Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and Shin

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Population map of Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and Shin (Schedule Tribes of India) in 2001 Map of Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and shin (schedule Tribe of india).png
Population map of Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and Shin (Schedule Tribes of India) in 2001

Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and Shin is a category of Scheduled Tribes under the Indian constitution.

Contents

The category contains tribes who speaks Dardic languages. [1] In the Indian-administered Kashmir region, these tribes are mostly found in the Kargil and Baramulla districts and few of them are found in Leh. They are predominantly Muslim and a few of them are Buddhist and Hindu [2] [3] [4]

In the Census of India, the demographic numbers of the "Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, and Shin" Tribes are added together. Dards is the collective name for this group. [5] Following are the Tribes under the catogory:

  1. In Baramullah
    1. Dards of Baramulah , they are known as Shina people .
  2. In Ladakh [6]
    1. The Dards of Drass valley .They are known as Shina people .
    2. Brokpa ,the Dards of Dha hanu region, they are known as Minaro people .

Demographics

In the Census of India, the demographic numbers of the "Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, and Shin" Tribes are added together. Dards is the collective name for this group. [5]

The 2001 Census of India counted 51,957 people in these tribes. Of these, 26,066 people lived in Baramulla, 23,418 in Kargil, 1,002 in Leh and 1,199 in Srinagar. Of the 48,400 counted in 2011, 45,100 were Muslim, 3,144 were Buddhist and 133 were Hindu. [2]

Dards of Baramulla

The Dard-Shin tribe or Shina people is found in Gurez and Tulail in Baramullah. [7] Gurez valley is home to a distinct Shina-speaking Dard tribe who have been cut off from their mainland Astore, Gilgit, and Chilas by the Line of Control. [8] They speak the Astori dialect of Shina language. [9] [10] [11]

Dards of Drass valley

Drokpa (Shin) Tribe in Drass valley in Kargil: They are Muslim Dards known as Drokpa or Shin which is found in the Drass region of Kargil. [12] [13] They are also known as the 'Shin' because of their language, 'Shinna,' which is part of the Dard group of languages in the non-Sanskritic Indo European family. [14] They are also believed to have come from the Dardistan. Despite professing the Sunni faith, they maintain certain customs brought with them from their original home. [15] They speak the Astori dialect of Shina language. [16] [17]

Dards of Dha Hanu

Brokpa or Minaro: Brokpa or Minaro are Buddhist Dards and they speak Brokskat language. They are found in the Aryan valley region. They call themselves "Minaro", while Ladakhis call them Brokpa or Dokhpa. [18] [19] According to the 1991 census of India, there were 1,920 Brokpa. They speak the Brokskat or Minaro language [20] which comes under the Eastern Dardic language group. [20] [21] Minaro practise two religions; one is their traditional "Minaro" religion (spirit worship). The other is Tibetan Buddhism. [22]

Name

These Scheduled Tribes are called a "group of Dardic Tribes" under Scheduled Tribes of the former Jammu and Kashmir. [23] However, there are other non-tribal Dardic people in the state, such as the Kashmiri. [24] According to the most recent research, the term "Dardic" is not linguistic nor ethnic; it is only a suitable geographical expression used to officially choose the Indo-Iranian language that retains the archaic characteristics that are spoken in the north-western Himalayas and in the Hindu Kush. [25] There is no ethnic unity among the speakers of these languages. The languages also cannot be traced to a single linguistic tree model. [26] [27] [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dardic languages</span> Subgroup of Indo-Aryan languages

The Dardic languages, or Hindu-Kush Indo-Aryan languages, are a group of several Indo-Aryan languages spoken in northern Pakistan, northwestern India and parts of northeastern Afghanistan. This region has sometimes been referred to as Dardistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kargil district</span> District of Indian-administered Ladakh, Kashmir region

Kargil district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region. It is one of the two districts comprising the Indian-administered union territory of Ladakh. The district headquarters are in the city of Kargil. The district is bounded by the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the west, the Pakistani-administered administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan to the north, Ladakh's Leh district to the east, and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south. Encompassing three historical regions known as Purig, Dras and Zanskar, the district lies to the northeast of the Great Himalayas and encompasses the majority of the Zanskar Range. Its population inhabits the river valleys of the Dras, Suru, Wakha Rong, and Zanskar.

