Aman ul-Mulk (; 1 January 1821 – 30 August 1892) was the Mehtar of

Chitral Chitral () is a city situated on the Kunar River, Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before ...

, Ghizer, Yasen and

Ishkoman The Ishkoman () valley lies in the north of Ghizer District in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It borders Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asi ...

and Suzerain of

Kafiristan Kāfiristān, or Kāfirstān (; ; ), is a historical region that covered present-day Nuristan Province in Afghanistan and its surroundings. This historic region lies on, and mainly comprises, the basins of the rivers Alingar, Pech (Kamah), La ...

. He ruled the State of Chitral from 1857 to 1892. His rule saw Chitral reach its territorial peak, extending from Ishkamun in

Gilgit Agency The Gilgit Agency () was an agency within the British Indian Empire. It encompassed Hunza, Nagar and the governorships of Yasin, Koh Ghizer, Ishkoman, Punial and the tribal areas of Gor, Darel, Tangir, the district of Chilas and the Gilgit teh ...

Asmar The Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada ''(English: Navy Shipyards and Armories)'', better known by the acronym ASMAR, is a Chilean state-owned shipbuilding company with autonomous administration, which provides services to the Chilean Navy, mai ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. His death led to the Siege of Chitral, an instance of high drama which goes down in the annals of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

as an epic of enormous courage and determination.

Early years

Accession and attributes

Muhtarram Shah Kator the III was succeeded by Aman ul-Mulk. In order to succeed Aman ul-Mulk had killed his elder brother in 1856. Thus in 1857, Aman ascended the throne of Chitral, by steps slippery with the blood he had shed. He is referred to in local chronicles as the Great Mehtar, who ruled over the valleys with true

orient The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

despotism In political science, despotism () is a government, form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute Power (social and political), power. Normally, that entity is an individual, the despot (as in an autocracy), but societies whi ...

between 1857 and 1892. Sir

George John Younghusband Major General Sir George John Younghusband, (9 July 1859 – 30 September 1944) was a cavalry officer and major-general in the British Indian Army. Younghusband was commissioned into the 17th Foot in 1878. He later transferred to the British ...

denoted him as a "strong and astitute" ruler.

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

acclaimed him as "The very man for such a state and such times".

Territorial expansion

Aman ul-Mulk ruled over Upper and Lower Chitral extending from the borders of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

on one side to the borders of

and Dir on the other. The northern boundary of his dominion was the watershed of the

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central Asia, Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and eastern Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan and far southeastern Tajikistan. The range forms the wester ...

. In those early years, up to 1871, Chitral still paid tribute to

Badakhshan Badakhshan is a historical region comprising the Wakhan Corridor in northeast Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic ...

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, but it would be absurd to infer from this fact that Chitral ever acknowledged the

suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...

of Jehandar Shah or of the Afghan faction that dispossessed him.

1878 agreement and effects

In 1878 Aman ul-Mulk being anxious of aggression by the

Amir Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

placed Chitral under the nominal

of the

Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

. This brought him into direct contact with the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

, with whom from that time until his death he did all he could to maintain friendly relations. In 1885 a mission under Sir William Lockhart visited Chitral and was very cordially received, and so too was Colonel Durand, who went there in 1888. By the agreement of 1878 Aman ul-Mulk the Mehtar or King of Chitral got an annual

subsidy A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acc ...

of Rs 12,000 from the ruler of

. The Mehtar was to present the latter annually three horses, five hawks and five Tezi dogs. Further a treaty was signed between the

Amir of Afghanistan This article lists the heads of state of Afghanistan since the foundation of the first modern Afghan state, the Hotak Empire, in 1709. History The Hotak Empire was formed after a successful uprising led by Mirwais Hotak and other Afghan tr ...

and

Mortimer Durand Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, (14 February 1850 – 8 June 1924) was a British diplomat and member of the Indian Civil Service. He is best-known as the namesake for the Durand Line, which serves as the international border between Afghanistan an ...

that the former would not interfere in

Bajaur Bajaur District (, ), formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-a ...

, Dir,

Swat A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

and

. But the disagreements increased after settlement. More than anything else, it was Aman ul-Mulk's sense of his own interests which led him to rely upon Kashmir and the British. Aman ul-Mulk, now secure and strengthened, swiftly eliminated his old rivals south of the

and was able as a result to expand his dominion from Ishkamun in the Gilgit Agency to Asmar in Afghanistan. The two valleys of Chitral, along the perceived

border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

with Afghanistan were unified under Aman ul-Mulk in 1880, with encouragement from Colonel Biddulph.

