Chitral Bodyguard

Last updated

Chitral Bodyguard or informally the Mehtar's Bodyguard, was a military force under the direct command of the Mehtar of the princely state of Chitral. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Upon British occupation of Chitral following the Chitral Expedition of 1895, the British took a keen interest in reorganizing the state's military capabilities. In 1903 the Chitral Scouts, a force under direct British command, was raised. [3] [4] [5] The Mehtar (native ruler) was also entitled to a personal military bodyguard. [6]

The Mehtar's Bodyguard was raised by Mehtar Shuja ul-Mulk in the early 1900s and consisted of a professional standing army which had been raised by his father Aman ul-Mulk in the 1880s and by conscripts from the Yuft caste of Chitral, who were exempted from taxes but served the Mehtar in times of war. The officers were selected from amongst the Katur and related clans. [7]

The Bodyguard first saw active combat during the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. [8] The Bodyguard, under the command of Nasir ul-Mulk, captured Birkot in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan, [9] carrying away much booty from Kunar as well as taking many prisoners. [10] Another arm of the Bodyguard went north to defend the Dorah and Broghol passes with Badakhshan. Yet another company of the Bodyguard, led by Khan Bahadur Dilaram Khan, captured Barge Matal in Nuristan after some light hearted resistance by Afghan troops. The locals supported Chitral and reaffirmed their age-old allegiance to the Mehtar's rule. [11] [12] [13]

The Chitral Bodyguards most noteworthy accomplishments were during the Kashmir War of 1947-48. Under the terms of instrument of accession, signed by Mehtar Muzaffar ul-Mulk, Chitral State would continue to maintain an armed force, thus Chitral was in a position to take the Gilgit Agency away from Kashmir. Following the revolt of the Gilgit Scouts, the Mehtar sent his Bodyguard, under the command of Burhan-ud-Din, to secure Gilgit town and reinforce the Gilgit Scouts in the Astore Sector.[ citation needed ] In August 1948, the Gilgit Scouts had been conducting the Siege of Skardu for several months but had been unable to take the Dogra Garrison within the fortress of Kharpoche (Skardu Fort), because they lacked artillery. In August a 400 strong force of the Chitral Bodyguard, under Mata ul-Mulk, arrived in Skardu, backed by four light Mountain Guns.[ citation needed ] The Gilgit Scouts left Skardu and pushed on into Ladakh, while the Bodyguard, with the help of artillery, took the Kharpoche Fort within weeks. [14] [15]

Following the death of Mehtar Muzaffar ul-Mulk and the constitutional crisis which subsequently erupted in Chitral State, the powers of the Bodyguard were curtailed. After 1954, the Bodyguard was reduced to a company of 100 men whose duty would be to serve as the Mehtar's personal security force. The Chitral Bodyguard was finally disbanded in 1969, when Chitral State was annexed by the Government of Pakistan.

Equipment and organization

The Headquarters of the Bodyguard was a portion of the Chitral Fort called Bodyguard-o-Sharaan where one company of Bodyguards was always stationed. Other companies of the Bodyguard would serve throughout the State. The total size of the Mehtar's Bodyguard in 1940 was 4000 men. [16] [17]

Upon its formation the Bodyguard used jezails of Badakhshani manufacture including the Siyah Kamaan and Kotha Kamaan together with the British .577 Snider–Enfield and .577 Martini–Henry. After 1920 these weapons were replaced by the Lee–Enfield .303. Swords were used for close combat up to and including the 1947-48 Kashmir War. The Bodyguard also had a Russian PM M1910 machine gun which had been donated by a Central Asian refugee prince fleeing the Bolshevik Revolution. The Bodyguard's artillery included several Afghan-made cannons (including four seized from Birkot in 1919) and six 3.7-inch mountain howitzers.

The Chitral Bodyguard followed the ancient Chitrali tradition of going into battle with the accompaniment of musicians playing war tunes [18] or Jhang Waar. These tunes were played on the surnay accompanied by drums. During the capture of Birkot, the Afghans were surprised when they heard the Jhang Waar playing at dawn, as they did not have a tradition of martial music.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948</span> 1947–1948 war between India and Pakistan

The Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948, also known as the first Kashmir war, was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four Indo-Pakistani wars between the two newly independent nations. Pakistan precipitated the war a few weeks after its independence by launching tribal lashkar (militias) from Waziristan, in an effort to capture Kashmir and to preempt the possibility of its ruler joining India. Numerous analysts state India emerged victorious as it successfully gained the majority of the contested territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilgit</span> Capital city in Gilgit–Baltistan, a region administered by Pakistan