Dah and Hanu are two villages of the Brokpa of the Leh District of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. Until 2010, these were the only two villages where tourists were allowed to visit out of a number of Brokpa villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shina language</span> Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan and Gurez valley

Shina is a Dardic language of Indo-Aryan language family spoken by the Shina people. In Pakistan, Shina is the major language in Gilgit-Baltistan spoken by an estimated 1,146,000 people living mainly in Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan. A small community of Shina speakers is also found in India, in the Guraiz valley of Jammu and Kashmir and in Dras valley of Ladakh. Outliers of Shina language such as Brokskat are found in Ladakh, Kundal Shahi in Azad Kashmir, Palula and Sawi in Chitral, Ushojo in the Swat Valley and Kalkoti in Dir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakol</span> Soft round-topped mens hat

The pakol or pakul is a soft, flat, rolled-up, round-topped men's cap, usually worn in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is typically made of wool and found in a variety of earthy colours, such as brown, black, grey, ivory, or dyed red using walnut. The pakol is believed to have originated in Chitral, or Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brokpa</span> Ethnic group in Ladakh

The Brokpa, sometimes referred to as Minaro, are a small ethnic group mostly found in the union territory of Ladakh, India around the villages of Dha and Hanu. Some of the community are also located across the Line of Control in Baltistan in the villages around Ganokh. They speak an Indo-Aryan language called Brokskat. The Brokpa are mostly Vajrayana Buddhist while some are Muslim.

Batalik is a village and military base in Ladakh, India, located in a narrow section of the Indus river valley, close to the Line of Control with Pakistan-administered Baltistan. It was a focal point of the 1999 Kargil War because of its strategic location between Kargil, Leh and Baltistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dras</span> Town in Ladakh, India

Dras, also known locally in Shina as Himababs, Hembabs, or Humas, is a town and hill station, near Kargil in the Kargil district of the union territory of Ladakh in India. It is on the NH 1 between Zoji La pass and Kargil. A tourist hub for its high-altitude trekking routes and tourist sites, it is often called "The Gateway to Ladakh". The government's official spelling of the town's name is "Drass".

Brokskat or Minaro is an endangered Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Brokpa people in the lower Indus Valley of Ladakh and its surrounding areas. It is the oldest surviving member of the ancient Dardic language. It is considered a divergent variety of Shina, but it is not mutually intelligible with the other dialects of Shina. It is only spoken by 2,858 people in Ladakh and 400 people in the adjoining Baltistan, part of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shina people</span> Ethnolinguistic group in South Asia

The Shina or Gilgitis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group primarily residing in Gilgit–Baltistan and Indus Kohistan in Pakistan, as well as in the Dras Valley and Kishenganga Valley (Gurez) in the northern region of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in India. They speak an Indo-Aryan language, called Shina and their geographic area of predominance is referred to as Shenaki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurez</span> Tehsil in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Gurez, or Gurais, is a valley located in the high Himalayas, about 86 kilometres (53 mi) from Bandipore and 123 kilometres (76 mi) from Srinagar, to the north of the Kashmir valley. At about 2,400 metres (8,000 ft) above sea level, the valley is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It has diverse fauna and wildlife including the Himalayan brown bear and the snow leopard. The Kishanganga River flows through the valley.

The Yashkun People or Yashkuns are a sub-group of the Shina, a Dardic-speaking ethnic group, most of whom reside in the Gilgit division of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral and Kohistan districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. They speak a Dardic language called Shina and are scattered throughout northern Pakistan. Most researchers assert that the Yashkun were immigrants to northern Pakistan from Central Asia. However, other authorities maintain that the Yashkuns were indigenous to northern Pakistan.

Dah is a panchayat village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is the most prominent of all the Brokpa settlements, other than Dah, it has six hamlets: Biama(or phunder), Baldes, Sannit, Pardos, Lastyang and Dundur It is located east of Batalik in Aryan Valley of Indus river of Ladakh in the Khalsi tehsil.