External pressures

For the first time after the withdrawal of the

in 1881 the Amir of Afghanistan Abd-ar-Rahman, in a letter, claimed

over

in 1882, he claimed Chitral in unqualified terms and asked its rule Aman ul-Mulk to acknowledge his suzerainty and declared that the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

had no right of interference with the affairs of his Chiefship. The

Governor General of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...

Lord Ripon George Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon, (24 October 1827 – 9 July 1909), styled Viscount Goderich from 1833 to 1859 and known as the Earl of Ripon in 1859 and as the Earl de Grey and Ripon from 1859 to 1871, was a British p ...

could not leave the letter unchallenged. After telegraphic references to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

for permission to threaten Abd-ar-Rahman with ‘force of arms if needful’. Ripon warned him, tactfully, whereupon Abd-ar-Rahman promised to desist from interfering in the affairs of Chitral in the future. However, on 14 June 1877, officials of the Amir came to Chitral to arrange for the betrothal of one of the Mehtars daughters to the Amirs eldest son, Sardar Habibullah Khan. And to hussel the Mehtar into concluding the matrimonial alliance. The Amir imposed political and economic pressures. Aman however did not crumble to this pressure and continued to be reluctant to enter into the said marriage alliance without the sanction of the British Government. With the few incidence of turbulence apart Chitral remained relatively undisturbed during this period noting which Churchill wrote, "Meanwhile Aman ul-Mulk ruled in Chitral showing great respect for the wishes of the

British Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

and in the enjoyment of his subsidy and comparative peace".

Further events

In October 1889, Colonel Durand arrived in Chitral, the Mehtars reception of his guest was most cordial. During the course of the visit Aman readily agreed to the following depending on receipt of increased subsidy: # His assistance in opening up the

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

road. # Improving the main path in his country to tracks passable by laden muels. #

Fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

of certain selected positions to be afterword's pointed out to him. In 1886, and again in 1888, he sent two of his sons, Afzal ul-Mulk and

Nizam ul-Mulk Abū ʿAlī Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī Ṭūsī () (1018 – 1092), better known by his honorific title of Niẓām al-Mulk (), was a Persian Sunni scholar, jurist, political philosopher and vizier of the Seljuk Empire. Rising from a low position within ...

, down to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. They came back much impressed with what they had seen and did all they could to strengthen the alliance of their father with the Great Sircar.

Death

Expiry

Aman ul-Mulk died very suddenly and all the circumstances of his death indicate that he succumbed in the ordinary course of nature to a sudden attack of illness but it is so unusual in Chitral for a Mehtar to come to a peaceful end, that most of the Chitralis believe that he was

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

ed.

Gravity

By the time of Aman ul-Mulk's death in 1892, Chitrals primary importance was that it contained the series of valleys stretching from

Wakhan Wakhan, or "the Wakhan" (also spelt Vakhan; Persian and , ''Vâxân'' and ''Wāxān'' respectively; , ''Vaxon''), is a rugged, mountainous part of the Pamir, Hindu Kush and Karakoram regions of Afghanistan. Wakhan District is a district in ...

to British held India. Fear of this area as an

invasion An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...

route went back to 1874, amid the claim that

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

could be in British territory within thirteen days with an army if held Chitral. During the Viceroyalty of Lord Lytton, it was deemed expedient, in view of Russian military activity in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

, to obtain more effective control over the passes of the

. And it was the same menace, real or fanciful, which prompted the

Marquess of Lansdowne Marquess of Lansdowne is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain created in 1784, and held by the head of the Petty-Fitzmaurice family. The first Marquess served as Prime Minister of Great Britain. Origins This branch of the Fitzmaurice family ...

to re-establish the

in 1889. Until 1892 Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk had provided a sturdy bulwark to British interests, his death had jeopardised that security. The British preferred to conciliate Nizam ul-Mulk, as he was connected with

Umra Khan Ghazi Khan Umra Khan of Jandol ( 18601904), 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 sent by the British authorities to ...

of Jandul and with the influential Mullah Shahu Baba of Bajaur through his maternal uncle Kokhan Beg. He also had connections in

Badakshan Badakhshan is a historical region comprising the Wakhan Corridor in northeast Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic Ba ...

