Chitral (princely state): Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by GreenC bot
Last edited March 14, 2026
VisualWikitext
>GreenC bot
Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5
 
added references
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Former princely state of British India and Pakistan}}
#REDIRECT [[Kingdom of Chitral]]
{{About|the former State of Chitral|other uses|Chitral District}}
 
{{Use Pakistani English|date=April 2014}}
{{Redirect category shell|
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{R from move}}
{{Infobox country
| common_name = Chitral
| conventional_long_name = State of Chitral
| native_name = {{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|ریاست چترال}}}}
| status = [[Princely state]] in [[alliance]] with [[British India]]
| government_type = [[Monarchy]]
| image_coat = Coat of arms of State of Chitral.svg
| image_flag = Flag of State of Chitral.svg
| flag_type = State flag
| flag_border = no
| capital = [[Chitral|Chitral Town]]
| stat_year1 =
| stat_area1 = 14850
| year_start = 1320
| event1= [[Raees Dynasty|Raees dynasty]]
| date_event1= 1320
| event2=[[Katoor Dynasty|Kator dynasty]]
| date_event2= 1571
| event3= [[subsidiary alliance|Subsidiary Alliance with British India]]
| date_event3= 1885
| event4= [[Salute state]]
| date_event4= 1919
| event_end = [[West Pakistan|Merged into West Pakistan]]
| year_end = 1969
| title_leader = Mehtar
| p1 = Chagatai Khanate
| flag_p1 = Flag of Chagatai khanate.svg
| s1 = West Pakistan
| flag_s1 = Flag of Pakistan.svg
| today    = [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]]
| footnotes = [http://www.khyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk/ Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]
}}
}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
|conventional_long_name = Chitral
|common_name = Chitral
|nation = [[Pakistan]]
|subdivision = [[Princely states of Pakistan|Princely state]]
|government_type = [[Monarchy]]
|image_flag = Flag of Pakistan.svg
|image_map =Chitral_map.png
|image_map_caption = Map of Pakistan with Chitral highlighted
|capital = [[Chitral]]
|year_start = 14 August 1947
|year_end = 28 July 1969
}}{{Former administrative units of Pakistan}}
'''Chitral''' (or Chitrāl) ({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|چترال}}}} and {{lang|ur|{{nq|ریاست چترال}}}}) was a [[princely state]] in alliance with [[British India]] until 1947, then a [[Princely states of Pakistan|princely state of Pakistan]] until 1969.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brief History of Ex Mehter Chitral HH Prince Saif ul Mulk Nasir |url=http://www.newspakistan.pk/2011/11/02/Brief-History-of-Ex-Mehter-Chitral-HH-Prince-Saif-ul-Mulk-Nasir/#sthash.A5NrDp1R.dpuf }}</ref> The area of the state now forms the [[Chitral District]] of the [[Malakand Division]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]].
==Location and demographics==
The [[capital city]] of the former state was [[Chitral|Chitral Town]], which is situated on the west bank of the Chitral (or [[Kunar River]]) at the foot of [[Tirich Mir]] which at 7,708&nbsp;m (25,289&nbsp;ft) is the highest peak of the [[Hindu Kush]]. The borders of the state were seldom stable and fluctuated with the fortunes of Chitral's rulers, the Mehtars.<ref name="Chitral, A Study in Statecraft">{{harvnb|Pastakia|2004}}</ref> The official language of the state was [[Persian language|Persian]], a legacy of the adaptation policy of the early [[Delhi sultanate|Delhi Sultanate]] and [[Mughal empire|Mughal]] times. The general population of the state was mainly of the [[Kho people|Kho]] people, who spoke [[Khowar]], a [[Dardic languages|Dardic]] language in the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] group. The Khowar language is also spoken in parts of [[Yasin Valley|Yasin]], [[Gilgit District|Gilgit]] and [[Swat (Pakistan)|Swat]].
==History==
Very little is known about the early history of Chitral. The country has historically been divided between two ethnic groups. The people of the upper part are  called [[Kho people|Kho]]; Khowar is their language. Those living in the lower part are called Chitrari. The two people shared many common cultural traits, yet they have long been distinct peoples. On the basis of this ethnic division, the country has, most of the time, remained divided into two principalities. Old traditions have saved names of some local rulers like Sumalik and Bahman in the upper part, and Bula Sinhg and Raja Wai in the lower part. These were probably local chiefs, with small areas under them. Oral traditions tell of this region being ruled by great neighboring empires like [[Mongol]] and [[Iran]] in the distant past. From 1320 to 1698 it was ruled by the [[Timurid dynasty|Mongol Dynasty]].
