|
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] |
|
|
Transhumance Ordinary Life: The ordinary life of the people is very simple. Their life requirements are limited. They do not like pomp and show. Greed for wealth and competition for it is not very high. A person's social status is not identified from his decent home, wealth or official rank. People's social standing is considered identical within the limits of their tribes or racial circles regardless of their economic and physical nature. Folk wisdom carries high value. The traditional experiences, social terms and lineage relationships enhance appreciations among the community. Since population is not dense, theft cases do not occur. Traders' edible items lie on the roadsides for several days but no one would steal them nor is there any risk of their being stolen. People help each other at the occasions of sorrows, celebrations and death ceremonies. Things become available easily to empty-handed people for borrowing that are repaid later on in kind or cash. Events of feuds and commitment of murders are declining and display of arms is reducing. Involvement of the groups, tribes and castes in individual feuds, has gone down a great deal. However, on the issues of joint resources and interests, the groups and tribes have been found to provide armed support to each other and considerably large fights have been seen occurring from these matters. People's economy is dependent on herd raising, agriculture and forests. People go on seasonal migration from the River Indus bank to the higher pastures located on 12000 feet making three or four transitional stops on the way. The choice of location for seasonal migration depends on the number of sheep, goats and cattle currently owned by a family. Seasonal migrations cycle enables them to breed maximum number of livestock that are an important source for trade, cash income, butter oil, milk, meat, wool, transportation, cultivation of crops and natural manures. These resources are renewed naturally by the traditional practice of seasonal migration. The constructive or destructive attitudes of those affecting or consuming the diversified wild life in these environmental territories, i.e. the mankind, go on flouriŞiņg from these cycles and an enhancement takes place in human awareness. It increases the importance of wild life, their exposure to wild life and taste for beauty. Human skill, knowledge, perception and folk literature grows from it and freshness and peace comes by changing places. Seasonal migration takes place according to a traditional calendar which is comprised over four season of the year. Every season consists three months' of duration. Some important activities also take place during these months which would be out of place to describe here. Changes occur in the particular duration of a year. The change in the movement of sun changes the size of day and night. When a change begins this way, people call it "sue:l" in local terms in Kohistan. It comes out to be on June 22 and December 22 according to Christian calendar. Bazodo (Spring Season) It means spring season. Its general duration is from 16 March to 16 May. Plenty of folk songs are available on the topic of this season. Sowing is started in this season and the traditional transactions of instalment payments begin. In some areas these transactions begin in October. The people living in winter locations (yoduko ba:ndo), they move to move their places of residence located at agricultural land. They call this place their "pakhi ba:sum" (permanent settlement). They begin to take care of their agricultural chores at that place. Traditionally, a clear division is found between the jobs of men and women in agriculture sector. Some jobs are specified for men and some for women and some are done together. After sowing maize, people drive their livestock along and shift to "bazo:do be:k" and some people shift directly to "wa:lo be:k" (summer pastures) after sowing maize. At "bazo:do be:k" a stay for twenty to thirty days is made. This place of middle stop is located in the wilderness in between agricultural territories and high summer pastures. In spring season, important group and local Jirgas are also worked out and held according to the needs. Walo (Summer Season) As soon as "bazo:do" comes to an end, the season of "Wa:lvo", summer season, begins. During this season, these people shift to high summer resorts. In Kolai, Palas and Jalkot, the places of this sort are located between the altitudes of 9000 to 13000 feet. People stay at these places from June to mid-September and some people at relatively lower altitudes stay even till October. The residences at summer places are found in the shape of tiny villages. Residences have only room which is not very wide and high. If the pattern of their settlement or the communal structure of the village is kept in view, it becomes known that the houses of closely blood relatives are adjacent to each other. At the larger summer places, generally houses of one caste are found. For instance, in Murroo, Ledi and Sipat. The names of such summer settlements (be:k) are usually related with the names of the castes living therein. For example, "suto be:k", "shamko be:k", "bado be:k", "Jumalkhano be:k", Kumlo be:k" "didro be:k", and "Mholeo be:k" and so on. Some places are void of such situation and maternal relatives are found in near places of this nature. Plenty of butter is produced in this season for sale in autumn. A lot of medicinal herbs are collected that are used for traditional cure and for commercial purposes. Many of these herbs that are very important as medical, economical and wildlife items, are under the risk of vaniŞiņg by their unwise usa in these areas. Sharyo (Autumn Season) Autumn season is called "shario" in local terms. Some people reside in this season for 20 to 30 days in "shario be:k", autumn resorts. This is the same place of the transitional stop where in May people stay again for 20 to 30 days. During this season, the flow of work is faster and the heavy agricultural jobs are don by communal participation called "hashar". In this season, weddings are usually common because there is sufficient amount of butter oil, food grains and other kinds available with the people. In Palas, business transactions begin during this season. Yodo (Winter Season) Winter season is called "yo:do". Since, there is a lot of snow fall at higher altitudes, people store fuelwood and ground flour for three months. Some families migrate to "sinkaRi" areas during this season where snow does not fall and stay there until mid-April. The Movements are limited during this season and most of the time is passed in the mosques and "hujras", traditional community houses. The "hashar" system In order to implement collective or heavy individual works, there exists a strong traditional system of "hashar". Construction and maintenance of irrigation system, small bridges and tracks, water mills, "hujras", houses, and mosques are completed by courtesy of this system. More work with lasting durability might be achieved by spending relatively less time under this system and constructive attitudes of mutual cooperations are developed. In the past, this system was very strong and functional. But now it is weakening due to inflows of governmental funds and the unprioritized schemes of the local representatives of Provincial and National Assemblies. Set targets of these schemes are not achieved. However, "hashar" system is getting adversely affected from it. People are getting to think now that these jobs are for the government to do. In other words, dependence on government is increasing now.
|
Copyright © 2005
Shina Research Forum Karakorum Himalayas
|