Dardistan In 1895 - free ebook by G. W. (Gottlieb William) Leitner

Read as playlist

Dardistan In 1895

G. W. (Gottlieb William) Leitner

60 chapters

8 hour read

Read as playlist

Selected Chapters

60 chapters

DARDISTAN IN 1866, 1886 AND 1893

DARDISTAN IN 1866, 1886 AND 1893

Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush , AS ALSO A SUPPLEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION OF THE HUNZA AND NAGYR HANDBOOK And An Epitome of PART III OF THE AUTHOR’S “THE LANGUAGES AND RACES OF DARDISTAN” By G. W. LEITNER M.A., PH.D., LL.D., D.O.L., ETC. ( With appendices on recent events, a map and numerous illustrations ) MANJUSRI PUBLISHING HOUSE Kumar Gallery, 11

43 minute read

Read Chapter

The Dards.

The Dards.

Herodotus (III. 102-105) is the first author who refers to the country of the Dards, placing it on the frontier of Kashmir and in the vicinity of Afghanistan. “Other Indians are those who reside on the frontiers of the town ‘Kaspatyros’ and the Paktyan country; they dwell to the north of the other Indians and live like the Baktrians; they are also the most warlike of the Indians and are sent for the gold,” etc. Then follows the legend of the gold-digging ants (which has been shown to have been t

3 minute read

Read Chapter

Influence of Greece on Asia in General and India in Particular.

Influence of Greece on Asia in General and India in Particular.

The most important contribution to this question, however, is Plutarch’s Speech on Alexander’s fortune and virtue (περὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τύχης καὶ ἀρετῆς), the keynote to which may be found in the passage which contains the assertion that he Κατέσπειρε τὴν Ἀσίαν ἑλληνικοῖς τέλεσι, but the whole speech refers to that marvellous influence. That this influence was at any rate believed in, may be also gathered from a passage in Aelian, in which he speaks of the Indians and Persian kings singing Homer in t

5 minute read

Read Chapter

A.—Demons = Yatsh[8] (Yuecci?).

A.—Demons = Yatsh[8] (Yuecci?).

Demons are of a gigantic size, and have only one eye, which is on the forehead . They used to rule over the mountains and oppose the cultivation of the soil by man. They often dragged people away into their recesses. Since the adoption of the Muhammadan religion, the demons have relinquished their possessions, and only occasionally trouble the believers. They do not walk by day, but confine themselves to promenading at night. A spot is shown near Astor, at a village called Bulent, where five lar

8 minute read

Read Chapter

B.—“Barai,” “Peris,” “Fairies.”

B.—“Barai,” “Peris,” “Fairies.”

They are handsome, in contradistinction to the Yatsh or Demons, and stronger; they have a beautiful castle on the top of the Nanga Parbat or Dyarmul (so called from being inaccessible). This castle is made of crystal, and the people fancy they can see it. They call it “Shell-battekōt” or “Castle of Glass-stone.” Once a sportsman ventured up the Nanga Parbat. To his surprise he found no difficulty, and venturing farther and farther, he at last reached the top. There he saw a beautiful castle made

3 minute read

Read Chapter

C.—Dayall = Wizards and Witches.

C.—Dayall = Wizards and Witches.

The gift of second sight, or rather the intercourse with fairies, is confined to a few families in which it is hereditary. The wizard is made to inhale the fumes of a fire which is lit with the wood of the tshili [10] (Panjabi = Padam), a kind of fir-wood which gives much smoke. Into the fire the milk of a white sheep or goat is poured. The wizard inhales the smoke till he apparently becomes insensible. He is then taken on the lap of one of the spectators, who sings a song which restores him to

1 minute read

Read Chapter

D.—Historical Legend of the Origin of Gilgit.

D.—Historical Legend of the Origin of Gilgit.