During the last years of the seventeenth century, the ancestor of the [[Katoor Dynasty]] overthrew the Mongol Dynasty. The head of the family, Möngke Khan-I became ''Mehtar'', or king, of the small kingdom. The entire region that now forms the Chitral District was a fully independent monarchy until 1885, when the British negotiated a [[subsidiary alliance]] with its hereditary ruler, the Mehtar, under which Chitral became a [[princely state]], still [[sovereignty|sovereign]] but subject to the [[suzerainty]] of the [[British Empire|British Indian Empire]]. In 1895 the British agent in [[Gilgit]], Sir [[George Scott Robertson]] was besieged in Chitral Fort for 48 days, and was finally relieved by two [[Chitral Expedition|British Forces]], one marching from [[Gilgit Agency|Gilgit]] and the other from [[Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Nowshera]]. After 1895, the British hold became stronger, but the internal administration remained in the hand of the Mehtar. In 1947 [[British Raj|India]] was [[Partition of India|partitioned]] and Chitral opted to accede to [[Pakistan]]. After accession, it gradually lost its autonomy, finally becoming an administrative [[List of districts of Pakistan|district]] of Pakistan in 1969.<ref>{{cite book|last=Osella, Coares|title=Islam, Politics, Anthropology|date=19 March 2010|isbn=9781444324419|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k0_QuKXhOuQC&pg=PA58}}</ref>
===The royal family of Chitral===
The ruling family of Chitral was the [[Katoor Dynasty|Kator dynasty]], founded by Muhtaram Shah Kator (1700–1720), which governed Chitral until 1969, when the Government of Pakistan took over.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Chitral- An outline|url=http://www.mahraka.com/chitral_history.html}}</ref> During the reign of Mehtar [[Aman ul-Mulk]], known as Lot (Great) Mehtar, the dynasty's sway extended from Asmar in the [[Kunar Valley]] of [[Afghanistan]] to [[Punial]] in the [[Gilgit-Baltistan|Gilgit Valley]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Chitral: A Bloody History and a Glorious Geography|url=http://blogcritics.org/chitral-a-bloody-history-and-a/}}</ref> Tribes in Upper [[Swat (princely state)|Swat]], [[Dir (princely state)|Dir]], [[Kohistan District, Pakistan|Kohistan]] and [[Kafiristan]] (present day [[Nuristan]]), paid tribute to the Mehtar of Chitral.
The ruler's title was ''Mitar'' which is pronounced as ''Mehtar'' by outsiders. Every son of the sitting Mehtar aspired for the throne, and bloody wars of accession were common. Sons of the sitting Mehtar ruled in the provinces and were also titled as ''Mitar'', while other male relatives of the Mehtar were called ''Mitar''.  [[Aman ul-Mulk]] adopted the Persian style ''Shahzada'' for his sons, and the style prevailed then on. The word ''Khonza'' (meaning ''princess'' in the [[Khowar language]]) was reserved for female members of the Mehtars family.
The ruling family of Chitral traces its descent from a wandering Sufi mystic, Baba Ayub. Baba Ayub arrived in Chitral and married the daughter of the ruler [[Raees Dynasty|Shah Raees]], a supposed descendant of [[Alexander the Great]]. The grandson of this marriage founded the present Katoor dynasty. Accordingly, the family actually owes its fortunes to Sangin Ali, sometime minister to a Raees ruler of Chitral, during the seventeenth century. After his death his two sons, Muhammad Baig and Muhammad Raees held important positions in the state. Muhammad Baig had six sons who seized power, ousting the Rais ruler sometimes in the early years of the eighteenth century. The eldest of the brothers, Muhtaram Shah Katur I, became the ruler, establishing a new ruling dynasty over the state. The present ruling dynasty descends from Shah Afzal I, the second of son of Muhtaram Sha I.  But that was not the end of the Rais dynasty, who had their base of power in neighboring [[Badakhshan]]. They made a number of attempts to regain the throne of Chitral and were successful for a brief period. Rais threat came to end but there were other troubles for the Katurs. Descendants of Shah Khushwaqt, the second brother of Muhtaram Shah, had established another principality in the upper Chitral also including the [[Ghizer District (1974-2019)|Ghizer]] and Yasin valleys.  Frequent wars took place between the two principalities, and the Katurs lost their entire area to the powerful Khushwaqt ruler, Khairul Lah, in 1770. For more than 20 years the Katur family had to live in exile in Dir and other neighboring areas. Katur rule was finally restored in 1791 after the death of Khairul Lah in the battle of Urtsun.
