Gilgit has been dwelled for about a thousand years. Its strategic location makes it extremely important in the history of the subcontinent. For been invaded by different the parties at times, its culture varies in customs and religion. The early inhabitants were the animists, who were replaced by the Iranians, introducing fire worship in the region. Then the Hinduism followed the Aryan invasion. The Chinese have also played an important role in the moulding of the various customs in the area, as since the first century BC it has been an important transactional platform on the Silk Route from China.

From the 4th to 11th century AD, Gilgit remained under the Buddhist rule. Gilgit and Yasin together were then called Little Bolor, and Baltistan as Great Bolor, according to Chinese Tang Annals.

The early 8th century Gilgit witnessed the struggle of the three powers of China, Arabia, and Tibet against each other for control. In 725, Tibet joined the kingdoms of Great and Little Bolor, and brought them under its suzerainty.

From 747 to 751, there was a Chinese interlude. The Chinese troops swarmed across the Boroghil and Dargot passes and to Yasin, and were later driven back by the Arabs Muslims from the West.

Arab Muslim forces entered Pakistan from the south by the sea, less than a hundred years after the death of the prophet Mohammed in 632, also reaching Xinjiyang in the north by land. Mohammed Bin Qasim remained successful in south, but the northern invasion repulsed. Kashmir was a progressing power at that time, and the Tibetans enrolled the Kashmiris under a strong unity in order to keep the Arab Muslims out of the northern Pakistan.

The Shins - European Shina-speaking people, invaded Gilgit in the 10th century. Shina language, still the most important dialect spoken in Gilgit, is responsible for the movement of the native Burushaski speakers to the valleys of Hunza, Nagar, and Yasin.

Mahmood Ghazni invasion from Afghanistan took place in the 11th century, seizing the land from Hindus, and conquering it for the propagation of Islam. At that time, Gilgit was the part of the powerful independent mountain stronghold of Dardistan at that time. The central power gradually faced a decline, and resulted in the formation of seven small autonomous domains. These were Gilgit, Punial, Ishokoman, Ghizar, Yasin, Hunza, and Nagar, situated along the riversides of Gilgit and Hunza. These small realms, spoke their own languages, followed their own customs, and used to be at war with each other.

After the 15th century, most of the local population was turning to Islam. In the 16th century, the Sunni Pathans started settling here from Swat. And before the 17th century, the Shia Muslims began their shifting in Baltistan.

In 1846, the British appointed Gulab Singh as the first Maharaja of Kashmir, putting the areas of Ladakh, Baltistan, and Gilgit under his rule. However, the Maharaja’s forces could never silence the repeated campaigns held by the Muslim tribesmen in 1850s and 1860s against the rule.

In 1877, the British set up the Gilgit agency, being conscious about the strategic importance of the area for being near to China and Russia. It was the most isolated and the most impractical outpost of the British Empire. The reasons for the failure of this agency were the severe weather conditions, heavy snowfall covering the area most of the time of the year, not allowing it to serve its purpose _ to guard against the possible Russian thrust through the mountains to Kashmir.

The second agency was set up in 1889, when the route from Srinagar via Astor had improved, and the Gilgit had also established a telegraphic link with the other areas. It offered better working conditions and facilities, so received a warm welcome from the British soldiers. After that, a series of campaigns started arousing in order to take control of the surrounding kingdoms. In 1891, led by the Alergnon Durand, they overran Hunza, and in 1893, strengthened the fort at Chilas to defend the new road over the Babusar Pass against the Kohistani tribes.

In 1913, the British formed a force of 600 Gilgit Scouts in order to maintain peace in the area, and for guarding it against any possible invasion. The scouts were mostly the sons of royalty from the seven kingdoms, commanded by a subedar major, usually the brother of one of the kings, under the direction of the political agent. The Scout’s bagpipe band wore the Black Watch tartan, and even today, practices in Chinnar Bagh near the river. In 1935, the airfield of the area was built.

At Partition in August 1947, when the British India was divided into the Hindu-Majority India, and the Muslim-Majority Pakistan, Gilgit and Baltistan were declared the constitutional parts of Jammu and Kashmir. This automatically made Gilgit the legal part of Pakistan. Kashmir’s Maharaja, Hari Singh, did not join the areas to either with Pakistan or with India, and the political agent of Gilgit handed the power over to a new governor Ghansara Singh. The Gilgit Scouts were left in the charge of Major William Brown, a British officer who had volunteered to see them through Independence. While the Hindus and Muslims shifted themselves to their respective places in India or Pakistan, the Gilgities had no other choice than to remain in suspense about their future.

At the Pathan tribesmen’s invasion from the NWFP to Kashmir in October declaring jihad, Hari Singh escaped to Delhi. On October 31st, Subedar Major Babar Khan and Mirzada Shah Khan arrested Ghansara Singh in Gilgit under the order of Major William Brown. Gilgit was then declared as ‘the Independent Republic of Gilgit’, which later acceding to Pakistan.

