Pamir peoples

22.04.2019

Unique nature The Pamirs have always been of interest to researchers and travelers. This harsh mountain region is the homeland ancient people, about which almost nothing is known. And if before the twentieth century about mysterious Pamiri people few people heard, because they lived in remote areas, then, starting from the USSR era, these people were most often confused with Tajiks.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the highlands have a special culture, interesting customs and traditions. Who are the Pamiris? Why were they separated by the borders of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China and Pakistan?

What are they?

This ethnic group consists of many nationalities united common origin, customs and traditions, religion and history. The Pamirs are divided into northern and southern. Among the first, the most numerous national group are Shugnans, there are more than 100 thousand of them. There are three times fewer Rushans. There are almost 25 thousand people from Sarykolts, and Yazgulyam residents are considered to be small nationalities.

The main part of the southern Pamirs are the Vakhans, about 70 thousand of them. And there are much fewer Sanglicians, Ishkashims and Munjanians.

All these people belong to the Pamir-Fergana subrace - the easternmost branch of the Caucasoid race. Among the Pamiris there are many fair-haired and blue-eyed people. They have oblong faces with straight noses and large eyes. If there are brunettes, they are with light skin. Anthropologists believe that the inhabitants of the European Alps and the Mediterranean are closest to the representatives of the Pamir-Fergana subrace.

Residents of Badakhshan speak languages of the Eastern Iranian group of the Indo-European family. However, for interethnic communication they use the Tajik language, and it is also the language of instruction in schools. In Pakistan, the Pamir languages are gradually being replaced by official Urdu, and in China by Uyghur.

Being representatives of Iranian-speaking peoples, even in the 1st millennium BC the Pamiris were adherents of Zoroastrianism. Then, along with trade caravans from China, Buddhism spread to the highlands. In the 11th century, the famous Persian poet Nasir Khusrow (1004-1088) fled to these lands to escape persecution by Sunni Muslims. This creative person became the spiritual leader of the local population; under the influence of the poet, the Pamiris adopted Ismailism, a Shiite branch of Islam that absorbed some provisions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Religion significantly distinguishes the Pamiris from their Sunni neighbors. Ismailis perform namaz (pray) only twice a day, while Tajiks and Uzbeks do it five times a day. Since the Pamirs do not fast in holy month Ramadan, their women do not wear burqas, and their men allow themselves to drink moonshine, then neighboring peoples These people are not considered devout Muslims.

History of the people

There is no clear answer to the question of the origin of the Pamiris. The history of this ethnic group goes back more than two thousand years. Considering that the inhabitants of Badakhshan belong to the Caucasian race, some researchers are inclined to believe that the Pamiris are the descendants of the ancient Aryans, who remained in the mountains during the Indo-European migration and subsequently mixed with local population. However, there is no historical evidence for this theory.

According to most experts, several eastern Iranian tribes moved to the Pamirs separately from each other and in different times. It is interesting that their closest relatives were the legendary Scythians - an ancient ethnic group that created a huge empire in the 7th-4th centuries BC, stretching from Crimea to Southern Siberia.

Scientists associate the origin of the Pamiris with several waves of migrations of the nomadic tribe of Sakas, who began to populate the highlands in the 7th-6th centuries BC. Then the ancestors of the Wakhans moved from the Alai Valley, which is located east of Badakhshan. And the future Ishkashim residents moved to the highlands from the southwest. After a linguistic study of their language, scientists consider the Munjans to be the remnants of the Bactrian community that survived in remote areas.

The next wave of Saka migration gave birth to the northern Pamirs, who migrated to Badakhshan from the west along the Pyanj River, subsequently breaking up into the Shugnans, Rushans, Yazgulyams and Vanjs. And even later, the ancestors of the Sarykol people moved to their current territories, which are currently part of the Chinese province of Xinjiang. All these migration waves ended by the beginning of our era.

Thanks to the rich deposits of ruby and lapis lazuli, the inhabitants of the highlands were regularly visited by merchants who exchanged for gems household items, household utensils, as well as knives and axes, and other tools. Back in the 2nd century BC, caravans from China along the Great Silk Road passed through the Pyanj River valley.

Throughout the history of the Pamirs, various Turkic-speaking tribes, Chinese, Arabs, Mongols, as well as the Sassanid and Timurid dynasties tried to conquer this region. But none of them stayed in the highlands to rule over a handful of tribes. Therefore, even the nominally conquered Pamiris continued to live quietly for a long time, as they were accustomed to.

The situation changed in the 19th century, when Russia and Britain waged an active struggle for influence in Asia. In 1895, the border was officially established between Afghanistan, which was under the protectorate of the British, and the Emirate of Bukhara, which enjoyed the support of the Russians. The two empires divided their spheres of influence along the Panj River, with the Wakhan Corridor going to Afghanistan. Subsequently, the border of the USSR was established there. Neither in Moscow nor in London did anyone care about fate Pamir peoples, which were literally cut off from each other.

