Bahman Kohistani’s fort needs attention
CHITRAL, Dec 28: The 7th century fort of Chinese king Bahman Kohistani in Muzhgole village of upper Chitral can be turned into a tourist resort if the archaeology department pays the much needed attention to it.
Talking to this correspondent, Gulzada Khan, a retired schoolteacher of the area, said that the upper part of Chitral remained a dominion of Chinese rulers, including king Bahman.
He said that Bahman left deep imprints on the history of Chitral as he successfully warded off the intruders from the neighbouring Central Asian States. Mr Khan said that the king raised the fort atop a hillock in Muzhgole overlooking Mulkhow valley, which is surrounded by the 11-km-long plateau of Kagh Lusht on the bank of Terich River.
The hillock is still known as `Noghore Zome`, (the castle hill) and contains the ruins of the smallsized fort whose description is prominently found in the local folk tales, he said, adding that the fort was visible from across the Mulkhow valley.
Gulzada Khan said that the fort was said to have a water supply system for which the horns of markhor were used as pipe while the source of water was a natural spring situated three kilometers from the fort.–Zahiruddin
More on Chitral forts here: https://www.chitraltoday.net/2013/12/04/forts-in-chitral-the-manifestation-of-different-aspects-of-our-culture/#sthash.uXDcNeh9.dpbs
I wish the fort was restored! But I think, very little or almost no trace of the fort remains now. So at least, a monument should be built in remembrance of our great Mehtar Bahman-e-Khoistani!
Good job, ChitralToday, for highlighting the pre-Islamic history of Chitral!
Bahman Kohistani wasnt a chinese ruler , he was a native tribal chief who was probably Hindu or pagan animist. There are many stories related to Bahman one of them is his courageous war against the arab invaders who were unable to defeat him. It is said that at the end arabs tricked him and asked him to fight with their best warrior , the arabs won but later it was found that they had cheated. Bahman who had converted to Islam after the war , was shocked to hear this cheating of arabs, he later renounced Islam and reverted to his ancient pagan religion.