Katoor dynasty
Dynasty of Chitral, Pakistan
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Origins
The dynasty came to power in the 17th-century. During the course of 19th and 20th centuries, the Katoor rulers claimed or were held to have a number of contradictory origins, including descent from Alexander the Great or his Macedonian soldiers, descent from Timur, descent from Kamal Shams al-Din of Multan, and descent from a Khorasani adventurer, among others. However all of these claims lack attestation from contemporary sources and are considered implausible.
After a review of various claimed origins of the dynasty, Hidayat ur Rahman (2011) suggests the dynasty to have indigenous origin in the Hindu Kush region, and to be related to the Kator people of the neighbouring Bashgal Valley in Kafiristan (now Nuristan). He further points out to the close links of the dynasty with the Kator people and that during the wars with Rais dynasty, Katoor rulers frequently sought refuge with the Kators of Bashgal.
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History
When the dynasty was first founded by Shah Katoor, his domains included lower Chitral, Kunar Valley, Lot-Kuh, Torkhow and Mulkhow regions of upper Chitral. Under Shah Katoor II, Mastuj and the Yasin Valley also came under Katoor domination. The Kati and Kom tribes of Kafiristan, tribes of Dir Kohistan, Swat Kohistan and Kalam paid a yearly tribute to the mehtar. Shah Katoor III invaded Wakhan in retaliation for a raid on Chitral from Wakhan, and forced the mir of Wakhan to pay tribute as well. In 1876, Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk conquered the Ghizer and Punial and laid siege to the Dogra garrison of the maharaja of Kashmir in the Gilgit fort. During this time the tribes of Darel, Tangir and Kandia and the state of Nagar also paid tribute to the mehtar of Chitral. The Katoor dynasty's influence reached its peak under Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk, when territories of Ghizer, Yasin and Ishkoman were conquered in 1880.
Rulers
The rulers of the Kator dynasty with the date of their accession:
Descendants
The descendants of the Katoor dynasty are still respected and honoured in Chitral today. The last ruling mehtar, Muhammad Saif ul-Mulk Nasir was educated at Aitchison College. He had received Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953) and Pakistan Republic Medal (1956).
Politics
The family continues to be one of the strongest political families in the district, although it has not consistently aligned itself with any particular party in the district. Shahzada Mohiuddin, grandson of Shuja ul-Mulk, served as the Minister of State for Tourism in the 1990s. He was twice elected as chairman of District Council Chitral, once as District Nazim, and four times as Member National Assembly of Pakistan (MNA). Shahzada Mohiuddin also served as chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (KANA). The current head of the family, Fateh-ul-Mulk Ali Nasir, was elected to the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the 2024 provincial elections.
Notable members of the royal family
Mata ul-Mulk, one of the youngers son of Shuja ul-Mulk, served in the first Kashmir war. He is best known for defeating the Indian forces in Skardu commanding the Chitral Bodyguard, during the Siege of Skardu.
Burhan-ud-Din, another son of Shuja ul-Mulk, served as commander of the Indian National Army in Burma. He also served as a Senator after the World War II.
Colonel Khushwaqt ul-Mulk, one of the younger sons of Shuja ul-Mulk, served as the commandant of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) Rifles. He was educated at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (now the Rashtriya Indian Military College) at Dehradun, India. Following his father's death in 1936 he became the governor of Upper Chitral. He was a philanthropist and helped the Brooke Hospital for Animals, the British-based equine charity, to set up a centre in Pakistan. At the time of his death, he was the most senior surviving military officer of the Pakistan Army. His youngest son Sikander ul-Mulk has captained the Chitral Polo Team at Shandur for over two decades. His eldest son Siraj ul-Mulk has served in Pakistan Army and Pakistan International Airlines as a pilot.
Masood ul-Mulk, grandson of Shuja ul-Mulk, is a Pakistani expert on humanitarian aid. He is the son of Khush Ahmed ul-Mulk, the last surviving son of Shuja ul-Mulk. Khush Ahmed ul-Mulk served in the British Indian Army. As of 2014 he was the most senior surviving member of Chitral's royal family.
Taimur Khusrow ul-Mulk, grandson of Shuja ul-Mulk, and son of the daughter of the Nawab of Dir, served as a bureaucrat with the Federal Government of Pakistan and served as Accountant General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prior to his retirement in 2016.