Astore

Astore is a high valley in the mountain country of the upper Indus, reached through steep river gorges and passes. During the reign of Ali Sher Khan Anchan, the Maqpon ruler of Skardu from 1595 to 1633, the valley was conquered and entrusted to his grandson Shah Sultan. Shah Sultan founded a line of local rulers who retained authority within Astore for generations, linking the valley to the wider political world of Baltistan.