Gilgit is a city in Pakistani-administered Gilgit–Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan, which is a Pakistani-administered administrative territory. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a hub for trekking and mountaineering expeditions in the Karakoram mountain range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Light Infantry Regiment</span> Infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army

The Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, Pakistan. Along with other forces of the Pakistani military, the NLI has the primary responsibility of conducting ground operations in the interest of defending the strategically-important territory of Gilgit−Baltistan, a Pakistani-controlled region that constitutes part of Kashmir, which has been disputed between Pakistan and India since 1947. The NLI draws a majority of its recruits from native tribes present in the nearby mountainous areas who are reportedly less prone to altitude sickness and the cold temperatures that characterize high-altitude mountain warfare, allowing the regiment to conduct its duties optimally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitral</span> City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Chitral is a city situated on the Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before that the capital of Chitral princely state. The region was encompassed into West Pakistan between the years 1969 and 1972. It has a population of 49,780 per the 2017 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasin Valley</span> Valley in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Yasin Valley is a high-altitude mountain valley nestled in the Hindu Kush mountain range, located in the northern region of the Gupis-Yasin District within the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The valley is situated approximately 148 kilometers away from the city of Gilgit, which serves as the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan. Within the valley's territory lies the Yasin Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umra Khan</span> The Afghan Napoleon

Ghazi Khan Umra Khan of Jandol, also called "The Afghan Napoleon", was a Pashtun chief on the north-western frontier of British India, who was chiefly responsible for the Chitral Expedition of 1895. He was the Khan of Jandol and captured the state of Dir and reigned as its Nawab from 1890 to 1895. Umra briefly occupied Swat, Chitral and Bajaur. He also took over Kunar and Kafiristan regions of Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Scott Robertson</span>

Sir George Scott Robertson, was a British soldier, author, and administrator who was best known for his arduous journey to the remote and rugged region of Kafiristan in what is now northeastern Afghanistan and for his overall command of British Empire forces during the Siege of Chitral. He chronicled his Kafiristan experience in the book The Kafirs of the Hindu Kush. Some have suggested that Robertson's year-long expedition and subsequent book provided background and inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's short story "The Man Who Would Be King". However, Kipling's work was originally published in 1888, predating Robertson's travels to the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilgit-Baltistan</span> Region administered by Pakistan

Gilgit-Baltistan, formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. It borders Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang region of China to the east and northeast, and the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drosh</span> Administrative subdivision in Pakistan

Drosh (also spelled as Darosh is a city located in the Chitral District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. The city has a population of about 20,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitral Expedition</span> 1895 British military expedition

The Chitral Expedition was a military expedition in 1895 sent by the British authorities to relieve the fort at Chitral, which was under siege after a local coup following the death of the old ruler. An intervening British force of about 400 men was besieged in the fort until it was relieved by two expeditions, a small one from Gilgit and a larger one from Peshawar.

The Katoor dynasty was a dynasty, which along with its collateral branches ruled the sovereign, later princely state of Chitral and its neighbours in the eastern Hindu Kush region for over 450 years, from around 1570 until 1947. At the height its power under Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk the territory controlled by the dynasty extended from Asmar in the Kunar Valley to Sher Qilla in the Gilgit valley. The Mehtar of Chitral was an influential player in the power politics of the region as he acted as an intermediary between the rulers of Badakhshan, the Yousafzai pashtuns, the Maharaja of Kashmir and later the Amir of Afghanistan.

The Chitral Scouts (CS), also known as Chitral Levies, originally raised in 1903 as the militia of the princely state of Chitral, is now part of the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) of Pakistan. They are recruited mostly from the Chitral and Kalash Valleys areas along the western borders and are led by officers from the Pakistan Army. The Frontier Corps of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) falls under the control of the Ministry of the Interior. Its headquarters is at Chitral town, and it is commanded by a Colonel of the Pakistan Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Skardu</span> Siege during the First Kashmir War of 1947

The siege of Skardu was a prolonged military blockade carried out by the Gilgit Scouts, Chitral Scouts and Chitral State Bodyguards, acting in coordination against Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and the Indian Army in the town of Skardu, during the First Kashmir War of 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuja ul-Mulk</span> Mehtar of Chitral

His Highness Sir Shuja ul-Mulk KCIE was the Ruler of the State of Chitral, and reigned it for 41 years until his death in 1936. He belonged to the royal Katur dynasty, which ruled the state from 1571 to 1969, until the Princely State of Chitral was merged to form the Chitral District of the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas, Malakand Division, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan.

