The story of Chiktan Khar:
After the death of Gasho Tha Tha Khan, many of his descendants ruled Sot, Chiktan, and Pashkyum. The ruler Kẖokẖor Baghram (1535–1550) entered into agreements with the Ladakhí gyalpo and sent his second son, Tsering Mālik, to Chiktan as his governor. Argyāl Mālik, the first-born son, stayed with the father and, on his death, succeeded him as the Sultan of Sut.
Tsering Mālik had the Chiktan castle built and took up his residence there as the ruler of the country. At his father’s death, he, who entertained wishes of independence but was unwilling to go against his elder brother openly, started attending the court of the king of Ladakh and made a pact with him. As part of the pact, Tsering Mālik agreed to marry one of the gyalpo’s daughters. Back in Chiktan, Tsering Mālik (who governed Chiktan and Pashkyum from 1555 to 1600) declared his independence, provoking his brother’s reaction.
During this period, ʿAlī Shēr Khān, the crown prince of Sulān Ghāzī Mīr of Skardo, was expanding his father’s dominions at the expense of Ladakh. From Kartakẖsha, in pursuit of a Ladakhi army, he had entered Purig when Tsering Mālik asked him for help to confront his brother. ʿAlī Shēr Khān marched on Sut and took it. This confirmed Tsering Mālik as the ruler of Chiktan. With Tsering Mālik’s help, the Skardo prince conquered Budh-kẖarbu as well and left a party of his soldiers there when he returned to Kartakẖsha (Khān 1939, 720).
Jamyang Namgyāl took advantage of the return of the Balti army to Kartakẖsha and, with the help of the local people, who were Buddhist, reconquered Budhkẖarbu. Tsering Mālik went there to pay homage to his father-in-law, who did not question his independence and bestowed the name of Sankẖan on the newborn son of Tsering Mālik and his daughter. From Budhkẖarbu, Jamyang Namgyāl marched upon Wakẖa, whose lord did not come out to confront him and accepted his overlordship. Then he went to Mulbeh, where he encountered resistance.
ʿAlī Shēr Khān of Skardo, in alliance with the other Muslim rulers of Baltistan, replied to Jamyang Namgyāl’s moves against Ladakh. The gyalpo rushed back to defend his dominions but was defeated, taken prisoner, and brought to Skardo. Purig’s kings, thanks to the Baltis’ intervention, gained considerable autonomy.
Following the division that occurred at the time of the war between Jamyang Namgyāl of Ladakh and the sultans of Baltistan, Chiktan and Pashkyum were now being governed by Tsering Mālik, and Sut was under Sultān Mālik, who became ruler after the death of his father Argyāl Mālik in 1600. Sultān Mālik, after whom all the names of the Sut rulers are Muslim, made an attempt at reunifying the kingdom. He attacked Chiktan and killed his uncle Tsering Mālik and his cousin Sankẖan, son of Tsering and the daughter of the gyalpo of Ladakh. He took Sankẖan’s minor children, Ādam Mālik and Čhō Sazang Mālik, prisoner and confined them in the castle of Yokmakharbu under strict guard.
Sultān Mālik proved unable to make himself accepted as a legitimate ruler by the Chiktan people, who were still Buddhist for the most part. They sent emissaries to Singe Namgyāl (1616–1642) in Leh and to ʿAlī Shēr Khān (1595–1633) in Skardo, asking for their help. A physician from Chiktan, who lived in Skardo, succeeded in restoring the queen to health. As a reward, he asked ʿAlī Shēr Khān to receive his fellow countrymen and listen to their request. ʿAlī Shēr Khān subsequently agreed to dispatch an envoy to the king of Sut, advising him to set Sankẖan Mālik’s children free and send them back to their country. Sultān Mālik readily followed his advice. The young princes were already back in Chiktan when Singe Namgyāl, who at first had been too busy to reply to the call of the people of Chiktan, decided to intervene.
He entered Purig and took Wakẖa and Mulbeh. He then conquered Suru and Kartse, taking its king prisoner. Singe Namgyāl was on his way to Sut when Älī Muḥammad Sultān, who succeeded his father Sultān Mālik in 1630, called for the help of the lord (maqpon) of Skardo. Source: Daniela Bredi, Hashmatullah Khan, Kacho Sikander Khan Sikander.