Dard people

The Dards are an ethnic group predominantly found in Afghanistan, Kashmir Valley, Kargil, and Northern Areas of Pakistan Controlled Kashmir. They are also found in northeastern Afghanistan as well as the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Smaller Dard populations can be found in China. The term Dard is due to Herodotus who described a land of the Dardikae the areas of northeastern Afghanistan.

Geographic distribution

The term "Dard" is an outdated one that has been used to describe various groups of often unrelated mountain tribesmen who inhabit a region between Badakhshan, Northern Pakistan and Kashmir. Although the Dardic languages do show similarities they are mostly very distinct from one another often living in remote mountain valleys. The cultures of the Dardic peoples are also quite varied but they do share similarities due to their common mountainous environment and intertwined history.

The Shina language is spoken in Pakistan's Northern Areas apart from Gilgit where most of the speakers live, other areas with significant Shina speakers include Punial, Darail, Tangair and Astore which are located adjacent to the Gilgit region. It is also spoken in Gurez, Drass and Ladakh in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir region. It has many dialects, most of which are found in Pakistan, including Gilgiti Shina, Astori Shine, Ponyali Shina, Chilasi Shina and Gurezi Shina. The pronunciation of this language is very different. It is very important to make changes in the script of this language to make it easy.

Khowar is principally spoken in the Pakistani regions of Chitral, Yasin, Gupis, Koh-o-ghizar and Ishkoman. Many Khowar speakers have migrated and set up colonies in Pakistan's urban centres such as in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. A small number of Khowar speakers can be found in the adjacent regions of Afghanistan.

Two non-Dardic languages which are spoken in Pakistan are Balti, a Sino-Tibetan language and Burushaski a language isolate and still the topic of considerable interest for Pakistani and international linguists.

Dards in Pakistan

Most Dardic people(s) reside in the Northern areas and are mainly settled in the north of the country. In ancient times, Pakistan's northern areas plus the adjacent areas of upper Swat, Kohistan, north eastern Afghanistan were referred to as Dardistan, or land of the Dards. The people of the Northern Areas are mostly of Dardic extract, including the people of Chitral, Gilgit, Kohistan and upper Swat. Dards have also migrated heavily and set up colonies in several of Pakistan's major urban centres such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Dards in Afghanistan

There are also Dardic groups in north eastern Afghanistan such as the Pashai and the Kohistanis. The Nuristanis were previously considered to be Dards but are today classified as a distinct group. Many Dards are also settled in the capital Kabul where they form a close social community.

Dards in Jammu & Kashmir

Dards also inhabit parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Shina speaking populations are predominant in Tehsil Gurez, Drass and Dah Hanu areas of Ladakh. The Brokpa who follow the Bon religion are also a Dard group who speak an archaic variety of Shina called Brokpa. The Kashmiri people of the Kashmir valley are also considered a Dardic people.

Dards in China

Dardic groups like the Burusho of the Hunza valley of Pakistan, are found in small numbers in China. Periodically these groups enter China often for the purposes of business and trade. China has recently invested heavily in Pakistan's Northern Areas and is the two governments have planned to establish a free trade zone to further encourage bilateral trade between the two nations as part of the Early Harvest Treaty.

Religion

The vast majority of Dardic peoples are Muslims (Sunni, Shia and Ismaili). The Dards of Dah Hanu are nominally Buddhist but also worship their own Pantheon of gods. They have an Indo-European appearance in contrast to the predominantly Tibeto-Burman inhabitants of most of Ladakh/Baltistan and the Indo-aryan features of most Pakistani Panjabis. They live in very primitive conditions even when judged by the standards of Ladakh. The Kalash tribes found in Chitral, are exceptional in having retained their ancestral polytheistic religion and are protected by the Government of Pakistan.

Origin

Parpola (1999) identifies "Proto-Dardic" with "Proto-Rigvedic", suggesting that the Dards are the linguistic descendants of the bearers of proto Rigvedic culture ca. 1700 BC, pointing to features in certain Dardic dialects that continue peculiarities of Rigvedic Sanskrit, such as the gerund in -tvī (p. 189).

See also

• Demographics of Pakistan
• Indo-Iranian peoples
• Indo-Aryans
• Iranian people
• Nuristani people

References

• Dards, Dardistan, and Dardic: an Ethnographic, Geographic, and Linguistic Conundrum
• Asko Parpola, 'The formation of the Aryan branch of Indo-European', in Blench and Spriggs (eds), Archaeology and Language III, London and New York (1999).