After the 15th century, most of the local population was turning to Islam. In the 16th century, the Sunni Pathans started settling here from Swat. And before the 17th century, the Shia Muslims began their shifting in Baltistan.

In 1846, the British appointed Gulab Singh as the first Maharaja of Kashmir, putting the areas of Ladakh, Baltistan, and Gilgit under his rule. However, the Maharaja’s forces could never silence the repeated campaigns held by the Muslim tribesmen in 1850s and 1860s against the rule.

In 1877, the British set up the Gilgit agency, being conscious about the strategic importance of the area for being near to China and Russia. It was the most isolated and the most impractical outpost of the British Empire. The reasons for the failure of this agency were the severe weather conditions, heavy snowfall covering the area most of the time of the year, not allowing it to serve its purpose _ to guard against the possible Russian thrust through the mountains to Kashmir.

The second agency was set up in 1889, when the route from Srinagar via Astor had improved, and the Gilgit had also established a telegraphic link with the other areas. It offered better working conditions and facilities, so received a warm welcome from the British soldiers. After that, a series of campaigns started arousing in order to take control of the surrounding kingdoms. In 1891, led by the Alergnon Durand, they overran Hunza, and in 1893, strengthened the fort at Chilas to defend the new road over the Babusar Pass against the Kohistani tribes.

In 1913, the British formed a force of 600 Gilgit Scouts in order to maintain peace in the area, and for guarding it against any possible invasion. The scouts were mostly the sons of royalty from the seven kingdoms, commanded by a subedar major, usually the brother of one of the kings, under the direction of the political agent. The Scout’s bagpipe band wore the Black Watch tartan, and even today, practices in Chinnar Bagh near the river. In 1935, the airfield of the area was built.

At Partition in August 1947, when the British India was divided into the Hindu-Majority India, and the Muslim-Majority Pakistan, Gilgit and Baltistan were declared the constitutional parts of Jammu and Kashmir. This automatically made Gilgit the legal part of Pakistan. Kashmir’s Maharaja, Hari Singh, did not join the areas to either with Pakistan or with India, and the political agent of Gilgit handed the power over to a new governor Ghansara Singh. The Gilgit Scouts were left in the charge of Major William Brown, a British officer who had volunteered to see them through Independence. While the Hindus and Muslims shifted themselves to their respective places in India or Pakistan, the Gilgities had no other choice than to remain in suspense about their future.

At the Pathan tribesmen’s invasion from the NWFP to Kashmir in October declaring jihad, Hari Singh escaped to Delhi. On October 31st, Subedar Major Babar Khan and Mirzada Shah Khan arrested Ghansara Singh in Gilgit under the order of Major William Brown. Gilgit was then declared as ‘the Independent Republic of Gilgit’, which later acceding to Pakistan.

1948 was the year of war between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. At its end in 1949, the Government of Pakistan issued a proclamation separating the Northern Areas of Jammu and Kashmir from Azad Kashmir, placing them under the administration of the Federal Government, naming them as the Northern Areas of Pakistan.

Until 1974 the seven domains around Gilgit and Hunza rivers remained more or less autonomous, with the mirs or rajas having the control of administration, police, and justice. Afterwards, the Pakistani government incorporated these into Pakistan.

Since 1975, Pakistan has kept the Northern Areas under tight federal control. The main reasons are their strategic location adjoining China and the use of the Karakoram Highway for keeping an eye upon the movements of Chinese nuclear material and missiles.

Despite the controversial political issues, Gilgit has also been under certain religious tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslims. In 1998, The Sunnis of Chilas attacked the Shias of Gilgit, killing hundreds of people. The main issue was that the Shias finished the month of Ramadan a day ahead of Sunnis. The Sunni Muslims also attacked the Shias in 1989, again causing several deaths.

In 2001, the Sunnis and Shias clashed once again. The reason was the demand of the Sunni Muslims, that the Shia students should study the books written by the Sunni religious scholars. As the Agra Summit was about to be held, the army took control over the area, cutting off all the communications between the area and the rest of the Pakistan. The reason of this cut-off was to conceal the inter-country quarrels from the rest of the world, because it might have affected Pakistan’s position in the Summit in case they were out, as Gilgit was already a controversial area regarding its association with Kashmir _ one of the vital topics of the Summit.

The area of Gilgit has been run under the federal government of Pakistan, but still the it has not given the locals their civil or even basic human rights. The reason is that the Pakistani government itself is unsure about the future status of Kashmir, whether it will get totally independent or will it become the part of Pakistan. Due to the reason, even a proper infrastructure is missing, educational and healthcare is far ahead. The Gilgities are still waiting for having a representation in the legislature, and despite being the legal part of Azad Kashmir; they have never ever seen the face of the Azad Kashmiri Prime Minister.