ABSTRACT This Doctoral Thesis Introduces the Wakhi Ethno-Linguistic Group Living in the Region of the Pamiri-Hindu Kush Mountain

ABSTRACT This doctoral thesis introduces the Wakhi ethno-linguistic group living in the region of the Pamiri-Hindu Kush mountain knot on territories of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. As a result of the strategic economic and political rivalry and conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia during the 19th century (the so- called Great Game), part of the so far homogeneous ethnic group was forced to leave their native Wakhan Corridor in the late 19th century. The Wakhi people then found themselves on the territory of future states with diametrically opposite development to their own. The goal of this work is a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the material and spiritual culture of the Wakhi ethnic group or groups living on the territories of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan with emphasis on their current status. Very important part of my work deals with the visual context that by means of images and photographs presents significant features associated with the Wakhi everyday life. My primary aim is to uncover the material and spiritual phenomena that are closely related to everyday life, historical and political contexts, socio-economic situation, Shia Ismaili, religion and affiliated features which the members of Wakhi ethno-linguistic groups living in the mountain areas of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan are confronted with. The comparative method seems to be the most suitable to achieve this goal, for it represents a meaningful combination of synchronic and diachronic approaches, based on my own field research in the region of the Pamiri-Hindu Kush mountain knot and supported by the study of relevant sources. Key words: Wakhan - Wakhi people - Pamir - Hindu Kush - Afghanistan - Tajikistan - Pakistan - Gojal - Ismailia - ethnological field research .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Cro Ssro Ads Asia
11 How migrants made their way: The role of pioneering migrants and solidarity networks of the Wakhi of Gojal (Northern Pakistan) in shaping the dynamics of rural-urban migration Andreas Benz Working Paper Series Paper Working crossroads asia crossroads ISSN 2192-6034 Bonn, July 2013 Crossroads Asia Working Papers Competence Network Crossroads Asia: Conflict – Migration – Development Editors: Ingeborg Baldauf, Stephan Conermann, Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Hermann Kreutzmann, Shahnaz Nadjmabadi, Dietrich Reetz, Conrad Schetter and Martin Sökefeld. How to cite this paper: Benz, Andreas (2013): How migrants made their way: The role of pioneering migrants and solidarity networks of the Wakhi of Gojal (Northern Pakistan) in shaping the dynamics of rural-urban migration. In: Crossroads Asia Working Paper Series, No. 11. Partners of the Network: Imprint Competence Network Crossroads Asia: Conflict – Migration – Development Project Office Center for Development Research/ZEFa Department of Political and Cultural Change University of Bonn Walter-Flex Str. 3 D-53113 Bonn Tel: + 49-228-731722 Fax: + 49-228-731972 Email: [email protected] Homepage: www.crossroads-asia.de i How migrants made their way: The role of pioneering migrants and solidarity networks of the Wakhi of Gojal (Northern Pakistan) in shaping the dynamics of rural-urban migration Andreas Benz Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 2. The current state
[Show full text]
Gilgit- Baltistan)
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Florence Research Naveiñ Reet: Nordic Journal of Law and Social Research (NNJLSR) No.8 2018, pp. 77-100 Civil Society and Governance in Gojal (Gilgit- Baltistan) Fazal Amin Beg 1 and Zoran Lapov 2 Abstract Focusing on both soft and hard development, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) reached Gilgit-Baltistan and neighbouring Chitral (northern Pakistan) in 1982. In a short span of time, more than 4,500 community associations, namely village and women’s organisations (VWOs), were formed throughout the Region, introducing the local population to democratic governance grounded in civil society-based system. The phenomenon brought about producing significant public and agricultural infrastructures in less than 15 years. As a result, AKRSP turned into a laboratory and model of rural development for many South Asian realities. Underpinned by a qualitative case study and relevant literature review, the present research addresses the process of civil society construction in Gojal (sub-district of Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan), including the role and engagement of AKRSP: introduced by depicting the scheme of traditional social institutions in front of novel patterns of social organisation, the paper delves into the emergence of – formal and informal – civil society organisations (CSOs) in the form of local support organisations (LSOs) as federations of VWOs and related networks, whose establishment in Gilgit-Baltistan (as well as in Chitral) is a recent phenomenon dating back to the mid-2000s. 1 Fazal Amin Beg, the main author of the paper, has academic background in Sociocultural anthropology, and Farsi literature.
