NORTH PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN
Situated on the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle
East and Central Asia, Pakistan is a beautiful country
with a unique history and cultural heritage. Pakistan
was the site for one of the world’s earliest human
settlements: the great prehistoric Indus Valley Civilization,
the crucible of ancient empires, religions
and cultures. The land of Pakistan ranges from
lofty mountains in the north, the Karakorum and
the Himalayas, through dissected plateaus to the
rich alluvial plains of the Punjab. Then follows the
desolate barrenness of Baluchistan and the hot, dry
deserts of Sindh blending into miles and miles of
golden beaches of Makran coast.
This complex nation consists of various ethnic
groups, each with its own cultures and subcultures,
but which are unified by the common values
of hospitality, honor, and respect for elders. Strong
family ties and respect for human feelings are at the
core of Pakistani society. The differences in language
have never been a cause of political instability. That
the country has been able to hold together is mainly
due to the strength of its workforce and family ties.
Pakistan has extremes of wealth and poverty. For
most people, though, daily life is full of difficulties,
yet everyone knows how to cope with crises. Creative,
tough, and adaptable, Pakistanis are among the
most self-reliant people in the world, bouncing back
after major catastrophes. They are passionate, enterprising,
and remarkable people.
Occupying land crisscrossed by ancient invaders,
Pakistan is a young country whose history stretches
back for thousands of years. It is the home of two
ancient civilizations -the Indus and the Gandharaand
its culture has been shaped by invaders, nomadic
tribes, clans, refugees, and preachers of various religions.
It was home to some of the earliest human settlements,
and the region along the eastern banks of the
Indus River was a magnet to the ancient Greek and
Persian empires. Numerous races came here, moved
on, or settled in the fertile valleys. The flow of migration
continued even in modern times, with millions
entering from India at the time of Partition, from
Bangladesh, and from Afghanistan at the end of the
20 th century.
THE BACTRIAN GREEKS
The Persian Achaemenian Empire collapsed under
the onslaught of Alexander of Macedonia in the
fourth century BCE. He crossed the Indus at Swabi
and came to Taxila in 326 BCE, to be welcomed by
the local king, Ambhi, in his palace at Bhir mound.
Alexander then moved on to the Jhelum River, fought
with Raja Porus on its banks, and conquered Multan.
His exhausted army refused to go beyond the Beas
River and he had to turn back to the Makran coast to
head home. He left behind in Central Asia a number
of Greeks, who founded the Greco-Bactrian kingdom
of Gandhara. It lasted more than five hundred years,
ruled by 13 Greek kings and queens, and its art and
religion had considerable influence on the development
of the region.
This civilization was the result of the interaction
of several peoples who followed the Greeks,
Scythians, Parthians, and Kushans -who came one
after the other from Central Asia by various routes
and integrated into the local society. It is under their
patronage that Buddhism evolved here into its new
Mahayana form, and this became the religion of the
contemporary people in Pakistan.
Under their encouragement Buddhist monks moved
freely along the “Silk Road,” the great transcontinental
trade route, and carried their religion to
central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. Trade along
the Silk Road was controlled mainly by the Kushana
emperors, who built a mighty empire with Peshawar
as their capital. The Kushana period, from the first to
the third centuries, was the golden age of Pakistan,
with the Silk Road trade bringing unparalleled prosperity
to the area.
THE PEOPLE
Pakistan is in essence a multiethnic and multilingual
nation that is home to people of various regional
nationalities. Nation building has been a difficult
process. The country has undergone a succession of
traumatic sociopolitical experiences since achieving
independence; but it continues to demonstrate
resilience and the capacity to survive and adapt to
changing circumstances.
The people of Pakistan are warm and welcoming.
Their love of color is seen in everyday life, in the
brightly colored painted houses, doors, and windows.
On the roads exuberantly decorated trucks and
buses, painted with mountain scenery, religious
calligraphy, or verses from the famous regional poets,
are ubiquitous. Their qawwali music, performed
in the shrines of famous Sufi saints in Punjab and
Sindh, is unique and attracts millions of people every
year who come to make a wish or offer alms and to
listen to the music and poetry recitals. The Pakistani
passion for cricket is proverbial, and there is a team in
every locality with aspiring young players who want
to be on the national team.
Pakistan hosts one of the largest refugee populations
in the world, mainly from Afghanistan. This diversity
is more visible along cultural and linguistic, rather
than religious or genetic lines. Almost all Pakistanis
belong to the Indo-Aryan ancestral groups that
include Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhi, Balochi, Baruhi,
Balti, and dozens of other smaller groups. In the
northern mountains are some of the oldest Aryan
peoples, the Dardic, Kashmiri, and Swati. Urduspeaking
migrants from India known as Muhajirs,
mostly living in Karachi, are grouped on a linguistic
rather than an ethnic basis.
The estimated population of Pakistan is 197 million,
making it the world’s 6 th -most populous country.
About 95% of its people are Muslim, with the
remainder made up of small groups of Hindus, Christians,
Sikhs, Parsis (Zoroastrians), Buddhists, and
followers of other faiths. The majority of the Muslims
are of the Sunni Hanafi branch, and others are Shia
THE CREATION OF PAKISTAN
‘Pakistan’ was originally an acronym for the five
northwestern regions in which Muslims constituted
a majority; Punjab, Afghania (now known as Khyber
Pukhtoonkhwa), Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan.
However ‘pak’ in Urdu also means ‘pure’, making

