princely state · Indian princely states
Dir State
Origins
The ruling family of Dir, of the Yusufzai Pashtun Painda Khel, traced their power to a religious leader, Mulla Ilyas, known as Akhund Baba, in the 17th century. His descendants became khans and later Nawabs of the Panjkora valley.
Rule and society
The Nawabs ruled a rugged valley of tribal Pashtun farmers through personal authority and levies, receiving British subsidies to keep the route to Chitral open after 1895. Rule was autocratic and modern education and services were very limited.
Decline and legacy
Dir acceded to Pakistan after independence. In 1960 Nawab Shah Jahan Khan was deposed, and in 1969 the state was abolished and became a district of the North-West Frontier Province, later divided into Upper and Lower Dir.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Dir State was a protectorate of British Raj1897 CE – 1947 CE
- Dir State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1948 CE – 1956 CE
More states of Indian princely states →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dir State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dir-state
- MLA
- “Dir State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dir-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Dir State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dir-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dir State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/dir-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