Early historiography Since the early 19th century, local chroniclers have been documenting the history of Chitral and are considered the main source on the subject. First known of them is the
Shahnamah-i-Chitral of
Baba Siyar, the court historian of Shah Kator II (r. 1788–1838), written in the early 1800s. The
Nai Tarikh-i-Chitral () written by Ghulam Murtaza, a son of the
court historian of
Shuja ul-Mulk during the British period, has come to be seen as the official historiography of Chitral, and is largely accepted by international scholarship. However, it has been criticized on weak chronological ground, as it traced back the advent of Islam in Chitral around the 7th century, and sought to legitimize the Kator rule by anticipating its beginning. Shah Nasir is described as the eighth of the nine Rais rulers. They were ousted by Mohtaram Shah Kator, who reigned from 1595 to 1630, coming to power due to a public backlash against Rais rule after Shah Mahmud Rais, the son of Shah Nasir, ascended to the throne. The defeat of Shah Mahmud by Mohtaram’s son Sangin Ali II in 1660 marks the final establishment of the Kator dynasty, which lasted until modern times. During the course of his rule Aman ul-Mulk encountered many British officers, some of whom have noted him in the following words: For forty years his was the chief personality on the frontier. After a relatively long reign, he died peacefully in 1892.
Wars of Succession 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-Mulk's 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 Agreement, which delineated the border between
Emirate of Afghanistan and the British Indian Empire. Nizam ul-Mulk's possessions in
Kafiristan and the
Kunar Valley were recognised as Afghan territory and he was forced to cede them to
Abdur Rahman Khan. Within a year, Nizam was himself murdered by his another ambitious younger brother,
Amir ul-Mulk. In 1895 the British agent in
Gilgit Agency, Sir
George Scott Robertson was besieged in
Chitral Fort for 48 days, and was finally relieved by two
British Forces, one marching from Gilgit and the other from
Nowshera. The approach of the
Chitral Expedition, a strong military force composed of British and Kashmiri troops, prompted Amir to eventually surrender. His ally
Umra Khan fled to
Jandul.
Shuja ul-Mulk (1895–1936) The British had decided to support the interests of
Shuja ul-Mulk, the youngest legitimate son of Aman ul-Mulk, and the only one remained uninvolved in the political upheaval. After installing the young Mehtar, British and Kashmiri forces endured the famous defence against a seven-week siege by Sher Afzal and the Umra Khan of Jandul. Although Shuja ul-Mulk was now firmly established as ruler, the
Dogras annexed Yasin,
Kuh Ghizer and
Ishkoman. Dogra suzerainty over Chitral ended in 1911, and Chitral became a
Salute state in direct relations with the British. Mastuj, removed from the Mehtar's jurisdiction in 1895, was also 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 region, visiting various parts of India and meeting a number of fellow rulers, as well making the
Hajj to
Arabia and meeting the King
ibn Saud of Arabia. He was invited to the
Delhi Durbar in January 1903. 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. He supported the British during the
Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, during which four of his sons and the
Chitral State Bodyguard served in several actions guarding the border against invasion.
Mehtars after Shuja ul-Mulk (1936–1966) 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 1947. His prompt action in sending in his own Bodyguards to Gilgit was instrumental in securing the territory for Pakistan. His brother
Mata ul-Mulk played an instrumental role in the siege and
capture of Skardu on 14 August 1948, making
Baltistan a part of Dominion of 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 while returning to resume charge of Chitral in 1954. Saif ul-Mulk Nasir (1950–2011) nominally succeeded his father at the age of four in 1954. In his name, a
Council of Regency reigned 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, Saif ul-Mulk did not enjoy his new status very long. Chitral was absorbed and fully integrated into the Islamic 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
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 symbolically) by his son
Fateh ul-Mulk Ali Nasir.
Accession and dissolution At the time of the Partition of India on 15 August 1947, the then Mehtar, Muzaffar ul-Mulk (1901–1949), stated his intention to accede to Pakistan. However, he did not execute an
Instrument of Accession until 6 November 1947. This was contentedly accepted by the
Government of Pakistan without delay. 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. The same year, a powerful advisory council was established on the insistence of the
Federal Government of Pakistan, and this continued to hold much power in Chitral until 1966. The
Princely States of
Dir, Chitral and
Swat were finally merged through the promulgation of the Dir, Chitral and Swat Administration Regulation of 1969 under
General Yahya Khan. ==Administration==