Editing Gilgit Agency (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Gilgit-Baltistan map with tehsils labelled.png|thumb|right|300px|Present day Gilgit-Baltistan]]

The Gilgit Agency was a [[Agencies of British India|political agency]] for keeping control of the [[princely state|subsidiary states]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] at the northern frontier of India. The areas under the Agency consisted of
* the state of [[Chilas]] (present day [[Diamer District]]) 
* the territories of [[Darel District|Darel]] and [[Tangir District|Tangir]] (now their own districts)
* [[Koh-i-Ghizer|Kuh-Ghizar]] and [[Yasin State|Yasin]] regions (present day [[Gupis–Yasin District|Gupis–Yasin]] district)
* Punial and [[Ishkoman Valley|Ishkoman]] regions (present day [[Ghizer District (2019–)|Ghizer]] district)
* the states of [[Hunza State|Hunza]] and [[Nagar State|Nagar]] (now their own districts)

All these states had their own rulers or systems of administration; the Agency provided supervision under a British Political Agent.{{sfnp|Snedden, Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|2015|loc=Appendix V}}{{sfnp|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accesions|2010|p=122}}

Until 1935, [[Gilgit District|Gilgit]] and [[Astore District|Astore]] tehsils (now districts) comprised the Gilgit ''wazarat'' of Jammu and Kashmir with its own governor (''wazir-e-wazarat''), who was also based at Gilgit. However, the Political Agent did exercise some control over the ''wazarat's'' affairs, leading to a system of dual rule and causing frictions.{{sfnp|Snedden, Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|2015|loc=Appendix V}}{{sfnp|Bangash, Three Forgotten Accesions|2010|p=122}}

In 1935, the British leased the Gilgit tehsil as the "Gilgit Leased Area". It was administered directly by the Political Agent. The Astore tehsil became its own ''wazarat'', which was administered as part of the Kashmir province of Jammu and Kashmir.{{sfnp|Census of India, 1941, Volume XXII|1943|p=3}}

In 1941, the Gilgit Agency had a population of 77,000 and the Gilgit leased area had 23,000. Both the areas together came to be loosely referred to as the 'Gilgit Agency'. The administration of the Agency was carried out "on behalf of His Highness' Government". The Political Agent communicated with the central government in New Delhi via [[Peshawar]] (the capital of the [[North-West Frontier Province]]) instead of the Resident in Kashmir, reportedly for "security" reasons.{{sfnp|Snedden, Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|2015|p=118}}