance from the local people and the Mahant Swami Sri Krishna Dev Ji Maharaj, the jail was shifted from it as devotees visiting the temple of Mahakli perform darshan of the sanctorum had to face a number of restrictions for moving in side and outside the fort. Now it houses a sub-station of central para-military forces............
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