Pakistan ‘The land of the pure’. The Muslims of India
adopted the name in 1933 in their demand for a
separate and independent homeland.
The Independence of India Act 1947 stated that
provinces with a majority of Muslims (such as
western Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and what is
now Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa) were to join Pakistan.
Hindu-majority areas (such as eastern Punjab) would
join India, while princely states (like Kashmir) were
required to pick a side. Jinnah had campaigned for
a geographically contiguous state, however Muslims
were not only numerous in the northwest of India,
but also in the northeastern region of Bengal, which
was to be divided into Indian and Pakistani halves. To
complicate matters, millions of Muslims lived in the
lands of central northern India, but were outnumbered
by Hindus, while millions of Hindus lived in
areas such as Sindh, Bengal and western Punjab
which were to become part of Muslim-ruled Pakistan.
Finally, Sikhs, Christians, Zoroastrians and others
were given little or no consideration in the process.
The process of partitioning India had all the ingredients
of a humanitarian catastrophe. In the summer
of 1947, millions of Muslims from Hindu-dominated
areas left their cities at short notice and migrated
towards the lands which would become Pakistan.
Millions of Hindus made a similar move, but in the
opposite direction. With nationalistic fervor and
ethnic tensions in the subcontinent at their most
critical point, the two groups encountered each
other and the inevitable violence broke out. Entire
trainloads of migrants were burnt alive. Women were
raped, children kidnapped and sometimes entire
families were butchered by angry mobs. Those who
survived the terrible journey arrived in cities such
as Delhi, Kolkata, Karachi and Dhaka to ill-prepared
refugee camps. Sikhs and anyone else caught in the
middle tended to gravitate towards India, although
a considerable number also stayed where they were.
On 14 th August 1947 Britain relinquished control of
Pakistan, and on the following day, of India. More
than 100,000 lay dead, more than two million people
had switched sides, and Pakistan was independent
with Karachi as its capital city.
THE FATHER OF THE NATION
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s achievement
as the founder of Pakistan, dominates everything else
he did in his long and crowded public life spanning
some 42 years. Several were the roles he had played
with distinction: at one time or another, he was one
of the greatest legal luminaries India had produced
during the first half of the century, an ambassador
of Hindu-Muslim unity, a great constitutionalism, a
distinguished parliamentarian, a top-notch politician,
an indefatigable freedom-fighter, a dynamic Muslim
leader, a political strategist and, above all one of the
great nation-builders of modern times.
What, however, makes him so remarkable is the
fact that while similar other leaders assumed the
leadership of traditionally well-defined nations
and espoused their cause, or led them to freedom,
he created a nation out of an inchoate and downtrodden
minority and established a cultural and
national home for it. And all that within a decade.
For over three decades before the successful culmination
in 1947, of the Muslim struggle for freedom in
the South-Asian subcontinent, Jinnah had provided
political leadership to the Indian Muslims: initially
as one of the leaders, but later, since 1947, as the
only prominent leader- the Quaid-i-Azam. For over
thirty years, he had guided their affairs; he had given
expression, coherence and direction to their legitimate
aspirations and cherished dreams; he had
formulated these into concrete demands; and, above
all, he had striven all the while to get them conceded
by both the ruling British and the numerous Hindus
the dominant segment of India’s population. And
for over thirty years he had fought, relentlessly and
inexorably, for the inherent rights of the Muslims for
an honorable existence in the subcontinent. Indeed,
his life story constitutes, as it were, the story of the
rebirth of the Muslims of the subcontinent and their
spectacular rise to nationhood, phoenix like.
DEMAND FOR PAKISTAN
“We are a nation”, they claimed in the ever eloquent
words of the Quaid-i-Azam- “We are a nation with our
own distinctive culture and civilization, language and
literature, art and architecture, names and nomenclature,
sense of values and proportion, legal laws
and moral code, customs and calendar, history and
tradition, aptitudes and ambitions; in short, we have
our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all
canons of international law, we are a nation”. It was
his powerful advocacy of the case of Pakistan and his
remarkable strategy in the delicate negotiations that
followed the formulation of the Pakistan demand,
particularly in the post-war period, that made
Pakistan inevitable.
HIS LAST MESSAGE
It was, therefore, with a sense of supreme satisfaction
at the fulfillment of his mission that Jinnah told the
nation in his last message on 14 August, 1948: “The
foundations of your State have been laid and it is now
for you to build and build as quickly and as well as you
can”. In accomplishing the task he had taken upon
himself on the morrow of Pakistan’s birth, Jinnah
had worked himself to death, but he had, to quote
Richard Symons, “contributed more than any other
man to Pakistan’s survival”. He died on 11 September,
1948.
It was, however, given to Surat Chandra Bose, leader
of the Forward Bloc wing of the Indian National
Congress, to sum up succinctly his personal and
political achievements. “Mr. Jinnah” he said on his
death in 1948, “was great as a lawyer, once great as
a Congressman, great as a leader of Muslims, great
as a world politician and diplomat, and greatest of all
as a man of action. By Mr. Jinnah’s passing away, the
world has lost one of the greatest statesmen and Pakistan
its life-giver, philosopher and guide”. Such was
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the man and
his mission, such the range of his accomplishments
and achievements.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Experts from:
Site of the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington
Pakistan: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture, Kuperard,
by Safia Haleem
Pakistan Traveller, Tim Blight
Emerging Pakistan Gov Pk
Visit Swat org.
kalashpeople.com
wikipedia

