stan which was
being carried out at that time, and the ambitious projects of Umra
Khan, chief of Jandol, which was a tool in the hands of Sher Afzul, a
political refugee from Chitral supported by the amir at Kabul, the
mehtar (or ruler) of Chitral was murdered, and a small British and
Sikh garrison subsequently besieged in the fort. A large force of
Afghan troops was at that time in the Chitral river valley to the
south of Chitral, nominally holding the Kafirs in check during the
progress of boundary demarcation. It is considered probable that some
of them assisted the Chitralis in the siege. The position of the
political agent Dr Robertson (afterwards Sir George Robertson) and his
military force of 543 men (of whom 137 were non-combatants) was at one
time critical. Two forces were organized for the relief. One was under
Sir R. Low, with 15,000 men, who advanced by way of the Malakand pass,
the Swat river and Dir. The other, which was the first to reach
Chitral, was under Colonel Kelly, commanding the 32nd Pioneers, who
was placed in command of all the troops in the Gilgit district,
numbering about 600 all told, with two guns, and instructed to advance
by the Shandur pass and Mastuj. This force encountered great
difficulties owing to the deep snow on the pass (12,230 ft. high), but
it easily defeated the Chitrali force opposed to it and relieved
Chitral on the 20th of April, the siege having begun on the 4th of
March. Sher Afzul, who had joined Umra Khan, surrendered, and
eventually Chitral was restored to British political control as a
dependency of Kashmir. During Lord Curzon's vice-royalty the British
troops were concentrated at the extreme southern end of the Chitral
country at Kila Drosh and the force was reduced, while the posts
vacated and all outlying posts were handed over to levies raised for
the purpose from the Chitralis themselves. The troops in Swat were
also concentrated at Chakdara and reduced in strength. The mehtar,
Shuja-ul-Mulk, who was installed in September 1895, visited the Delhi
durbar in January 1903.

See Sir George Robertson, _Chitral_ (1898). (T. H. H.*)

CHITTAGONG, a seaport of British India, giving its name to a district
and two divisions of Eastern Bengal and Assam. It is situated on the
right bank of the Karnaphuli river, about 12 m. from its mouth. It is
the terminus of the Assam-Bengal railway. The municipal area