princely state · Indian princely states
Hunza State
Origins
The Mirs of Hunza, of the Ayash dynasty, trace their line to a ruler who, by local tradition, divided the valley with his brother, the ancestor of the Mirs of Nagar. The register's start date is approximate. Baltit Fort, the royal seat, is several centuries old.
Rule and society
Hunza's Burushaski-speaking people farmed irrigated terraces and, until the late 19th century, raided caravans on the routes between Ladakh and Yarkand. The Mirs sent tribute to the Qing emperors of China while dealing with Kashmir. Most people became Ismaili Muslims. In 1891 a British force defeated Hunza and Nagar; Mir Safdar Ali Khan fled to China, and his half-brother Muhammad Nazim Khan was installed.
Decline and legacy
Mir Muhammad Jamal Khan acceded to Pakistan in 1947. The principality was abolished in 1974. The Karakoram Highway now runs through the valley, and Baltit Fort is a museum.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (4)
- Hunza State paid tribute to Qing Empire1761 CE – 1891 CE
- Hunza State was conquered by British Raj1891 CE
- Hunza State was a vassal of Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)1891 CE – 1947 CE
- Hunza State was part of Dominion of Pakistan1947 CE – 1956 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Hunza State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hunza-state
- MLA
- “Hunza State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hunza-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Hunza State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hunza-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Hunza State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hunza-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