Indus Kohistanis are an Indo-Aryan

ethnolinguistic group An ethnolinguistic group (or ethno-linguistic group) is a group that is unified by both a common ethnicity and language. Most ethnic groups share a first language. However, "ethnolinguistic" is often used to emphasise that language is a major bas ...

speaking the Maiya language. They are located in Indus Kohistan, in northern

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

History

Inhabiting the region of Indus Kohistan, the Kohistani formerly practiced

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

, until the 15th century, when the Kohistani started converting to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. ''

A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province ''A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province'' is an ethnological study of areas of present-day Pakistan and India. It was compiled by Indian Civil Service administrator H.A. Rose, based on the 1883 and 189 ...

'' thus notes that their neighbours, "The

Pathan Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

s call them, and all other Muhammadans of Indian descent in the Hindu Kush valleys, Kohistanis." During the winter, the Kohistani people reside near their fields, while in the summer they migrate to camping grounds that are located 14,000 feet in altitude.

References

{{Reflist Ethnic groups in Pakistan Dardic peoples Indo-Aryan peoples

History

See also

References