Now the highlands are divided between Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The languages of the Pamir peoples are being consistently displaced, and their future remains uncertain.

Customs and manners

The Pamiris have always lived rather isolated. The harsh nature of the highlands, which is located between 2 and 7 thousand meters above sea level, had a significant impact on their life and morals.

Every element of the house here has symbolic meaning. The Pamiri people's homes are supported by five pillars named after Muslim saints: Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hussein and Hassan. They demarcate the men's and women's bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, living room and prayer area. And the four-tiered vault of a traditional home symbolizes the natural elements: fire, earth, water and air.

Previously, the Pamirs lived in large patriarchal families, all relatives ran a joint household, unquestioningly obeying the elder. But later such mini-communities were replaced by ordinary monogamous families. Moreover, among the Pamirs there are marriages between cousins, which is often due to the reluctance to pay a large bride price for a bride from another family.

The traditional occupations of these people are agriculture and animal husbandry. Cows, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys are raised in the highlands. The Pamirs have been engaged in wool processing, weaving, pottery, and jewelry making for many centuries. There were always many skilled hunters among them.

The Pamiri diet usually consists of wheat flatbreads, sheep cheese, homemade noodles, vegetables and legumes, fruits and walnuts. A poor resident of the highlands drinks tea with milk, and a rich one also adds a little butter to the bowl.

They demarcate the men's and women's bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, living room and prayer area. And the four-tiered vault of a traditional home symbolizes the natural elements: fire, earth, water and air.

Ancient people of the Pamirs

The unique nature of the Pamirs has always interested researchers and travelers. This harsh mountain region is the homeland of an ancient people about whom almost nothing is known. And if before the twentieth century few people had heard about the mysterious Pamiris, because they lived in remote areas, then, starting from the USSR era, these people were most often confused with Tajiks.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the highlands have a special culture, interesting customs and traditions.

Who are the Pamiris? Why were they separated by the borders of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China and Pakistan?

What are they?

The Pamiris do not make it into world news, do not fight for independence, and do not strive to create their own state. These are peaceful people, accustomed to an isolated life in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains. Badakhshan is the name of the historical region of their residence. This ethnic group consists of many nationalities united by a common origin, customs and traditions, religion and history.

The Pamirs are divided into northern and southern. Among the former, the most numerous national group are the Shugnans, numbering more than 100 thousand people. There are three times fewer Rushans. There are almost 25 thousand people from Sarykolt, and Yazgulyam people are considered a small ethnic group. The main part of the southern Pamirs are the Vakhans, about 70 thousand of them. And there are much fewer Sanglicians, Ishkashims and Munjanians.

Being representatives of Iranian-speaking peoples, even in the 1st millennium BC the Pamiris were adherents of Zoroastrianism. Then, along with trade caravans from China, Buddhism spread to the highlands. In the 11th century, the famous Persian poet Nasir Khusrow (1004-1088) fled to these lands to escape persecution by Sunni Muslims. This creative person became the spiritual leader of the local population; under the influence of the poet, the Pamiris adopted Ismailism - a Shiite branch of Islam that absorbed some of the tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Religion significantly distinguishes the Pamiris from their Sunni neighbors. Ismailis perform namaz (pray) only twice a day, while Tajiks and Uzbeks do it five times a day. Since the Pamirs do not fast during the holy month of Ramadan, their women do not wear burqas, and their men allow themselves to drink moonshine, neighboring peoples do not classify these people as devout Muslims.

History of the people

There is no clear answer to the question of the origin of the Pamiris. The history of this ethnic group goes back more than two thousand years. Considering that the inhabitants of Badakhshan belong to the Caucasian race, some researchers are inclined to believe that the Pamiris are the descendants of the ancient Aryans, who remained in the mountains during the Indo-European migration and subsequently mixed with the local population. However, there is no historical evidence for this theory.

According to most experts, several eastern Iranian tribes moved to the Pamirs separately from each other and at different times. It is interesting that their closest relatives were the legendary Scythians - an ancient ethnic group that created a huge empire in the 7th-4th centuries BC, stretching from Crimea to Southern Siberia.

Thanks to the rich deposits of ruby and lapis lazuli, the inhabitants of the highlands were regularly visited by merchants who exchanged household items, household utensils, as well as knives, axes, and other tools for precious stones. Back in the 2nd century BC, caravans from China along the Great Silk Road passed through the Pyanj River valley.