[Show full text]
Open Access Journal Home Page: ISSN: 2223-957X
Int. J. Econ. Environ. Geol. Vol. Alam10 (4 et) 25al.- 29 /Int.J.Econ.Environ.Geol.Vol., 2019 10(4) 25-29, 2019 Open Access Journal home page: www.econ-environ-geol.org ISSN: 2223-957X c The Process Designing of Gold Extraction from Placers of Passu to Shimshal (Hunza Valley) Gilgit-Baltistan by Mercury Amalgamation and Cyanidation Leached Method Muhammad Alam1, Javed Akhter Qureshi2*, Garee Khan2, Manzoor Ali3, Naeem Abbas4, Sher Sultan2, Asghar Khan,2 Yasmeen Bano5 Government Degree College Gilgit,1 Department of Earth Sciences,2 Department of Physics,3 Department of Mining Engineering,4 Department of Mathematical Sciences,5 Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan *E mail: [email protected] Received: 22 October, 2019 Accepted: 03 January, 2020 Abstract: Gold wash through panning or washing in the fluvial sediments or sands is done on the river banks in Skardu, Hunza and other places. The method of gold washing is very crude, primitive and most of the gold is washed away back into the river. The current study mainly focused on extraction of placer gold deposits. Pneumatic machines from Passu to Shimshal (Hunza valley) Gilgit-Baltistan. The mercury amalgamation and cyanide leached methods have been used for placer gold deposits extraction from the concentrate obtained from shaking table. The amount of gold recovered from amalgamation method with mercury was 30.9%. The alloyed gold with other metals, gold dust, and fine gold was recovered by chemical process. The reagent consumption, i.e. 1.4 kg/ton of NACN and 6 Kg / ton of CaO were used for extraction of placer gold deposits.
[Show full text]
Passupassu Passu
NWFP Wildlife Department Government of NWFP NA Forestry, Parks and Wildlife Department NA Administration PASSUPASSUPASSUPASSU MagnificentPASSU Glaciers & Mighty Peaks Rock flutes near Fatima Hil © all photographs Matthieu Paley p12 PASSU IS MAGNIFICENTLY SITUATED, IN A COUNTRY WHERE NATURE HAS DESIGNED EVERYTHING ON A NOBLE AND LAVISH SCALE. “Col. R. C. F. Schomberg, “Between the Oxus and the Indus” ” all maps by Mareile Paley. Created with the help of WWF GIS-Lab, ESRI and ERDAS imagine all maps by Mareile Paley. PASSU FACTS location Gojal, Upper Hunza, on the Karakoram Highway main settlements Passu, Janabad public transport any transport on Karakoram Highway going between Aliabad and Sost accommodation several small guesthouses in Passu, guesthouses and hotels in Janabad supplies best to buy all your trekking food in Sost, Aliabad or Gilgit population 98 households, 880 people indigenous language Wakhi indigenous wildlife snow leopard, Himalayan ibex, red fox, wolf, Himalayan snow cock, rock partridge common plant species juniper, willow, poplar, wild roses, seabuckthorn View of Passu from Avdegar INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION With the completion of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in 1978, the previously inaccessible maze of high mountains, glaciers and hidden valleys which make up the Karakoram Range, suddenly opened its doors to the world. An area of unspoiled mountain beauty with rugged glaciers, unclimbed peaks and pristine wildlife, Gojal, the region north of Hunza, has since become a popular spot for ecotourism. The sun-drenched summits Passu village with its small rural Wakhi community lays in the heart of Gojal. Passu’s idyllic Despite its popularity as a opposite Passu are commonly trekking destination, Passu known as the Cathedral Peaks.
[Show full text]
Role of English in Afghan Language Policy Planning with Its Impact on National Integration (2001-2010)
ROLE OF ENGLISH IN AFGHAN LANGUAGE POLICY PLANNING WITH ITS IMPACT ON NATIONAL INTEGRATION (2001-2010) By AYAZ AHMAD Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia) UNIVERSITY OF PESHAWAR (DECEMBER 2016) ROLE OF ENGLISH IN AFGHAN LANGUAGE POLICY PLANNING WITH ITS IMPACT ON NATIONAL INTEGRATION (2001-2010) By AYAZ AHMAD A dissertation submitted to the University of Peshawar in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (DECEMBER 2016) i AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I, Mr. Ayaz Ahmad hereby state that my PhD thesis titled “Role of English in Afghan Language Policy Planning with its Impact on National Integration (2001-2010)” is my own work and has not been submitted previously by me for taking any degree from this University of Peshawar or anywhere else in the country/world. At any time if my statement is found to be incorrect even after my graduation the University has the right to withdraw my PhD degree. AYAZ AHMAD Date: December 2016 ii PLAGIARISM UNDERTAKING I solemnly declare that research work presented in the thesis titled “Role of English in Afghan Language Policy Planning with its Impact on National Integration (2001-2010)” is solely my research work with no significant contribution from any other person. Small contribution/help wherever taken has been duly acknowledged and that complete thesis has been written by me. I understand the zero tolerance policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and University of Peshawar towards plagiarism. Therefore I as an Author of the above-titled thesis declare that no portion of my thesis has been plagiarized and any material used as a reference is properly referred/cited.
