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Homepage of Razwal Kohistani Lesser known Shin, Yashkun, Kamin, Gabara, Chilis and Marooch tribes of Indus Kohistan [Location] [Area and Population] [Religious sects] [Political Perspective] [Languages of Indus Kohistan] [Traditional Institutions] [Jirga System] [Shin tribes] [Yashkun Tribes] [Chilis and Gabara Tribes] [Kamin Tribes] [Other Casts and branches] [Land tenure system] [Forest tenure system] [Crop Land Tenure System] [Kinship system] [Marriage customs] [Transhumance] [Life in Kohistan] [Folk Tales] |
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The Languages and Dialects of Indus Kohistan In addition to the main two languages of Şiņa and Kohistani, Batochi or Bateri, Chilsio, Gabari, Pashto, Gojri and Pahari languages are spoken in this region. The term of Dardic or Dadric is used for Şiņa and Kohistani languages for the sake of linguistic identity. This term has nothing to do with the genealogy. (Dardic is only a linguistic term; it has no ethnic, social or historical meaning or any such implications. (Fussman, 1989). Şiņa and Kohistani are the major medium for communication in the local bazaars while Urdu and Pashto are used in the offices. Urdu is the medium language in educational institutes and Pashto is taught as an optional subject. The "Tablighi Nisab" (Preaching syllabus) is read and dictated in the mosques and homes in Urdu. (Here, we will only briefly mention about these languages because our topic is Şiņ tribes and not linguistics. Şiņa Language Şiņa is an Indo-Aryan language of the Dardic group, spoken in Gilgit, Hunza, the Astor valley, the Tangir-Darel Valleys, Chilas, Indus Kohistan, and also in the upper Neelam valley and Dras. Outliers of Şiņa are found in Ladakh (Brokskat), Chitral (Palula and Sawi) and Swat (Ushojo). (Bashir 2003: 878) In pre-Islamic times the region was an important center of Buddhism. The famous Gilgit manuscripts were found here, and there are inscriptions in Kharosthi, Sogdian, Prakrit, an undeciphered language which is probably Aramaic, and old Chinese. There is evidence that the Indus River was a better route of communication during those times. In recent centuries, the tribes living on both sides of the Indus have aggressively asserted their autonomy, thus discouraging travel along this route -- a situation prevailing until the opening of the Karakoram Highway in the late 1970’s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, many Şiņa-speaking communities were conquered by the Maharaja of Kashmir, and thus came indirectly under British influence. Today, Pakistan administers the Şiņa-speaking communities of the Gilgit, lower Hunza, Tangir-Darel, Astor and Chilas valleys, as well as those in Indus Kohistan, while India administers the Şiņa-speaking communities in the Neelam/Kishenganga drainage, the Gures and Tilel valleys, the Dras plain and Ladakh. (Schmidt 1984: 678-9) Bailey 1924: xiii divides Şiņa into three dialect groups: (a) Gilgit, (b) Astor, Gures and Dras and (c) Kohistan and Chilas. Strand (2001) classifies the Şiņa dialects into two main groups: The dialect around Chilâs in the east-west portion of the Indus valley above Indus Kohistan is probably the source of the speech that spread upstream along the Indus basis to form the Eastern Şiņa dialects and downstream to form the kohistyő dialect of Indus Kohistan. Another dialect centers on Gilgit, with an outlying Tibetanized offshoot (Brokskat) in Ladakh. In addition there are dispersed dialect enclaves to the west of the Indus: usuj’u, spoken beside Torwâli in the Chail Valley of upper Swat, the archaic dialects palôlâ’ and Sâwi, spoken in enclaves off the Kunar-Chitral River, and perhaps KalkoTi, spoken in one part of KalkoT in Dir Kohistan. Schmidt 2004: 52 finds that the center of the Şiņa speech zone appears to be Gilgit, with Guresi more conservative in terms of phonology, third person pronouns, and the treatment of the auxiliary verb. Only the Gilgiti dialect, however, preserves the absolutive stem in perfective tenses. The Kohistani and Drasi dialects present different and unique innovations not shared by the others: the development of a synthetic future tense in Kohistani, and the grammaticalization of ‘come’ in Drasi (instead of ‘go’ as in the others). However both Kohistani and Drasi preserve the old agent case which marks subjects of transitive verbs: -e ~ -i, -o. Schmidt 2004 presents a hypotheses that Kohistani, together with Guresi and Drasi, separated from Gilgiti