PESHAWAR - THE FRONTIER TOWN
Peshawar is the heart of the NW Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province, watered by the Kabul and Swat
rivers, that runs for over 1,100 km along the border
with Afghanistan. Here is also the heart of the
ancient kingdom of Gandhara, rich in archaeological
remains. It lies at the edge of the historic Khyber
Pass and is well known for its historic and cultural
values. The name derives from a Sanskrit word
“Pushpapura” meaning the “City of flowers”.
Over the years the city has seen many invaders and
travelers passing it by, from around the world. The
pass and the valley have resounded to the tramp of
marching feet as successive armies hurtled down the
crossroad of history, pathway of commerce, migration
and invasion by Aryans, Scythians, Persians,
Greeks, Bactrians, Kushans, Huns, Turks’ Mongols
and Moghols. Alexander the Great’s legions and
the southern wing of his army were held up here
in 327 B.C. for 40 days at a fort excavated recently,
27 km NE of Peshawar at Pushkalavati (Lotus City)
near Charsadda. The great Babur marched through
historic Khyber Pass to conquer South Asia in 1526
and set up the Moghal Empire in the South Asia.
The city is the land of the Pathans - a completely
male-dominated society, who are faithful Muslims.
Their typical martial and religious character has been
moulded by their heroes, like Khushal Khan Khattak,
the warrior poet and Rehman Baba, a preacher and
also a poet of Pushto language. Today, they themselves
guard the Pakistan-Afghanistan border along
the great passes of the Khyber, the Tochi, the Gomal
and others on Pakistan’s territory. Before independence
they successfully defied mighty empires, like
the British and the Moghal and others before them,
keeping the border simmering with commotion, and
the flame of freedom proudly burning.
In the early 21 st c. the activities of the Taliban spread
into the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and
then deeper into Pakistan. Peshawar increasingly
became a target of Taliban attacks, which grew in
frequency in 2009, as the Pakistani army confronted
Taliban forces in the region.
Peshawar is now, as always, very much a frontier
town. The formalities of dress and manner give way
here to a free and easy style, as men encounter men
with a firm hand-clasp and a straight, but friendly
look. Hefty handsome men in baggy trousers and
long, loose shirts, wear bullet studded bandoleers
across their chests or pistols at their sides as
a normal part of their dress. It is also a place where
ancient traditions jostle with those of today, where
the bazaar in the old city has changed little in the
past 100 years, except to become the neighbor of a
modern university, several international banks and
one of the best museums in Pakistan.
IMPORTANT LANDMARKS - THE OLD CITY: Until the
mid 50’s Peshawar was enclosed within a city wall
and sixteen gates. Of the old city gates, the most
famous was the Kabuli Gate, but only the name
remains now. It leads out to the Khyber and on to
Kabul. Being an important border city the bazaars
of Peshawar are the most attractive. There is always
a lot of activity going on.
The KISSA KHAWANI BAZAAR (Story Tellers Bazaar):
It was described in the mid-19 th c. by the British
Commissioner in Peshawar, Sir Herbert Edwardes,
as “the Piccadilly of Central Asia”. Towering over
the street are tall, narrow buildings with intricately
carved balconies and window frames. Before the
advent of radios and television, the art of professional
story telling flourished in the traditional
teahouses and balakhanas in the bazaar. The storyteller
relied on his tongue and his imagination to
earn his livelihood. The tales were partly narrated,
partly sung to an audience of traders and travelers
arriving with their caravans from distant corners of
the world.
KHYBER BAZAAR: Here are located many of Peshawar’s
cheaper hotels and, in the evening, food stalls
selling excellent kebabs and fry-ups. Meat is sold by
weight and then cooked while you watch. The main
street, full of doctors, lawyers and dentists, features
billboards depicting sets of false teeth of nightmarish
proportions.
MOSQUE OF MOHABAT KHAN: The only significant
remaining Moghal mosque in Peshawar was built by
Mohabat Khan in 1670, when he was twice Governor
of Peshawar under Moghal Emperors Shah Jehan
and Aurangzeb. The mosque was nearly destroyed
by fire in 1898 and was only saved by the unremitting
efforts of the faithful. The extensive renovation
of the mosque was done by the traditional
craftsman. The mosque is a fine specimen of Moghal
architecture. The interior of the prayer chamber has
been lavishly decorated with floral work and calligraphy.
According to the late 19 th c. Gazetteer, the
minarets were frequently used in Sikh times ‘as a
substitute for the gallows’.
SETHI HOUSES: These houses are situated in
Mohallah Sethian and can be approached from
Chowk yadgaar. These are highly decorated style
of building with carved wooden doors, partitions,
balconies, mirrored and painted rooms. The Sehtis
are the traditional business community of Peshawar.
The main house was built in 1882 by Haji Ahmed
Gul, who migrated from a near village almost six
generations ago.
BALA HISAAR FORT: This mighty Fort lies on
both eastern approaches to Peshawar city. It is a
massive frowning structure, as its name implies,
and the newcomer passing under the shadow of
its huge battlements and ramparts cannot fail to
be impressed. Originally built by Babar, the first of
the Moghals in 1526-30, it was rebuilt in its present
form by the Sikh Governor of Peshawar, Hari Singh
Nalva, in the 1830’s under the guidance of French
engineers. It houses government offices at present.
PESHAWAR MUSEUM: Peshawar Museum is housed
in an imposing building of the British days. It
was formerly the Victoria Memorial Hall built in
1905. The large hall, side galleries and the raised
platform, which were used for ball dances, now
display in chronological order finest specimens of
Gandhara sculptures, tribal life, the Muslim period
and ethnography.

