National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Shamrad or Shah Murad, son of Ahmed Khan, was presented with a jaghir
(jāgir, 'rent-free land') in Kashmir, by the Mogul, and Ahmed Shah used to complain
to me that he did not now (1835) enjoy the revenue of it. He also told me that the
Killah (Qila) was in vain besieged by the troops of Aurangzyb; that they brought
elephants with them (which I can scarcely believe to have been the fact), and that he had
now in the castle some old guns, drums, armour, etc., and implements of war, which
they had left behind them, and which, by some mistake, I neglected to see.

Shamrad or Shah Murad Khan was succeeded by Rafir-Khan, who was followed by
Sultan Murad, who re-took Ladak (it having been previously taken by Ali Sher Khan,
and lost by his son), and made himself master of Gilghit, Nagyr, Hunzeh (Hunza), and
Chitrál. He is said to have built the bridge near the Killah (Qila) of Chitrál. The name
of the first Ali Sher Khan, or Shah Murad, is still to be seen upon a mosque at Ladak.

In the time of Zufur Khan, the castle of Iskardo (Skar-rdo) was destroyed by fire,
and much that was valuable was burnt with it. . . . Zufur Khan took the castle of
Iskardo (Skar-rdo) from the Keluncheh (probably Bkah-blon-che, 'great minister'), a sect
or family who came from Purik. He was young when the Keluncheh usurped the throne
of Iskardo, and afterwards, by turning them out, acquired the name of Ghazi.

The Keluncheh were not Shiahs, as are the Little Tibetians, but were heretics from
either the Suni, or the Shiah persuasion—following the doctrines of a Syud who came
from Kashmir in the time of Rafir Khan, and wrote a book containing his own idea
of the faith. In common with the Shiahs he does not respect the three first Caliphs,
but venerates the memory of Ayesha, the daughter of Abubekr; and Hafza, daughter of
Osman, who were both wives of the prophet, who, as such, he affirms, are worthy of
honour also. In these, and some other respects, he differs from the Shiahs, but the
Rajah and inhabitants of Khopalu (Kha-pu-lu), Shighur (Si-dkar), and Purik adopt
his doctrines.

Ali Sher Khan . . . father of Ahmed Shah, the present Gylfo (Rgyal-po), signalized
himself by taking the castle of Shighur (Si-dkar), and making prisoners of an invading
army from Ladak.

He left two sons, Ahmed Shah of Iskardo (Skar-rdo) and Gholám-Shah, the Rajah
of Parkuta on the Indus: who both reigned at the last-mentioned places, in consequence
of the will of their father. . . . The territories of Ahmed Shah are extended from Chorbut
(Chos-ljbad) to Husára (Astor) inclusive. Chitral, the country of Shah Kator, has long
been independent of Little Tibet (Baltistan), and the rajahs of Gilghit, Nagyr, and
Hunzeh (Hunza) by no means owned him as their superior. But besides those already
mentioned, Ahmed Shah was monarch of Khopalu (Kha-pu-lu), Shighur (Si-dkar),
Keris (Kye-ris), Katakchund (Mkhar-man), Tolti, Parkuta, and Royal or Rondu
(Roñ-mdo). On his seal, as that of a Shiah prince, are inscribed the following words:—

Ali sher an dawur-daigur Kez-o-yaft
Ahmed Shah bur adi zufur.

Translation:—
Ali, the lion of that just God, through whom
Ahmed Shah obtained victory over his enemies.

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