====Muhtaram Shah Katur II====
He was the grandson of Katur I. Muhtaram Sha II and his brother Shah Nawaz Khan had a long struggle with Khairul Lah. After killing Khairul Lah, Sha Nawaz Khan became the ruler but was replaced by Muhtaram Shah II after a rule of six years. Muhtaram Sha II was an able statesman who is considered the real founder of the Katur rule in Chitral. He was followed by his son Shah Afzal II.
====Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk (1857-1892)====
[[Aman ul-Mulk]], Shah Afzal's younger son, succeeded his brother in 1857. After a brief dispute with [[Kashmir]], in which he laid siege to the garrison at [[Gilgit]] and briefly held the [[Punial]] valley. He accepted a treaty with the Maharaja in 1877.  Aman ul-Mulk was such a strong ruler that no serious attempt to challenge his authority was made during his reign.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gurdon|first=Lieut.-Colonel B.E.M.|title=Chitral Memories|url=http://www.himalayanclub.org/journal/chitral-memories/|publisher=The Himalayan Club}}</ref> During the course of his rule Aman ul-Mulk met encountered many British officers some of whom have noted him in the following words.
{{Quote|''His bearing was royal, his courtesy simple and perfect, he had naturally the courtly Spanish grace of a great heredity noble ''|author=Algernon Durand|source}}
{{Quote|''Chitral, in fact, had its parliament and democratic constitution. For just as the British House of Commons is an assembly, so in Chitral, the Mehtar, seated on a platform and hedged about with a certain dignity, dispensed justice or law in sight of some hundreds of his subjects, who heard the arguments, watched the process of debate, and by their attitude in the main decided the issue. Such 'durbars' were held on most days of the week in Chitral, very often twice in the day, in the morning and again at night. Justice compels me to add that the speeches in the Mahraka were less long and the general demeanour more decorous than in some western assemblies.''|author=[[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon]]|source=<ref>{{cite web|title=Democratic to the Core|url=http://www.chitraltoday.net/2013/05/17/democratic-to-the-core/|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221130548/http://www.chitraltoday.net/2013/05/17/democratic-to-the-core/|archive-date=21 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}
For forty years his was the chief personality on the frontier.<ref>{{cite web|last=Durand|first=Algernon|title=A Month in Chitral by Algernon Durand (London 1899)|url=http://www.anusha.com/durand.htm}}</ref> After a relatively long reign, he died peacefully in 1892.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Siege and Relief of Chitral|url=http://www.britishbattles.com/north-west-frontier-india/seige-relief-chitral.htm}}</ref>
====Wars of Succession====
[[File:The Fort at Chitral as seen from the River - ILN 1895.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.5|alt=|The Siege and Relief of Chitral 1895]]
Without any law of succession, a long war of succession ensued between Aman ul-Mulk's sons after his death. Aman's younger son, [[Afzal ul-Mulk]], proclaimed himself ruler during the absence of his elder brother. He then proceeded to eliminate several of his brothers, potential contenders to his throne. This initiated a war of succession, which lasted three years. Afzal ul-Mulk was killed by his uncle, [[Sher Afzal]], the stormy petrel of Chitral and a long-time thorn in his father's side. He held Chitral for under a month, then fled into Afghan territory upon Nizam ul-Mulks return. Nizam, Afzal ul-Mulk's eldest brother and the rightful heir, then succeeded in December of the same year. At about that time, Chitral came under the British sphere of influence following the [[Durand Line|Durand Line Agreement]], which delineated the border between [[Afghanistan]] and the [[British Empire|British Indian Empire]]. Nizam ul-Mulk's possessions in [[Kafiristan]] and the [[Kunar Valley]] were recognised as Afghan territory and ceded to the Amir. Within a year, Nizam was himself murdered by yet another ambitious younger brother, [[Amir ul-Mulk]]. The approach of the [[Chitral Expedition]], a strong military force composed of British and Kashmiri troops prompted Amir to eventually surrender, his patron, the [[Umra Khan]] fled to Jandul.<ref>{{cite web|title=Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 10, p. 302.|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/REFERENCE/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V10_308.gif|access-date=26 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194645/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/REFERENCE/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V10_308.gif|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
====The reign of Shuja ul-Mulk (1895–1936)====
{{Further|Shuja ul-Mulk}}
The British had decided to support the interests of [[Shuja ul-Mulk]], the youngest legitimate son of [[Aman ul-Mulk]], and the only one untainted by the recent spate of murder and intrigue. After installing the young Mehtar, British and dogra forces endured the famous defence against a seven-week siege by Sher Afzal and the [[Umra Khan]] of [[Jandol State|Jandul]]. Although Shuja ul-Mulk was now firmly established as ruler, the [[Dogra dynasty|Dogras]] annexed Yasin, Kush, Ghizr and [[Ishkoman Valley|Ishkoman]]. Dogra suzerainty over Chitral ended in 1911, and Chitral became a [[Salute state]] in direct relations with the British. [[Mastuj]], also removed from the Mehtar's jurisdiction in 1895, was restored to him within two years.