QISSA-KHAWANI BAZAAR

MAHABAT KHAN MOSQUE

KHYBER BAZAAR

SETHI HOUSES

THE KALASH PEOPLE IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN
The ancient ethnic group of the Kalash people, live
high in the remote mountains of Pakistan’s Hindu
Kush (an extension of the Himalayas) deep in the
valleys of Bumboret, Rumbur and Birir, near the inaccessible
mountain border of Taliban-controlled zones
of Afghanistan.
For centuries this light-skinned, pagan people have
claimed to be the long-lost descendants of Alexander
the Great’s world-conquering armies, which
invaded this region in the fourth century B.C. and are
the direct descendants of the ancient Greek-Macedonian
armies who set up outposts in this region 2,300
years ago. How they got there is a mystery. How they
manage to survive is another. The Kalash have links
with Greece in almost everything but proximity. They
dance around night-time fires; they make wine and
indulge in ancient Olympic sports such as wrestling
and shot-put. With their piercing blue-green eyes,
strong features and olive skins, even Alexander the
Great was convinced of the Hellenic connection.
Tragically, in the 19 th c. the Kalash were brutally
conquered by the Muslim Afghans. Their ancient
temples and wooden idols were destroyed, their
women were forced to burn their beautiful folk
costumes and wear the burqa or veil, and they were
converted at swordpoint to Islam. Only a small
pocket of this vanishing pagan race survived in three
isolated valleys in the mountains of what would later
become Pakistan. The Kalash are one of the most
remarkable cultures on the planet. With a population
of just over 3.500, the largest minority group
in Pakistan, they are an oasis of color and warmth in
stark contrast to the seemingly inhospitable land that
surrounds them. The valleys are idyllic and a heaven
from the hustle and bustle of Pakistan’s major cities
and tourist attractions. Walnut and jujube trees cling
to the lower slopes, while carefully cultivated sugarcane
fields thrive along rivers at the bottom of each.
It is here, deep within the Hindu Kush, that villages
are little more than a scattering of wooden homes.
But if the first thing that strikes you about the Kalash
is their disarming hospitality, the second is their
appearance. The word “Kalash” means “black” and
refers to the clothing worn by the women and girls.
When it comes to the way they dress, it is usually
the female clothes that grabs someone’s attention.
Kalash men have abandoned their traditional goathair
tunics for shalwar-kameez, the pajama-like
outfits worn throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Kalash women still wear cheos, baggy black cotton
dresses brilliantly embroidered at the collars, cuffs
and hems. Glass beads drip from slender necklines.
Long head-dresses are decorated with regimented
waves of cowrie shell and elaborate embroidery, with
blood reds, shocking pinks, Byzantine blues, canary
yellows and emerald greens woven together in kaleidoscopic
tapestries.
Colorful wool headdresses cascade to the women’s
shoulders. These kupas are packed with tight rows of
cowry shells brought from the Indian coast. The shells
are believed to embody prayers for fertility. Unlike
many Muslims, Kalash women remain unveiled and
are famous for their beauty.
Because the Kalash are pagans and worship a
pantheon of gods including Dezao, the creator, or
Jastak, the goddess of family, love, marriage and
birth, rather than Muhammad, they are free from the
restraints of Purdah. The Kalash people have very
distinct customs from the neighboring communities.
There’s a popular misconception among neighboring
Muslims that the Kalash are kafirs, or non-believers,
but this is not true. The Kalash follow a strict
code of customs and have a myriad religious quirks,
something that has brought them notoriety among
anthropologists, writers (the Kalash are the mythical
tribe depicted in Rudyard Kipling’s The Man Who
Would Be King) and, most recently, travelers. Promiscuity
is frowned upon and incest taboos dictate
marriage must occur outside the valleys. The cost of
fulfilling this cultural requirement is high. With an
already depleted population, villagers often have
little choice – either marry out, or invite insiders,
Muslims, to marry in.
But perhaps the most remarkable custom is that
of the Bashali, a wooden hut in each village where,
every month, the women retreat for the duration
of their period. These houses don’t just represent
a monthly break from work commitments for the
women, but are a fundamental part of Kalash religious
beliefs and demonstrate that everything,
from location, behavior, gender and objects, is separated
into the spheres of pure (Onjesta) and impure
(Pragata). The pollution theory also explains why
men are permitted to look after the goats in the
higher pastures while domestic chores remain strictly
the women’s realm on the valleys below.
The Kalash have a culture where their festivals form
a central point of their lives. Impure persons are not
admitted to the celebrations without purifying themselves
beforehand. The purifying ritual consists of
fire and of brands of juniper being waved above the
uninitiated’s head.
While during the harsh winter there is very little
reason to celebrate, once the spring comes in the
valleys, people are greeting the new season in a
massive celebration. This is the yearly Joshi Festival
that occurs at the end of each May. Milk plays an
important role during this festival. But not just any
milk, but milk that was saved ten days prior for this
very special occasion. Kalash people use this milk to
purify newborns and houses. Newborns are fed the
milks, but it is thrown on houses and objects as well.
At the end of the festival, leaves are thrown on participants’
heads to show the arrival of the spring.
Another festival of the Kalash is the Uchau and it is
celebrated every autumn. But the most important of
all festivals is the Chawmos, celebrated in the middle
of the harsh winter, in the month of December. This
festival marks and celebrates the end of the harvest
and during this time, the animals are sacrificed to
provide food source for the winter.
The Kalash have always been proud of their way of
life and recently so is the rest of Pakistan. Traditionally,
they were ostracized by their majority neighbors
and forced deep into the mountains for their
religious beliefs, they have been tolerated through
gritted teeth. It is only recently, once communications
improved and the tourist interest soared, that
the Pakistani authorities have tried to understand
this wonderful culture.

