Chitral
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 Clockwise from top:
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| Nickname: Qāshqār | |
  Chitral  Chitral | |
| Coordinates:35°50′46″N71°47′09″E / 35.84611°N 71.78583°E /35.84611; 71.78583 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Lower Chitral |
| Established | 1885; 141 years ago (1885) |
| Founded by | British government |
| Named after | Field |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Corporation |
| • Body | District Government |
| • Mayor(Lower Chitral) | Shahzada Aman Ur Rehman[1] (PTI) |
| Elevation | 1,494 m (4,902 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 57,157 |
| Demonym | Chitralis |
| Languages | |
| • Official | |
| • Regional | Khowar (Chitrali)[4] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:00 (Pakistan Standard Time) |
| Zip Code | |
| Area code | 0943 |
| Vehicle registration | CL |
| Website | lowerchitral |
Chitral (Khowar:ݯھیترار,romanized: ćhitrār,lit. 'field') is a city situated on theChitral River in the northern area ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province ofPakistan. It serves as the capital of theLower Chitral District, and was previously the capital ofChitral District, and before that the capital ofChitral princely state. The region was encompassed intoWest Pakistan between 1969 and 1972.
Nothing definitive is recorded about the town's first settlers. In the 3rd century AD,Kanishka, the ruler of theKushan Empire, occupied Chitral. In the 4th century AD, the Chinese overran the valley. Raees rule over Chitral began in 1320 and came to an end in the 15th century. From 1571 onwards Chitral was the capital of the princely state of Chitral under the rule of theKatur Dynasty.[7]
The existence of theGandharan Grave Culture in Chitral,[8] found in various grave sites scattered over its valleys gives an insightful knowledge of its inhabitants following theIndo-Aryan migrations, after the decline ofIndus Valley civilization.[9] The Gankorineotek cemetery inSingoor is home to several ancient burial sites, dating back to theVedic period.[10][11]
The area that now forms Chitral was reportedly conquered by theAchaemenid Persians and incorporated into one of their easternmost satrapies.[12] In the third century CE,Kanishka, the Buddhist ruler of theKushan empire, occupied Chitral. Under the Kushans, many Buddhist monuments were built around the area, mainly Buddhist stupas and monasteries. The Kushans also patronised Buddhist art; some of the finest examples of the image of Buddha were produced in the region under the Kushan rule.[13]
From 1571 to 1969, Chitral was the dominion of theKator Dynasty.[14][failed verification] The British and Sikh garrison suffered asiege by the Chitralis, possibly aided by Afghan forces, in 1895. The garrison was relieved after six weeks, and the British installed the youngShuja ul-Mulk asMehtar ("ruler"). He ruled for the next 41 years.[15]
In 1947, following the partition of the British India, the princely states were given the choice to either remain independent or accede to one of the two new dominions. Initially, Chitral chose to remain an independent monarchy. Later, the Mehtar of Chitral, acceded to Pakistan and thus Chitral became one of theprincely states of Pakistan. Through 1969 to 1972, it was fully integrated into Pakistan as the administrative district of Chitral.[16]
Chitral played an instrumental role in the 1947–1948first Kashmir war. Immediately after acceding to Pakistan,Mehtar Muzaffar ul-Mulk proclaimedJihad to 'liberate'Kashmir from theDogras. At this point, the Gilgit scouts were retreating and the Dogra forces had made gains in the Burzil pass. Under these circumstances, theChitral scouts relieved theGilgit scouts in Domel and Kamri sectors whilst theChitral Bodyguard force went towardsSkardu. The Chitral bodyguards under the leadership of a Chitral Prince laid one of the longest sieges in military history which ended with the fall of Skardu, the surrender of the Dogras, and the capture ofBaltistan. During this time, the Chitral scouts assimilated with the Gilgit scouts and went on towards taking the Kargil pass.[17]
The city has an average elevation of 1,500 m (4,921 ft).
In contrast to more southerly valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chitral has a dryMediterranean climate (KöppenCsa) with almost no rainfall during the very hot summers. Precipitation occurs mainly from spring thunderstorms brought about by western frontal systems. In the winter the nighttime temperature occasionally drops to −10 °C. Winter snowfall in the town can be quite heavy with an accumulation of up to 60 cm being quite common, at higher elevations snowfall can reach as high as 20 metres (70 ft)[citation needed].
| Climate data for Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 28.0 (82.4) | 34.3 (93.7) | 38.3 (100.9) | 42.5 (108.5) | 44.4 (111.9) | 42.2 (108.0) | 39.8 (103.6) | 34.4 (93.9) | 27.0 (80.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 44.4 (111.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) | 9.9 (49.8) | 15.1 (59.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 28.2 (82.8) | 34.4 (93.9) | 35.9 (96.6) | 34.4 (93.9) | 31.1 (88.0) | 25.1 (77.2) | 18.7 (65.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 23.0 (73.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) | 5.3 (41.5) | 9.6 (49.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 20.3 (68.5) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 26.5 (79.7) | 22.1 (71.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 10.8 (51.4) | 5.9 (42.6) | 15.9 (60.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.6 (30.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | 4.2 (39.6) | 8.5 (47.3) | 12.5 (54.5) | 17.8 (64.0) | 20.2 (68.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 13.1 (55.6) | 7.2 (45.0) | 2.9 (37.2) | 0.2 (32.4) | 8.8 (47.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.0 (12.2) | −11.0 (12.2) | −3.7 (25.3) | 0.0 (32.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | 8.9 (48.0) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.6 (51.1) | 5.6 (42.1) | 1.1 (34.0) | −3.0 (26.6) | −12.2 (10.0) | −12.2 (10.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 38.4 (1.51) | 63.8 (2.51) | 97.3 (3.83) | 71.7 (2.82) | 43.9 (1.73) | 5.1 (0.20) | 4.9 (0.19) | 8.0 (0.31) | 7.3 (0.29) | 15.6 (0.61) | 20.4 (0.80) | 38.5 (1.52) | 414.9 (16.32) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 134.0 | 133.7 | 150.4 | 188.6 | 247.0 | 286.3 | 285.4 | 258.6 | 231.0 | 214.0 | 182.5 | 130.7 | 2,442.2 |
| Source: NOAA (1971-1990)[18] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | ... | — |
| 1961 | ... | — |
| 1972 | 13,376 | — |
| 1981 | ... | — |
| 1998 | 30,622 | — |
| 2017 | 49,794 | +2.59% |
| 2023 | 57,157 | +2.33% |
| Sources:[19][20] | ||
As of the2023 census, Chitral has a population of 57,157.[21]
According to the 1981 census,Khowar is the main language and is spoken by 98% of the population.Kalasha is also spoken by a small population.[22]Urdu is the official language of the city.[4]
| Religion | Population (1901)[23] | Percentage (1901) |
|---|---|---|
Islam | 3,452 | 42.47% |
Hinduism | 2,709 | 33.33% |
Sikhism | 1,826 | 22.47% |
| Total | 8,128 | 100% |
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Administrative divisions ofLower Chitral District | ||
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| Headquarters |  | |
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| Union councils | ||
| International | |
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