Garkon is a panchayat village in the Aryan valley region located in the Kargil block of Kargil district, in a rural region of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is located east of Batalik in Aryan Valley of Indus river system.

The Palula, or Dangerik, also known as the Ashreti or Biori are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who inhabit Ashret and parts of the former Chitral district, primarily in the south.

Chulichan is a village in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India, close to the Line of Control with Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It is populated by Shia Brokpas and Baltis. It is located east of Batalik in Aryan Valley of Indus river system near Batalik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aryan Valley</span> Region in Ladakh, India

Aryan Valley, historically known as Dah Hanu valley or region, is an area comprising four villages — Dah and Hanu in Leh district, and Garkon and Darchik in Kargil district — and associated hamlets in Central Ladakh, India. Until its absorption into the Maryul kingdom, Brokpa chiefs wielded nominal autonomy in the region. The current name originated in the tourism industry c. 2010 to market the Brokpas, the Brokskat language speaking mostly-Vajrayana Buddhist local inhabitants, as being the primordial Aryans. The physical features of the Brokpa people, such as their tall stature, fair complexion, high cheekbones, and blue-green eyes, bear a resemblance to European characteristics.

Ganokh, locally called Ghanisha, is a village in the Kharmang District of Baltistan, Pakistan, close to the Line of Control with Indian-administered Ladakh. It is populated by about 800 Brokpas professing Shia Islam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bono na</span> Ancient festival of the Brokpa

The Bono-na or Bono nah is an ancient festival of the Minaro ( Brokpa) people hosted alternatively between Dha and Garkon villages of the Aryan Valley region of Ladakh, India with a gap of a year. It is a festival of thanksgiving to their deities and gods for good crops and prosperity to the people and the land of Minaro.

Marol is a village situated near the confluence of the Suru River and the Indus River in the Kharmang District of Baltistan, Pakistan. It is close to the India–Pakistan border (LOC).