Shuja ul-Mulk Jalala, also known as Ghulam Rasul, is a politician in Afghanistan. He was the governor of Kunar Province, appointed by President Hamid Karzai on July 15, 2013, after a suggestion by the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aman ul-Mulk</span> The Mehtar of Chitral

Aman ul-Mulk was the Mehtar of Chitral, Ghizer, Yasen and Ishkoman and Suzerain of Kafiristan. He ruled the State of Chitral from 1857 to 1892. His rule saw Chitral reach its territorial peak, extending from Ishkamun in Gilgit Agency to Asmar in Afghanistan. His death led to the Siege of Chitral, an instance of high drama which goes down in the annals of British India as an epic of enormous courage and determination.

His Highness Sir Nasir ul-Mulk KCIE was the eldest son of Mehtar Shuja ul-Mulk, who succeeded him in 1936. He ruled the princely state of Chitral from 1936 to 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muzaffar ul-Mulk</span> The Mehtar of Chitral

His Highness Muzaffar ul-Mulk was the Mehtar of Chitral who reigned from 1943 to 1949. He took the important decision of Chitral's accession to Pakistan in 1947. He also dispatched his army into Gilgit in August 1947, to help secure that territory for Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitral Fort</span> 18th-century fortification in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The Chitral Fort is a fortification in Chitral town, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The fort is situated on the banks of the Chitral River. The fort has a commanding position on the river and is believed to have been built in 1774 during the reign of Mohtaram Shah Katur II and restored in 1911 by His Highness Sir Shuja ul-Mulk. The compound used to house the barracks of the guards of Mehtar of Chitral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitral (princely state)</span> Former princely state of British India and Pakistan

Chitral was a princely state in alliance with British India until 1947, then a princely state of Pakistan in 1972. The area of the state now forms the Upper and Lower Chitral Districts of the NWFP, Pakistan.

References

  1. ↑ Memoranda on the Indian States. Manager of Publications. 1 January 1939. p. 207.
  2. ↑ Branch, India Manager, Government of India Central Publication (1 January 1931). Memoranda on the India States, 1930: (Corrected Up to the 1st January 1930). p. 100.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Imperial Gazetteer of India: Provincial series. North-west Frontier Province. Sang-e-Meel Publications. 1 January 2002. p. 71. ISBN   9789693513363.
  4. ↑ Defence Journal. 1 January 1994. p. 20.
  5. ↑ The Himalayan Journal. Oxford University Press. 1 January 1936. p. 153.
  6. ↑ Sykes, Percy (10 July 2014). Hist Afghanistan V 1 & 2. Routledge. p. 307. ISBN   9781317845874.
  7. ↑ Scott, Ian Dixon (1 January 1937). Notes on Chitral. Manager, Government of India Press.
  8. ↑ Trench, Charles Chenevix (1 January 1987). Viceroy's Agent. Jonathan Cape. p. 41. ISBN   9780224024785.
  9. ↑ Lt-Col. Mohammad Afzal Khan. Chitral and Kafirstan - A Personal Study. Ferozsons (Peshawar) Ltd., 1973
  10. ↑ IUCN Pakistan (2004). Chitral: A Study in Statecraft (1320–1969). IUCN Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan
  11. ↑ Sykes, Percy (10 July 2014). Hist Afghanistan V 1 & 2. Routledge. p. 281. ISBN   9781317845874.
  12. ↑ Gaylor, John (1 January 1992). Sons of John Company: The Indian and Pakistan Armies 1903-91. Spellmount. p. 310. ISBN   9780946771981.
  13. ↑ Pioneer Mail and Indian Weekly News. 1 January 1919.
  14. ↑ The Pakistan Review. Ferozsons Limited. 1 January 1963. p. 16.
  15. ↑ Singh, Harbakhsh (1 January 2000). In the Line of Duty: A Soldier Remembers. Lancer Publishers & Distributors. ISBN   9788170621065.
  16. ↑ IUCN Pakistan (2004). Chitral: A Study in Statecraft (1320–1969). IUCN Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan
  17. ↑ Journal of the United Service Institution of India. United Service Institution of India. 1 January 1992. p. 341.
  18. ↑ IUCN Pakistan (2004). Chitral: A Study in Statecraft (1320–1969). IUCN Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.