CHITRAL VALLEY: PAKISTAN’S PEARL OF THE NORTH
Chitral is a valley located in the North West Frontier
Province of Pakistan, amidst the ranges of the
Karakorum, the Hindu Kush and the mighty Himalayas
that is Chitral’s point of view in more than
just a scenic way. It reflects the peace, the serenity
and the unique culture of the area. It is divided into
small valleys and is a romantic, captivating and
enchanting place in the majestic Hindu Kush range
in the extreme north of Pakistan.
At an elevation of 1,128m has Afghanistan on its
North, South and West. The 7,788m Tirich Mir, the
highest peak of the Hindukush Mountain, dominates
this 322km long exotic valley.
Chitral shares much of its history and culture
with the neighboring Hindu-Kush territories of
Gilgit-Baltistan, a region sometimes called “Peristan”
because of the common belief in fairies (peri)
inhabiting the high mountains. It has always been
a very important route for many invaders to southeast
Asia, including Alexander the Great, Scythians,
Mangol Changez Khan and numerous others.
The landscape of Chitral is extremely mysterious,
with its steep harsh mountains, lush green valleys,
beautiful meadows and big glaciers, which have
made it one of the most difficult and inaccessible
area of the world. The remote human communities
live in narrow valleys dominated by mountains,
rivers and prehistoric sites abound. Chitral’s biodiversity
is unique, and many of the passes are migration
routes between central Asia and the Indian
subcontinent.
Approximately one million migratory birds pass
through each year, of which several are globally
important species. The weather is extremely
harsh and cold in winter, while the summer is very
pleasant. There are certain famous places and
valleys in Chitral like Garam Chashma, Booni, Golen,
Madaklasht, Arandu, Birir, Rumbur and Bumburat.
Chitral is situated in a multi-hazard prone zone.
Every year, life, property, and hard-earned means
of livelihood are lost as a result of different kinds
of natural and human-induced disasters. Flash
floods, glacial lake outburst floods, earthquakes,
avalanches, landslides, debris flows, droughts,
heavy rain and snow, soil erosion, and riverbank
collapses are common natural hazards in the
district.
Historically Chitral was known as an independent
Princely State. After the Independence, Chitral was
the first state to declare the accession to Pakistan.
In 1970, it was declared as district of Pakistan and
attached to the Malakand Division.
One of the major attractions of Chitral are the
Kalash valleys-the home of the Kafir-Kalash or
“Wearers of the Black Robe”, a primitive pagan
tribe. A legend says that five soldiers of the legions
of Alexander of Macedon settled in Chitral and are
the progenitors of the Kafir-Kalash.
Situated on the main crossroad to Central Asia,
Chitral has a long and fascinating history. In fact,
it is this strategic location that compelled invaders
to capture it before any other area in the region.
The recorded history of Chitral begins with the
Tibetans invading Yasin Valley in early 8 th century
BC, followed by the Chinese 7 th century BC and
the Buddhists in 900 AD. Later, the Kalash also
ruled Chitral for decades. In 1400 Chitral became
a unified independent state under Shah Nasir Rais,
while in 1570, the Rais dynasty was replaced by
the Katoor dynasty. The famous mehtar of Chitral
Aman-ul-Mulk ruled from 1857 to 1892. In 1895, the
siege of Chitral Fort took place and lasted a month,
after which Chitral became an independent state
under British rule. Finally, in 1969 it was merged
into Pakistan.
Today, Chitral hosts ancient Chitrali Tribes as well as
nomads who were invited by the mehtars to settle
in the State. Chitral is also home to the ancient
pagan tribe of the Kalash who are now confined
to the three valleys of Bamburat, Rambur and Birir.
The original state of Chitral covered a greater area,
with its borders reaching as far as Badakhshan and
Bashqal in the north-west and Kunar Valley in the
south. In addition, the State extended to Sherqilla
on its north-eastern front, which lies in Gilgit today.
The culture of Chitral bears traces of Greek, Iranian,
Tatar and Turkish influences, due to its unique
location and historical links with Central Asia and
Europe. The Chitrali people call the land of Chitral
“Kho” and their language is Khowar. Persian is
spoken only in Madaglasht Valley. Pushto and
Urdu have also made their way into Chitral. Other
languages spoken in Chitral include Kalash, Gujari,
Nuristani, Dameli, Wakhi, Kirghiz, Yidgha, Gawar-
Bati and Phalura.
The tradition of hospitality can be observed
throughout northern Pakistan but in few places it
is offered as generously as in Chitral. Chitralis also
have a strong musical tradition. The Chitrali sitar,
a string instrument, can often be heard at many
places and family gatherings. Polo is the most
popular sport in Chitral.
The town of Chitral is the main town in the district
and serves as its capital. It is situated on the west
bank of the Chitral River (also known as the Kunar
River) at the foot of Tirich Mir . Until 1969, it served
as the capital of the Princely State of Chitral.
TIRICH MIR: This lofty mountain peak is the highest
of Hindukush range. Tirich Mir can be viewed from
a higher place of Chitral Town in a clear weather. It
can also be viewed from the palace of Chitral’s King.
This mountain is also highest in the world apart
from Himalaya and Karakoram ranges.
COMPULSORY REGISTRATION AND GUARD: All
foreigners who visit the Chitral and Swat Valleys
must register upon arrival, and are automatically
assigned an armed guard from the local police
force, free of charge. The registration is required to
monitor who is visiting this sensitive border region,
where Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China
are all within a few hundred kilometers of each
other. International politics aside, the roads to the
north are believed to act as a route for illegal drug
trade from Afghanistan.