Shuja reigned for forty-one years, during which Chitral enjoyed an unprecedented period of internal peace. He journeyed outside of the [[Hindu kush|Hindu Kush]] region, visiting various parts of India and meeting a number of fellow rulers, as well making the [[Hajj]] to [[Arabia]] and meeting [[Ibn Saud]]I. He was invited to the [[Delhi Durbar]] in January 1903.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chitral|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31447/31447-h/31447-h.htm|publisher=Project Gutenberg}}</ref> Shuja ul-Mulk sent his sons abroad to acquire a modern education. The princes travelled to far-off places such as [[Aligarh]] and [[Dehradun]] accompanied by the sons of notables who were schooled at state expense.<ref name="Chitral, A Study in Statecraft"/> He supported the British during the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]] in 1919, during which four of his sons and the [[Chitral Bodyguard|Chitral State Bodyguard]] served in several actions guarding the border against invasion.
====Mehtars after Shuja ul-Mulk====
[[Nasir ul-Mulk]] succeeded his father in 1936. He received a modern education, becoming a noted poet and scholar in his own right. He took a deep interest in military, political and diplomatic affairs, and spent much of his time on improving the administration. Dying without a surviving male heir in 1943, his successor was his immediate younger brother, [[Muzaffar ul-Mulk]]. Also a man with a military disposition, his reign witnessed the tumultuous events surrounding the [[Partition of India|Partition of 1947]]. His prompt action in sending in his own [[Chitral Bodyguard|Bodyguards]] to [[Gilgit-Baltistan|Gilgit]] was instrumental in securing the territory for Pakistan.
The unexpected early death of [[Muzaffar ul-Mulk]] saw the succession pass to his relatively inexperienced eldest son, Saif-ur-Rahman, in 1948. Due to certain tensions he was exiled from Chitral by the Government of Pakistan for six years. They appointed a board of administration composed of officials from Chitral and the rest of Pakistan to govern the state in his absence. He died in a plane crash on the [[Lowari Pass|Lowari]] while returning to resume charge of Chitral in 1954.
Saif ul-Mulk Nasir (1950–2011)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newspakistan.pk/2011/11/02/Brief-History-of-Ex-Mehter-Chitral-HH-Prince-Saif-ul-Mulk-Nasir/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925213808/http://www.newspakistan.pk/2011/11/02/Brief-History-of-Ex-Mehter-Chitral-HH-Prince-Saif-ul-Mulk-Nasir/ |archive-date=25 September 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> succeeded his father at the age of four. He reigned under a [[Council of regency|Council of Regency]] for the next twelve years, during which Pakistani authority gradually increased over the state. Although installed as a constitutional ruler when he came of age in 1966, he did not enjoy his new status very long. Chitral was absorbed and fully integrated into the Republic of [[Pakistan]] by [[Yahya Khan]] in 1969. In order to reduce the Mehtar's influence, he, like so many other princes in neighbouring India, was invited to represent his country abroad. He served in various diplomatic posts in [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)|Pakistan's Foreign Office]] and prematurely retired from the service as Consul-General in [[Hong Kong]] in 1989. He died in 2011, and was succeeded (albeit largely symbolically) by his son Fateh ul-Mulk Ali Nasir.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chitralnews.com/Coronation-20--Oct-2011.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127061550/http://www.chitralnews.com/Coronation-20--Oct-2011.htm |archive-date=27 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Accession, depletion and dissolution ==
At the time of the [[Partition of India]], the then-Mehtar of Chitral, [[Muzaffar ul-Mulk]] chose to [[Instrument of Accession|accede]] to [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8N7sAAAAMAAJ|title=Persistence and transformation in the Eastern Hindu Kush: a study of resource management systems in Mehlp Valley, Chitral, North Pakistan|last=Rahman|first=Fazlur|date=2007-01-01|publisher=In Kommission bei Asgard-Verlag|pages=32|isbn=9783537876683|language=en}}</ref> The state of Chitral executed an Instruments of Accession on 6 October 1947, which was contentedly accepted by the [[Government of Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pIsMAQAAMAAJ|title=Swat State (1915-1969) from Genesis to Merger: An Analysis of Political, Administrative, Socio-political, and Economic Development|last=Sultan-i-Rome|date=2008-01-01|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780195471137|language=en}}</ref> In 1954 a Supplementary Instrument of Accession was signed and the Chitral Interim Constitution Act was passed whereby the State of Chitral become a [[federated state]] of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygEUAAAAIAAJ|title=The North-west Frontier Province Year Book|date=1954-01-01|publisher=Manager, Government Ptg. & Staty. Department|pages=229|language=en}}</ref> The same year, a powerful advisory council was established on the insistence of the [[Federal Government of Pakistan]]. This body continued to govern Chitral until 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/539766/familial-glory-in-chitral-and-swat-whats-in-a-name/|title=Familial glory: In Chitral and Swat, what's in a name? - The Express Tribune|date=2013-04-24|language=en-US}}</ref> The Frontier States of [[Dir (princely state)|Dir]], Chitral and [[Swat (princely state)|Swat]] were finally merged through the promulgation of the Dir, Chitral and Swat Administration Regulation of 1969 under [[Yahya Khan|General Yahya Khan]]. The complete takeover of the administration by the Government of Pakistan meant that effectively the states had been extinguished.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzivCgAAQBAJ|title=State and Nation-Building in Pakistan: Beyond Islam and Security|last1=Long|first1=Roger D.|last2=Singh|first2=Gurharpal|last3=Samad|first3=Yunas|last4=Talbot|first4=Ian|date=2015-10-08|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317448204|pages=96|language=en}}</ref><ref name="A Princely Affair">{{Cite web|url=https://oup.com.pk/all-titles/a-princely-affair.html|title=A Princely Affair|website=oup.com.pk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513155921/https://oup.com.pk/all-titles/a-princely-affair.html|archive-date=13 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Abolition of titles ==
The titles, styles and privileges of the rulers of the former [[princely states of Pakistan]], including Chitral, were abolished in April 1972,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2eRAAQAAIAAJ|title=Appalachia|date=2008-01-01|publisher=Appalachian Mountain Club|pages=66|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vWsdAAAAIAAJ|title=Parliamentary Debates. Official Report|last=Assembly|first=Pakistan National|date=1972-08-14|pages=160|language=en}}</ref> through [[promulgation]] of the Rulers of Acceding States Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges Order, 1972 (P. O. No. 15 of 1972). The new law took effect notwithstanding anything contained under any instrument of accession, agreement or any other law,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.safron.gov.pk/gop/index.php?q=aHR0cDovLzE5Mi4xNjguNzAuMTM2L3NhZnJvbi9mcm1EZXRhaWxzLmFzcHg%2FaWQ9NyZhbXA7b3B0PXdpbmdzc2VjdGlvbg%3D%3D|title=Former Acceding/Merged States of Pakistan|website=Ministry of States and Frontier Regions Government of Pakistan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528173028/http://www.safron.gov.pk/gop/index.php?q=aHR0cDovLzE5Mi4xNjguNzAuMTM2L3NhZnJvbi9mcm1EZXRhaWxzLmFzcHg%2FaWQ9NyZhbXA7b3B0PXdpbmdzc2VjdGlvbg%3D%3D|archive-date=28 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> and has been [[Entrenched clause|entrenched]] further through the [[Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan|Fourth Amendment]] to the [[Constitution of Pakistan]] and Article 259 of the same.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/amendments/4amendment.html|title=Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1975|website=www.pakistani.org}}</ref>
The withdrawal of titles is prospective in nature, restricting transference and new conferral from 1972 onwards but does not purport to disturb or affect previous operation of titles conferred.<ref name="A Princely Affair"/> The dormant titles are sometimes informally used even today in customary regard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chitralnews.com/Coronation-20--Oct-2011.htm|title=Chitral News, Views, Travel, Tourism, Adventure, Culture, Lifestyle.|date=20 October 2011|website=Chitral Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127061550/http://www.chitralnews.com/Coronation-20--Oct-2011.htm|archive-date=27 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Administration==
===Mehtar===
