Written by: Muhammad Asif Nawaz
Posted on: October 18, 2024 | 
| 中文
A view of the historic Taj Mughal Shikari as well as Gilgit city and Danyore
In the first instalment of this article, we addressed the lapses in the recorded history of Gilgit Baltistan, and perused that of Taj Mughal Shikari in the same light. Regarding the monument, the exact dimensions of the same are also contested, as various layers of construction were added to it over the time, and it is difficult to say what exactly the structure measured when it was erected. Taj Mughal Shikari, however, is not the only victory monument that Taj Mughal got built. Some sources say that another, similar monument was erected in Thol, during his way to Hunza. In Thol, there are records of a Fort as well, although the Fort’s connection with the tower is flimsy at best. However, neither the fort not the tower exists in Thol anymore. They are now only present in the half-remembered pages of some forgotten book.
A view of the Taj Mughal Shikari from the mountain.
Gilgit-Baltistan, known for its geographical and historical diversity, is also peculiar in its religious diversity. Beliefs change in Gilgit Baltistan as you progress from one district to another. This is where Taj Mughal Shikari rises once again to cement its importance: it is a great source for understanding the current demographics of the Gilgit division. For this, we need to delve deeper into the history of the Taj Mughal, and that of the dynasties that shaped it. For this purpose, the Trakhan dynasty remains central to our discussion.
The dilapidated Mughal Shikari before renovation by the Gilgit Development Authority (GDA)
The Trakhans were a dynasty that claimed be of Turkic origin, who claimed their own lineage to be from Azur Jamshed. Azur was a mythical figure, whose existence itself is shrouded in doubt. He is said to have deserted Persia after its Islamic invasion, and settled in the mountains of Karakoram; starting the Trakhan dynasty by marrying the daughter of Sri Badat who we mentioned in the previous part of this article. However, given that this account also owes itself to stretches of imagination, we will start with a more prevalent version of what happened.
A closeup of the Mughal Shikari
In Gilgit, Tartorra Khan took the throne after the death of his father Shah Mirza in 1209. Tartorra Khan had two queens, one of his own royal family, and the second one from Darel. The first queen gave birth to Torra Khan, and the second to Shah Rais. When the question of the rightful heir to the throne was raised, a scheming game of chess then ensued. Since the king had preferred Torra Khan to take his place, the maternal family of Shah Rais was dissatisfied. Tartorra Khan killed the brothers of his second queen after being assailed, the queen poisoned the king, and Torra Khan went into hiding, and a battle for succession then followed. This ultimately saw the rise of Torra Khan, whom the people had chosen as their king.
A view of Gilgit city from the Mughal Shikari.
As per the alternate account of history, since Torra Khan was also called Trakhan, it was after this event that the dynasty - his dynasty - came to be known as the Trakhans. When Torra Khan assumed the throne of Gilgit, Shah Rais left for Badakhshan, where he was hosted by Taj Mughal, the son in law of the ruler of Badakshan. According to Dr. Ahmad Hassan Dani in the “History of Northern Areas of Pakistan”, “Taj Mughal is said to be a follower of the Ismaili sect and very ardent in its propagation. He received Raja Shah Rais Khan with great pomp and made him stay in an elegant place. Shah Rais is said to have accepted Ismaili faith along with his followers”. Shah Rais himself became the son-in-law of Taj-ud-Deen Mughal, and convinced him to attack Gilgit. The preparations of the attack took about a year, and we have already seen what was the outcome of the attack on Gilgit.
It is important to see that some accounts group the structures of Jutial, Thol and Henzel together, and claim these to be Buddhist statues, shedding doubt on the religion of the invaders. However, corroboration of the present demographics of Gilgit division with the account of history mentioned above does a great job of explaining the influence of Ismaili sect in the region. The British gazetteer agrees with this account, although it called the faith of the invaders as “Mughlai”. Therefore, the structure at Henzel, an actual stupa by all accounts, should not be clubbed together with those built by Taj Mughal.
The Taj Mughal Shikari in Gilgit
In the attack that Taj Mughal launched on the area, first Chitral was conquered and annexed, followed by the regions of Yasin, Punial and Koh Ghizr. Since Torra Khan had also accepted Ismailism, and Hunza met the same fate; Shah Rais was then made the ruler of Chitral, where he founded the Raisia dynasty. Hence, the current presence of adherents of the Ismaili sect in these regions is duly explained by the fashion of the attack of Taj Mughal in the area.
Notwithstanding the various versions of history, and the discrepancies of the various accounts; it is interesting to see how one historical event can have repercussions in an area for centuries to come. The Taj Mughal Shikari monument in Gilgit is the emblem of such history altering events, acting as a snowball effect to lure the tourists into the complex and deeply layered history of the region.
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