Hi, I’m interested in learning a bit on those areas.
Can somebody post a nice 101 concise and condensed article on that area and its people? I don’t know much about them except that the Dardic languages sound nothing like Indo-Aryan or Indo-Iranian languages and the peoples phenotype is rather distinct from the Indo-Aryans and Indo-Iranians of our region, they seem to be fairer in skin than the Indo-Aryans and even though similar in complexion to the Indo-Iranians they are prettier in features.
I would greatly appreciate if somebody could post a map of Jammu, Kashmir and the Northern-Areas (and surrounding areas of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan) highlighting the regions where Dardic languages are spoken and if possible the areas within (J&K/NA) where Indo-Aryan languages (Pahari, Mirpuri, Pothwari) are spoken?
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
Dardic languages are spoken in the northern part of NWFP, Northern Areas, and Kashmir itself.
The Kashmiri language itself is the most important Dardic language, having produced a written literature.
As for phenotype, the Dardic people are similar in looks to Afghans and other Central Asians, probably closer to Levantine Arabs (i.e. Lebanese, Syrians) than to Iranians or Indo-Aryans of Punjab.
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
Thanks buddy, that was exactly what I was looking for, I learnt quite a bit.
I was thinking wouldn't it be a good idea if the Indic (Dogri, Punjabi, Pahari) parts on that map were made a part of Paki Punjab (if the majority are Muslim) or Indian Punjab (if they are Hindu), and after joining the Dardic regions of NWFP to Gilgit the disputed region can be divided into two independent states free from both India and Pakistan, one a Dardic nation and the other a Chinky one.
So that there is peace in South/Central Asia and security for the people of that region.
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
The Kashmiri language itself is the most important Dardic language, having produced a written literature.
Cool, you mean like Urdu-Hindi is amongst the Indic languages and Persian amongst the Iranian languages?
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As for phenotype, the Dardic people are similar in looks to Afghans and other Central Asians, probably closer to Levantine Arabs (i.e. Lebanese, Syrians) than to Iranians or Indo-Aryans of Punjab.
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Judging from "The Travel Guide of Pakistan" by Wajahat Malik, Dardic people are prettier than Iranian ethnic groups, they have the same skin tone but prettier features, wallahi the women are beautiful, no worries I've still got three vacancies left.
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BTW. I am a Kashmiri myself, from Srinagar.
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Cool, are you Muslim? If so how is it for Muslims over there? I really feel anxious for them sometimes.
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
I was thinking wouldn't it be a good idea if the Indic (Dogri, Punjabi, Pahari) parts on that map were made a part of Paki Punjab (if the majority are Muslim) or Indian Punjab (if they are Hindu), and after joining the Dardic regions of NWFP to Gilgit the disputed region can be divided into two independent states free from both India and Pakistan, one a Dardic nation and the other a Chinky one.
So that there is peace in South/Central Asia and security for the people of that region.
There's little chance of it happening, because Pakistan wouldnt want to give its Dardic areas (e.g. Swat, Kohistan, Gilgit).. as they are very important strategically.
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
^
Yeah and they make good holiday destinations.
My aunt is from Swat but she is Pashtun not Dardic, we don’t really know her family personally because she was bought. What is the percentage of non-Dardic ethncities in that region?
We had Kohistani neighbours back home who spoke a weird language but they didn’t look any different from Punjabis, they would bring back lovely nuts and dry fruits for us from their village.
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
kind of.. but even Kashmiri is a very tiny language, with just over 5 million speakers, compared to Farsi and Hindi-Urdu.
LOL. Kashmir is very monogamous, and having 4 wives is virtually unknown, but I think in Gilgit / Kohistan you can have more than one.
Yes. And It's obviously not good for Muslims, but we hope some time soon there will be demilitarisation and self-rule so that the people of Kashmir can govern themselves without interference from India.
Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
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your aunt was bought?
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Yeah, I don’t usually open up family secrets but hey it’s the net and nobody knows me or my family so it’s all good.
My uncles first wife died of cancer and left 3 young children whom he needed somebody to take care of so somebody suggested a girl from Swat because our own girls are very snooty and picky and wouldn’t marry a widowed man let alone one with children.
The Pukhtuns is Swat have a tradition of selling their daughters away in marriage, this is not like the Islamic Mehr, which is paid to the bride herself. The region she comes from is quite poor so her parents couldn’t resist the temptation of marrying her into a wealthy family both for her betterment and for the rokra. I know it sounds awful but she wasn’t treated as a slave or anything, just like any other member of the family and now she has her own son.
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Yes. And It's obviously not good for Muslims, but we hope some time soon there will be demilitarisation and self-rule so that the people of Kashmir can govern themselves without interference from India.
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Re: Jammu/Kashmir/Northern-Areas and Dardic people
Kashmiri proper is nothing like Potohari, it belongs to a different sub-family whilst the larger family is the same but the similarities can only be discerned by a linguistic scholar not a layman, to us it will sound as different as French.
Potohari/Mirpuri is spoken in Kashmir but on the border with Pakistani Punjab.
I remember when I was tiny kid on vacations to Pakistan they would have Kashmiri News on PTV.
You are right Kashmiri leaders do have beautiful Urdu.
