Gilgit Agency

The Gilgit Agency (Urdu: گلگت ایجنسی) was an agency within the British Indian Empire. It encompassed the subsidiary states situated at the northern border of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The primary objective of establishing the Gilgit Agency was to bolster and fortify these regions, particularly in the context of concerns about Russian encroachment in the area. The subsidiary states encompassed Hunza, Nagar and other states in the present day districts of Gupis-Yasin, Ghizer, Darel, Tangir and Diamer. The agency headquarters was based in the town of Gilgit, which was itself under the direct administration of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.

An Officer on Special Duty was established in 1877 in the town of Gilgit, upgraded to a permanent Political Agent in 1889. In 1935, the Gilgit tehsil of the princely state was leased from the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, which also came under the administration of the Political Agent. The Astore tehsil continued to be under the Maharaja's administration. In July, 1947, shortly before the partition of India, the Gilgit Leased Area was returned to the Maharaja. However, the Gilgit Scouts rebelled on 1 November, 1947 after the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, and Pakistan took over the administration of the areas soon thereafter.

Under the Pakistani administration, the Gilgit, Astore, and Skardu (Baltistan) tehsils, as well as the subsidiary states previously under the agency, were clubbed together under the name of "Gilgit Agency". The unit remained in existence till 1974, after which it was abolished by the Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and turned into the Federally Administered Northern Areas (later renamed to "Gilgit-Baltistan").

India continues to claim the entire region of Gilgit-Baltistan as part of the union territory of Ladakh.