[Show full text]
The Socio Linguistic Situation and Language Policy of the Autonomous Region of Mountainous Badakhshan: the Case of the Tajik Language*
THE SOCIO LINGUISTIC SITUATION AND LANGUAGE POLICY OF THE AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MOUNTAINOUS BADAKHSHAN: THE CASE OF THE TAJIK LANGUAGE* Leila Dodykhudoeva Institute Of Linguistics, Russian Academy Of Sciences The paper deals with the problem of closely related languages of the Eastern and Western Iranian origin that coexist in a close neighbourhood in a rather compact area of one region of Republic Tajikistan. These are a group of "minor" Pamir languages and state language of Tajikistan - Tajik. The population of the Autonomous Region of Mountainous Badakhshan speaks different Pamir languages. They are: Shughni, Rushani, Khufi, Bartangi, Roshorvi, Sariqoli; Yazghulami; Wakhi; Ishkashimi. These languages have no script and written tradition and are used only as spoken languages in the region. The status of these languages and many other local linguemes is still discussed in Iranology. Nearly all Pamir languages to a certain extent can be called "endangered". Some of these languages, like Yazghulami, Roshorvi, Ishkashimi are included into "The Red Book " (UNESCO 1995) as "endangered". Some of them are extinct. Information on other idioms up to now is not available. These languages live in close cooperation and interaction with the state language of Tajikistan - Tajik. Almost all population of Badakhshan is multilingual or bilingual. The second language is official language of the state - Tajik. This language is used in Badakhshan as the language of education, press, media, and culture. This is the reason why this paper is focused on the status of Tajik language in Republic Tajikistan and particularly in Badakhshan. The Tajik literary language (its oral and written forms) has a long history and rich written traditions.
[Show full text]
TRANSFORMATIONS of HIGH MOUNTAIN PASTORAL STRATEGIES in the PAMIRIAN KNOT Hermann Kreutzmann
TRANSFORMATIONS OF HIGH MOUNTAIN PASTORAL STRATEGIES IN THE PAMIRIAN KNOT Hermann Kreutzmann Abstract Mountain pastoralism in the Pamirian Knot has been significantly transformed from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. The development path has depended on spheres of influence of dominating powers and affiliation to mighty neighbours and, subsequently, to parties in the Cold War. Significant interventions that led to structural changes can be societal transformations, such as those that happened in the Emirate of Bokhara– Tsarist Russia–Soviet Union–Tajikistan sequence, as well as in the framework of establishing Afghan dominance in Badakhshan, in post- revolutionary interventions in Chinese Xinjiang or in the integration of Karakoram communities in the newly created nation-state of Pakistan. Keywords: Central Asia, Pamirs, transformation, mountain pastoralism, combined mountain agriculture As we have seen, the mountains resist the march of history, with its blessings and its burdens, or they accept it only with reluctance. And yet life sees to it that there is constant contact between hill population and lowlands. None of the Mediterranean ranges resembles the impenetrable mountains to be found in the Far East, in China, Japan, Indochina, India, and as far as the Malacca peninsula. Since they have no communication with sea-level civilization, the communities found there are autonomous (Braudel 1972: 41). Introduction Phenomena observed in high mountain regions are regularly interpreted as the result of natural frame conditions rather than as the visible effects of human action and environmental construction. This perception is particularly encountered when mountain regions outside the industrialized world are in focus, as the above quotation from Fernand Braudel proves.