Throughout the history of the Pamirs, various Turkic-speaking tribes, Chinese, Arabs, Mongols, as well as the Sassanid and Timurid dynasties tried to conquer this region. But none of them stayed in the highlands to rule a handful of tribes. Therefore, even the nominally conquered Pamiris continued to live quietly for a long time, as they were accustomed to.

The situation changed in the 19th century, when Russia and Britain waged an active struggle for influence in Asia. In 1895, the border was officially established between Afghanistan, which was under the protectorate of the British, and the Emirate of Bukhara, which enjoyed the support of the Russians. The two empires divided their spheres of influence along the Panj River, with the Wakhan Corridor going to Afghanistan. Subsequently, the border of the USSR was established there. Neither Moscow nor London cared about the fate of the Pamir peoples, who found themselves literally cut off from each other.

Now the highlands are divided between Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The languages of the Pamir peoples are being consistently displaced, and their future remains uncertain.

Customs and manners

The Pamiris have always lived rather isolated. The harsh nature of the highlands, which is located between 2 and 7 thousand meters above sea level, had a significant impact on their life and morals. Every element of the house here has a symbolic meaning. The Pamiri people's homes are supported by five pillars named after Muslim saints: Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hussein and Hassan. They demarcate the men's and women's bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, living room and prayer area. And the four-tiered vault of a traditional dwelling symbolizes the natural elements: fire, earth, water and air.

Despite the fact that Islam has significantly influenced the position of women, marriages among the Pamiris are matrilocal. That is, after the wedding, the newlyweds settle in the house of the bride’s parents. The traditional occupations of these people are agriculture and animal husbandry. Cows, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys are raised in the highlands. The Pamirs have been engaged in wool processing, weaving, pottery, and jewelry making for many centuries. There were always many skilled hunters among them. The Pamiri diet usually consists of wheat cakes, sheep cheese, homemade noodles, vegetables and legumes, fruits and walnuts. The poor highlander drinks tea with milk, and the rich also add a little butter to the bowl.

What are they?

This ethnic group consists of many nationalities united by a common origin, customs and traditions, religion and history. The Pamirs are divided into northern and southern. Among the former, the most numerous national group are the Shugnans, numbering more than 100 thousand people. There are three times fewer Rushans. There are almost 25 thousand people from Sarykolt, and Yazgulyam people are considered a small ethnic group.

The main part of the southern Pamirs are the Vakhans, about 70 thousand of them. And there are much fewer Sanglicians, Ishkashims and Munjanians.

Being representatives of Iranian-speaking peoples, back in the 1st millennium BC the Pamiris were adherents of Zoroastrianism. Then, along with trade caravans from China, Buddhism spread to the highlands. In the 11th century, the famous Persian poet Nasir Khusrow (1004-1088) fled to these lands to escape persecution by Sunni Muslims. This creative person became the spiritual leader of the local population; under the influence of the poet, the Pamiri people adopted Ismailism, a Shiite branch of Islam that absorbed some provisions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Religion significantly distinguishes the Pamiris from their Sunni neighbors. Ismailis perform namaz (pray) only twice a day, while Tajiks and Uzbeks do it five times a day. Since the Pamirs do not fast during the holy month of Ramadan, their women do not wear burqas, and their men allow themselves to drink moonshine, neighboring peoples do not classify these people as devout Muslims.

History of the people

There is no clear answer to the question of the origin of the Pamiris. The history of this ethnic group goes back more than two thousand years. Considering that the inhabitants of Badakhshan belong to the Caucasian race, some researchers are inclined to believe that the Pamiris are the descendants of the ancient Aryans, who remained in the mountains during the Indo-European migration and subsequently mixed with the local population. However, there is no historical evidence for this theory.

Scientists associate the origin of the Pamiris with several waves of migrations of the nomadic tribe of Sakas, who began to populate the highlands in the 7th-6th centuries BC. Then the ancestors of the Wakhans moved from the Alai Valley, which is located east of Badakhshan. And the future Ishkashim residents moved to the highlands from the southwest. After a linguistic study of their language, scientists consider the Munjans to be remnants of the Bactrian community that survived in remote areas.

The situation changed in the 19th century, when Russia and Britain waged an active struggle for influence in Asia. In 1895, the border was officially established between Afghanistan, which was under the protectorate of the British, and the Emirate of Bukhara, which enjoyed the support of the Russians. The two empires divided their spheres of influence along the Panj River, with the Wakhan Corridor going to Afghanistan. Subsequently, the border of the USSR was established there. Neither Moscow nor London cared about the fate of the Pamir peoples, who found themselves literally cut off from each other.

Now the highlands are divided between Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The languages of the Pamir peoples are being consistently displaced, and their future remains uncertain.

Customs and manners

The Pamiris have always lived rather isolated. The harsh nature of the highlands, which is located between 2 and 7 thousand meters above sea level, had a significant impact on their life and morals.