References

  1. "Religion Data of Census 2011: XXXIII JK-HP-ST". Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard and Shin is a group of tribes that speak the Dardic languages
  2. 1 2 "Religion Data of Census 2011: XXXIII JK-HP-ST" . Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  3. Tajuddin, Muhammad (2021). "Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir: Recognition to Rights". Political Discourse. 7 (2): 113–130. doi:10.5958/2582-2691.2021.00009.2. ISSN   2395-2229. S2CID   246744276.
  4. Hansen, Thomas Blom; Stepputat, Finn (2001-12-12). States of Imagination: Ethnographic Explorations of the Postcolonial State. Duke University Press. ISBN   978-0-8223-8127-3.
  5. 1 2 https://thematicsjournals.org/index.php/hrj/article/download/9247/5076.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. Bhasin, Veena (2005-07-01). "Ecology and Health: A Study Among Tribals of Ladakh". Studies of Tribes and Tribals. 3 (1): 5. doi:10.1080/0972639X.2005.11886514. ISSN   0972-639X. S2CID   74145441.
  7. Benanav, Michael (2018-09-17). "A Journey to Kashmir's Gurez Valley". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  8. Skinder, Safiya; Shah, Shamim Ahmad; Dar, Sajad Nabi (2022-08-01). "Analysis of educational disparities in border areas of India: a study of Gurez Valley". GeoJournal. 87 (4): 2739–2752. doi:10.1007/s10708-021-10398-2. ISSN   1572-9893. S2CID   233828077. The valley houses a unique Shina-speaking tribe of Dards who have been cut off from their mainland Astore, Gilgit, and Chilas across the Line of Control ( from their mainland Astore, Gilgit, and Chilas across the Line of Control .
  9. "Glottolog 4.6 - Gurezi". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  10. Chowdhary, Rekha (2019-01-25). Jammu and Kashmir: 1990 and Beyond: Competitive Politics in the Shadow of Separatism. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN   978-93-5328-232-5.
  11. Bhat, Rooh (2022-03-24). "Dard-Shins of Gurez". Kashmir RootStock. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  12. Kalla, Aloke Kumar; Joshi, P. C. (2004). Tribal Health and Medicines. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN   978-81-8069-139-3.
  13. Bhasin, Veena (2005-07-01). "Ecology and Health: A Study Among Tribals of Ladakh". Studies of Tribes and Tribals. 3 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1080/0972639X.2005.11886514. ISSN   0972-639X. S2CID   74145441. Drokpa (Scheduled Tribe): Drokpas are Dard Muslims who inhabit the cold, bleak Dras valley. They are also called 'Shin' on the basis of their language 'Shinna' which belongs to the Dard group of languages in the non-Sanskritic IndoEuropean family.
  14. Bhasin, Veena (2005-07-01). "Ecology and Health: A Study Among Tribals of Ladakh". Studies of Tribes and Tribals. 3 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1080/0972639X.2005.11886514. ISSN   0972-639X. S2CID   74145441. Drokpas are Dard Muslims who inhabit the cold, bleak Dras valley. They are also called 'Shin' on the basis of their language 'Shinna' which belongs to the Dard group of languages in the non-Sanskritic Indo European family.
  15. Bhasin, Veena (2005-07-01). "Ecology and Health: A Study Among Tribals of Ladakh". Studies of Tribes and Tribals. 3 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1080/0972639X.2005.11886514. ISSN   0972-639X. S2CID   74145441. Although professing the Sunni faith they are still clinging on to certain customs which they brought with them from their original home.
  16. "Glottolog 4.6 - Dras". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  17. Chowdhary, Rekha (2019-01-25). Jammu and Kashmir: 1990 and Beyond: Competitive Politics in the Shadow of Separatism. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN   978-93-5328-232-5.
  18. Indian Antiquary. Popular Prakashan. 1905. pp. 93–101.
  19. Indian Antiquary. Popular Prakashan. 1905. pp. 93–100.
  20. 1 2 Kalla, Aloke Kumar; Joshi, P. C. (2004). Tribal Health and Medicines. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN   978-81-8069-139-3.
  21. "Brokskat". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  22. Bhasin, Veena (2008-07-01). "Social Change, Religion and Medicine among Brokpas of Ladakh". Studies on Ethno-Medicine. 2 (2): 77–102. doi:10.1080/09735070.2008.11886318. ISSN   0973-5070. S2CID   45537714.
  23. "Religion Data of Census 2011: XXXIII JK-HP-ST" . Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  24. "Kashmiri Language: Indo-Aryan vis-a-vis Dardic Perspective". Edu-Ling: Journal of English Education and Linguistics. 4 (2): 81. 2021-08-02. doi: 10.32663/edu-ling.v4i2 . ISSN   2621-5128.
  25. Clark, Graham E. "Who were the Dards? A review of the ethnographic literature of the north western Himalayan". himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk.
  26. Jain, Danesh; Cardona, George (26 July 2007). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Routledge. p. 822. ISBN   978-1-135-79711-9. The designation "Dardic" implies neither ethnic unity among the speakers of these languages nor that they can all be traced to a single stammbaum-model node.
  27. Verbeke, Saartje (20 November 2017). Argument structure in Kashmiri: Form and function of pronominal suffixation. BRILL. p. 2. ISBN   978-90-04-34678-9. Nowadays, the term "Dardic" is used as an areal term that refers to a number of Indo-Aryan languages, without claiming anything specific about their mutual relatedness.
  28. "Dards, Dardistan, and Dardic: an Ethnographic, Geographic, and Linguistic Conundrum". www.mockandoneil.com. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  29. Strand, Richard F. (13 December 2013). "Dardic and Nūristānī languages". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John Abdallah; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam - Three 2013-4. Brill. pp. 101–103. ISBN   978-90-04-25269-1. The seventeen Dardic languages constitute a geographic group of the northwestern-most Indo-Aryan languages. They fall into several small phylogenetic groups of Indo-Aryan, but together they show no common phonological innovations that demonstrate that they share any phylogenetic unity as a "Dardic branch" of the Indo-Aryan languages.