A Geo-Historical Sketch of the Gilgit Frontier in the 19th Century

Abstract

The idea of a geographical frontier of a nation state has always existed throughout history. This study further explores the role that the Gilgit-Baltistan region has exercised as a frontier of the Indian subcontinent. This study is part of an Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) project titled "A History of Frontiers - Gilgit-Baltistan and the Indian Sub-Continent 1839-2019" and this paper is part of the final report of the aforementioned project. This paper focuses on exploring how Gilgit-Baltistan's modern history was shaped by the virtue of its geographical location as the natural northern frontier of the Indian subcontinent in the 19^th century. The approach employed in this study is qualitative, based extensively on primary accounts of 19^th century travellers and explorers to the region.