[Show full text]
Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan
NEPA Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan An Output of the National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment for Global Environment Management (NCSA) for Afghanistan June 2008 United Nations Environment Programme Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch First published in Kabul in 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme. Copyright © 2008, United Nations Environment Programme. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. United Nations Environment Programme Darulaman Kabul, Afghanistan Tel: +93 (0)799 382 571 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.unep.org DISCLAIMER The contents of this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of UNEP, or contributory organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Unless otherwise credited, all the photos in this publication have been taken by the UNEP staff. Design and Layout: Rachel Dolores
[Show full text]
Langdon Warner at Dunhuang: What Really Happened? by Justin M
ISSN 2152-7237 (print) ISSN 2153-2060 (online) The Silk Road Volume 11 2013 Contents In Memoriam ........................................................................................................................................................... [iii] Langdon Warner at Dunhuang: What Really Happened? by Justin M. Jacobs ............................................................................................................................ 1 Metallurgy and Technology of the Hunnic Gold Hoard from Nagyszéksós, by Alessandra Giumlia-Mair ......................................................................................................... 12 New Discoveries of Rock Art in Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor and Pamir: A Preliminary Study, by John Mock .................................................................................................................................. 36 On the Interpretation of Certain Images on Deer Stones, by Sergei S. Miniaev ....................................................................................................................... 54 Tamgas, a Code of the Steppes. Identity Marks and Writing among the Ancient Iranians, by Niccolò Manassero .................................................................................................................... 60 Some Observations on Depictions of Early Turkic Costume, by Sergey A. Yatsenko .................................................................................................................... 70 The Relations between China and India
[Show full text]
Framing Modernization Interventions: Reassessing the Role of Migration
Framing Modernization Interventions: Reassessing the Role of Migration and Translocality in Sustainable Mountain Development in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Author(s): Andreas Benz Source: Mountain Research and Development, 36(2):141-152. Published By: International Mountain Society https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-15-00055.1 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-15-00055.1 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Mountain Research and Development (MRD) MountainResearch An international, peer-reviewed open access journal Systems knowledge published by the International Mountain Society (IMS) www.mrd-journal.org Framing Modernization Interventions: Reassessing the Role of Migration and Translocality in Sustainable Mountain Development in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Andreas Benz [email protected] Department of Geography, Augsburg University, D-86135 Augsburg, Germany ß 2016. Benz. This open access article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
[Show full text]
Community Initiated Water Project for Irrigation and Drinking Yaz Sam Hussaini Gojal (2010-2011)
Community Initiated Water Project for Irrigation and Drinking Yaz sam Hussaini Gojal (2010-2011) ALI REHMAT Hussaini Organization for Local Development (HOLD) Hussaini Gojal, Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan Total Population 639 Male 333 Female 306 Household 89 Altitude 2556m Source: Field Survey 2007 Gilgit-Baltistan Hussaini Village is situated in Hunza valley, 145 km North of Gilgit and 45 km from Ali Abad in Central Hunza. Hunza River flows in to the east while the Karakoram Highway (KKH) passes to its west. Hussaini Village is situated on 74°52'23.42" East longitude and 36°25'29.14" North latitude at an altitude of 2,556 meters above sea level. South of Hussaini is Gulmit (the headquarters of Gojal magistracy - tehsil), Ghulkin is to the southwest, while Passu is in the north with famous Batura glacier. Hussaini glacier is located to the west with famous Shisper peak, 7611meters. Hussaini is a small village of Gojal (Upper Hunza) in tGilgit-Baltistan. It is situated on the both banks of Hunza River. The old main village is on the western-bank and at the lateral moraine of Hussaini glacier and below Borith Lake. The newly irrigated land, called Zarabod, is on the left bank. The total population is 649 souls, living in 87 households. (2008) Hussaini is located in the center of the Karakoram Range, surrounded by high mountains having the heights of more than 7000 meters. Most of the peaks, remain snow covered throughout the year. Shishper (7611 m) is the highest peak of the study area. The rock exposed in the area is mainly Slate i.e.
[Show full text]
Boundaries and Space in Gilgit-Baltistan Hermann Kreutzmann*
Contemporary South Asia, 2015 Vol. 23, No. 3, 276–291, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09584935.2015.1040733 Boundaries and space in Gilgit-Baltistan Hermann Kreutzmann* Centre for Development Studies, Institute of Geographic Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, GeoCampus Lankwitz, Malteserstr. 74–100, Berlin 12249, Germany Boundary-making in the Karakoram–Himalayan borderlands has found a diverse set of actors and expressions over time. Legacies from colonial borders are part of contemporary disputes about affiliation, participation, and space. Three aspects are addressed in this paper: first, the debate about ‘natural’ and ‘scientific’ boundaries for purposes of colonial territorial acquisition; second, postcolonial debates in the recent renaming game in Gilgit-Baltistan and its implications; and third, the attitudes of actors in exile and geopolitical players claiming to represent the aspirations of the inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan. The three perspectives reveal opportunities and constraints in border regimes that reflect power structures, internal and external modes of interference, and participation. Keywords: Kashmir; Pakistan; conflict; colonial legacy; disputed territory Introduction Spatial perceptions and territorial divisions have changed significantly over time. Various actors have entered the stage: some colonial and postcolonial exponents have been driven by external interests, others are embedded in local politics and economies of exchange. Brenner (1999, 40) has stated that ‘globalization researchers have begun to deploy a barrage of distinctively geographical prefixes – e.g. “sub-”, “supra-”, “trans-”, “meso-”, and “inter-”, – to describe various emergent social processes that appear to operate below, above, beyond, or between entrenched geopolitical boundaries’. By over- coming a state-centrist perspective, he argues that a new global perspective leads to ‘the production of new configurations of territoriality on both sub- and supra-national geo- Downloaded by [FU Berlin] at 06:15 24 October 2015 graphical scales’ (Brenner 1999, 41).
[Show full text]