The Mehtar was the center of all political, economic and social activity in the state. Intimacy with or loyalty to the ruling prince was a mark of prestige among the Mehtar's subjects.<ref name="Chitral, A Study in Statecraft"/>
===Civil Administration===
The Mehtar was the source of all power in the land, the final authority on civil, military and judicial matters. To function effectively, he built an elaborate administrative machinery. From Chitral, the Mehtar maintained control over distant parts of the state by appointing trusted officials. From the Chitral fort, which housed the extended royal family, the Mehtar presided over an elaborate administrative hierarchy.<ref name="Chitral, A Study in Statecraft"/>
===State flag===
The state [[flag]] of Chitral was triangular in shape and pale green in colour. The wider side of the pennant depicted a mountain, most likely the [[Terich Mir]] peak. In the later Katoor period, this flag served as a symbol of the Mehtar's presence and flew above the Chitral fort. It was [[Hoist The Flag|hoisted]] every morning, accompanied by a [[salute]] from the [[Chitral Bodyguard|State Bodyguard Force]], and taken down each evening after another salutation.<ref name="Chitral, A Study in Statecraft"/>
===Royal Fort, the Shahi Mosque and the summer residence===
The forts of Chitral have historically resembled [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[castle]]s. They were both [[Fortified house|fortified residence]] and the [[Seat of government|seat of power]] in the area.<ref>{{cite web|last=Woodburn|first=Bill|title=Forts of the Chitral Campaign of 1895|url=http://www.khyber.org/publications/011-015/chitralforts.shtml}}</ref> The Mehtars' fort in Chitral has a commanding position on the Chitral river.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}  It remains the seat of the current ceremonial Mehtar. To the west of the fort is the [[Shahi Masjid Chitral|Shahi Masjid]], built by Shuja ul-Mulk in 1922. Its pinkish walls and white domes make it one of north Pakistan's most distinctive [[mosque]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brown, Clammer, Cocks, Mock|first=Lindsay, Paul, Rodney, John|title=Pakistan and the Karakoram Highway|year=2008|page=225|isbn=9781741045420|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zn8I4qEew9oC&q=chitral+royal+fort&pg=PA224}}</ref> The tomb of Mehtar Shuja ul-Mulk is located in a corner of the mosque. The summer residence of the ex-ruler of Chitral is on the [[Chitral National Park|hill top]] above the town at Birmoghlasht. This mountain top towers over the Chitral town and the summer residence is at a height of 2743 meters (9,000 feet).<ref>{{cite web|title=Chitral|url=http://www.khyber.org/pashtoplaces/chitral.shtml}}</ref>
== Scions of the royal family of Chitral ==
The scions of the [[Katoor Dynasty|Katur]] dynasty are still widely respected and honoured by the Katur tribe of Chitral today. The last ruling Mehtar Muhammad Saif-ul-Mulk Nasir was educated at [[Aitchison College]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Brief History of Ex Mehter Chitral Prince Saif ul Mulk Nasir|url=http://www.chitraltimes.com/english11/newseng1424.htm|newspaper=Chitral Times|date=25 October 2013|access-date=25 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029185433/http://www.chitraltimes.com/english11/newseng1424.htm|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He had received [[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal]] (1953) and Pakistan Republic Medal (1956).<ref>{{cite web|title=Brief History of Ex Mehter Chitral Prince Saif ul Mulk Nasir|url=http://www.chitraltimes.com/english11/newseng1424.htm|access-date=25 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029185433/http://www.chitraltimes.com/english11/newseng1424.htm|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was married to the daughter of [[Nawab]] Muhammad Saeed Khan, the Nawab of [[Amb (princely state)|Amb]] and has two sons and two daughters including:
[[File:H.H. Fateh-ul-Mulk, Mehtar of Chitral.jpg|thumbnail|Mehtar Fateh-ul-Mulk Ali Nasir, the current head of the Royal House of Katur and ceremonial Mehtar of Chitral]]
1. Mehtar Fateh-ul-Mulk Ali Nasir, elder son of Mehtar Muhammad Saif-ul-Mulk Nasir, was appointed as head of the Katur Royal House of Chitral on 20 October 2011, after the death of his father. He studied law at the universities of [[University of Buckingham|Buckingham]] and [[University of Miami|Miami]].{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