“Once upon a time there lived a race at Gilgit, whose origin is uncertain. Whether they sprang from the soil, or had immigrated from a distant region, is doubtful; so much is believed, that they were Gayupí = spontaneous, aborigines, unknown. Over them ruled a monarch who was a descendant of the evil spirits, the Yatsh, that terrorized over the world. His name was Shiribadatt, and he resided at a castle, in front of which there was a course for the performance of the manly game of Polo. (See my

15 minute read

Read Chapter

A. RIDDLES.

A. RIDDLES.

1. Tishkóreya ushkúrey halól. “The perpendicular mountain’s sparrow’s nest. The body’s sparrow’s hole.” “Now listen! My sister walks in the day-time and at night stands behind the door.” As “Sas” “Sazik” also means a stick, ordinarily called “Kunali” in Astori, the riddle means: “I have a stick which assists me in walking by day and which I put behind the door at night.” 3. The Gilgitis say “méy káke tré pay; dashtea” = my brother has three feet; explain now. This means a man’s two legs and a st

2 minute read

Read Chapter

B. PROVERBS.

B. PROVERBS.

To an old man people say: “You are old and have got rid of your senses.” Old women are very much dreaded and are accused of creating mischief wherever they go. “When young I gave away, now that I am old you should support me.” 10. Ek damm agáru dáddo dugúni shang thé! Once in fire you have been burnt, a second time take care! 11. Ek khatsh látshek bilo búdo donate she. One bad sheep if there be, to the whole flock is an insult = One rotten sheep spoils the whole flock. 12. Ek khatsho manújo budo

2 minute read

Read Chapter

C. FABLES.

C. FABLES.

Moral. — Anésey maní aní haní = the meaning of this is this: Translation. A woman had a hen; it used to lay one golden egg; the woman thought that if she gave much food it would lay two eggs; but she lost even the one, for the hen died, its stomach bursting. Moral. —People often lose the little they have by aspiring to more. “A sparrow who tried to kick the mountain himself toppled over.” The bat is in the habit of sleeping on its back. It is believed to be very proud. It is supposed to say as i

4 minute read

Read Chapter

THE GILGIT QUEEN AND THE MOGULS. 1. GILGITI SONG.

THE GILGIT QUEEN AND THE MOGULS. 1. GILGITI SONG.

Once upon a time a Mogul army came down and surrounded the fort of Gilgit. At that time Gilgit was governed by a woman, Mirzéy Juwāri [20] by name. She was the widow of a Rajah supposed to have been of Balti descent. The Lady seeing herself surrounded by enemies sang: The meaning of this, according to my Gilgiti informant, is: Juwari laments that “I, the daughter of a brave King, am only a woman, a cup of pleasures, exposed to dangers from any one who wishes to sip from it. To my misfortune, my

1 minute read

Read Chapter

SONG OF DEFIANCE. 2. GILGITI WAR SONG.

SONG OF DEFIANCE. 2. GILGITI WAR SONG.

In ancient times there was a war between the Rajahs of Hunza and Nagyr. Muko and Báko were their respective Wazeers. Muko was killed and Báko sang: Gilgiti. English. Group of Natives from Hunza, Yasin, and Nagyr listening to Musicians from Chitrál and Badakhshán....

36 minute read

Read Chapter

LAMENT FOR THE ABSENT WARRIOR BY HIS MOTHER. 3. ANOTHER GILGITI WAR SONG.

LAMENT FOR THE ABSENT WARRIOR BY HIS MOTHER. 3. ANOTHER GILGITI WAR SONG.

Translation. “The bullet of Kashiru sends many to Paradise. He has gone to the wars, oh my child and mother of Sahib Khan! Will the sun ever shine for me by his returning? It is true that he has taken by assault the ravine of Mutshutshul, but yet, oh beloved child, my soul is in fear for his fate, as the danger has not passed, since the village Doloja yet remains to be conquered.”...

1 minute read

Read Chapter

4. THE SHIN SHAMMI SHAH. OLD NATIONAL SHINA SONG.

4. THE SHIN SHAMMI SHAH. OLD NATIONAL SHINA SONG.

Shammi Shah Shaíthing was one of the founders of the Shín rule. His wife, although she sees her husband surrounded by women anxious to gain his good graces, rests secure in the knowledge of his affections belonging to her and of her being the mother of his children. She, therefore, ridicules the pretensions of her rivals, who, she fancies, will, at the utmost, only have a temporary success. In the above still preserved song she says, with a serene confidence, not shared by Indian wives. Translat

2 minute read

Read Chapter

5. A WOMAN’S SONG (GILGITI). [THE DESERTED WIFE AND THE FAITHLESS HUSBAND.]

5. A WOMAN’S SONG (GILGITI). [THE DESERTED WIFE AND THE FAITHLESS HUSBAND.]

The Wife : The Husband : Translation of “A Woman’s Song.” The deserted wife sings :—My Pathan! oh kukúri, far away from me has he made a home; but, aunt, what am I to do, since he has left his own! The silk that I have been weaving during his absence would be sufficient to bind all the animals of the field. Oh, how my darling is delaying his return! The faithless husband sings :—[My new love] Azari is like a royal Deodar; is it not so, my love? for Azari I am sick with desire. She is a Wazeer’s

3 minute read

Read Chapter

6. THE JILTED LOVER’S DREAM. [IN THE ASTORI DIALECT.]

6. THE JILTED LOVER’S DREAM. [IN THE ASTORI DIALECT.]

The above describes the dream of a lover whose sweetheart has married one older than herself; he says: Translation....

