Early period Dir took its name from its main settlement,
Dir, the location of the ruler's palace. The territories surrounding Dir were populated by their current ethnic majority, the
Pakhtuns, beginning from the end of the 14th century. The Pakhtun were divided in several clans (
khels), often battling one against the other. The three clans which conquered the zone were the
Yusafzai (
Painda Khel,
Sultan Khel, Osakhel, Nasirdinkhel), Tarkanrai. The Dir territory was populated in the 16th century by the
Malizai sub-tribe of the Yusufzai, who took control of the zone assimilating or chasing away the previous inhabitants (
Dilazak in Bajour,
Jandool, Maiden, and
Swatis from areas east of the
Panjkora) and within this tribe the most prominent factions became the Painda khel and Sultan khel. His descendants took the name Akhund khel, preserving and expanding their leadership becoming the Khans of Dir.
Jandool rule and fort Muhammad Umara Khan took power while killing his brother inside the fort and succeeded as the Khan of
Jando(o)l. According to the Sultan Alam Khan (age 90-+ years), "Umara Khan killed his real brother inside the fort," added his son, Sardar Alam Khan, in the historical narration about Umara Khan. This was the beginning of Umara Khan's control. Later on, he had the Jandool Fort constructed. The large building inside the fort was built in 1960 by
Nawabzada Shahabuddin Khan (known as Jandool Khan), the son of Shah Jehan Khan (the then Nawab of Dir). The fort is located strategically controlling the four directions with the bordering area of Bajaur, which borders Afghanistan. The Father of Jan Alam Khan (son of Sultan Alam Khan) related that before shifting / use of this fort, the government of Pakistan took over charge of the Fort at night time. Thus this building remain vacant till the date this was used by Sultan Yousaf (son of Sultan Alam Khan) for the educational purpose as allowed by ex-royal family members after 04 decades of remaining vacant the said Fort. Jandool Fort was built with purpose of defence. Its corners contain the watch towers and thus the fighters can control either side of the building to keep enemies away. The building has a large number of facilities including a cooking area for hundreds of fighters. A water pond in the middle of the lawn not only provides a good source of water but also adds some beauty to the place. The sons/grandsons of Umara Khan are not living in the Dir area, but their servants are residing beside the building. The fort has lush green areas on four-sides, large trees are adding charm to its beauty, the reception is designed with the aim of receiving guests with honour and good protocols. In 1881 the ruler of Dir, Muhammad Sharif Khan, was chased away by Khan Umara Khan of Jandool, who conquered Dir,
Swat, and the Malakand area. In 1895, however, while the forces of Umara Khan were besieging a British Force near Malakand, Muhammad Sharif Khan decided to make his soldiers join the British Relief Force coming in aid, the
Chitral Expedition. During that expedition, Sharif Khan made an agreement with the British Government to keep the road to Chitral open in return for a subsidy. Jahan Khan also nominated his son Muhammad Shah Khan Khusro as successor and other sons (Shahabuddin Khan and Mohammad Shah) governors of different provinces. The Italian anthropologist
Fosco Maraini, who visited the state in 1959 during an expedition towards
Hindu-Kush, reported the opinion of the people that the Nawab Jahan Khan (who was about 64 years old at that time) was a tyrannical leader, denying his subjects any freedom of speech and instruction, governing the land with a number of henchmen, and seizing for his
harem any girl or woman he wanted. Maraini also noticed the lack of schools, sewers, and paved roads, and the presence of just a rudimentary newly built hospital. The Nawab was negatively compared to the Wali of the adjacent
Swat, whose liberal politics allowed his state to enter into the modern era. As a consequence, uprisings began eventually to explode. A repressed revolt in 1959 is reported in Maraini's account. == List of rulers==