2. Shahzada Hammad ul-Mulk Nasir, born 20 September 1990.
===Politics===
The family continues to be one of the strongest political forces in the district, although it has not consistently aligned itself with any particular party in the district.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cutherell|first=Danny|title=Governance and Militancy in Pakistan's Chitral district|url=http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Cutherell_ChitralDistrict.pdf|publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies}}</ref> [[Shahzada Mohiuddin]], grandson of Shuja ul-Mulk, served as the [[Ministry of Tourism (Pakistan)|Minister of State for Tourism]] in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Future of five devolved PTDC motel employees uncertain|url=http://www.chitraltoday.net/2013/07/21/future-of-five-devolved-ptdc-motel-employees-uncertain/|newspaper=Chitral Today|date=21 July 2013|access-date=26 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029183844/http://www.chitraltoday.net/2013/07/21/future-of-five-devolved-ptdc-motel-employees-uncertain/|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was twice elected as chairman of District Council [[Chitral District|Chitral]], once as [[Local government in Pakistan|District Nazim]], and four times as [[National Assembly of Pakistan|Member National Assembly of Pakistan]] (MNA).<ref>{{cite web|title=Familial glory: In Chitral and Swat, what's in a name?|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/539766/familial-glory-in-chitral-and-swat-whats-in-a-name/|publisher=The Express Tribune}}</ref> Shahzada Mohiuddin also served as chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (KANA).<ref>{{cite news|title=MNA elected NA Committee Chairman|url=http://www.chitralnews.com/LN120.htm|newspaper=Chitral News|access-date=26 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127075049/http://www.chitralnews.com/LN120.htm|archive-date=27 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> His son, [[Shahzada Iftikhar Uddin]] is the current MNA of Chitral.<ref>{{cite web|title=Iftikhar Uddin |url=http://election.rtilive.pk/election/member_detail/79977 |publisher=Election Pakistan 2013 |access-date=26 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191751/http://election.rtilive.pk/election/member_detail/79977 |archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref>
===Notable members of the royal family===
Mata ul-Mulk, one of the youngers son of [[Shuja ul-Mulk]], served as Cammandar of the Indian National Army In [[Singapore]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e6TjAAAAMAAJ|title=Pakistan's Criminal Folly in Kashmir: The Drama of Accession and Rescue of Ladakh|last=Chibber|first=Manohar Lal|date=1998-01-01|publisher=Manas Publications|isbn=9788170490951|language=en}}</ref> He is best known for defeating the Sikh forces in [[Skardu]] commanding the [[Chitral Bodyguard]], during the [[Siege of Skardu]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9w-4VTtJ2xkC&q=mata%2520ul%2520mulk&pg=PA148|title=Where Gallantry is Tradition: Saga of Rashtriya Indian Military College : Plantinum Jubilee Volume, 1997|last1=Singh|first1=Bikram|last2=Mishra|first2=Sidharth|date=1997-01-01|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=9788170236498|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0lvfAAAAMAAJ|title=Journal of the United Service Institution of India|date=1988-01-01|publisher=United Service Institution of India.|language=en}}</ref>
[[Burhan-ud-Din of Chitral|Burhanuddin]], son of Shuja ul-Mulk, served as commander of the [[Indian National Army]] in [[Burma]]. He also served as a [[Senate of Pakistan|Senator]] after the [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Remembering Burhanuddin|url=http://www.chitralnews.com/LT140.htm|publisher=Chitral News|access-date=26 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813190835/http://www.chitralnews.com/LT140.htm|archive-date=13 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Colonel Khushwaqt ul-Mulk, one of the younger sons of [[Shuja ul-Mulk]], served as the Commandant of [[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]]) [[East Pakistan Rifles|Rifles]]. He was educated at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (now the [[Rashtriya Indian Military College]]) at Dehradun, [[India]].  Following his father's death in 1936 he became the governor of Upper Chitral.<ref>{{cite news|title=Colonel Khushwaqt-ul-Mulk|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/army-obituaries/7466601/Colonel-Khushwaqt-ul-Mulk.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=17 March 2010}}</ref> He was a philanthropist and helped the [[Brooke Hospital for Animals]], the British-based equine charity, to set up a centre in Pakistan. At the time of his death, he was the most senior surviving military officer of the [[Pakistan Army]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Shahzada Col (R) Khushwaqt ul-Mulk laid to rest in Mastuj|url=http://www.chitraltimes.com/newseng38a.htm|access-date=26 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193402/http://www.chitraltimes.com/newseng38a.htm|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> His youngest son Sikander ul-Mulk has captained the [[Shandur Polo Festival|Chitral Polo Team]] at [[Shandur Top|Shandur]] for over two decades.