2 minute read

Read Chapter

7. MODERN ASTORI SONG.

7. MODERN ASTORI SONG.

This Song was composed by Rajah Bahadur Khan, now at Astŏr, who fell in love with the daughter of the Rajah of Hunza to whom he was affianced. When the war between Kashmir and Hunza broke out, the Astoris and Hunzas were in different camps; Rajah Bahadur Khan, son of Rajah Shakul Khan, of the Shíah persuasion, [31] thus laments his misfortunes: Chorus falls in with “ hai, hai, armân bulbúl ” = “oh, oh, the longing [for the] nightingale!” [33] Translation. After having discharged my usual religio

1 minute read

Read Chapter

8. GURAIZI SONGS.

8. GURAIZI SONGS.

This district used to be under Ahmad Shah of Skardo, and has since its conquest by Ghulab Singh come permanently under the Maharajah of Kashmîr. Its possession used to be the apple of discord between the Nawabs of Astor and the Rajahs of Skardo. It appears never to have had a real Government of its own. The fertility of its valleys always invited invasion. Yet the people are of Shîná origin and appear much more manly than the other subjects of Kashmîr. Their loyalty to that power is not much to

2 minute read

Read Chapter

9. PRAISE OF THE CONQUEROR SHEIR SHAH ALI SHAH.

9. PRAISE OF THE CONQUEROR SHEIR SHAH ALI SHAH.

I believe there was much more of this historical song, but unfortunately the paper on which the rest was written down by me as it was delivered, has been lost together with other papers. “Tshamūgar,” to which reference is made in the song, is a village on the other side of the Gilgit river on the Nagyr side. It is right opposite to where I stayed for two nights under a huge stone which projects from the base of the Niludâr range on the Gilgit side. There were formerly seven forts at Tshamūgar. A

1 minute read

Read Chapter

CHILASI SONGS.

CHILASI SONGS.

[The Chilasis have a curious way of snapping their fingers, with which practice they accompany their songs, the thumb running up and down the fingers as on a musical instrument.]...

8 minute read

Read Chapter

10. CHILASI.

10. CHILASI.

The last word in each sentence, as is usual with all Shín songs, is repeated at the beginning of the next line. I may also remark that I have accentuated the words as pronounced in the songs and not as put down in my Vocabulary. Translation. MESSAGE TO A SWEETHEART BY A FRIEND. The second song describes a quarrel between two brothers who are resting after a march on some hill far away from any water or food wherewith to refresh themselves....

1 minute read

Read Chapter

12. THE TRANSITORINESS OF THIS WORLD.

12. THE TRANSITORINESS OF THIS WORLD.

2nd Verse....

1 minute read

Read Chapter

A PRAYER OF THE BASHGELI KAFIRS. [In the Kalásha dialect.]

A PRAYER OF THE BASHGELI KAFIRS. [In the Kalásha dialect.]

The ideas and many of the words in this prayer were evidently acquired by my two Kafirs on their way through Kashmir: “Khudá, tandrusti dé, prushkári rozì de, abattì kari, dewalat man. Tu ghóna asas, tshik intara, tshik tu faidá káy asas. Sat asmán tì, Stru suri mastruk mótshe dé.”...

18 minute read

Read Chapter

A. AMUSEMENTS.

A. AMUSEMENTS.

The Chaughan Bazi or Hockey on horseback, so popular everywhere north of Kashmir, and which is called Polo by the Baltis and Ladakis, who both play it to perfection and in a manner which I shall describe elsewhere, is also well known to the Ghilgiti and Astori subdivisions of the Shina people. On great general holidays as well as on any special occasion of rejoicing, the people meet on those grounds which are mostly near the larger villages, and pursue the game with great excitement and at the r

6 minute read

Read Chapter

B. BEVERAGES.

B. BEVERAGES.

Fine corn (about five or six seers in weight) is put into a kettle with water and boiled till it gets soft, but not pulpy. It is then strained through a cloth, and the grain retained and put into a vessel. Then it is mixed with a drug that comes from Ladak which is called “Papps,” and has a salty taste, but in my opinion is nothing more than hardened dough with which some kind of drug is mixed. It is necessary that “the marks of four fingers” be impressed upon the “Papps.” The mark of “four fing

