Dadi Jawari

Malika Jawahir Khatun locally known as Dadi Jawari was a 17-century female ruler of Gilgit, modern day Pakistan. She is remembered as the first Yashkun female ruler in the history of Gilgit and for her works of irrigation systems, including two canals for drinking water and agrarian purposes. She ruled Gilgit from 1630 till 1660.

Biography Jawahir Khatun was a daughter of Khaqan Mirza, the ruler of Gilgit. Her father had been deposed by Sangin Ali, the ruler of Chitral. Mirza went to Skardu to ask Ali Sher Khan Anchan for help. Anchan invaded with his army and defeated Sangin, who was forced to retreat. In the aftermath Jawahir Khatun was married to Ahmad Khan, the third son of Anchan, establishing a marital alliance.

Water channels built by Dadi Jawari consisted of two wide canals known as Ajini Daljah (upper canal) and Kherini Daljah (lower channel). The channels supplied water to agricultural lands on the outskirts what are now Barmas, Nagral, Majini Mohallah, Soni Kot and Kashrote. The channels also helped the cultivation of peripheral barren lands to form new settlements, as in earlier times the settlements were confined to Barmas, Jutial and Napoor. Dadi Juwari had to hire labor from the neighbouring Darrel valley (located in today's Diamer district) when her subjects or the citizens of the Gilgit refused to take part in the construction of the water channels.

Dadi also built roads in her dominion and undertook various welfare measures to ease the lives of her people.