Native Rising in Chitral.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 77, 29 March 1895, Page 2

Native Rising in Chitral.

Calcutta, M-trch 25

General Howe's expedition to Chifcral will leavo Peshawur on Monday next. The route will be taken via Swat and Dar, which is only a distance of two hundred miles as compared with six hundred miles via Gilgit.

No direct news has been received since the first from Dr Robertson, the British a»ent, who is shut up iu a Ghitral fort, but it is believed his provisions will last till end of April.

Umra Khan, who has been mentioned in several cablegrams as one of the chief opponents of the British in Cbitral, is one of the most notorious and desperate chiefs of the Indian frontier. Even among the lawless clans of Afghanistan he has gained a reputation for boldness and craft that is quite unique. He was one of the younger sons of Aman Khan, hereditary ruler of Jandol, oue of the four divisious of Bajaur. On Aman's death in 1879 bis eldest son succeeded to the Khanship. whereupon Umra sought refuge in British territory. In 1881 he went to his native country, and made a name for himself by personal prowess. Stealing a Snider rifle and ammunition, he made his way to Jandol, si ot bis unsuspicious brother the Khan, and also several followers who sought to avenge him. Then, through the intervention of his mother, Umra got. himself acknowledged as chief of the tribe iu place of his murdered brother. By encouraging the theft of the rifles from the AngloIndian Army by the border tribes he got together some 40 Sniders. He organised a corps of 80 mounted men, the only cavalry in that part of the world. force he has since strengthened, and he has now a considerable army, both horse and foot. Mahomed Sharif Khan, of Dir, another 'division of Bajaur, found it politic to surrender four villages to his dangerous neighbor. But not satisfied with this, Umra allbd himself with Mian Gul (son of the famous_ Akhond of Swat) and defeased MahommeJ, and then turned round on his ally, and in turn inflicted humiliations on him. Now we hear of this daring adventurer usurping Mehtar of Chitral, himself a fratricide, whom the authorites have ordered to quit the country, though Umra is a brother-in-law of the murdered r iler ; and he is able to command a lar.;efollowing, serious trouble is imminent.—Post.