Manohar Publishers and Distributors History of Frontiers: The Strategic Crossroads of Gilgit-Baltistan, 1839 to 2019

This book is a detailed yet concise study of the history and evolving geopolitics of Gilgit-Baltistan from 1839 to 2019. Nestled at the cross­roads of Central, South, and West Asia, this remote region has long been shaped by local rivalries and global power struggles. The study traces how British colonial interests, especially during the Great Game with Russia, helped define the regions political and strategic import­ance. It highlights the founding of the Gilgit Agency and the challenges the British faced in dealing with the fiercely independent local tribes. The narrative moves through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, covering key moments like the Chitral crisis and military reforms under Lord Kitchener. It then shifts to the post-1947 landscape, where the Partition of India and Pakistans control over Gilgit-Baltistan created a new set of tensions. The book explores how, following inde­pendence, Pakistan gradually tightened its grip through administrative changes and infrastructure projects like the Karakoram Highway, often at the cost of local autonomy and cultural identity. In recent decades, the regions strategic value has grown even more with Chinas involvement, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Autorid: Ashutosh Singh