SWAT VALLEY - THE LAND OF ENCHANTING BEAUTY
Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Swat’s
capital is Saidu Sharif, though the largest city,
and main commercial center, is the nearby city of
Mingora. The region is inhabited largely by Pashtun
people.
The name “Swat” is of Sanskrit origin. One theory
derives it from “Suvastu”, the ancient name of the
Swat River (Suastus in Greek literature). “Suvastu”
literally means “clear azure water” and is attested
in the earliest Sanskrit text, the Rigveda. Another
theory derives the word Swat from the Sanskrit
word “Shveta” (white), also used to describe the
clear water of the Swat River.
Swat, the land of abundant water, plants, small and
big mysterious mountains have a long, rich and
remarkable history. This land fused various civilizations
and cultures, such as, the Aryans, the Greeks
and the Buddhists and for most of its known history
retained its separate entity. The history of the
earliest settlements in the Valley has been traced
back to 3000 B.C. Alexander was in hurry when he
came to Swat, and the local even today say that
if he had time to relax at the bank of Swat River
and feel the cool breeze coming from the snowcapped
Ushu mountain and to listen to the echo of
the flutes coming from the mountain of the valley,
he would never had left this heaven on earth and
today his grave would have been here.
The beautiful valley of Swat, are popularly known
as the Switzerland of the East. It is part of the
Provincially Administrated Tribal Area (PATA) of
the North-West and it is also an integral part of the
strategic and significant region where three parts
of the Asian Continent–South Asia, Central Asia and
China, meet.
Swat was described as “Udyana” (the garden) in
ancient Hindu epics. Alexander the Great crossed
Swat River with part of his army in 327 BC. He
fought and won some of his major battles at Barikot
and Udegram and stormed their battlements,
before crossing over the plains of the five rivers. In
Greek accounts these towns have been identified
as Ora and Bazira. After the death of Alexander the
Great the Greeks quickly lost effective control of
their far flung colonies and soon the northern part
of the sub-continent situated west of the Indus,
which includes Swat, was annexed by Chandra
Gupta.
From the 2 nd c. BC to the 9 th c. AD, Swat was cradle
of Buddhism where more than 1400 monasteries
flourished. The ringing of the bells in these places
of worship used to create a strange mysterious
impression all around the valley. During this time
Swat became famous as the hub of Gandhara
School of Sculpture, which was an expression of
Greco-Roman style mixed with the local Buddhist
traditional sculpture.
Swat is also the historical land where the Muslim
conquerors, Mahmood of Ghazni, Mughal king
Babar and Akbar fought their battles preparatory
to the conquest of the sub-continent. The history
of modern Swat commences with the emergence
of the Akhund Sahib of Swat as a charismatic religious
leader and a reformer. With his help and
support, Syed Akbar Shah established the rule of
Shariat in Swat from 1849 to 1856. The Swat state
was founded in 1917 by Miangul Abdul Wadood,
known as Badshah Sahib. The princely status of
Swat, along with the adjoining states of Chitral and
Dir, was brought to an end by the presidential order
in 1969. And all of them merged in Pakistan.
Swat was once a stronghold of the Pakistani
Taliban, who ruled by terror, public hangings and
suicide attacks on security forces. The militants and
their leader, Mullah Fazlullah, were driven out after
a fierce military campaign in 2009, and the valley
has since returned to a more normal life. First, Pakistani
Taliban militants swept into this conservative
part of northwestern Pakistan, killing more than
2,000 people.
Over the next two years, the Taliban gained effective
control of much of Swat. It banned dancing,
parties and music shops, and warned barbers not
to shave beards. Residents who disobeyed were
often executed, including one woman who was
hanged in Mingora for dancing. The Taliban also
destroyed more than 400 schools. Then Pakistan’s
army showed up to battle the Taliban, forcing 1.5
million residents to flee their homes.
And even after the soldiers regained control and
residents returned, the 2012 shooting of schoolgirl
Malala Yousafzai (now a Nobel Laureate) was a
reminder that life here remained cruel and unpredictable.
But now, with security finally improving,
residents are releasing years of stress. The residents
of Swat have long been more educated and
wealthier than those in many other rural areas of
Pakistan.
An ancient rock carving of the Buddha that was
blown up by the Taliban as militants overran Pakistan’s
Swat valley a decade ago has been restored
after an international effort. Seated serenely in the
lotus position above a verdant valley in the foothills
of the Himalayas, the 7 th c Buddha of Swat is back
to its former glory as a tentative calm returns to the
region.
The carving was half destroyed when the Pakistani
Taliban swept into Swat in 2007, imposing its brutal
Islamist rule. Opposed to religious icons, the militants
targeted the valley’s rich Buddhist heritage,
razing former monasteries, burial sites and statues.
COMPULSORY REGISTRATION AND GUARD: All
foreigners who visit the Chitral and Swat Valleys
must register upon arrival, and are automatically
assigned an armed guard from the local police
force, free of charge. The registration is required to
monitor who is visiting this sensitive border region,
where Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China
are all within a few hundred kilometers of each
other. International politics aside, the roads to the
north are believed to act as a route for illegal drug
trade from Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD – THE CAPITAL CITY OF PAKISTAN
Islamabad, is located in the northwest of the
country on Potohar Plateau, and it is one of the
earliest known sites of human settlement in
Asia. Some of the earliest Stone Age artifacts
in the world have been found on the plateau,
dating from 1 million to 500,000 years ago.
The crude stones recovered from the terraces
of the Soan River testify to the endeavors of
early man in the inter-glacial period. Items of
pottery and utensils dating back to prehistory
have been found in several areas.
The name of the city is derived from two words,
Islam and abaad, meaning “City of Islam” or
“Abode of Islam”. Islam is an Arabic word which
refers to the Faith of Islam with many forms of
variations of the Ibrahamic Religion and -abad
is a Persian place name that means inhabited
place or city. This area has been significant in
history for being a part of the crossroads of
the Rawalpindi and the North West Frontier
Province.
Situated at one end of the Indus Valley Civilization,
the area was an early habitation of the
Aryan community in Central Asia, whose civilization
flourished here between the 23 rd and
18 th centuries BC. Many great armies such as
those of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan,
Timur and Ahmad Shah Durrani used the
corridor through the region on their way to
invade the Indian Subcontinen. A Buddhist
town once existed in the region and remains
of a stupa have been identified. Modern Islamabad
also incorporates the old settlement of
Saidpur. The British took control of the region
from the Sikhs in 1849 and built Asia’s largest
cantonment in the region in Rawalpindi.
After the formation of Pakistan in 1947, it
was felt that a new and permanent Capital
City had to be built to reflect the diversity of
the Pakistani nation. It was considered pertinent
to locate the new capital where it could
be isolated from the business and commercial
activity of the Karachi, and yet is easily accessible
from the remotest corner of the country.
A commission was accordingly set in motion
in 1958, entrusted with the task of selecting
a suitable site for the new capital with a
particular emphasis on location, climate, logistics
and defense requirements, aesthetics, and
scenic and natural beauty. The new city was
designed by the Greek architect Alexandros
Doxiadis and was built in 1960. Due to Islamabad’s
proximity to Rawalpindi, they are considered
sister cities.
Compared to other cities of the country, Islamabad
is a clean, spacious and quiet city with lots
of greeneries. The site of the city has a history
going back to the earliest human habitations
in Asia. This area has seen the first settlement
of Aryans from Central Asia, ancient caravans
passing from Central Asia, and the massive
armies of Tamerlane and Alexander the Great.
Margalla Hills are in located in the north of the
city. Hot summers, monsoon rains and cold
winters with sparse snowfall in the hills, almost
summarize the climate of this area. Islamabad
also has a rich wildlife ranging from wild boars
to leopards.
Although the majority of the population in
Islamabad traditionally have been employees
of the Federal Government, it has become an
important financial and business city. In the
last decade there have been vast changes in
the city’s traditional reputation. From it being a
typical 9 to 5 city, has become more lively with
many new restaurants and hotels springing up
to service this new wealth.
Even now, Islamabad remains a city where
people come from all over the country to enjoy
its peaceful, noise-free atmosphere with a lot
of greenery and nice surrounding scenery. It
also serves as a base camp for people from the
south and coastal areas like Karachi visiting
the valleys in the area. Islamabad consists of
mainly Federal Government offices, Parliament
House, the official residences of the President
and Prime Minister along with the Diplomatic
Enclave, an area next to the Parliament House
dedicated to foreign embassies.
LOK VIRSA MUSEUM: Islamabad’s premier
museum featuring more than 25 large galleries
in four blocks linked through passages
depicting cultural linkages with Iran, Central
Asia and China. There are large halls dedicated
to architecture, musical heritage,
textiles, romances, Sufi shrines and several
other cultural themes. It has a large collection
of embroidered costumes, jewelry, woodwork,
metalwork, block printing, ivory and
bone work on display. The Heritage Reference
Library of the Museum has a great collection
of data on art, music, history and crafts of all
regions of Pakistan.
FAISAL MASJID: Islamabad’s most recognizable
landmark, a very large and beautiful
mosque gifted by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
GOLRA SHARIF SHRINE of Pir Mehr Ali Shah is
a Sufi Saint located in a village of Golra that is,
an Islamic religious site.

