94 GHULAM MUHAMMAD 



from the Burzil Pass to the Sharot village, a distance of 143 miles from south-east to- 

 wards north-west with its small surrounding valleys of Kamri, Tarsing, Parising, Sai, 

 Haramosh and Bagrot ; and along the Hunza river from Gilgit to Guech, with its adjacent 

 valley of Naltar, a distance of 24 miles. 



The country was first conquered in 1846 by the troops of His Highness the Maha- 

 raja of Kashmir under Syed Nathe Shah from Gauhar Aman, the Khushwakti Chief of 

 Yasin, who had usurped the district from Sikander Khan and his brother Karim Khan, 

 the rightful rulers of Gilgit. Karim Khan had escaped to Kashmir to ask for help, 

 and returned with a large force under Syed Nathe Shah. Hearing the news of their 

 approach, Gauhar Aman fled to Yasin, leaving the country to be possessed by them with- 

 out bloodshed. The country was restored to the rightful rulers, but some later 

 events lead the Maharaja of Kashmir to keep the district under the direct jurisdiction of 

 his own officials. The British Agency was established in 1889. The Political Agent, an 

 officer of the Government of India, and the Wazir-i-Wazarat, an official of His Highness 

 the Maharaja of Kashmir, have their headquarters at Gilgit proper. The latter has 

 jurisdiction over the district only, while the former, in addition to his control over 

 Gilgit, has political relations with the surrounding states of Hunza, Nagir, Punial, 

 Ishkuman, Yasin, Ghizr and the Chilas republic, which all acknowledge the suzerainty of 

 the Kashmir Durbar. Gilgit is garrisoned by Kashmir Imperial Service Troops under 

 a General Officer Commanding appointed by His Highness the Maharaja of Kashmir. 

 The troops are relieved every two years. 



A good pony road runs between Srinagar, Gilgit, Chitral and Hunza, remaining 

 open for traffic from June to October. It is closed from November to May, owing to the 

 heavy fall of snow on the Tragbal (Rajdiagan) and the Burzil passes. However, the 

 ordinary letter post is carried across the passes at favourable opportunities by local run- 

 ners. Kashmir, Gilgit and Chitral are also connected by a telegraph line. 



The present inhabitants of the country are all Muhammadans, chiefly of the Shia 

 sect, with a few Sunnis and Maulais. The principal tribes are Ronos, Shins, Yeshkuns 

 Kashmiris, Kramins, Dums and Gujars. They are again divided into several families 

 called after the names of distinguished ancestors. I am of the opinion that the 

 Kramins are the original inhabitants of Gilgit, while the Yeshkuns, Shins and Ronos came 

 afterwards in the above order and conquered the former inhabitants. 



The Yeshkuns are probably an Aryan race, having arrived from Central Asia via 

 the Hindu Kush. Being stronger than the aborigines, they succeeded in conquering 

 these districts, made the original inhabitants their servants and named them " Kramins " 

 (attendants). 



The Shins profess to be the descendants of Arabs. They are probably Jews, and 

 have come via Afghanistan from either Persia or Turkey. They prefer a style of self- 

 government, and endeavour wherever they settle to continue this form of their original 

 government. It is of interest to note, however, that before embracing Islam the Shins, 

 in this resembling the Hindus, disliked meat, milk or even ghi made from cow's milk, 

 disapproved of the keeping of fowls and regarded even a fish diet with aversion. If a Shin 

 had taken two wives, one of his own tribe and the other of the Yeshkun tribe, the children 