Every element of the house here has a symbolic meaning. The Pamiri people's homes are supported by five pillars named after Muslim saints: Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hussein and Hassan. They demarcate the men's and women's bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, living room and prayer area. And the four-tiered vault of a traditional dwelling symbolizes the natural elements: fire, earth, water and air.

The Pamiri diet usually consists of wheat cakes, sheep cheese, homemade noodles, vegetables and legumes, fruits and walnuts. A poor resident of the highlands drinks tea with milk, and a rich one also adds a little butter to the bowl.

Orynganym Tanatarova

Tags: Tajikistan

They demarcate the men's and women's bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, living room and prayer area. And the four-tiered vault of a traditional dwelling symbolizes the natural elements: fire, earth, water and air.

Ancient people of the Pamirs

Meanwhile, Residents of the highlands have a special culture, interesting customs and traditions.

Who are the Pamiris? Why were they separated by the borders of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China and Pakistan?

What are they?

The Pamiris do not make it into world news, do not fight for independence, and do not strive to create their own state. These are peaceful people, accustomed to an isolated life in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains. Badakhshan is the name of the historical region of their residence. This ethnic group consists of many nationalities united by a common origin, customs and traditions, religion and history.

Residents of Badakhshan speak languages of the Eastern Iranian group of the Indo-European family. However, They use the Tajik language for interethnic communication, and it is also the language of instruction in schools. In Pakistan, the Pamir languages are gradually being replaced by official Urdu, and in China by Uyghur.

Being representatives of Iranian-speaking peoples, in the 1st millennium BC, the Pamiris were adherents of Zoroastrianism. Then, along with trade caravans from China, Buddhism spread to the highlands. In the 11th century, a famous Persian poet fled to these lands Nasir Khosrow(1004-1088), who was fleeing persecution by Sunni Muslims. This creative person became the spiritual leader of the local population; under the influence of the poet, the Pamiris adopted Ismailism - a Shiite branch of Islam that absorbed some of the tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Religion significantly distinguishes the Pamiris from their Sunni neighbors. Ismailis perform namaz (pray) only twice a day, while Tajiks and Uzbeks do it five times a day. Since the Pamirs do not fast during the holy month of Ramadan, their women do not wear burqas, and their men allow themselves to drink moonshine, neighboring peoples do not classify these people as devout Muslims.

History of the people

There is no clear answer to the question of the origin of the Pamiris. The history of this ethnic group goes back more than two thousand years. Considering that the inhabitants of Badakhshan belong to the Caucasian race, some researchers are inclined to believe that the Pamiris are the descendants of the ancient Aryans, who remained in the mountains during the Indo-European migration and subsequently mixed with the local population. However, there is no historical evidence for this theory.

Throughout the history of the Pamirs, various Turkic-speaking tribes tried to conquer this region., Chinese, Arabs, Mongols, as well as the Sassanid and Timurid dynasties. But none of them stayed in the highlands to rule over a handful of tribes. Therefore, even the nominally conquered Pamiris continued to live quietly for a long time, as they were accustomed to.

The situation changed in the 19th century, when Russia and Britain waged an active struggle for influence in Asia. In 1895, the border was officially established between Afghanistan, which was under the protectorate of the British, and the Emirate of Bukhara, which enjoyed the support of the Russians. The two empires divided their spheres of influence along the Panj River, with the Wakhan Corridor going to Afghanistan. Subsequently, the border of the USSR was established there. Neither Moscow nor London cared about the fate of the Pamir peoples, who found themselves literally cut off from each other.

Now the highlands are divided between Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The languages of the Pamir peoples are being consistently displaced, and their future remains uncertain.

Customs and manners

The Pamiris have always lived rather isolated. The harsh nature of the highlands, which is located between 2 and 7 thousand meters above sea level, had a significant impact on their life and morals. Every element of the house here has a symbolic meaning. The Pamiri people's homes are supported by five pillars named after Muslim saints: Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hussein and Hassan. They demarcate the men's and women's bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, living room and prayer area. And the four-tiered vault of a traditional home symbolizes the natural elements: fire, earth, water and air.

Despite the fact that Islam has significantly influenced the position of women, marriages among the Pamiris are matrilocal. That is, After the wedding, the newlyweds settle in the house of the bride's parents.The traditional occupations of these people are agriculture and animal husbandry. Cows, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys are raised in the highlands. The Pamirs have been engaged in wool processing, weaving, pottery, and jewelry making for many centuries. There were always many skilled hunters among them. The Pamiri diet usually consists of wheat cakes, sheep cheese, homemade noodles, vegetables and legumes, fruits and walnuts. A poor resident of the highlands drinks tea with milk, and a rich one also adds a little butter to the bowl.

