Umra Khan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Umra Khan of Jandul (c. 1860-1903) was a Pashtun chief on the north-western frontier of India, who was chiefly responsible for the Chitral Campaign of 1895. He was the younger son of the khan of Jandul; but he killed his elder brother, seized the throne, and made himself a power on the frontier.

In 1894 he held undisputed sway over almost the whole of Bajour, when his restless ambition caused him to interfere in the internal affairs of Chitral. He instigated Afzal-ul-Mulk, a half-witted brother of the Chitral chief, to murder his brother Nizam-ul-Mulk, and then threw over the fratricide and supported the claims of his uncle Sher Afzul to the throne. The government of India intervened and ordered Umra Khan to leave Chitral. When he refused, the Chitral Expedition was despatched; Umra Khan was driven into exile in Afghanistan, and died there in 1903.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.