Hunza Hunza may refer to: * Hunza, Iran * Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan ** Hunza (princely state), a former principality ** Hunza District, a recently established district ** Hunza River, a waterway ** Hunza Peak, a mo ...

and Dir.

Build-up to the siege of Chitral

However, with Aman ul-Mulks death, all hell broke loose in Chitral, a three way struggle for succession broke out between two of his sons,

and Afzal ul-Mulk and their uncle Sher Afzal. Having the fortune of being on the spot Afzal took control and proclaimed himself Mehtar. The first thing that Afzal did was to invite as many brothers as were within reach to a banquet where he murdered them.

was away in Yasin, of which he was the governor, when the Mehtarship was seized by his brother Afzal ul-Mulk. Anxious to consolidate his power Afzal asked the British that an officer might be sent to reside permanently in Chitral. Before, however, any arrangements could be made he was killed, after a short reign of a few months, by his uncle Sher Afzal.

at once hurried to Chitral and succeeded in ousting Sher Afzal. Nizam, like his brother, asked that a political officer might reside in Chitral territory, and Captain Youngshusband was accordingly sent to

Mastuj Mastuj () is a tehsil and a valley in Upper Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Mastuj is the principal settlement. It is located at 36°17'0N 72°31'0E with an altitude of 2359 metres (7742 feet). There are ruins of ...

. Later probably not feeling himself very secure Nizam urged for the headquarters of the residence political officer who happened at that time to be Lieutenant Gurdon, to be shifted from

to Chitral but while the question was still under determination the Mehtar was murdered by his brother Amir ul-Mulk. Amir demanded recondition from Lieutenant Gurdon who was acting as assistant

political agent Political Agent or political agent may refer to: *Political Resident, a representative with consular duties and political contacts with local chiefs * Political officer (British Empire), an officer of the British imperial civil administration, also ...

in Chitral. When Amir ul-Mulk came to him he very properly said that he had no power to grant recognition until instructed to do so by the Government of India but that in all probability he would be recognised.

Aftermath

Amir ul-Mulk had shown himself quite unfit to rule. He had made himself hateful to the Chitralies and had been guilty of treachery to the English. Sir George Robertson therefore declared that subject to the approval of the Government of India,

Shuja ul-Mulk Highness, His Highness Sir Shuja ul-Mulk Order of the Indian Empire, KCIE (1 January 1881 – 13 October 1936) was the ruler (from ) of the Chitral (princely state), State of Chitral, and reigned it for 41 years until his death in 1936. He belo ...

his younger brother was recognised as Mehtar. The critical nature of the situation leading up to the siege of Chitral is brought out very clearly in the speech made by

Lord Elgin Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine, ( ; 20 July 176614 November 1841), often known as Lord Elgin, was a Scottish nobleman, diplomat, and collector, known primarily for the controversial procurement of marble sculptures ...

, the

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

, on 29 March 1895, to the Supreme Legislative Council.

Description

Though admirably suited to govern a savage people, he was exceedingly cruel, treacherous and vindictive. Sir

Lepel Griffin Sir Lepel Henry Griffin, (20 July 1838 – 9 March 1908) was a British administrator and diplomat during the British Raj period in India. He was also a writer. Early life Lepel Henry Griffin was born in Watford, England on 20 July 1838. ...

has called him – ''a translucent old savage''. At his accession he killed all his near relations except his brother Sher Afzul, who fled. Historian

John Keay John Stanley Melville Keay FRGS (born 1941) is a British historian, journalist, radio presenter and lecturer specialising in popular histories of India, the Far East and China, often with a particular focus on their colonisation and explora ...

has put him down as "the cunning genius". whereas orientalist,

Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner (14 October 1840 – 22 March 1899), also known as Gottlieb William Leitner, was a British orientalist. Early life and education Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner was born in Pest, Hungary, on 14 October 1840 to a Jewish fam ...

has referred to him as, "A terrible man, who to extraordinary courage joined the arts of the diplomatist".

Murder of Hayward

Aman ul-Mulk is believed to be the instigator of the murder of British explorer George W. Hayward through the agency of Mir Wali of Yasin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ul-Mulk, Aman Military history of British India North-West Frontier Province Mehtars of Chitral Princely rulers of Pakistan Nawabs of Pakistan Chitrali people