): 44 000
China China(Tashkurgan-Tajik Autonomous County and adjacent areas - 23,350 people (84% of the county’s population)): 41,028 (total in China, per. 2000)
Russia Russia: 363 (2010)

Language Pamir languages, also Tajik and Dari Religion Islam, mostly Ismaili Shi'ism, to a lesser extent Hanafi Sunnism Related peoples Pashtuns, Ossetians, Tajiks, Hunzas, Kalash Origin Iranian

Settlement

The areas of settlement of the Pamirs - the western, southern and eastern Pamirs, contiguous in the south with the Hindu Kush - are high-mountain narrow valleys with a rather harsh climate, almost never falling below 2,000 m above sea level and surrounded by steeply sloped ridges covered with eternal snow, the height of which in some places approaches 7,000 m. To the north of the Hindu Kush watershed, the valleys belong to the upper Amu Darya basin (Upper Kokcha, Pyanj, Pamir, Vakhandarya). The eastern slopes of the Pamirs belong to the river basin. Yarkand, south of the Hindu Kush begins the Indus basin, represented by the Kunar (Chitral) and Gilgit rivers. Administratively, this entire territory, which had long been an eclectic but unified area, was divided between Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China as a result of expansion in the 19th century. Russian, British and Chinese empires and their satellites (Bukhara and Afghan emirates). As a result, the areas of many Pamir peoples were artificially divided.

The ethnogeographical units in the Pamirs are the historical regions: Shugnan, Rushan, Ishkashim, Wakhan, Munjan, Sarykol - in general, they initially coincided with the nationalities that formed in them. If in terms of material and spiritual culture, the Pamir people, thanks to thousands of years of mutual contacts, have become significantly closer to each other, then the study of their languages shows that different Pamir peoples came from at least four ancient Eastern Iranian communities, only distantly related to each other and brought to the Pamirs independently.

Geography and climate in places of settlement

The area of Badakhshan as a whole is - 108159 km², population 1.3 million people.

Tajik part of Badakhshan (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region). - 64,100 km², 216,900 people. Most of the territory of GBAO is occupied by the highlands of the Eastern Pamirs ( highest point- Peak Ismoil Somoni, former peak of Communism (7495 m)), because of which it is sometimes called the “Roof of the World”. On the slopes of the mountain there are powerful firn fields and glaciers with a total area of 136 km².

To the west and northwest of the peak is the Pamir firn plateau, one of the longest high-mountain plateaus in the world. The plateau stretches from east to west for 12 km. The width of the plateau is 3 km. The lowest point of the plateau is located at an altitude of 4700 m, the highest - at an altitude of 6300 m.

Pamiro-speaking peoples

The classification of the Pamir peoples is usually based on linguistic principles.

Northern Pamirs

Shugnan-Rushans- a group of peoples inhabiting adjacent valleys, speaking closely related languages-dialects, which allows them to understand each other tolerably when communicating; Shugnan is often used as the intervalley Shugnan-Rushan language.
- Shugnans- Shugnan (Taj. Shugnon, Shugn. Xuɣnůn) - part of the river valley. Pyanj in the Khorog region, the valleys of its right tributaries (Gunt, Shahdara, Badzhuv). The right bank of the Pyanj River belongs to the Shugnan and Roshtkala districts of GBAO Tajikistan, the left bank belongs to the Shignan district of the Afghan province of Badakhshan. The leading ethnic group of the Pamirs, numbering approx. 110 thousand people, of which in Afghanistan approx. 25 thousand
- Rushantsy- Rushan (Taj. Rushon, Rush. Riẋůn), the area downstream of Shugnan along the Pyanj at the confluence of the Bartang River. The right bank part is located in the Rushan district of GBAO Tajikistan, the left bank - in the Shignan region of the Afghan province of Badakhshan. Total number - approx. 30 thousand people It also includes small related groups with separate languages and separate identities:
  - Khufians- Khuf (Taj. Khuf, khuf. Xuf) southeast of Rushan;
  - Bartang people- middle and upper reaches of the river. Bartang;
    - Roshorvtsy- Roshorv (Taj. Roshorv, rosh. Rōšōʹrv, self-described rašarviǰ) - upper reaches of the Bartang.
Sarykoltsy(Chinese: 塔吉克语 Tǎjíkèyǔ"Tajiks") inhabit Sarykol (Uyg. ساريكۆل, Chinese 色勒库尔 Sèlēikùěr) in the river valley Tiznaf (Tashkurgan-Tajik Autonomous County) and the upper reaches of Yarkand in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Number approx. 25 thousand people

Southern Pamirs

The Southern Pamiris are a relict population group south of Shugnan, speaking two closely related dialect languages:

