Kingdom of Chitral

This article is about the former State of Chitral. For other uses, see Chitral District.

Kingdom of Chitral
State flag Emblem
Chitral highlighted in the Dominion of Pakistan in 1947
Capital	Chitral
Official languages	Persian (official, literary, and administrative language) Khowar (court, mother tongue, literary language)
Government	Monarchy
Mehtar
Area
• Total	5,737 sq mi (14,860 km2)
Population
• 1951 census	1,05,724
Preceded by Succeeded by Chagatai Khanate West Pakistan
Today part of	Pakistan

Chitrāl (Khowar: ݯھیترار; Persian: چترال) was a kingdom in the Hindu Kush region, in the northwest of South Asia, existing from 17th century until its abolition in 1969. Between 1885 and 1947, it was one of the princely states in alliance with British Raj, after which it became a princely state of Pakistan. The area it covered is now part of the Upper and Lower Chitral districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

During the reign of Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk (r. 1857 – 1892), the kingdom extended from Asmar and Bashgal Valley (in present-day Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan, respectively) to Punial in the Gilgit Valley. It was an independent monarchy until 1891, when it was agreed that the British be consulted in all matters of foreign policy and defense, in exchange for an increased yearly subsidy to the Mehtar. After the Chitral Expedition in 1895, the British hold became stronger, but the internal administration remained in the hands of the Mehtar. In 1947, British India was partitioned and Chitral opted to accede to Pakistan. After accession, it finally became an administrative district of Pakistan in 1969.