4 minute read

Read Chapter

C. BIRTH CEREMONIES.

C. BIRTH CEREMONIES.

As soon as the child is born the father or the Mulla repeats the “Bâng” in his ear “Allah Akbar” (which an Astóri, of the name of Mirza Khan, said was never again repeated in one’s life!). Three days after the reading of the “Bâng” or “Namáz” in Gilgit and seven days after that ceremony in Astor, a large company assembles in which the father or grandfather of the newborn gives him a name or the Mulla fixes on a name by putting his hand on some word in the Koran, which may serve the purpose or by

1 minute read

Read Chapter

D. MARRIAGE.

D. MARRIAGE.

In Gilgit it appears to be a more simple ceremony than in Chilâs and Astór. The father of the boy goes to the father of the girl and presents him with a knife about 1½ feet long, 4 yards of cloth and a pumpkin filled with wine. If the father accepts the present the betrothal is arranged. It is generally the fashion that after the betrothal, which is named: “ Shéir qatar wíye, ballí píye , = 4 yards of cloth and a knife he has given, the pumpkin he has drunk,” the marriage takes place. A betrotha

7 minute read

Read Chapter

E. FUNERALS.

E. FUNERALS.

Funerals are conducted in a very simple manner. The custom of eating grapes at funerals I have already touched upon in my allusion to Dureyl in the chapter on “Wine.” Bread is commonly distributed together with Ghî, etc., three days after the funeral, to people in general, a custom which is called “Nashí” by the Astóris, and “Khatm” by the Gilgitis. When a person is dead, the Mulla, assisted generally by a near friend of the deceased, washes the body which is then placed in a shroud. Women assem

3 minute read

Read Chapter

F. HOLIDAYS.

F. HOLIDAYS.

The great holiday of the Shîn people happened in 1867, during the month succeeding the Ramazan, but seems to be generally on the sixth of February. It is called the “Shinó náo,” “the new day of the Shîn people.” The Gilgitis call the day “Shinó bazóno,” “the spring of the Shîn people.” [The year, it will be remembered, is divided into bazono = spring; walo = summer; shero = autumn; yono = winter.] The snow is now becoming a little softer and out-of-door life is more possible. The festivities are

1 minute read

Read Chapter

G. THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE DARDS.

G. THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE DARDS.

If the Dards—the races living between the Hindu-Kush and Kaghán—have preserved many Aryan customs and traditions, it is partly because they have lived in almost perfect seclusion from other Muhammadans. In Chilâs, where the Sunni form of that faith prevails, there is little to relieve the austerity of that creed. The rest of the Muhammadan Dards are Shiahs, and that belief is more elastic and seems to be more suited to a quick-witted race, than the orthodox form of Islam. Sunniism, however, is a

5 minute read

Read Chapter

H. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AMONG THE DARDS.

H. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AMONG THE DARDS.

Chilâs, which sends a tribute every year to Kashmir for the sake of larger return-presents rather than as a sign of subjection, is said to be governed by a council of elders, in which even women are admitted. [56] When I visited Gilgit, in 1866, it was practically without a ruler, the invading troops of Kashmir barely holding their own within a few yards of the Gilgit Fort—a remarkable construction which, according to the report of newspapers, was blown up by accident in 1876, and of which the o

4 minute read

Read Chapter

I. HABITATIONS.

I. HABITATIONS.

Most of the villages, whose names I have given elsewhere, are situate on the main lines of roads which, as everywhere in Himalayan countries, generally coincides with the course of rivers. The villages are sometimes scattered, but as a rule, the houses are closely packed together. Stones are heaped up and closely cemented, and the upper story, which often is only a space shielded by a cloth or by grass-bundles on a few poles, is generally reached by a staircase from the outside. [65] Most villag

2 minute read

Read Chapter

J. DIVISIONS OF THE DARD RACES.

J. DIVISIONS OF THE DARD RACES.

The name of Dardistan (a hybrid between the “Darada” of Sanscrit writings and a Persian termination) seems now to be generally accepted. I include in it all the countries lying between the Hindu Kush and Kaghan (lat. 37° N. and long. 73° E. to lat. 35° N., long. 74° 30´ E.). In a restricted sense the Dards are the race inhabiting the mountainous country of Shináki, detailed further on, but I include under that designation not only the Chilâsis, Astóris, Gilgitis, Dareylis, etc., but also the peo

