Military Report and Gazetteer Chitral - General Staff India
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.' FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY. MOBILIZATION. This book is the property of the Government- of India. NOTE. The information given in this book is not to be communicated either directly OY indirec~ly lo the Press or to any prson not holding an official posi~ion in His Majsty's Service. MILITARY REPORT AND GAZETTEER CHITRAL - GENERAL STAFF INDIA (2nd Edition.) 1928 CALOUTTA GOVERNMEKT OF INDIA PREBB 1928 This publication renders obsolete the " Military Report on Chitral, 1st Edition, 1904." Officers are particularly requested to bring to notice any errors or omissions in this publication, or any further authentic information on the subjects dealt with. Such communications should be addressed, through the usual channels, to :- TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. PAQX. Chapter I.-History . 1 ,, 11.-Geography : Section I.-Physical Features . , 11.--Climate end health . ,, 111.-Places of strategical and tactical importance . ,, 111.-Population . ,, 1V.-Resources : Section I.-General . , 11.--Supplies . ,, 111.-Transport . , V.-Armed Forces : Section I.-General . Appendir I.-Mountain ranges and principal pease8 . 73 ,, 11.-Principal rivers and their tributaries . 86 ,, 111.-V/T. signalling stations . 104 ,, IV.-Beacon sites-Mastuj to Barogbil . 112 ,, V.-Epitome of principal routes in Chitral . 113 ,, V1.-Notes on the more importent personagee inchitre1 . 118 Pa~:orama from Arandu (Arnamai) looking S.S.W. towards Birkot . Frontispiece Plate 2.-Sarhad-i-Wakhan and R. Oxus . To face page 20 Plate 3.-Cantilever bridgv, M'arkhup . To face page 71 9% .....NAPS. Map 1.--Urtzun-Naghr zone-Chitral Defence Map 3-~ignallin~Chart No. scheme Rich River route . PassandChitral . Map 5.-Map of Chitral and adjacent countries . PART 11. Gazetteer. Military Report and Gazetteer on PART I CHAPTER I.-HISTORY. The ichabitants of Chitral are of a mixed raoe, probably of Aryan stock, intermingled with later invwions from the West, North and Eest. Our first connection with Chitral was in 1886, when Colonel' Lockhart was sent by the Government. oi India to examine the Passes over the Hindu Kush. He entered into negotiations with tne Mehtar to whom he presented some rifles. In 1888 and 1880 Colonel A. Durand visitcd Chitral and made an qgreement with the Mehtar. Amen-ul-Mulk by which thn latter received a subsidy of Rs. 6,000 a year which was increased in 1891 to Rs. 12,000. In 1892 the Government prohibited the Mehtar from assisting Muhammid Sharif Khan, Nawab of Dir, who was a refugee o Swat,, and who had been driven from his rount,ry by TJmra Khan. On 30th August 1892, Aman-ul-Yulk died suddenly, and bis second son Sfzd-ul-Mnk, who was in Chitral at the timc, p~o- claimed himself 3frhtar. Nizam-ul-Mnlk, the clrlest son of the old Mehtar, was i~!Ynein, when he heard of his iat.her's death, fled to Gilgit,, and took refuge with the Brit.ish Agent. Afzal-ul-Mulk killed hiu three brothers, Shah-i-Mulk, Bahrem- ul-Muk, and Wazir-ul-Mulk, and many leading men. Umra Khan, Khan of Jandul, and Dir, who hed offered to help Afzal-ul-Mnlk. against Nizam-ul-Mulk, seized the Chitreli Fort at Narsat whiah gave him command of both banks of the Chitral river bet.woen 4randu and Bailam. Afzal-ul-Mulk wns preparing to march against Umra Khan, when he heard that his uncle Sher Afzal was advancing from the Dorah pass, and had arrived at nmshp in the Lutkoh valley. Sher Afzal continued to march to Chitral and attacked the Fort, and in the fight Afzal-ul-Mulk was killed. On this news reaching Gilgit Nizam-ul-Mulk was allowed to retnrn to Chitral, and oust Sher Afzal, if he was able to. A 6ght occurred near Drasan and Sher Afzal fled to Afghanisten. Nizam-ul-Mulk now became Mehtar. In the winter of 1892- 93, a missioll under Dr. Robertson was received by the new Mehtar. In June the mission returned to Gilgit leaving Captain Younghusband, at Chitral, as Political Officer. On the 1st June, 1895, while out hawking st. Broz, Nizam-ul- Mulk was shot dead at the instigation of his younger half brother Amir-ill-Mulk. Amir-ul-Mulk then seized Chitral Fort and ~enta deputation to Lieutenant Gurdon, who had succeeded Captain Young- husband, and who was then on a visit to Chitral, asking to be recognised as Mehtar. Lieutenant Gurdon repliod that the orders of the Govern- ment of India must be awaited. Stnir-ul-Mulk's sister was married to Umra Khan, there is little doubt that the mu~derwas inspired by Umra Khan in oonjunction with the party of Sher Afzal. Amir-ul-Mulk being a tool in thc haode