Ishkashim people- Ishkashim along the banks of Pyanj (Taj. Ishkoshim, ishk. Šьkošьm): the village of Ryn in GBAO (Ishkashim district) and the village of Ishkashim in the region of the same name in Afghan Badakhshan. OK. 1500 people
Sanglitsy- river valley Varduj in Afghan Badakhshan, a left tributary of the Pyanj, with the main village of Sanglech. The number is critical (100-150 people). To the north of Sanglech, in the Zebak region, the Zebak language formerly existed, which has now been completely replaced by Tajik (Dari).
Vakhans- historically inhabit the Wakhan region (Taj. Vakhon, wah. Wux˘), including the upper reaches of the Pyanj and its source, the Vakhandarya. The left bank of the Pyanj and the Vakhandarya valley (Wakhan corridor) belong to the Wakhan region of Afghan Badakhshan, the right bank to the Ishkashim region of GBAO Tajikistan. In the 2nd half of the 19th century. The Wakhans also settled widely south of the Hindu Kush - in the valleys of Hunza, Ishkoman, Shimshal (Gilgit-Baltistan) and the river. Yarkhun in Chitral (Pakistan), as well as in Chinese Xinjiang: Sarykol and on the river. Kilyan (west of Khotan). The total number of Vakhans is 65-70 thousand people.
Munjanians(dari منجی munǰi, munge məndẓ̌i˘) inhabit the river valley. Munjan in the upper reaches of the river. Kokcha (Kuran and Munjan region in Afghan Badakhshan). Number - approx. 4 thousand people
- Yidga(Urdu یدغہ ‎ , yidga yiʹdəγa) - part of the Munjans who moved across the Hindu Kush ridge in the 18th century. in the Lutkuh valley of Chitral region (Pakistan). Number - approx. 6 thousand people

Close and neighboring peoples

Tajik-speaking Pamiris

From the west, the valleys of the Pamir peoples are surrounded by territories occupied by Tajiks, speakers of the Badakhshan and Darvaz dialects of the Tajik language (Dari). The Badakhshani-Tajiks are largely close to the Pamiris proper. In some areas, the Tajik language has supplanted the local Pamiri languages in historical times:

Yumgan (Dari یمگان, Yamgan, district of the same name in Badakhshan province) - in the 18th century. (Shughni language)
Zebak (Dari زیباک, district of the same name in Badakhshan province) - in the 20th century. (Zebak language)

In addition, in the array of Pamir-speaking peoples there are Tajik-speaking groups of villages:

Goron region (Taj. Goron) on the river. Pyanj between Ishkashim and Shugnan (right bank in the Ishkashim district of GBAO)
Right Bank Vakhan (4 villages).

Neighboring peoples

The Tajik language is the language of religion (Ismailism), folklore, written literature, as well as a means of communication between various Pamir peoples speaking different languages.

In addition to the Tajik language, the Shughnan language and, to some extent, the Wakhan language are common in communication between different nationalities.

The Shugnan language has been playing the role of the language of oral communication between the Pamiris for almost a long time

On modern stage There is an increased expansion of the Tajik language, which, for example, is actively displacing the Wakhan language from all spheres of use, including the family sphere.

The Wakhan language, as a spoken language, occupies a dominant position throughout Wakhan. Communication between the Wakhans and the Tajik-speaking population of Wakhan, as well as the Wakhans and Ishkashims, is usually conducted in the Wakhan language.

For some Pamir peoples living in China, the language of interethnic communication is Uyghur and Chinese. In Afghanistan, this is Dari and, to a lesser extent, Pashto. According to the Constitution of Afghanistan, the Pamiri languages are the official languages in areas where Pamiri people live densely.

Ethnogenesis and history

The origin of the Pamirs, who speak heterogeneous Eastern Iranian languages, is associated with the expansion of the nomadic Sakas, which most likely took place in several waves, in different ways, and various Iranian-speaking communities that emerged outside the region participated in the settlement of the Pamirs. One of them, the Pravakhans, was initially close to the Sakas of Khotan and Kashgar and penetrated into Wakhan, apparently from the east - from the Alai Valley. In historical times, the Kirghiz came to the Pamirs along the same route. The Praishkashim people formed in Tajik and Afghan Badakhshan and penetrated here from the southwest. The Munjan language shows the greatest affinity with the Bactrian language and more distantly with Pashto. Probably, the Munjanians are the remnant of the Bactrian community, surviving in the mountains like the Yagnobis - the remnants of the Sogdians. The North Pamir community, which split into Vanjians, Yazgulyamians and Shugnan-Rushans, judging by the dialect division, penetrated the Pamirs from the west along Pyanj and its expansion ended in Shugnan. Approximate dates for the beginning of the Iranianization of the region (according to linguistic data and archaeological excavations Saka burial grounds) - VII-VI centuries. BC e. The earliest waves are the Pravakhans and pre-Ishkashims. It should be noted that initially the Pamirs inhabited only the Pyanj basin and its tributaries. The expansion of the Sarykol people into Xinjiang, and the Yidga and Wakhan people into the Indus Valley date back to a later era.