before they separated from each other; and that Guresi/Drasi subsequently separated from Kohistani. Features common to all Şiņa dialects are: three contrasting sibilants, retroflex fricatives, and contrasting tones or pitch accent (attested in the Gilgiti, Kohistani, Astori, Gultari and Guresi dialects) (Bashir 2003: 878) as well as in Drasi. (Schmidt 2004: 36-7.) Only Brokskat shows no trace of this tonal system. (Schmidt 1998b: 4) Another common feature is deictic systems of three or more terms. Estimates of the total number of Şiņa speakers in Pakistan vary widely, from over three million (Schmidt 1988c: 107-8) to about half a million. Radloff (1992: 93) Present linguistic interactions involve Balti and Kashmiri with the eastern dialects, Burushaski and Khowar with the Gilgit dialect, and Pashto and Indus Kohistani with the Kohistani dialect, all in addition to Urdu (Bashir 2003: 878). Kohistani This language is spoken on the west bank of Kohistan in Bankhar, Dober, Jijal, Pattan, Kehal, Seo, Razqa and Khandia valley. The variations of this language prevail in Kalam Kohistan and Dir Kohistan. It is also called Kalami, Gowari and Beshkark also in these places. It is the native language of Mani and Manzari tribes in Kohistan. There is a literal, phonological (phoniai) and structural (sooriati) interaction between Şiņa and Kohistani languages. Much research has been done on this language. Maulana Ghulam Esa wrote a Kuranic interpretation in this language and published it. Currently, Kalam Cultural Society is carrying out researches and publiŞiņg in this language. Radio Peshawar releases broadcasts in this language. BaTochi (BaTe:Ri) This dialect is spoken in BaTeRa below Kolai. It is closely related with Kohistan language in phonological and structural patterns and in expressions. There have been very few studies on this dialect also. It is spoken in between Pashto and Şiņa and being influenced by other dialects speedily. Chilssio (Chilsyo, Chiliis) It is the dialect of Chhilis community who are settled in Maharin area in Kolai and in Jalkot and in Juglot of Gilgit area. There were about eleven branches of the Chilis who spoke this dialect. Now only two branches called Lashra and Nasra speak it as their mother tongue. These people were in Jalkot until 1500 A.D where they had migrated to from Chilas. Numerous natives of this dialect have forgotten it and now speak Şiņa dialect. The "Damsangian" in Maddakhel and many other Chilis branches have forgotten this dialect. Gaba:ri (Gabaari, Gawro) The community of Gaba:ra caste living in Maharin and Bela of Kolai speaks this dialect. Its accent is close to Kohistani and Gawari dialects. This dialect is also vaniŞiņg gradually. Not much study has been done on this dialect either. Very little works and reviews have come up on it so far. The Gabara people who have migrated to Gilgit, Chilas and Mardan, have almost forgotten it. But those who live in Gilgit can still speak it because they usually visit their native land. John Biddulph has given a word list of Chilsio and Gabara dialects in his book "Tribes of Hindukush". It may be remembered that he never visited these areas. But he had obtained those words from the Chilis and Gabara people who lived in Gilgit at that time and received grants from the Government of Kashmir of that time. Biddulph himself has written that he had never been to their native areas. Gojri/Gujri This is the dialect of the dispersed households who migrated to Hazara from Jammu during the famine of 1800 A.D and then moved to Chilas and from there migrated to Palas. Now they are again migrating from Palas. In my opinion, their dialect is related to Gojri but the native speakers do not agree with it. Pashto/Pakhto Some tribes and households speak Pashto in Kohistan as their mother tongue. These people are mostly scattered. However, in Massi and Ghumri they are living isolated from other people. They are tenants of the Şiņ tribes there. Others are those who came to Kohistan in the past for preaching of Islam from Swat and Allai. The Akhuns, the Jagwals and the Mian are included among them. Pashto is under the influence of other dialects here. PahaaRi This dialect is being spoken by Shamoga people of upper Palas valley. They migrated from Jammu to Hazara plain and than to Palas Valley. Originally they belong to Binyahaali people (as they mentioned BaNiyae). |
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Shina Research Forum Karakorum Himalayas
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