Ali Sher Khan Anchan ( Balti: علی شیر خان انچن) (also called Ali Rai, Ray Alī, Alī Rai, Raja Sher Ali Mir, Mir Ali, Sher Ali and Ali Zad; 1590–1625) was a famous Balti king. He was a

Maqpon dynasty The Maqpon kingdom ( bft, ) was a kingdom located in Baltistan. The royal family of the kingdom, the ''Maqpon dynasty'' was a Balti people, Balti royal house based in Skardu which ruled over the region for around 700 years. The kings of the Maq ...

king who unified

Baltistan Baltistan ( ur, ; bft, སྦལ་ཏི་སྟཱན, script=Tibt), also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet ( bft, སྦལ་ཏི་ཡུལ་།, script=Tibt), is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilg ...

and expanded its frontiers to

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

and western

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

in the east, and in the west to the borders of Ghizar and

Chitral Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...

Military Achievements

Anchan and Mughals

Anchan came into contact with the Mughal court. According to the Balti version, Ali Sher Khan Anchan lost his royal father as a child. His maternal uncle, the Raja of Shigar, took him to Shigar with his mother. The intention was probably to put him to death and annex the Skardu Kingdom, the boy's inheritance, to his Kingdom of

Shigar Shigar () is the headquarter of its namesake district and tehsil in the Baltistan division of Gilgit–Baltistan in northern Pakistan. It is located at the bank of Shigar River in the most remote and dramatic part of the region. It is a popular ...

. At the age of 18, with twelve faithful followers of his father, Ali Sher Khan fled to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

. He was noticed by the Emperor

Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...

when he showed his physical prowess by killing a lion while hunting in Delhi. The Emperor gave him the command of a Moghul army to reclaim his lost kingdom. While at Delhi, he married a Moghul princess named Gul Khatoon (Daughter of King Akbar's uncle, Kamran Mirza). In 1586 A.D., when

the Great conquered Kashmir, Ali Sher Khan Anchan was with him (referred to as Ali Rai by Mughal historians).

Conquest of Ladakh

It is related that Ladakhi kingdom extended up to Sermik in the West. During the reign of Ghazi Mir, the Ladakhis were driven out not only from the Kharmang valley but the entire district of Purik (Kargil) was occupied by Ali Sher Khan, the heir apparent. He is said to have garrisoned the fort at Kharbu with soldiers and appointed a ‘Kharpon’ or governor to administer the border area.
A few years had not passed when the Raja of

Laddakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu an ...

, Jamyang Namgyal, attacked the principalities in the district of Purik (

Kargil Kargil ( lbj, ) is a city and a joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It is also the headquarters of the Kargil district. It is the second-largest city in Ladakh after Leh. Kargil is located to the east of Srinagar in Ja ...

) annihilating the

Skardu , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan , pushpin_label_position ...

garrison at Kharbu and putting to sword a number of petty Muslim rulers in the Muslim principalities in Purik (Kargil), Ali Sher Khan Anchan, Sher Ghazi, Raja of

Khaplu Khaplu (Urdu: ) and ( Balti: ཁཔ་ལུ།), also spelt Khapalu, is a city that serves as the administrative capital of the Ghanche District of Gilgit-Baltistan, in northern Pakistan. Lying east of the city of Skardu, it was the second-lar ...

and Raja of

left with a strong army by way of

Marol Marol is a locality in the suburb of the Andheri (East) in Mumbai, India. History The area has been inhabited for centuries, successively coming under both Portuguese and British rule. The village is filled with the Dawoodi Bohra community. Th ...

and bypassing the Laddakhi army occupied

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former res ...

, the capital of Laddakh. It appears that the Balti conquest of Laddakh took place in about 1594 A.D. The Raja of Laddakh was ultimately taken prisoner. Legends show that the Balti army obsessed with success advanced as far as Purang, in the valley of Mansarwar Lake, and won the admiration of their enemies and friends. The Raja of Laddakh sued for peace and since Ali Sher Khan's intention was not to annex Laddakh, he agreed subject to the condition that the village of

Ganokh Ganokh, () locally called Ganishah, is a village in the Kharmang District of Baltistan, Pakistan, close to the Line of Control with Indian-administered Ladakh. It is populated by about 400 Brokpas professing Shia Islam. Geography The village ...

and Gagra Nullah should be ceded to Skardu and he (the Laddakhi Raja) should pay annual tribute. This tribute was paid through the Gonpa (monastery) of

Lama Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...

