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{{Short description|Punjabi military commander}}
[[Colonel]] '''Nathu Shah''' (died 1848) was a military commander in the [[Sikh Empire]] and later the princely state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. He conquered [[Astore Valley|Astore]] and [[Gilgit Valley|Gilgit]] on the behalf of maharaja [[Sher Singh]] in 1842–43, and acted as the governor of Gilgit until his death in a battle against the [[Mir of Hunza]] in 1848.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Chohan |first=Amar Singh |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Gilgit_Agency_1877_1935Second_Reprint/EqZFsNIuVWEC?hl=en |title=Gilgit Agency 1877–1935 |date=1997 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers and Distributors |isbn=978-81-7156-146-9 |pages=5-7 |language=en |chapter=Geography and History of Gilgit}}</ref>

== Career ==
Nathu Shah was a Punjabi [[Syed (title)|Sayyid]] from [[Gujranwala]] in [[Punjab]] and held the rank of colonel in the [[Khalsa Army]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Dani |first=Ahmad Hasan |author-link=Ahmad Hasan Dani |url= |title=History of Northern Areas of Pakistan |date=1991 |publisher=National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, Quaid-i-Azam University |isbn=978-969-415-016-1 |edition=2nd |location=Islamabad |pages=247-248 |language=en |orig-date=1989}}</ref> In 1842, the ruler of [[Yasin Valley|Yasin]] Gaur Rahman killed Shah Sikander, the raja of Gilgit and occupied Gilgit. His brother Karim Khan went to [[Kashmir Valley|Kashmir]], then a province of Sikh Empire, to obtain help against him. The governor of Kashmir [[Shaikh Ghulam Muhy-ud-Din|Muhyuddin]] dispatched a troop numbering 1,000 under Nathu Shah to Gilgit.<ref name=":0" /> On his way Nathu Shah directly annexed Astore into Sikh kingdom which until then had been its tributary. He defeated Gaur Rahman at Basin three miles away from Gilgit, who retired to [[Punial]].<ref name=":1" /> Later Gaur Rahman of Yasin, Ghazan Khan of [[Hunza Valley|Hunza]] and Jaffer Khan of [[Nagar Valley|Nagir]] entered a treaty with Nathu Shah, accordingly, all three gave a daughter in marriage to Nathu Shah and recognised his authority over Gilgit. Karim Khan was made nominal raja of Gilgit while Nathu Shah kept actual control in his hands. After making appropriate arrangements Nathu Shah returned to Punjab.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Bakshi |first=S. R. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Kashmir/U1LEY1yWmagC?hl=en |title=Kashmir: History and People |date=1997 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-85431-96-3 |pages=217-218 |language=en |chapter=Appendix II}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Saraf |first=Muhammad Yusuf |author-link=Muhammad Yusuf Saraf |url= |title=Kashmiris Fight for Freedom: 1819–1946 |date=1977 |publisher=Ferozsons |volume=I |pages=98 |language=en |chapter=Subjugation of Kishtwar, Gilgit and Ladakh}}</ref>

In 1846, the British sold Kashmir including Astore and Gilgit to [[Gulab Singh]] of [[Jammu]] in the [[Treaty of Amritsar (1846)|treaty of Amritsar]].<ref name=":2" /> Nathu Shah transferred his allegiance to Jammu and Kashmir and took change of Gilgit. In 1847 Nathu Shah allowed some Europeans to visit Gilgit and Hunza. However, the Mir of Hunza Ghazan Khan was hostile to European presence and accused Nathu Shah of conspiring with them. He attacked Gilgit and plundered several of its villages. Nathu Shah invaded Hunza to avenge it but was ambushed and killed in 1848.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Dani |first=Ahmad Hasan |author-link=Ahmad Hasan Dani |url= |title=History of Northern Areas of Pakistan |date=1991 |publisher=National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, Quaid-i-Azam University |isbn=978-969-415-016-1 |edition=2nd |location=Islamabad |pages=252, 265 |language=en |orig-date=1989}}</ref> Karim Khan who was accompanying him was also killed.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saraf |first=Muhammad Yusuf |author-link=Muhammad Yusuf Saraf |url= |title=Kashmiris Fight for Freedom: 1819–1946 |date=1977 |publisher=Ferozsons |volume=I |pages=231 |language=en |chapter=Liberation of Gilgit}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:1848 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Gujranwala]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:History of Gilgit-Baltistan]]
[[Category:19th-century military personnel]]
[[Category:People from the Sikh Empire]]

Nathu Shah - Revision history

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