For a long time, probably long before Iranianization, the Pamir mountains were one of the main suppliers of lapis lazuli and ruby for ancient world. Nevertheless, the life of the ancient Pamiris remained very closed. The isolation of the Pamiris was interrupted starting from the 2nd century. BC e., when, with the establishment of Central Asian-Chinese connections through the Pyanj valley, caravan trade was established, which became known as the Great Silk Road (in the form of its southern section). Numerous attempts to conquer the Pamirs by world empires (Sassanids, Turks, Chinese, Arabs, Mongols, Timurids, etc.) either failed or ended only in temporary successes and the establishment of nominal dependence on external power. In fact, until the 19th century. the Pamir regions were independent or semi-independent principalities.

According to studies of the Soviet and post-Soviet period, outside borders of the Gorno-Badakhshan region (GBAO), representatives of the Pamir peoples from GBAO call themselves "Pamir Tajiks" .

Regarding ethnic self-identification outside GBAO, for example among labor migrants in the Russian Federation, two types of self-determination are characteristic:

for contacts with government agencies(law enforcement and migration agencies) - present themselves as Tajiks according to passport data, based on considerations of nationality (Tajiks are citizens of Tajikistan) and partly ethnicity (85% of Pamiris did not consider themselves Tajiks during the survey);
among compatriots (natives of GBAO) - exclusively “Pamirs”, with specification of nationality (Rushans, Vakhans, Ishkashims, etc.).

According to an anonymous survey of Pamiris conducted in Tajikistan by representatives of the NGO Memorial who did not identify themselves, the Tajik authorities are pursuing a policy of inculcating the image of a “Tajik,” which means uniting all citizens of Tajikistan, regardless of nationality, under the generalized concept of Tajik in ethnic terms. According to the respondents, the Pamirs refuse to recognize themselves as Tajiks.

Researchers of ethnic self-identification and ethnicity of the peoples of the Pamirs note that there is no clear answer to the question of the ethnicity of the Pamirs, which is explained by both objective and subjective circumstances. In their opinion, the objective ethnic self-awareness of the Pamiris does not quite fit within the framework of accepted criteria. Subjective circumstances arose after the fact that for ideological reasons ethnic characteristics peoples of the Pamirs are deliberately denied. They argue that for the Pamiris, the concepts of nationality and ethnicity are unequal.

Settlement and housing

A specific habitat with complex terrain was the most important natural-geographical factor in the construction of settlements and the formation of the architecture of this nationality. In addition to the specific relief on folk architecture influenced by a dry climate with contrasting temperatures. The long warm period of the year is characterized by an almost complete absence of precipitation and sharp daily temperature fluctuations. The cold period begins in November and lasts until April. The minimum temperature in winter is −30, the maximum in summer is +35. The temperature regime also changes with altitude. The abundance of water sources ensures irrigated agriculture, and the meadows in the side gorges at an altitude of over 3000 m provide transhumance. (Mamadnazarov 1977: 7-8) Pronounced building traditions determine the regional character of settlements, estates and residential buildings. When choosing a settlement site, the possibilities of rockfalls, avalanches and flood waters were taken into account. The traditional form of settlement of the Pamiris is the village. At large quantities land convenient for farming, dwellings in the village are located freely, each house has a yard of larger or smaller size and very often vegetable gardens and small plots of fields.

There are villages in which the dwellings are located in several groups at a considerable distance from each other, creating the impression of separate farmsteads connected to each other by common ditches, between which areas of fields and gardens stretch almost continuously. Closely related families usually live in such farmsteads. If the village is located in a place inconvenient for farming, then the location of housing is very concentrated. There are almost no courtyards in such a village, and the houses are located in steps along the mountainside. Such villages are usually found in narrow mountain gorges. Water supply to villages varies. Based on the sources of water supply and use, villages can be divided into three categories: 1 - villages using water from mountain springs; 2 - using water mainly from turbulent mountain streams and rivers; and 3 - using very long ditches coming from afar with a more or less slow flow of water. The dwelling of the Pamiris, despite the apparent monotony, however, presents very significant differences, depending on the natural building resources, climate, household skills and on the social and property status of its owner. Usually the dwelling is one-story, but if it is located on a steep slope, then sometimes a barn is built below. An attached second floor is very rare in larger, wealthier homes. The material for construction is usually earth (loess or clay), from which the walls are made. In villages located in narrow gorges on rocky soil, where loess is expensive and inaccessible, most of the dwellings and all outbuildings are made of stones held together with clay. The basis for the roof is several logs laid on the walls, on which a flooring of poles is placed, covered with earth and clay on top. From the inside of the building, the roof is supported by pillars. The home is usually divided into winter and summer premises. The winter part - hona - is a square or rectangular room, most of the floor of which is raised in the form of a platform or adobe bunks, which are used for sleeping, seating, etc. In the passage between the bunks, under a hole in the ceiling, a hole is dug for water drainage, covered with wooden lattice. A small door leads into the hona either from the street or yard, or from the summer room. A window for transmitting light is a hole in the wall, usually having a wooden sash.

