Human’s 30,000 inhabitants have
been ruled by the same family for 1960 years. They long
believed themselves the equals of the great powers, years.
Probably because of their impregnability. A legend states
that the Hunzakuts, as the people of Hunza are known, are
descended from five wandering soldiers from Alexander’s
army. It is true that some of the people are fair- haired
with blue or green eyes. In central Hunza the people speak
Burushaski, Wakhi and aboriginal language.
Hunza retained its isolated independence until the British
conquered it; on the fruits of caravan raids slave trading
and attacking it’s neighbors. It did not become par of
Pakistan until 1974, and even now the Mir of Hunza retains
much of his traditional importance. The society is
co-operative rather than competitive; there is remarkably
little difference in the people’s weather, each family
growing enough corn, apricots and walnuts for its own use.
The economy used to be entirely self-sufficient, but this is
rapidly changing as the Karakoram Highway opens up the
valley.
Hunza was the likely model for the Shangri-La of James
Hilton’s novel ‘Lost Horizon’ where he describes it as a
country of peace and contentment where the people do not
ago. The myth of the longevity of the Hunzakuts probably
stems from the fact that it was selected by the National
Geographic magazine as the kingdom where people loved
longest, free from social stress and succored by their high
intake of apricots and low intake of animal fat. Fruit was,
and is, the staple diet. During the summer the people used
to eat nothing else; in order to conserve fuel and precious
cereals cooking in the summer months was forbidden. In
winter the people ate flour made from apricot kernels and
drank brandy distilled from mulberries, and wines from the
grapes that used to grow everywhere, smothering the poplars
and roofs.
You see in Hunza a large number of old people, most of them
apparently in good health, but few, if any, live to be 120.
Life is as hard in Hunza as it is elsewhere in the northern
areas, particularly in the early spring when the supplies of
stored food are running low.
The Burusho
The Burusho, also known as
the Burushas, are known to inhabit three rugged mountainous areas of
northern Pakistan known as the Hunza, the Nagar, and the Yasin
Valleys. However, most of the Burusho live in the Hunza Valley. No
one seems to know the exact origin of the Burusho but according to a
legend, three soldiers from the army of Alexander the Great came and
settled in the Hunza Valley around 300 BC. Another legend that says
that the Burusho were driven from northwestern India into Pakistan
by Indo-Aryan invaders. For hundreds of years the territory of Hunza
was ruled by a prince. Then from 1892 until 1949 the British ruled
this territory. In 1949, Pakistan gained control of Hunza when a
truce made by the United Nations brought an end to the fighting
between Pakistan and India. The Burusho are a proud people and they
are very warm and friendly. Most of them are farmers but some are
involved in tourism and trade.
Some of the Burushas serve in the military or work for the
government. The family ties of the Burusho are very important. The
husband is always the head of the household. The Burusho usually do
not intermarry with other ethnic groups in the area, not even the
Hunza or Nagar Burusho. Their houses are built of concrete or stone
and are not very warm during the winter months. Kerosene is often
used for heating because wood is scarce. The Burusho eat mainly
fruits, grains, and vegetables. Some of their favorites are peaches
, apricots, and nuts. They raise sheep, cattle, and goats for milk
and wool. Their chief industries are production of woolen cloth and
dried apricots.
The spoken language of the Burusho people is “Burushaski”. It is
their primary language but is not yet a written language. Qualified
workers are needed to develop a written language for the Burusho .
The Hunza, Nagar, and Yasin Valleys all have a distinct dialect.
Most similarities are found between the Hunza and Nagar dialects.
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and is also the secondary
language of the Burusho.
Traditionally, the Burusho were animistic, believing that non-human
objects have spirits, but Islam is now their primary religion. The
Burusho differ from valley to valley as to which faction of Islam
they follow. Most are Ismailis, while others may be Shia or Sunni
Muslims.
HISTORY
OF HUNZA
