Chitral Bodyguard or informally theMehtar's Bodyguard, was a military force under the direct command of the Mehtar of theprincely state ofChitral.[1][2]
UponBritish occupation of Chitral following theChitral Expedition of 1895, the British took a keen interest in reorganizing the state's military capabilities. In 1903 theChitral Scouts, a force under direct British command, was raised.[3][4][5] The Mehtar (native ruler) was also entitled to a personal military bodyguard.[6]
The Mehtar's Bodyguard was raised by MehtarShuja ul-Mulk in the early 1900s and consisted of a professional standing army which had been raised by his fatherAman ul-Mulk in the 1880s and byconscripts from the Yuftcaste of Chitral, who were exempted from taxes but served the Mehtar in times of war. The officers were selected from amongst theKatur and related clans.[7]
The Bodyguard first saw active combat during theThird Anglo-Afghan War in 1919.[8] The Bodyguard, under the command ofNasir ul-Mulk, capturedBirkot in theKunar Province ofAfghanistan,[9] carrying away much booty from Kunar as well as taking many prisoners.[10] Another arm of the Bodyguard went north to defend theDorah andBroghol passes withBadakhshan. Yet another company of the Bodyguard, led byKhan Bahadur Dilaram Khan, captured Barge Matal inNuristan after some light hearted resistance by Afghan troops. The locals supported Chitral and reaffirmed their age-old allegiance to the Mehtar's rule.[11][12][13]
The Chitral Bodyguards most noteworthy accomplishments were during theKashmir War of 1947-48. Under the terms ofinstrument of accession, signed by MehtarMuzaffar ul-Mulk, Chitral State would continue to maintain an armed force, thus Chitral was in a position to take theGilgit Agency away fromKashmir. Following the revolt of theGilgit Scouts, the Mehtar sent his Bodyguard, under the command ofBurhan-ud-Din, to secureGilgit town and reinforce the Gilgit Scouts in theAstore Sector.[citation needed] In August 1948, the Gilgit Scouts had been conducting theSiege of Skardu for several months but had been unable to take theDogra Garrison within the fortress ofKharpoche (Skardu Fort), because they lackedartillery. In August a 400 strong force of the Chitral Bodyguard, under Mata ul-Mulk, arrived in Skardu, backed by four lightMountain Guns.[citation needed] TheGilgit Scouts left Skardu and pushed on intoLadakh, while the Bodyguard, with the help of artillery, took theKharpoche Fort within weeks.[14][15]
Following the death of MehtarMuzaffar ul-Mulk and the constitutional crisis which subsequently erupted inChitral State, the powers of the Bodyguard were curtailed. After 1954, the Bodyguard was reduced to a company of 100 men whose duty would be to serve as the Mehtar's personal security force. The Chitral Bodyguard was finally disbanded in 1969, when Chitral State wasannexed by theGovernment of Pakistan.
The Headquarters of the Bodyguard was a portion of the Chitral Fort calledBodyguard-o-Sharaan where one company of Bodyguards was always stationed. Other companies of the Bodyguard would serve throughout the State. The total size of the Mehtar's Bodyguard in 1940 was 4000 men.[16][17]
Upon its formation the Bodyguard usedjezails of Badakhshani manufacture including the Siyah Kamaan and Kotha Kamaan together with the British .577Snider–Enfield and .577Martini–Henry. After 1920 these weapons were replaced by theLee–Enfield .303. Swords were used for close combat up to and including the 1947-48 Kashmir War. The Bodyguard also had aRussianPM M1910 machine gun which had been donated by aCentral Asian refugee prince fleeing theBolshevik Revolution. The Bodyguard's artillery included several Afghan-made cannons (including four seized from Birkot in 1919) and six3.7-inch mountain howitzers.
The Chitral Bodyguard followed the ancient Chitrali tradition of going into battle with the accompaniment of musicians playingwar tunes[18] orJhang Waar. These tunes were played on thesurnay accompanied by drums. During the capture of Birkot, the Afghans were surprised when they heard theJhang Waar playing at dawn, as they did not have a tradition of martial music.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)