View source for Nizam ul-Mulk (Mehtar of Chitral)

{{Distinguish|Nizam al-Mulk}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox noble
|name          = Nizam ul-Mulk
|image         =
|image_size    =
|caption       =
|birth_name    =
|birth_date    = 1861
|birth_place   = [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]]
|death_date    = 1895
|resting_place = [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]]
|title         = The Mehtar of Chitral
|tenure        = 1892-1895
|other_titles  =
|residence     = [[Chitral Fort]]
|nationality   =
|locality      =
|years_active  =
|wars_and_battles =
|royal_house       = Kator Dynasty
|known_for     =
|predecessor   = Mehtar [[Sher Afzal]]
|heir          =
|successor     = Mehtar [[Amir ul-Mulk]]
|honorific-suffix=}}
'''Nizam ul-Mulk''' (1 January 1861 – 1 January 1895) was the Mehtar of the [[princely state]] of [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]] and ruled it from 1892 until his assassination in 1895.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kQLNU-ZuA1UC&q=mehtar+nizam+ul+mulk+1892&pg=PA801|title=The Parliamentary Debates, Great Britain Parliament|publisher=Reuters Telegram Company|year=1895|location=London|pages=802|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YQdZlHJ2WTAC&q=mehtar+nizam+ul+mulk+1895+murdered&pg=PA171|title=Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Indian Princely States|last=McClenaghan|first=Tony|date=1996|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=9781897829196|pages=171|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reliefchitral01youngoog|quote=mehtar nizam ul mullk shot.|title=The Relief of Chitral|last1=Younghusband|first1=George John|last2=Younghusband|first2=Sir Francis Edward|date=1895|publisher=Macmillan and Company|pages=[https://archive.org/details/reliefchitral01youngoog/page/n32 10] and 11|language=en}}</ref>
== Biography ==
He was born as third son of [[Aman ul-Mulk]]. Upon his father's death on 30 August 1892, Nizam-ul-Mulk was away from [[Chitral]], serving as the Governor of [[Yasin Valley|Yasin]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Singh Chohan |first=Amar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EqZFsNIuVWEC |title=The Gilgit Agency 1877-1935 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers and Distributors |year=1997 |isbn=81-7156-146-2 |location=New Delhi |pages=66–133}}</ref> During his absence, his younger brother [[Afzal ul-Mulk]] usurped his rightful position and assumed the Mehtarship, which was acknowledged by the Government of India.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Simner |first=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SJgxDwAAQBAJ&dq=nizam+ul+mulk+chitral&pg=PT80 |title=Chitral 1895: An Episode of the Great Game |date=2017-08-18 |publisher=Fonthill Media |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Thomson |first=H. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IH2-BAAAQBAJ&dq=nizam+ul+mulk+chitral&pg=PA3 |title=The Chitral Campaign |date=2012-11-19 |publisher=Andrews UK Limited |isbn=978-1-78151-349-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Nizam-ul-Mulk sought refuge in [[Gilgit]], where he took shelter with the British Agent stationed in the region.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /> The succession passed from [[Afzal ul-Mulk]] to his uncle [[Sher Afzal]], whom he drove out of Chitral in 1893, assuming the Mehtarship.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KIM8AAAAIAAJ&q=sher+afzal+became+mehtar&pg=PA463 |title=The Cambridge History of India |date=1928 |publisher=CUP Archive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Robson |first=Brian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TBRWAAAAYAAJ&q=sher+afzal+aman+ul+mulk |title=Crisis on the Frontier: The Third Afghan War and the Campaign in Waziristan 1919-1920 |date=2004 |publisher=Spellmount |isbn=9781872272115 |pages=33}}</ref>
Upon his departure, Colonel Algernon Durand<ref>{{Cite web |title=A. DURAND, The Making of a Frontier (1899) |url=https://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/scanned/durand.htm |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=www.tertullian.org}}</ref> dispatched 2 Kashmir mountain battery guns, 250 rifles of a Kashmir regiment, and 100 Hunza levies (commanded by Humayun Beg) armed with Snider carbines to Gupis, at the mouth of the [[Yasin Valley]], with which he occupied [[Mastuj Tehsil|Mastuj]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Gurdon in HJ v5 |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.2525 |title=Chitral Memories--Events leading up to the Siege |date=1933 |pages=5–10}}</ref> A skirmish near Drasan took place, which ended up in favor of Nizam ul-Mulk, causing [[Sher Afzal]] to flee and seek refuge with the Afghan [[Ispahsalar]] in [[Asmar, Afghanistan|Asmar]], [[Kunar Province|Kunar]] province, [[Afghanistan]].<ref name=":4" /> Nizam ul-Mulk's first act after assuming power was to send a request to Gilgit that a British mission might visit him without delay.<ref name=":5" /> This request was complied with, and in January 1893, a party of four officers, headed by [[George Scott Robertson|George Robertson]] and [[Francis Younghusband]], and escorted by fifty rifles of the [[15th Ludhiana Sikhs|15th Sikhs]], arrived at Chitral.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/sim_blackwoods-magazine_1895-09_158_959 |title=Blackwood's Magazine 1895-09: Vol. CLVIIII |date=1895 |publisher=Blackwood Pillans and Wilson |language=English}}</ref>
He was murdered on 1 January 1895 at [[Broze, Chitral|Broze]] while hawking by his younger brother [[Amir ul-Mulk]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Low |first1=Sidney |url=http://archive.org/details/dictionaryofengl00lowsuoft |title=The dictionary of English history |last2=Pulling |first2=Frederick Sanders |date=1910 |publisher=London : Cassell |others=Robarts - University of Toronto}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Grant |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALRMAAAAYAAJ&dq=nizam+ul+mulk+chitral&pg=PA655 |title=1874-1897 |date=1899 |publisher=Cassell |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Legend has it that during the incident, Nizam ul-Mulk's turban fell off, and as he stopped to pick it up, [[Amir ul-Mulk]] attempted to shoot him.<ref name=":1" /> Although his shot missed, at a signal from his master, one of his retainers shot Nizam ul-Mulk in the back, causing his immediate death.<ref name=":1" />
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
[[Category:Mehtars of Chitral]]
[[Category:1861 births]]
[[Category:1895 deaths]]
[[Category:Princely rulers of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Pakistan]]
{{India-royal-stub}}