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Episode 4: A window to Gilgit-Baltistan | Finale

A window to Northern Areas, The Muslim dated July 13, 1997
The last episode from “A window to Northern Areas"
Author: Syed Shams ud Din  

It will be in the fitness of things to mention the significance of a few areas in the historical context that served as a junction in the past in  serving for a linkage with Baltistan for an easiest access and free passage in the olden days. The name of Hooper-Hisper in Nagar comes first in this regard as this place then served as a junction because of the fact that its present gigantic glacier was at that time, quite hospitable for such an access with Baltistan via Shigar.

This linkage ,however, seems to have become bedevilled subsequently due to the formidable glacial movement in a cyclical manner to an extent that at present no penetration of the kind except sophisticated climbing equipment, is possible. Let us also have a brief discussion on the Nagar at large and how the world attributed to it could have originated.

It becomes prima facie, construable that the word Nagar in Hindi literally means a city or town which seems to have been befittingly applied in toto, in the same sense in Brushiuski.

The people of Baltistan however, call Nagar as Narkin and to valley as Khajuni. Likewise, the people of Xinjiang (China) call Hunza and Nagar as Kanjut and the people living there as Kanjuti. The people of Bagrote and Haramoosh call the people of Kanjut as Khajun which obviously means the people that inhabit Khajuni. This term is  invariably applied by them in case of all the people living along River Hunza like Jotel, Nomal, Nagar, Hunza and so on to those living up to Khunjerab.

Unlike the people of the twin-tracts of Bagrote-Haramoosh, the people of Gilgit are prone to constrict this term only to the people of Nagar valley.

 The reason being that once the ruler of Nagar, Kamal Khan invited Raja Mirza- Ruler of Gilgit to Nagar only top be treacherously assassinated by the latter. After this incident, the term Khajun was known in the jargon rather as an adjective in the sense to be attributed to the inhabitants of that valley.

A recapitulation of the historical events pertaining to the Brushal and those of the Buddhist domination of Biloristan brings it to safely to the fore that these areas have quite a distinct history though chequered one, con statute a distinct people who became glavanized with those of the adjoining areas only on the religious bon with the advent of Islam here. History amply bears the fact that they always have lived a very tough life yet did never lose their identity on the whole as is evident from the successful overthrowal of the Dogra regime on November 1, 1947 despite being ill-equipped.


What fired their enthusiasm then was the bond of Islam necessitating their amalgamation with the newly carved out state of Pakistan besides the necessity  of undoing the subjugation that was foisted on them in the wake of half-a-century’s machinations against them. 

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