Chitral in 1895, skirmishes between the British and the local Chitrali people.
**Nano Begal** (Khowar: نانو بیگال), which means *Begal's mother*, was a famous woman from a story from the Chitral kingdom in northwestern Pakistan. People in northern Pakistan tell the story. Nano Begal is about bravery among Chitrali women. The story begins with two polo players in Chitral trying to play polo better than each other: Jalal Begal, an ordinary man, and the ruler of Chitral, the Mehtar of Chitral. Jalal Begal often won the polo game against the Mehtar. The Mehtar got angry about losing, and he said that if he lost again, he would punish the people in his court. To stop this, the people in the court decided to kill Jalal Begal while he slept.

The next day, Jalal Begal's mother found her son dead. Instead of crying or asking for help to bury him, she put on his polo clothes and got his horse ready for the polo game. She covered her face so no one could tell who she was. She went joined the polo team, played the game, and won against the ruler again.

Story
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The story of Nano Begal began during the 17th century, around the 1620s. There was a about a big competition between two famous polo players from Chitral: Jalal Begal, who was just an ordinary guy from the valleys, and the King of the country, the Mehtar of Chitral. The Mehtar, who was part of the Raess dynasty, kept losing to Jalal Begal in polo matches. He got really angry and said if he lost again, he'd punish his court members. So, the court decided to kill Jalal Begal while he slept.

The open ground of Sar Lashpur, Chitral in 1895.
The next day, Jalal Begal's mother found him dead, covered in blood in his room. But instead of going crazy or asking for help to bury him, she dressed up like him and got his horse, whose name was Bamburush (Khowar: *Thunder*), ready for the match. With her face covered, she joined the team on the polo ground.

When the Mehtar and his team saw Jalal Begal on the ground, they were shocked because they thought they'd gotten rid of him. The match started, and Jalal Begal's mother, pretending to be her son, played really well. The other team didn't know who she really was and thought it was the best performance they'd ever seen from Jalal Begal. So, Jalal Begal's team won again. After the match, she revealed who she was by showing her face. Leaving the ground on her horse, she recited a song, now called *Nano Begal-a* in Chitral.

The song of Nano Begal
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After the celebration ended, Begal's mother removed her head covering and mask. She rode her horse to where the King was sitting among his players and supporters. While on horseback, she sang a song called "Nano Begaal" or "Mother's Begaal," expressing deep sadness and sorrow:

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| "| Behold the ruthless Mehtar’s ruthlessness, O mother’s Begal!  Behold my pierced and bruised heart, O mother’s Begal!  Wherefore should the Mehtar get you murdered?  While even an old woman could hit the ball, O mother’s Begal!  Thou would hit the ball from far end, and get goals scored on the other;  Who could play the game like thee now? O mother’s Begal!  Thy flying-hit would soar high into the air,  And would tear through the heights of the sky, O mother’s Begal!  May he, who killed thee, lose his son too!  And may mourning never cease in his house! O mother’s Begal!  Ah! The players get paired now, and the team is short one player:  Oh mother’s spear-lashed! O mother’s Begal!  Shoghor’s is rocky ground, O mother’s Begal!  Thou wilt stumble over, O mother’s Begal! | "|

This song is widely sung in the valleys of Chitral and Nano Begal, the Mother of Begal is seen as a heroic woman and a role model for Chitrali women.