Yuru till the

Dogra The Dogras or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group in India and Pakistan consisting of the Dogri language speakers. They live predominantly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, and in adjoining areas of Punjab, Himachal ...

conquest of Laddakh. ''Hashmatullah'' records that the Head Lama of the said Gonpa had admitted before him the payment of yearly tribute to Skardu Darbar till the Dogra conquest of Laddakh.
The king of Laddakh offered his daughter in marriage to Ali Sher Khan.

Conquest of Dardistan and Chitral

The incessant attacks on and plunder of villages in

Roundu Baltistan The Rondu District ( ur, ), also spelled Roundu District, is one of the 14 districts of Pakistan-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. The district encompasses the entire Roundu Valley, which is the fourth-largest valley in Gilgit-Baltista ...

, Dras, Gultari and Shingo Shigar by people from

Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a h ...

Chilas Chilas ( ur, ) is a city and is the divisional capital of Diamer District located in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, on the Indus River. It is part of the Silk Road connected by the Karakoram Highway and N-90 National Highway, which link it to Islam ...

and Astore while he was preoccupied in the campaigns in Laddakh, forced Ali Sher Khan Anchan to march on Gilgit with an Army worthy of his glorious name. He conquered Astore, Gilgit,

Hunza Hunza may refer to: * Hunza, Iran * Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan ** Hunza (princely state), a former principality ** Hunza District, a recently established district ** Hunza River, a waterway ** Hunza Peak, a mou ...

, Nagar and Chilas. From Gilgit he advanced to and conquered

and Kafiristan.
To commemorate his victory he planted a Chinar Tree (

Plane Tree ''Platanus'' is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. All except f ...

) at Chitral near the village of Bronshel. In Balti folk songs and stories Chitral is known by the name of Brushal and this Chinar tree is referred to as Brosho Shingial or the Chinal of Broshal-corrupted form of Bronshal. In the folk lore named after this Chinar of Brushal-Brosho Shingial, the exploits of Ali Sher Khan are enumerated and tribute is paid to the Anchan for his remarkable conquest and the boundary of his kingdom from Purang in the east to Brushal or Chitral in the West and in doing so, the Balti people have also been allowed to share the tribute. In one line the western and eastern boundaries of the Maqpon Empire have been defined ‘Leh Purang na Brushal Shingel’ meaning ‘from Leh’s Purang to Brushal’s Chinar Tree’. He started

Polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

at ''Shundur Polo Ground'' first time.

Conquest of Kargil

Ali Sher Khan Anchan conquered most of the principalities of

and introduced Balti culture in the Kargil District.

Constructions

Anchan also took an interest in constructions. *Water channel (stream) from Hargisa Nullah to Kachura A water channel (stream) was constructed from Hargisa Nullah near Koshmara to the Kachura lake. It was dug on the pattern of those found in Srinagar. Shikaras (small boats) ferried between Kushmara and Kachura. This stream had the twin purpose of providing irrigational facilities to the people as well as recreation to the royal princesses. Ruins of the stream are still to be found in Giayul village. * Bund at Satpar Lake Ali Sher Khan is also credited with the construction of a dam on the

Satpara Lake Satpara sar Lake ( ur, سدپارہ سر جھیل) is a natural lake near Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, which supplies water to Skardu Valley. It is fed by the Satpara Stream. Satpara Lake is situated at an elevation of 2,636 meters ...

which irrigates Skardu. During the winter months the doors of the barrage were closed and in spring time opened according to irrigational needs. This practice is followed even to this day. * Kharfocho and Khache Khar The construction of the Kharfocho Fort has been attributed by Hashmatullah to Maqpon Bukha or more correctly,Tareekh-e-Jummu, Molve hashmatullah Bugha, one of his ancestors. Cunningham and Moghal historians are of the view that the fort was constructed by Ali Sher Khan. Fosco Maraini says that everything of note in

Skardu , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan , pushpin_label_position ...

was put down to the credit of Ali Sher Khan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anchan, Ali Sher Khan 1590 births 1625 deaths People from Gilgit-Baltistan History of Baltistan Balti people People from Skardu District