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families. Officials such as Khorcheens, Trangpas etc., were appointed by the Wazirs in the respective districts. Khorcheens or Khosheen seems to be a corruption of the Moghal official Qurcheen. Under the Maqpon rule they were responsible for the collection of land revenue. This system was copied with modification by the rulers in Gilgit.

Kharpons or governors, Chomals or viceroys, wazirs etc., were always selected from amongst the twelve families. These hereditary nobles of his court resembled those of Akbar’s Ministers although the latter were not hereditary. In course of time other principalities adopted this system.

The Dogras also in the initial stages of their rule continued this system, their adherents-loyal elements-supplanting the original Wazirs. Most of the Dogras created Wazirs or Kardars sprang from families who had not even distant relationship with the original nobility. After the war of liberation the number of Wazir families has increased to such and extent that today everybody lays claim to one or the other twelve families of Pa Chones.

When the first settlement was carried out such elements conscious of their low birth, lost no time in getting their family names entered in the Revenue Records as Traqchhos or Wazirs.

It may be related that the ‘Gacha-pa’ and the ‘Shigar Pa’ have been the greatest of the Traqchhos of Wazir families of Skardu. The latter has the unique distinction that the Maqpons have to dismount form the horse when they happen to pass through their streets.

It is related that head of the Shigar-pa family was asked to name the reward for the services rendered to the Gialfo. He asked for the most distinctive reward un-heard of in Baltistan. “That the Gialfo and his descendants be pleased to dismount from the horse whenever any of them happen to pass through my street. “Even today the Maqpon has to abide by the will of his ancestors, for; the will stipulates that any of his descendants failing to comply with this wish would be considered an alien to the Maqpon family. The Gacha-pa family is extinct but the Shigar-pa are still present in Gamba Skardu. The older generation bolds the family in the greatest respect but the younger generation is unaware of its existence even.