Dir (Dhir)     Most of the state lay in the valley of the Panjkora river which rises in the Hindu Kush mountains and joins the Swat River near Chakdara. Apart from small areas in the south-west, Dir is a rugged mountainous country with peaks rising to 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) in the north-east and to 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) along the watersheds with Swat to the east and Afghanistan to the west. Area: 5,282 km². Capital: Dir. Main Language: Pashto. Dir was a small former princely state located in the modern North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan. The state ceased to exist in 1969 when it was incorporated into Pakistan. The area once occupied by the state (5,282 km²) now forms two districts of Pakistan - Upper Dir and Lower Dir. The two districts were part of Malakand Division until divisions were abolished as an administrative tier. It is about 88 miles (140 Kms.) north-east of Peshawar. On 18th February 1948, the ruler of Dir, Muhammad Shah Jehan acceded to Pakistan. Small minorities of Hindus and Sikhs who left for India during partition. The rulers of Dir originally held the title of Khan but from June 1897 onwards were styled Nawab Khan Bahadur. The royal status of the rulers was abolished in 1972.              ....           Dir (Dhir) State founded.            1947           Under Pakistani suzerainty.     28 Jul 1969           Incorporated into Pakistan.   The Hephthalites......................................c. 410 - c. 550 The Pratiharas........................................c. 550 - 988 Bokhara..................................................988 - 999 The Ghaznavid Empire.....................................999 - 1148 The Ghurid Empire.......................................1148 - 1213 Khwarazm................................................1213 - 1220 The Mongols.............................................1221 - 1332 The Timurids............................................1379 - 1506 Rulers (titles: Khan; from Jun 1897, Nawab Khan Badahur) Ghulam Khan Baba Zafar Khan Qasim Khan Ghazzan Khan............................................1863 - 1874 Rahmat Allah Khan.......................................1874 - 1884 Mohammad Sharif Khan (1st time).........................1884 - 1890 Mohammad Omara Khan.....................................1890 - 1896 Mohammad Sharif Khan (2nd time).........................1896 - Dec 1904 Aurangzeb Badshah Khan..............................Dec 1904 - Feb 1925 Mohammad Shah Jahan Khan S/o Aurangzeb Khan.........Feb 1925 - 09 Nov 1960 His brother Nawabzada Alam Zeb Khan was Governor of Jandul province. Mohammad Shah Khusru Khan S/o Shah Jahan Khan....09 Nov 1960 - 28 Jul 1969 His brother Nawabzada Mohammad Shah Khan was Khan of Hayaseri. His sister was married to Mohammad Nasir Saif al-Mulk of Chitral.     Pakistan's province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Countries / Territories   Chiefa Coins