Princely State of Dir, 17th century

The Princely State of Dir was founded in the 17th century as a Muslim khanate and, during the time of British India, ruled by hereditary rulers, referred to as “Nawab”. It was abolished on 28 July 1969. Its State Flag, or banner of the Nawab, was triangular, green, with a white edge. It featured, in white, a flying bird, the hand of Fatima, and a crescent and star. The inscription at the top, in Arabic, is “In the name of God most Gracious most Merciful”, the first sentence in the Quran. In the centre is the “Shahada” or Islamic declaration of faith in Urdu: “There is no God but Allah (and) Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah”. At the bottom, in Arabic, is “With the help of God, victory is near”. A red version of the flag has also been reported.