GRECO BUDDHIST ART & GANDHARA
Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of
Greco-Buddhism, a cultural syncretism between the
Classical Greek culture and Buddhism, which developed
over a period of close to 1,000 years in Central
Asia, between the conquests of Alexander the Great
in the 4th century BC, and the Islamic conquests of
the 7 th c. AD. It is characterized by the strong idealistic
realism and sensuous description of Hellenistic
art and the first representations of the Buddha in
human form, which have helped define the artistic
and particularly sculptural canon for Buddhist art
throughout the Asian continent up to the present.
The origins of Greco-Buddhist art are found in the
Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian kingdom (250–130 BC),
located in today’s Afghanistan, from which Hellenistic
culture radiated into the Indian subcontinent with the
establishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom (180–10
BC). Under the Indo-Greeks and then the Kushans,
the interaction of Greek and Buddhist culture flourished
in the area of Gandhara, in today’s northern
Pakistan, before spreading further into India, influencing
the art of Mathura, and then the Hindu art of
the Gupta empire, which was to extend to the rest of
South-East Asia. The influence of Greco-Buddhist art
also spread northward towards Central Asia, strongly
affecting the art of the Tarim Basin, and ultimately
the arts of China, Korea, and Japan.
HELLENISTIC ART IN SOUTHERN ASIA: Powerful
Hellenistic states were established in the areas of
Bactria and Sogdiana, and later northern India for
three centuries following the conquests of Alexander
the Great around 330 BC, the Seleucid empire until
250 BC, followed by the Greco-Bactrian kingdom
until 130 BC, and the Indo-Greek kingdom from 180
BC to around 10 BC.
The clearest examples of Hellenistic art are found in
the coins of the Greco-Bactrian kings of the period,
such as Demetrius I of Bactria. Many coins of the
Greco-Bactrian kings have been unearthed, including
the largest silver and gold coins ever minted in the
Hellenistic world, ranking among the best in artistic
and technical sophistication: showing a degree of
individuality never matched by the descriptions of
their royal contemporaries further West.
These Hellenistic kingdoms established cities on the
Greek model, displaying purely Hellenistic architectural
features, statuary, and remains of Aristotelian
papyrus prints and coins. These Greek elements
penetrated India quite early as shown by the Hellenistic
Pataliputra capital (3 rd c. BC), but the influence
became especially strong, particularly in NW India,
following the invasion of the Greco-Bactrians in 180
BC, when they established the Indo-Greek kingdom
in India. Fortified Greek cities, such as Sirkap in
northern Pakistan, were established. Architectural
styles used Hellenistic decorative motifs such as fruit
garland and scrolls. Stone palettes for aromatic oils
representing purely Hellenistic themes such as a
Nereid riding and deities such are Atlas. Dionysiac
scenes represent people in Classical style drinking
wine from amphoras and playing instruments.
Early Gandhara creations: stone palettes (2 nd c. BCE
– 1 st c. CE): The Greeks in Asia are well known archaeologically
for their stone palettes, also called “toilet
trays”, round trays commonly found in the areas of
Bactria and Gandhara, which usually represent Greek
mythological scenes. The earliest of them are attributed
to the Indo-Greek period in the 2 nd and 1 st c.BCE.
Artistic model: Later, Greco-Buddhist art depicts
the life of the Buddha in a visual manner, probably
by incorporating the real-life models and concepts
which were available to the artists of the period.
The Bodhisattvas are depicted as bare-chested and
jeweled Indian princes, and the Buddhas as Greek
kings wearing the light toga-like himation. The buildings
in which they are depicted incorporate Greek
style, with the ubiquitous Indo-Corinthian capitals
and Greek decorative scrolls. Surrounding deities
form a pantheon of Greek (Atlas, Herakles) and Indian
gods (Indra).
Stylistic evolution: Stylistically, Greco-Buddhist
art started by being extremely fine and realistic,
as apparent on the standing Buddhas, with a realistic
treatment of the folds and on some even a hint
of modelled volume that characterizes the best
Greek work. It then lost this sophisticated realism,
becoming progressively more symbolic and decorative
over the centuries.
Architecture: The presence of stupas at the Greek city
of Sirkap, which was built by Demetrius around 180
BC, already indicates a strong syncretism between
Hellenism and the Buddhist faith, together with
other religions such as Hinduism and Zoroastrianism.
The style is Greek, adorned with Corinthian columns
in excellent Hellenistic execution. Later in Hadda, the
Greek divinity Atlas is represented holding Buddhist
monuments with decorated Greek columns. The
motif was adopted extensively throughout the
Indian sub-continent, Atlas being substituted for the
Indian Yaksa in the monuments of the Shunga Empire
around the 2 nd c. BC.
Buddha: Sometime between the 2 nd c. BC and the
1st c. AD, the first anthropomorphic representations
of the Buddha were developed. These were absent
from earlier strata of Buddhist art, which preferred
to represent the Buddha with symbols, such as the
stupa, the Bodhi tree, the empty seat, the wheel, or
the footprints. But the innovative anthropomorphic
Buddha image immediately reached a very high level
of sculptural sophistication, naturally inspired by the
sculptural styles of Hellenistic Greece.
Many of the stylistic elements in the representations
of the Buddha point to Greek influence: the Greek
himation (a light toga-like wavy robe covering both
shoulders: Buddhist characters are always represented
with a dhoti loincloth before this innovation),
the halo, the contrapposto stance of the upright
figures, the stylized Mediterranean curly hair and
top-knot apparently derived from the style of the
Belvedere Apollo (330 BC), and the measured quality
of the faces, all rendered with strong artistic realism.
Some of the standing Buddha were sculpted using
the specific Greek technique of making the hands
and sometimes the feet in marble to increase the
realistic effect, and the rest of the body in another
material.
In Gandharan art, the Buddha is often shown under
the protection of the Greek go Hercules, standing

