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had hardly recovered from the shock of the death of the Anchan when it was visited by a great flood converting it into a sandy desert. The folk song called ‘BIANA NAQPO’ meaning ‘black desert’- the desert covering the area between Sundus and airport is called ‘Biana Naqpo’ now testified to this fact. Only a few stanzas are remembered to-day:-

BALTI.

1.                  Biana Naqpo khew Spang Bu Yut pi wakhla, Maqpon Ali Sher Khan is Le Purang Trang,

2.                  Biana Naqpo Dasta Chhumik Yut pi wakhla Anchan Ali Sher KHani Brushal strnag.

3.                  Ati Skaru oni rzing bu yut pi wakhla Anchan Ali Sher Khan la Alam trang

TRANSLATION

1.                  At the time when Biana Naqpo (the black desert) was as green as a turquoise, Maqpon Ali Sher Khan was able to bring LEH’s PURANG under his sway.

2.                  At the time when gushing springs abounded in Biana Naqpo, Anchan Ali Sher Khan was able to bring Brushal (Chitral) under his sway.

3.                  When my father-land, Skardu, was like a milk-reservoir, then my Anchan Ali Sher Khan made the world prostrate before him.

The Baltis call him ‘ANCHAN’ – the MIGHTY, the Powerful, the Great – and this epithet is singularly reserved for and applied to him alone among the rulers of Baltistan and their progeny are rightly proud of him.