4 minute read

Read Chapter

K. CASTES.

K. CASTES.

“Raja (highest on account of position). “Wazîr (of Shîn race, and also the official caste of ‘Róno’). “SHIN the highest caste; the Shiná people of pure origin, whether they be Astóris, Gilgitis, Chilâsis, etc., etc. [75] “They say that it is the same race as the ‘Moghals’ of India. Probably this name only suggested itself to them when coming in contact with Mussulmans from Kashmir or the Panjab. The following castes are named in their order of rank (for exact details, see “Hunza Handbook”): “ N.

46 minute read

Read Chapter

1.—A BEAR PLAYS WITH A CORPSE.

1.—A BEAR PLAYS WITH A CORPSE.

It is said that bears, as the winter is coming on, are in the habit of filling their dens with grass and that they eat a plant, called “ajalí,” which has a narcotic effect upon them and keeps them in a state of torpor during the winter. After three months, when the spring arrives, they awake and go about for food. One of these bears once scented a corpse which he disinterred. It happened to be that of a woman who had died a few days before. The bear, who was in good spirits, brought her to his d

54 minute read

Read Chapter

2.—A BEAR MOURNS A GIRL.

2.—A BEAR MOURNS A GIRL.

Another curious story is related of a bear. Two women, a mother and her little daughter, were one night watching their field of Indian corn “makai,” against the inroads of these animals. The mother had to go to her house to prepare the food and ordered her daughter to light a fire outside. Whilst she was doing this a bear came and took her away. He carried her into his den, and daily brought her to eat and to drink. He rolled a big stone in front of the den, whenever he went away on his tours, w

46 minute read

Read Chapter

3.—ORIGIN OF BEARS.

3.—ORIGIN OF BEARS.

It is said that bears were originally the offspring of a man who was driven into madness by his inability to pay his debts, and who took to the hills in order to avoid his creditors. [78]...

11 minute read

Read Chapter

4.—THE BEAR AND THE ONE-EYED MAN.

4.—THE BEAR AND THE ONE-EYED MAN.

The following story was related by a man of the name of Ghalib Shah residing at a village near Astór, called Parishing. He was one night looking out whether any bear had come into his “tromba” field. [79] He saw that a bear was there and that he with his forepaws alternately took a pawful of “tromba,” blew the chaff away and ate hastily. The man was one-eyed [shéo = blind; my Ghilgiti used “Kyor,” which he said was a Persian word, but which is evidently Turkish] and ran to his hut to get his gun

1 minute read

Read Chapter

5.—WEDDING FESTIVAL AMONG BEARS.

5.—WEDDING FESTIVAL AMONG BEARS.

A Mulla, of the name of Lal Mohammad, said that when he was taken a prisoner into Chilás, [80] he and his escort passed one day through one of the dreariest portions of the mountains of that inhospitable region. There they heard a noise, and quietly approaching to ascertain its cause they saw a company of bears tearing up the grass and making bundles of it which they hugged. Other bears again wrapped their heads in grass, and some stood on their hind-paws, holding a stick in their forepaws and d

48 minute read

Read Chapter

6.—THE FLYING PORCUPINE.

6.—THE FLYING PORCUPINE.

There is a curious superstition with regard to an animal called “Harginn,” which appears to be more like a porcupine than anything else. It is covered with bristles; its back is of a red-brownish and its belly of a yellowish colour. That animal is supposed to be very dangerous, and to contain poison in its bristles. At the approach of any man or animal it is said to gather itself up for a terrific jump into the air, from which it descends unto the head of the intended victim. It is said to be ge

1 minute read

Read Chapter

7.—A FIGHT BETWEEN WOLVES AND A BEAR WHO WANTED TO DIG THEIR GRAVE.

7.—A FIGHT BETWEEN WOLVES AND A BEAR WHO WANTED TO DIG THEIR GRAVE.

A curious animal something like a wolf is also described. The species is called “Kō.” [81] These animals are like dogs; their snouts are of a red colour, and are very long; they hunt in herds of ten or twenty and track game which they bring down, one herd or one Kō, as the case may be, relieving the other at certain stages. A Shikári once reported that he saw a large number of them asleep. They were all ranged in a single long line. A bear approached, and by the aid of a long branch measured the

2 minute read

Read Chapter

GENEALOGY OF THE GILGIT, YASIN, CHITRAL, NAGYR, HUNZA, AND OTHER DYNASTIES SINCE 1800.

