CHILAS, a hill village far up the Indus gorges in the North West Frontier Province of India. It is dominated by a fort on the left bank of the Indus, about 5o m. below Bunji, 4,100 ft. above sea-level. It was occupied by a British force early in 1893, and was the scene of sharp fighting with local tribes. Its im portance lies in its position with reference to the Kashmir-Gilgit route via Astor. It is now connected with Bunji by a metalled road. Chilas is also important from its position on a shorter route to Gilgit from the Punjab frontier than that of Kashmir and the Burzil pass. By the Kashmir route Gilgit is 400 m. from the rail-head at Rawalpindi. The Kagan route via Chilas would bring it 100 m. nearer, but the unsettled condition of the country through which the road passes has been a bar to its general use.