Shigar () is the headquarter of its namesake district and tehsil in the Baltistan division of Gilgit-Baltistan region in northern Pakistan. It is located on the bank of the Shigar River in the most remote part of the region. It is a popular site for tourists and trekkers and contains many historical buildings of architectural significance associated with several different communities.
The town is inhabited almost exclusively by the Balti people of Tibetan people descent. Almost 65% of the population belongs to the Shia Islam sect of Islam, 26% to the Norbakhshi sect and the remaining to the Sunni sect. Via the Shigar Valley, it is the gateway to the Karakoram mountain range, which has five , including K2.
History
The local ruling dynasty of Shigar prior to the
Dogra dynasty conquest was known as
Amāchas, who traced their descent from the Ayash dyansty of
Hunza Valley and like them used the title of Tham.
The principal source of information regarding the Amāchas is the
Shigarnamah, written in 1752 CE.
Ahmad Hasan Dani derives the etymology of Amācha from the
Sanskrit amātya, meaning minister.
The founder of the dynasty was one Cha Tham, a Hunza prince. According to tradition, Syed Ali Hamdani arrived in Shigar in the late 14th century and converted the locals to Islam. To this day, mosques and
attributed to him exist in the region.
Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi (d. 1525) came to Shigar during the reign of Amācha ruler Ghāzitham II.
During the reign of Abdullah Khan, Shigar was invaded in 1532 by the Sultan Said Khan, the ruler of
Yarkent Khanate. Shigar was conquered in 1634 by Abdal Khan, the ruler of
Skardu, but Amāchas regained power with the help of
Mughal Empire forces.
The last ruler of Shigar was Haidar Khan during whose rule Baltistan was conquered by Zorawar Singh, in 1842.
Tourist attractions
Popular tourist attractions in the town include:
Climate
Shigar has a cold desert climate (Köppen:
BWk).
== Gallery ==
pictured here, pass through rugged mountainous terrain.]]
See also