GENEALOGY OF THE GILGIT, YASIN, CHITRAL, NAGYR, HUNZA, AND OTHER DYNASTIES SINCE 1800.

Transcriber’s Note: These genealogies are designed to be viewed using a fixed width font. They’re also provided as linked illustrations. View original page image It is said that both the Yasin and the Chitral dynasties are descended from a common ancestor “Kathôr.” The Gilgitis call the Yasînis “Poryalé” and the Chitralis “Katoré.” Khushwakt (?) died 1800(?) from whom the present dynasty derives the name of “Khushwaktia.” [A Raja of that name and dignity often met me at Srinagar in 1886.] He had

6 minute read

Read Chapter

ROUGH CHRONOLOGICAL SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF DARDISTAN SINCE 1800.

ROUGH CHRONOLOGICAL SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF DARDISTAN SINCE 1800.

1800.—Gurtam Khan, hereditary ruler of the now dispossessed Gilgit Dynasty, rules 10 years in peace; is killed in an engagement with Suleyman Khan, Khushwaktia, great uncle of the famous Gauhar Amán (or Gormán) of Yasin. 1811.—Muhammad Khan, the son of Gurtam Khan, defeats Suleyman Khan, rules Gilgit for 15 years in peace and perfect independence whilst— 1814.—(Sirdar Muhammad Azim Khan, Barakzai, is ruler of Kashmir). 1819.—Ranjit Singh annexes Kashmir. 1826.—Suleyman Khan of Yasin again attack

26 minute read

Read Chapter

Introduction. (Juin, 1893.)

Introduction. (Juin, 1893.)

Chilás has already been referred to in my “rough Chronological Sketch of the History of Dardistan from 1800 to 1892.” [88] I now propose to republish “the History of the Wars of the Dard tribes with Kashmir” beginning with the account given to me by a Sazîni Dard in 1866 of the first war with the Chilásis. [89] Its importance at the present moment, consists in the fact that these wars with the Dards were almost all provoked by Kashmir, as they, practically, now are by ourselves. The attack on pe

4 minute read

Read Chapter

Routes to Chilás.

Routes to Chilás.

The manners, tribal sub-divisions, and occupations of the Chilásis and the names of the mountains, streams, products, etc., of the country, as also the road from Takk to Kashmir by the Kanagamunn pass, Diúng, Shiril, Koja, Ujatt, etc., are detailed in my “Dardistan,” where a Chilási vocabulary, dialogues, songs, etc., will also be found. There are also roads from Abbottabad to Chilás through Agrôr, of Black Mountain fame, practicable for camels. Another road, fit for ponies, goes by Muzafarabad

2 minute read

Read Chapter

I. STRUGGLES FOR THE CONQUEST OF CHILAS.

I. STRUGGLES FOR THE CONQUEST OF CHILAS.

“About twenty-three years ago there was a very strong fort at Chilás. Two years before the outbreak of the wars, a man named Lassu came [on the part of Kashmír?] to the frontier of Chilás. This man’s ancestors had been in the service of the Dogras and for ninety years had possessed property and the Sirdarship at Goré (?) (probably Guraïz) in the family. It is not known why or whether he was dismissed the Kashmîr service, but he came with his family in 1847 to Chilás and became the cause of all t

21 minute read

Read Chapter

II.—WAR WITH GOUHAR AMAN FOR THE POSSESSION OF GILGIT.

II.—WAR WITH GOUHAR AMAN FOR THE POSSESSION OF GILGIT.

A year later, the same Sikh General was despatched with 3,000 horse and foot to Astor and fixed a tribute of one-third of the produce on all. He also established a Thanna at Sógar, a village close to Astor. At the Thanna he laid in ammunition, etc. Next year he went down with his troops along the river of Astor to the Indus and established a Thanna at Bûnji, which is on this side of the Indus and opposite to Sai. Duru was at that time Governor of Bunji on behalf of Gouhar Aman, the ruler of Yasi

18 minute read

Read Chapter

III.—WAR ON YASIN AND THE MASSACRE OF ITS INHABITANTS. [1860]

III.—WAR ON YASIN AND THE MASSACRE OF ITS INHABITANTS. [1860]

