Khaplu existed as an independent kingdom since the disintegration of
Tibetan Empire in the 10th century CE. The rulers of Khapalu used the Tibetan title of
Cho ('master'), in addition to the well known Turkish title of
Yabghu. According to tradition,
Ali Hamdani arrived in Khaplu in the late
14th century and converted locals to Islam. To this day, mosques and
khanqahs attributed to him exist in the region. The first mention of the former small kingdom called Khápula is in
Mirza Haidar's work
Tarikh-i-Rashidi, which lists the Khaplu district of Balti(stan). Khaplu was also very well known in the 17th and 18th centuries due to its close political and family ties with the royal family of the neighbouring country of
Ladakh. Subsequently,
William Moorcroft and
George Trebeck wrote in their 1841 book: "Kafalun is a province west of Nobra, on the left bank of the Shayuk."
Godfrey Vigne was in the area in 1835–1838.
Alexander Cunningham, who did not visit Baltistan, published a brief geographical description of Khaplu and a genealogy of its rulers in 1854. Thomas Thomson travelled there in November 1847 and briefly described a place of remarkable beauty.
Jane Duncan reached Khaplu in 1904 and stayed there for three weeks. De Filippi, who reached Khaplu in 1913, characterized the site as follows: "It is, perhaps, the loveliest oasis in all the region." Further information on Khaplu was included in a travel report by
Arthur Neve. ==Geography ==