Nagar-Legal Status of Nagar - IV

Nagar

The Nagar territory lies on the opposite side to Hunza bounded on the north by the river Hunza and possesses the same geographical and Geological features. It remained under the suzerainty of Jammu and Kashmir State right up to 1947.

Since 1867 the State of Nagar had been paying a small tribute, to the Maharaja of Kashmir, receiving in return a present of larger value. Here is a translation of an undertaking in Persian given by the representatives of Nagar in 1870 A.D.

We undertake to confer with Ghazan Khan, the Raja of Hunza that his son, as also the son of his Wazir should remain in attendance on the Maharaja of Kashmir and in case he does not agree, we shall send our forces against him.

If any Motabir of Hunza comes for secret work into our State, we shall kill him.

We shall ask Raja Ghazan Khan to handover the forts of Chaprot, and Nomal, if he agrees well and good : if not, we shall march against him and take their possession by fighting out.

That one of us four, Shah Murad, Mohammad Shah, Mirza and Nadlu will always remain in attendance at Gilgit turn by turn.

Inter communication between the Gilgit and the Nagar subjects of the Maharaja and others will continue. If any loss occurs, we shall be held responsible.

One real son of the Raja of Nagar and one son of the wazir will remain always in the service of the Maharaja.

Friends of the Maharaja of Kashmir will be considered friends and his enemies taken as enemies.

In case, the Maharaja of Kashmir will demand any force, the same will be supplied without any hesitation well equipped.

That in return for the Khilat granted to Raja Jafar Khan, annually, the following Nazrana will be presented :- 

Horses 2

Gold 21 tolas

Apricots 5 loads

Sanad granted by His Highness the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir to Raja Jafar Khan of Nagar.

Whereas the State of Nagar has recently been in armed rebellion against my authority, and whereas in consequence thereof, You, Raja Jafar Khan, have justly forfeited any rights which you may have possessed as ruler of the said State :

And whereas by reason of your submission, and in consideration of your promise to abide by the following conditions, it is thought desirable, as an act of clemency, to re-appoint you as ruler of the said State.

Now, therefore, I have resolved, with the approval and authority of the Governor-General of India in Council, to re-appoint you, Raja Jafar Khan, as ruler of the said State of Nagar, and you are hereby appointed to be Raja of Nagar.

The Chiefship of the Nagar State will be hereditary in your family, and will descend in the direct line by primogeniture, provided that in each case the succession is approved by the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir for the time being and by the Government of India.

As annual tribute of the following amounts, that is to say :---

Twenty six tolas of gold, equal to 17 tolas and 1 masha, will be paid by you and your successors to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Further, you are informed that the permanence of the grant conveyed by the sanad will depend upon the ready fulfilment by you and your successors of all orders given by the J&K State, with regard to the conduct of relations between the State of Nagar and the States and tribes adjoining it, the administration of your territory, the construction of roads through your country, the composition of such troops as you may be permitted to retain, and any other matters in which the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir for the time being may be pleased to intervene. 

Be assured that, so long as your house is loyal to the State of Jammu and Kashmir and to the British Government, and faithful to the conditions of the sanad, you and your successors will enjoy favour and protection.

A letter from Zafar Zahid, son of Raja Jafar Khan to the address of Dewan Kripa Ram, the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir will be of interest:

"So long as there is breath in my body and head on my body, I shall not swerve from the sphere of your order. With your friends I shall cement friendship, your enemies I shall treat with vengeance and envy. In this work, I hold the Maharaja as my master and supporter and I believe he will think of my welfare, because I am always at his service and have just sent my tribute. The agreement which has been entered into and agreed by Mirza, Shah Murad and others is binding on me". 

There is also a letter of August, 1870 from him to the Maharaja saying that he had sent Wazir Shah with his two sons namely, Alidad Khan and Habib Khan and that the Maharaja was pleased to fix an allowance for Habib Khan and appointed Alidad Khan as the ruler of Gilgit. 

The letter referred above is acknowledgement of an order of the Maharaja, in which the above proposals are embodied. The conquest of Hunza and Nagar in 1895 by Pratap Singh stopped the occasional looting on the Karakorum. The Raja of Nagar is recorded to have paid tribute at the coronation ceremony of Hari Singh in 1926. He also entered into a fresh agreement to evolve modalities for paying his stipulated tribute to the Maharaja even after the lease of Gilgit to British in 1935.