of the Pathan Chief, who was used in a similar manner by the Amir. The state of affairs at the time of the murder wae as follows :- The two years of Nizam-ul-Mulk's reign had been fairly un- eventful. Umra Khan had remained in possession of the Narsat (or Nari) District, and all proposals of Nizam-ul-Mulk to attempt the recovery thereof by force had been discouraged. The Commission under Mr. Udny, appointed to delimitate the bouodary between Afghanistan, Bajour, and Chitral was at that time assembled at Birkot, a few miles down the valley, and Umrs Khan had been asked to attend to lay his claims before them. Sher Afzal, the most popular candidate for the Mehtar- ship, was interned at Kabul, and the Amir had given a written promise that he would cot be again permitted to create distur- bances in Chitral. The Amir had, moreover, undertaken in the " Durand " agreement (signed 12th November 1893) that " he will at no time exercise interference in Swat, Bajour or Chitral." Shofily after the murder, Umra Khan of Jandul, with a force of Jonle 1,200 fightin! men and 1,500 coolies, crossed the Laorq paw, and occupied Lower Chitral with the avowed intention of starting a jehad to punish the Kafirs. kraKhan requeshd Amir-ul-Muk to come to meet him, the latter, however, not falling in with his wishes, Umra Khan's forces laid ~iegeto the fort of Drosh. On the 1st January, the troops of the Gilgit Agency, located at different posts between Astor and Mastuj, amounted to soma 3,000 men. Lieut. Gurdon was at Chitral or a visit from Mastuj. He had as escort, 8 men of the 14th Sikhs, the remainder 04 hie escort, some 9.i men of the same regiment under Lieut,enant Harley, being at Mastuj. On the 7th January, 50 men of the 14th Sikhs reached Chitral at Lieutenant Gurdon's requisition. Mastuj also wau reinforced by 100 men of the 4th Kashmir Rifles. About the middle of January, Surgeon-Major Roberteon, the British Agent at Gilgit., left Gilgit for Chitral t.o report on the situation, arrivi~gat Chitral on the 1st February. Surgeon-Major Robertson had previously demanded an expla- rrtion from Umra Khan as to the presence of his force in Chitral, and requested an immediate withdrawal. Umra Khan, however, replied that his object had been to assist and strengthen Amir- ul-Mulk, and to combine with him, in an attack on the Kafirs;. Amir-nl-Mulk had, however, refused his friendship and acted in a hostile manner, and that, therefore, he, Umra Khan, had no alternative left to him, but to act as he had done. On the arrival of Surgeon-Major Robertson on the 1st February, there were roughly some 100 men of the 14th Sikhs and 150 n~enof the 4t,h Kashmir Rifles in Chitral. Tho Chitralis, to the rumber of about 3,000, had at first oppoaed Umra Khan's advance. Owing, however, to the weakness and inability of their leader Amir-ul-Mulk, and the treachery of Yehtarjau Kokhan Beg and other influential men, the resistance by the Chitralis collaps- ed. and on the 26th January, they were driven from their posi- tion before Kila Drosh, hut continued to hold Kila Drosh itself, until the 9th February, when the garrison surrendered with some 200 snider rifles to Umra Kha~. After the surrender of lLila Drosh, the Chitralis concentrated at Gahirat. Or the 21st February, Surgeon-Major Robertson repolted that all was well at Chitral, and the Chitralis were cheerful and helpful, that Gahirat was still held and that Umra Khan's followers were deserting him. Suddenly, however, the aspect of a5d1u was changed by the arrival on the scene of Sher Afml, the chief who a little more than two years previously, having compassed the death of Mehtar Afzal-ul-Mulk, had ruled the oount~yfor about a month and had then been ousted by Nizam-ul-Mulk. On the 27th February, Sher Afzal demanded that Rurgeon- Major Robertaon should withdraw to lfastuj, and it became apparent that Sher Afzal and TTmra Khan had made common cause to induce the Biitish Officers to quit Chitral territory, by force if necessary, and that, then, the two chiefs would decide who should be Mehtar. As soon as it became known that Sher -4fzal was in the country, a few of the Chitralis went over to him. The Adameadas, though suspected of being his partisans, did not at first openly side with him, but before the end of February, they had changed their minds, and practically joked him in a body. Cahirat thus denuded of its defenders, was occupied by Sher Afzal's outposts. Surgeon-Major Robertson who had gone out with Amir-ul- Mulk towards that place, returned to Chitral on the 1st March while Sher Afzal on the same date reached Ayun. Amir-ul-lfulk now commenced to make overtures to Umra Khan.