<ref>{{cite web|title=Battle for the high ground: saving the polo festival at the world's highest pitch |url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/battle-for-the-high-ground-saving-the-polo-festival-at-the-worlds-highest-pitch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=No quarter given in world's highest polo match|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2003/jul/25polo.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2009/jul/10/pakistan|title=Shandur Polo Match|date=2009-07-11|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jul/07/pakistan.declanwalsh|title=Few rules, no referee and the wildest polo anywhere as Pakistan towns battle it out|last=Chitral|first=Declan Walsh on how the 'Palin effect' is drawing tourists to|date=2005-07-06|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/pakistan/galleries/26-beautiful-photos-you-wont-believe-were-taken-in-Pakistan/shandur/|title=26 beautiful photos you won't believe were taken in Pakistan|work=The Telegraph}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> His eldest son Siraj ul-Mulk has served in [[Pakistan army|Pakistan Army]] and [[Pakistan International Airlines]] as a [[Pilot (aeronautics)|pilot]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1197805|title=Chitral floods: Why melting glaciers may not be the cause|last=Khan|first=Rina Saeed|date=2015-08-03|publisher=Dawn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jul/10/pakistan-polo-hindu-kush|title=In the middle of war, a game of polo breaks out in Pakistan|last=Pass|first=Declan Walsh Shandur|date=2009-07-10|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
[[Masood Ul Mulk|Masood ul-Mulk]] grandson of Shuja ul-Mulk, is a Pakistani expert on humanitarian aid.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pakistani Relief Expert to Speak at Cambridge|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/news/pakistan-emergency-relief-expert-to-speak-in-cambridge|publisher=University of Cambridge}}</ref> He is the son of Khush Ahmed ul-Mulk, the last surviving son of Shuja ul-Mulk.<ref>{{cite book|last=Najib|first=Shireen|title=My Life, My Stories|date=25 June 2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J_6o1jKr2KUC&q=khush+ahmed+ul+mulk&pg=PA22|publisher=Dorrance Publishing|isbn=9781480900004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WVAN9pjnRzMC|title=The Gem Hunter: True Adventures of an American in Afghanistan|last=Bowersox|first=Gary W.|date=2004-01-01|publisher=GeoVision, Inc.|isbn=9780974732312|language=en}}</ref> Khush Ahmed ul-Mulk served in the British Indian Army. {{As of|2014}} he was the most senior surviving member of Chitral's royal family.
Taimur Khusrow ul-Mulk, grandson of Shuja ul-Mulk, and son of the daughter of the Nawab of [[Dir (princely state)|Dir]], served as a bureaucrat with the [[Government of Pakistan|Federal Government of Pakistan]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/269319/punjab-governors-ps-removed/|title=Punjab governor's PS removed - The Express Tribune|date=2011-10-08|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-24}}</ref> and served as [[Accountant General]] Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prior to his retirement in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1197738|title=Accountability offices in Fata|last=APP|date=2015-08-01|access-date=2016-06-24}}</ref>
==List of rulers==
The rulers of the Kator dynasty with the date of their accession:
{| class="wikitable"
|
# Shah Afzal The Second 1838
# Muhtarram Shah Kator III 1854
# [[Aman ul-Mulk]] 1856
# [[Afzal ul-Mulk]] 1892
# [[Sher Afzal]] 1892
# [[Nizam ul-Mulk (Mehtar of Chitral)|Nizam ul-Mulk]] 1892
# [[Amir ul-Mulk]] 1895
# [[Shuja ul-Mulk]] 1895
# [[Nasir ul-Mulk]] 1936
# [[Muzaffar ul-Mulk]] 1943
# Saif-ur-Rehman 1949
# Muhammad Saif-ul-Mulk Nasir 1954
#      State of Chitral abolished in 1947
|}
==See also==
* [[Chitral Royal Family]]
* [[Chitral Fort]]
* [[Chitral Scouts]]
* [[Chitral Bodyguard]]
* [[Katoor Dynasty]]
* [[Princely states of Pakistan]]
* [[Shuja ul-Mulk|His Highness Shuja ul-Mulk]]
* [[Chitral Expedition]]
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite book |url=http://www.iucn.pk/publications/Chitral-A%20Study%20in%20Statecraft.pdf |title=Chitral: A Study in Statecraft (1320–1969) |first=Firuza |last=Pastakia |location=Peshawar, Pakistan |publisher=[[IUCN]] Pakistan |year=2004 |isbn=9789698141691 |oclc=61520660 |access-date=2016-10-05 }}
*[http://www.mahraka.com/chitral_history.html History of Chitral: An Outline]
*[http://www.mahraka.com/ChitralEarlyHistory.html Tarikh-e-Chitral]
*[http://www.mahraka.com/chitral_judicial_system.html Chitral States Judicial System]
*[http://www.mahraka.com/pdf/TribesOfTheHindooKoosh.pdf Tribes of the Hindoo Koosh by John Biddulph]
== External links ==
* [http://www.mahraka.com/ A website on the history, culture and languages of Chitral.]
{{Princely states of India}}
{{Princely states of Pakistan}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|35|50|16|N|71|47|02|E|display=title|region:PK_type:city_source:dewiki}}
[[Category:Princely states of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Princely states of India]]
[[Category:Muslim princely states of India]]
[[Category:History of Chitral]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1585]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1969]]
[[Category:History of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
[[Category:1585 in India]]

Latest revision as of 23:37, 14 March 2026

Redirect to:

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chitral_(princely_state)&oldid=457196"
Discover more