09

MAQPON BUKHA OR BUGHA (1464-1490 A.D.) 

Bukha or Bugha – a Tatari name – is one of the supreme Maqpons who loomed large on the Political horizon of Baltistan. Having lost his father in his infancy, Bukha’s kingdom was invaded by his enemy, the Braq Mayur Cho Ruler. His Kith and kins were butchered by the invaders but Bukha was saved by his foster father. Under the instructions of his foster father, Bukha pretended to be a deaf and dumb child and worked as a servant in his foster father’s house for eighteen years. One day, as usual, he took the cattle for grazing in the vicinity of his father’s palace in Shagari. While the cattle were grazing he slept on a large stone. His foster mother happened to visit him and was surprised to find a big snake shading him from the sun. Bukha awoke on the noise of his foster mother. He told her that he had dreamt that he was being enthroned by an army. His foster father encouraged by this dream started intrigues with Wazir Gacha (the Wazir of Bukha’s father who still held that post under the new ruler) to remove the usurper from the throne. They managed to get the Braq Mayur Cho Ruler assassinated. After his assassination Bukha was carried in a litter to the flat stone called ‘BURDO NAS’ in front of his father’s palace on which he was crowned. As Bukha had feigned himself to be deaf the dumb there was apprehension among his subjects regarding the running of administration of the state. At the instance of his foster father, Bukha started talking. His subjects called him ‘Broq Maqpon’ or the ‘Mountain like’ or ‘stone-like’ Maqpon. Till the time of Ahmad Shah all the rulers were crowned on this stone.

Cunningham identified Bukha with the Fakir but it has been proved that the Faqir, if the story is authentic, is no one but Ibrahim Shah. The view of Hashmatullah that the inauguration ceremony was performed in order to commemorate the crowning of Bukha also appears to be incorrect. The correct version seems to be that long before Bukha’s reign it had become customary for the monarchs of Skardu to treat the stone as something sacred and that the monarch was always crowned on this stone. When Bukha got the throne, the usual ceremony was repeated.

By the assassination of Braq Mayur Cho, Bukha became the sole monarch of the original kingdom. The town of Skardu was founded by him.