This area in India’s neighbourhood was called ‘kafiristan’ after people refused to accept Islam, it is located in…, its new name is…

New Delhi: Afghanistan’s province of Nuristan was formerly called Kafiristan. Few people knew about this mountainous area before the end of the 18th century. By the year 1859, this area was completely independent and was called the country of the infidel people. The reason for this was that despite the acceptance of Islam by the surrounding areas, the people here were not ready to convert to Islam. But in the year 1896, Abdur Rahman Khan, the ruler of Afghanistan, converted the people here to Islam and the name of the place was changed to Nuristan.

Professor Neil Green, who teaches South Asia and Islamic History at the University of California, USA, has written about Afghanistan’s very beautiful area Nuristan.

“And in the end, Kafiristan was eliminated. Most of the residents had to convert to Islam. For this, two methods were used, first force and second jizya. Those who did not convert by intimidation were penalised. Eventually, they converted to Islam. The area was later renamed Nuristan,” he says.

History of Nuristan

After visiting the area in 644 AD, Chinese traveller Xuanzang wrote, “It was ruled by a Buddhist Kshatriya king. It was known as Kapish Janapada. The king here had influence over the surrounding 10 kingdoms. Until the 9th century, Kapish was part of the Hindu Shahi dynasty of Kabul. After this, the constant attack of Islamic invaders weakened Buddhism and Hindu monarchy. The area from modern Nuristan to Kashmir was also called Paristan by Islamic invaders at that time. The surrounding areas continued to convert to Islam due to Islamic attacks. This continued from the 8th century to the 16th century.

Attack by Abdur Rahman Khan

Despite a long period of attacks and conversions, a large number of people who were either followers of ancient Hinduism or Buddhists were left in this area of Kafiristan. But the entire area was Islamized by Abdur Rahman Khan, the ruler of Afghanistan. Abdur Rahman Khan is also known for the unification of Afghanistan. He is counted among the most powerful rulers of modern times. In the late 19th century, during 1895-96, Abdur Rahman launched a fierce attack on this area. Apart from power and tyranny, large-scale religious conversions were carried out by showing the fear of jizya tax. It was Abdur Rahman who changed the name of this area from Kafiristan to Nuristan.

Kalash is called Kafir

It is said that the people who fled after Abdur Rahman’s attack at that time are the people of the Kalash community living in the Chitral district of present-day Pakistan. Their number is said to be between 20 and 30 thousand. Even today, this community remains completely separate from the mainstream. The Kalash community is known for its completely different way of life. Generally, they are seen as tribal communities in Pakistan. This is the same community that is called infidels.

They have preserved their culture and religion

The Kalash people rear goats and cultivate for a living. In the mid-1970s, the first road was built in the Chitral valleys. This opened routes for education, army, and tourism, which led to major socio-economic changes in the region. The Kalash, by the way, live in the most isolated villages. This community has a very strong sense of identity and strongly protects its culture and religion. The topography of the area is uneven and rugged and hardly plain. The entire mountainous region is covered with forests and there are pastures on the slopes.

Kalash are descendants of Alexander the Great

According to legend, Kalash are descendants of Alexander the Great hence they have Caucasian features, fair complexion, and light coloured eyes. Their physical appearance is quite different from their Pashtun and other neighbours. To this day, the origin of the Kalash people remains unknown. The traditional Kalash religion is polytheistic. It comes from a branch of ancient Hinduism which was influenced by the beliefs of Nuristan before Islam. The Kalash people still keep alive various religious practices and rituals. Temples and altars of several Kalash deities are spread across the valley, where goats are regularly sacrificed.

Kalash consider Crow as their ancestors

The Kalash people have a deep connection with the crows, whom they consider to be their ancestors. So they take care of them and feed them carefully. Death is seen as a positive one, as they believe that the soul of the deceased will be separated from the body and will visit their departed friends and relatives. So they leave the coffins in the open, so that the separation of body and soul can be easier. Traditional funerals are large gatherings, accompanied by music and dance.

Unique culture and amazing clothes

The Kalash people are known for their unique culture, rituals, and amazing clothing. Kalash women wear long black robes that have colourful embroidery on them. They wear headdresses and beads. Some women still get small tattoos on their cheeks, forehead and chin. Also, they usually keep their hair very long and tie them into long braids. In contrast, the Kalash men have adopted the ‘salwar kameez’, which is the Pakistani national dress, which they wear with vests. They also wear traditional North Pakistani caps.

Running away and marrying is common

Unlike some neighbouring cultures, Kalash men and women live together and contact is allowed at public places. Marriage by running away is common in the Kalash Valley, especially among women who are already married to another man. In these cases, the lover not only has to pay the dowry to the bride’s family, but he also has to return to the husband the dowry that he had given before the marriage.