with his club (and later a diamond rod) resting over
his arm. This unusual representation of Hercules is
the same as the one on the back of Demetrius’ coins,
and it is exclusively associated to him (and his son
Euthydemus II), seen only on the back of his coins.
Soon, the figure of the Buddha was incorporated
within architectural designs, such as Corinthian
pillars and friezes. Scenes of the life of the Buddha
are typically depicted in a Greek architectural environment,
with protagonist wearing Greek clothes.
Gods and Bodhisattvas: Deities from the Greek
mythological pantheon also tend to be incorporated
in Buddhist representations, displaying a strong
syncretism. In particular Hercules has been used
abundantly as the representation of Vajrapani, the
protector of the Buddha. Other Greek deities abundantly
used in Greco-Buddhist art are representation
of Atlas, and the Greek wind god Boreas. Atlas
in particular tends to be involved as a sustaining
elements in Buddhist architectural elements. Boreas
became the Japanese wind god Fujin through the
Greco-Buddhist Wardo. The mother deity Hariti was
inspired by Tyche.
Devotees: Some Greco-Buddhist friezes represent
groups of donors or devotees, giving interesting
insights into the cultural identity of those who
participated in the Buddhist cult. Some groups, often
described as the “Buner reliefs,” usually dated to the
1 st c. AD, depict Greeks in perfect Hellenistic style,
either in posture, rendering, or clothing (wearing
the Greek chiton and himation). It is sometimes even
difficult to perceive an actual religious message
behind the scenes.
Fantastic animals: Various fantastic animal deities
of Hellenic origin were used as decorative elements
in Buddhist temples, often triangular friezes in
staircases or in front of Buddhist altars. The origin
of these motifs can be found in Greece in the 5th c.
BC. Among the most popular fantastic animals are
tritons, ichthyo-centaurs and ketos sea-monsters.
As fantastic animals of the sea, they were, in early
Buddhism, supposed to safely bring the souls of dead
people to Paradise beyond the waters.
Cultural significance: Beyond stylistic elements
which spread throughout Asia for close to a millennium,
the main contribution of Greco-Buddhist art
to the Buddhist faith may be in the Greek-inspired
idealistic realism which helped describe in a visual
and immediately understandable manner the state
of personal bliss and enlightenment proposed by
Buddhism. The communication of deeply human
approach of the Buddhist faith and its accessibility to
all have probably benefited from the Greco-Buddhist
artistic syncretism.
THE MUSEUMS
TAXILA MUSEUM: Located at Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan.
The museum is home to a significant and comprehensive
collection of Gandharan art dating from the 1 st
to the 7 th c. CE. Most objects in the collection were
excavated from the ruins of ancient Taxila.
There are some 4000 objects displayed, including
stone, stucco, terracotta, silver, gold, iron and semiprecious
stones. Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religion
are well represented through these objects discovered
from three ancient cities and more than two
dozen Buddhist stupas and monasteries and Greek
temples in the region. Taxila Museum has one of the
most significant and comprehensive collections of
stone Buddhist sculpture from the 1 st to the 7 th c. in
Pakistan.
SWAT MUSEUM: It is located in Mingora, province
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The museum
was conceived in 1959 under the aegis of the Italian
Archaeological Mission to Swat and the Wali of Swat
to contain his personal collection of artifacts. It was
later expanded with the assistance of the Japanese
government, but was badly damaged in the Kashmir
earthquake of 2005. With the war between the Pakistan
government and Taliban in 2007, the museum
was closed and its contents were moved to Taxila, this
proved lucky as a bomb exploded nearby in February
2008 killing many and damaging the museum. The
2,700 objects were returned to the museum in July
2011 and a new seismic-resistant museum was
opened on December 11, 2014.
PESHAWAR MUSEUM: It is notable for its collection
of Buddhist artwork dating from the ancient Gandhara
Empire. It was founded in 1907 as “Victoria Hall,”
in memory of Queen Victoria.
The current collection has almost 14,000 items based
on Gandhara, Greco-Buddhist, Kushan, Parthian and
Indo-Scythian life. Examples include art, sculptures,
coins, manuscripts, statues, ancient books, early
versions of the Quran, weapons, dresses, jewelry,
Kalash effigies, inscriptions, paintings of the Mughal
and later periods, household materials and pottery,
as well as local and Persian handicrafts.
Peshawar Museum has one of the largest and
most extensive collections of Gandhara art of the
Buddhist period and is considered to be one of the
biggest collections of Buddhist objects in the world.
The museum also contains the largest collection on
Gautama Buddha. Buddhist stone sculptures, terracotta
figurines, and other Buddhist objects. The
display of Gandhara art in the main hall includes
Buddha’s life stories, miracles, worship of symbols,
relic caskets, and individual standing Buddha sculptures.
It also has 8,625 coins, 4,510 of which are
pre-Islamic.
LOK VIRSA MUSEUM: It is also known as the National
Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage, who the
museum calls “the real bearers of our cultural traditions”.
Located on the Shakarparian Hills, in Islamabad,
opened in 1974. The museum showcases Pakistan’s
multicultural society by displaying history and
living traditions of the various ethnic groups of Pakistan
from all corners of the country.
It displays the cultural heritage of Pakistani people.
The living style of the different areas of Pakistan is
exhibited here in statues, pictures, pottery, music and
textile work. Lok Virsa is the finest cultural museum
in Pakistan. It showcases art works that help in
preserving the living folk and traditional culture and
crafts of Pakistan and has a large display of embroidered
costumes, jewelry, woodwork, metalwork,
block printing, ivory and bone work. Traditional
architecture facades exhibiting such skills as fresco,
mirror work and marble inlay; tile, mosaic and stucco
tracery are also displayed.

SIRKAP

DHARMARAJIKA

TAXILA MUSEUM

MANGLAWAR BUDDHA

SWAT MUSEUM

LOK VIRSA MUSEUM

NORTH PAKISTAN, August 2018