Until the 1930s, there were almost no glass windows anywhere in mountain villages. To heat the room, there is a fire pit, which is used for baking bread (cakes). Food is cooked in a hearth, which is a recess in the form of a cone cut from the top and side, with smooth walls and a wider bottom. A fire is built at the bottom of the recess, and a flat, wide cauldron is placed on top. Why is it arranged either in a special elevation in a corner or along one of the walls, or in a passage thicker than a bunk. Young livestock and poultry are kept in the hona in winter, for which purpose a special room, closed with a door, is installed on the side of the entrance. It is necessary to mention the so-called. “letovyas”, where livestock is driven away for the summer and where most of the women of the village live with small children for several summer months, procuring dairy products for future use. Small huts made of stones, often not covered or insulated, are used for housing. Almost every village has a mosque, with the exception of the smallest ones (Ginsburg, 1937: 17-24).

The houses of the Pamiris are not like the houses of other peoples. Their structure remains unchanged for many centuries, passing from generation to generation. Every architectural element Pamir house has its own esoteric meaning - pre-Islamic and Islamic. Every element of a house has a meaning in a person's life. The house embodies the whole universe, reflecting the divine essence of man and the harmony of his relationship with nature. The support of a Pamir house is 5 pillars. They are named after 5 saints: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussein. The Muhammad pillar is the main one in the house. This is a symbol of faith, male power, the eternity of the world and the inviolability of the home. A newborn boy is placed in a cradle near him. The Fatima pillar is a symbol of purity, the guardian of the hearth. During the wedding, the bride is dressed and decorated near this pillar so that she is as beautiful as Fatima. Ali's pillar is a symbol of friendship, love, fidelity, agreements. When the groom brings the bride to his house, they are seated near this pillar so that they family life was full of happiness and they had healthy children. The Hasan pillar serves the earth and protects it, taking care of its prosperity. Therefore, it is longer than other pillars and is in direct contact with the ground. The Hussein pillar is a symbol of light and fire. Prayers and religious texts are read near it, prayers are performed, and the ritual of lighting a candle (“charogravshan”) is performed after the death of a person. The four-step vault of the house - “chorkhona”, symbolizes 4 elements: earth, water, wind, fire.

Marriage and family

The most archaic form of family among the Pamiris was a large patriarchal family, based on the principles of agnatic kinship. The undivided economy was the basis of existence big family, which in turn was based on joint ownership of land. At the head of such a family was an elder who managed all property, distribution of work in the family and other matters. Patriarchal relations dominated within the family, the younger ones unquestioningly obeyed the elders, and all together obeyed the elder. However, with the penetration of commodity-money relations into the areas of settlement of the Pamiris, the communal structure was undermined, which led to the disintegration of large patriarchal families. The patriarchal family was replaced by a monogamous family, which still retained patriarchal relationships to one degree or another.

With the establishment of Islam, the superiority of men over women was legalized. According to Shariah norms, the husband had an advantage in the matter of inheritance; as a witness, the husband's right to divorce was legalized. In fact, a woman’s position in the family depended on the degree of her participation in production and rural labor, therefore, in mountainous regions, where a woman took more part in productive activities, her position was relatively freer. Among the Pamirs, consanguineous marriages played a significant role; they were also stimulated for economic reasons. Cousin marriages were especially popular, mainly marriage to the daughter of the mother's brother and the daughter of the father's brother.

Among the Pamiris, the first ceremony associated with marriage was matchmaking. The next stage of the marriage was the engagement. After matchmaking and engagement, the bride and groom begin to hide from their new relatives. During the year, the entire bride price is collected and paid to the bride's father; relatives help the groom's father in collecting it. Kalym was mainly of a natural nature. Marriage is matrilocal (Kislyakov 1951: 7-12). As a trace of matrilocal marriage, there remains a custom according to which the bride, after the wedding, stays in her husband’s house for only 3-4 days, and then returns to her father’s house and the actual marriage begins here. (Peshchereva 1947: 48)