When Lakhtar Khan informed the ruler of Chitrál of all that had occurred, Aman-ul-Mulk sent a messenger to the ruler of Yasin with the advice to fortify Gakutsh, lest that too should be lost by him and he should be blamed for not advising him in time. He also thought that the Sikhs would not advance before they had strengthened their hold on Gilgit. Therefore he asked for his army to be sent back; next year he promised to send a larger force, as then an attack from the Sikhs might be possible. M

9 minute read

Read Chapter

IV.—WAR WITH NAGYR AND HUNZA. [1864]

IV.—WAR WITH NAGYR AND HUNZA. [1864]

It is now nine years since these wars have taken place or two years after the conclusion of the war with Yasin. The Maharaja wrote to Zoraweru that after all what he wanted to conquer were the countries of Nagyr and Hunza, as there was no profit to be gained from Gilgit and Yaghistan, whence hitherto, he said, “we have only reaped stony districts and loss of men,” [in reality, Gilgit and Yasin are fertile, whilst Hunza is “stony”]. Zoraweru at once set out for Nômal, which is twelve kôs from Gil

6 minute read

Read Chapter

V.—WAR WITH DAREYL [YAGHISTAN] 1866.

V.—WAR WITH DAREYL [YAGHISTAN] 1866.

When Zoraweru saw that the Hill, or Yaghistan tribes kept quiet he thought it a good opportunity for attacking Dareyl, which, he fancied, would fall easily. He appointed spies to bring to him any Dareylis that might happen to visit Gilgit. Aziz, a Lamberdár of Manikial, came with 100 goats to Gilgit and when he had sold them, visited Zoraweru, who received him kindly and entertained him for two days. When he left, the Kashmir General asked him to remind Kalashmir that he had not sent the tribute

9 minute read

Read Chapter

MULK AMAN.

MULK AMAN.

When Mulk Aman remembered his country, Yasin, he fell home-sick in Chitrál and begged Aman-ul-mulk to let him go and, if Aman-ul-mulk would assist him, he would fight the Sikhs or else die as a martyr. Aman-ul-mulk said that Mulk Aman could only do the latter, as he had no army left. “I advise you, he added, to go to Dareyl and ask the Maharajah’s forgiveness, who may give you some appointment. Serve him, he said, as Isa Bahadur has done and you may be restored to the throne of your ancestors.”

22 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX I. HUNZA, NAGYR, AND THE PAMIR REGIONS.[106]

APPENDIX I. HUNZA, NAGYR, AND THE PAMIR REGIONS.[106]

I wish to record how from small beginnings, owing to carelessness, exclusiveness, and official desire for promotion, Northern India may be lost and British interests in Europe and Asia become subordinate, as they have often been, to Russian guidance; how statesmanship has laboriously invited dangers which physical barriers had almost rendered impossible; and how it may still be practicable to maintain as independent States the numerous mountain strongholds which Nature has interposed between enc

45 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX II. NOTES ON RECENT EVENTS IN CHILÁS AND CHITRÁL.

APPENDIX II. NOTES ON RECENT EVENTS IN CHILÁS AND CHITRÁL.

In 1866 I was sent by the Punjab Government on a linguistic mission to Kashmir and Chilás at the instance of the Bengal Asiatic Society and on the motion of the late Sir George Campbell, who hoped to identify Kailás or the Indian Olympus with Chilás. [108] Although unable to support that conjecture, I collected material which was published in Part I. of my “Dardistan” and which the Government declared “as throwing very considerable and important light on matters heretofore veiled in great obscur

31 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX III. FABLES, LEGENDS, AND SONGS OF CHITRAL[113] (called Chitrár by the natives).

APPENDIX III. FABLES, LEGENDS, AND SONGS OF CHITRAL[113] (called Chitrár by the natives).

Collected by H. H. Sirdar Nizám-ul-Mulk , Raja of Yasin, etc., and by Dr. G. W. Leitner , and translated from Persian or Chitráli. A fowl sat near a thistle, and opened a rag, in which corals were tied up. Suddenly one fell into the thistle; the fowl said, “O thistle, give me my coral.” The thistle said, “This is not my business.” The fowl said, “Then I will burn thee.” The thistle agreed. The fowl then begged the fire to burn the thistle. The fire replied, “Why should I burn this weak thorn?” T

24 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX IV. THE RACES AND LANGUAGES OF THE HINDU-KUSH.

APPENDIX IV. THE RACES AND LANGUAGES OF THE HINDU-KUSH.

