History of Mansehra

nnexed to Punjab. Syed Ahmad Shaheed, with the help of the Mujahadeen, led many revolts and attacks against the Sikhs. At last, in 1831 during a fierce battle at Balakot, Syed Ahmad Shaheed was killed. This allowed the Sikhs to consolidate their control of Mansehra. After Ranjit Singh's death, the Sikh empire began to disintegrate. At this time, the British gained control of Punjab, and, through this, gained control of Mansehra.

By 1849, the British had gained control of all of Mansehra. People of Mansehra remained a constant source of trouble for the British for four decades (1852–92). The British sent many expeditions to crush the rebellion, especially in the Black Mountains. To maintain peace in the area the British also took preventive measures by co-opting the local rulers.

The British divided Hazara District into three tehsils (administrative subdivisions): Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur; and decided to annex it to the Punjab. In 1901, when the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) (now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) was formed, Hazara was separated from Punjab and made a part of it. Throughout their rule in Mansehra, the British met fierce resistance from the local tribes and declared martial law. Meanwhile, the many villages around Mansehra largely governed themselves. Many of Mansehra's citizens joined the Khilafat Movement.

During British rule, Mansehra was still a village; its population according to the 1901 census was 5,087. During the British period Mansehra was the headquarters of Mansehra Tehsil, then a subdivision of Hazara District.

When the Muslim League in Pakistan started its movement for a separate land, the local people joined and struggled for liberation under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam. Their eventual victory culminated in the creation of Pakistan, an independent state for the Muslims of the sub-continent.

During Bhutto's regime, Mansehra was upgraded to a