By Dr. G. W. Leitner . GROUP OF DARDS AND CENTRAL ASIATICS WITH DR. LEITNER. Standing Nos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ( see next page .) Sitting Nos. 7 8 9 10 11 ( see next page .) Standing —1. Khundayar, son of a Shiah Akhun (priest) at Nagyr; 2. Maulvi Najmuddin, a poet from Kolab; 3 and 4. Khudadad and Hatamu, pilgrims from Nagyr; 5. A Chitrali soldier; 6. Matavalli, of Hunza. Sitting —7. Mir Abdullah, a famous Arabic scholar and jurist from Gabrial; 8. Hakim Habibullah, a Tajik, a physician from Badakshan;

18 minute read

Read Chapter

V.—ANTHROPOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON DARDS AND KAFIRS IN DR. LEITNER’S SERVICE.

V.—ANTHROPOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON DARDS AND KAFIRS IN DR. LEITNER’S SERVICE.

( Measurements in Centimetres. ) Height, 168·5; hair, black; eyes, hazel; colour of face, ruddy; colour of body, very light brown; narrow forehead; high instep; big boned; length round the forehead, biggest circumference of head, 53·75; protruding and big ears; square face; long nose, slightly aquiline; good regular teeth; small beard; slight moustache and eyebrows; distance between eyebrows, ordinary; good chest; fine hand; well-made nails. Weight, 10 st. 2¾ lbs. Height, 182; colour of body, li

6 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX VI. A ROUGH ACCOUNT, COLLECTED IN 1886, OF ITINERARIES IN THE “NEUTRAL ZONE” BETWEEN CENTRAL ASIA AND INDIA. By Raja Khushwaqtia and Dr. G. W. Leitner.

APPENDIX VI. A ROUGH ACCOUNT, COLLECTED IN 1886, OF ITINERARIES IN THE “NEUTRAL ZONE” BETWEEN CENTRAL ASIA AND INDIA. By Raja Khushwaqtia and Dr. G. W. Leitner.

From Gilgit to Kabul , viâ Dareyl, Tangir, Kandiá, Ujù, Torwál, Swat, Dir, Maidán, Jandūl, Bajaur, Muravarri, Pashàt, Kunèr, Jelalabad, Kabul. Gilgit to Sherkila , 9 katsha (rough) kôs [124] (1½ miles), ruled by Isa Bahadur’s son, Raja Akbar Khan, under Kashmīr, a faithful ally, contains 70 zemindars’ (peasants’) houses on the Yasin river. Sherkila to Patàri (is uninhabited), over a ridge Pīr (17 katsha kôs) called Batrèt, which is a plateau on which the Dareylis graze their flocks in the spring

9 minute read

Read Chapter

ROUGH ACCOUNTS OF ITINERARIES THROUGH THE HINDUKUSH AND TO CENTRAL ASIA.

ROUGH ACCOUNTS OF ITINERARIES THROUGH THE HINDUKUSH AND TO CENTRAL ASIA.

By Dr. G. W. Leitner. In connection with my note in “Routes in Dardistan,” I now propose to publish a series of accounts which have been supplied to me by native Indian or Central Asian travellers of position and trustworthiness, and which cannot fail, whatever their scientific or literary deficiencies, to be of topographical and ethnographical, if not of political, value. I commence with the account of a loyal native Chief, who has had opportunities of comparing Russian with British administrat

15 minute read

Read Chapter

APPENDIX VII.

APPENDIX VII.

A number of conjectures as to the origin of the word “Mulái,” all of which are incorrect, have been made by eminent writers unacquainted with Arabic or the meaning of its theological history and terms. A few of these conjectures, however, go very near some fact or view connected with the “Muláis.” The word may not mean “terrestrial gods,” but there are no other, for practical purposes, in the creed of the “Muláis.” It is certainly not a corruption of “Muláhid” or “heretic,” if not “atheist,” alt

29 minute read

Read Chapter

ON THE SCIENCES OF LANGUAGE AND OF ETHNOGRAPHY: With special reference to the Language and Customs of the People of Hunza.[149]

ON THE SCIENCES OF LANGUAGE AND OF ETHNOGRAPHY: With special reference to the Language and Customs of the People of Hunza.[149]

The time has long passed since grammar and its rules could be treated in the way to which we were accustomed at school. Vitality has now to be breathed into the dry bones of conjugations and declensions, and no language can be taught, even for mere practical purposes, without connecting custom and history with so-called “rules.” The influences of climate and of religion have to be considered, as well as the character of the people, if we wish to obtain a real hold on the language of our study. D

27 minute read

Read Chapter