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Concept
Pamiris
Summary
The Pamiris are an Eastern Iranian ethnic group, native to the Badakhshan region of Central Asia, which includes the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan; the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan; Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang, China; and the Upper Hunza Valley in Pakistan.
Tajiks of Xinjiang
The Pamiris are composed of people who speak the Pamiri languages, the indigenous language in the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous province. The Pamiris share close linguistic, cultural and religious ties with the people in Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan, the Sarikoli speakers in the Pamir region of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang Province in China and the Wakhi speakers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the Pamiri languages, the Pamiris refer to themselves as Pamiri, a reference to the historic Badakhshan region where they live.
In China, Pamiris are referred to as ethnic Tajiks. In Afghanistan, they are recognized as ethnic Pamiris and the Afghan National Anthem mentions Pamiris (پاميريان, Pāmiryān) in the list of ethnic groups of Afghanistan.
In Pakistan, Wakhi Pamiri people live in the Gojal Sub-Division of Hunza District, Broghil Valley of Upper Chitral & Karambar.
The Pamiri people have their own distinctive styles of dress, which can differentiate one community from the next. The styles of hats are especially varied: one can spot someone from the Wakhan, as opposed to from Ruhshon or Shugnon valleys, based solely on headwear.
The Shughni and Wakhi tribes in Tajikistan call themselves "Tajik" unlike other Pamiri tribes in the area like the Rushan.
Ancient History
The Pamiris are known to be the descendants of the Scythians who lived in Xinjiang. The Wakhi group of the Pamiris linguistically seem to be related to the Khotanese group of Sakas. The Wakhis had some point in the 6th century AD established a kingdom in Wakhan known as the Mirdom of Wakhan ruled by a mir.
Modern History
In 1929 Gorno-Badakhshan was attached to the newly formed republic of Tajikistan, and since that point, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the ethnic identity of the Pamiris.
Official source
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Related concepts (16)
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest of the country at the crossroads of Central Asia and East Asia. Being the largest province-level division of China by area and the 8th-largest country subdivision in the world, Xinjiang spans over and has about 25 million inhabitants. Xinjiang borders the countries of Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Khatlon Region
Khatlon Region (Вилояти Хатлон, Viloyati Xatlon), one of the four provinces of Tajikistan (вилоят, Viloyat), is the most populous of the four first level administrative regions. It is situated in the southwest of the country, between the Hisor (Gissar) Range in the north and the river Panj in the south and borders on Afghanistan in the southeast and on Uzbekistan in the west. During Soviet times, Khatlon was divided into Kurgan-Tyube (Qurghonteppa) Oblast (Western Khatlon) – with the Kofarnihon and Vakhsh river valleys – and Kulob Oblast (Eastern Khatlon) – with the Kyzylsu and Yakhsu river valleys.
Wakhan
Wakhan, or "the Wakhan" (also spelt Vakhan; Persian and واخان, Vâxân and Wāxān respectively; Вахон, Vaxon), is a rugged, mountainous part of the Pamir, Hindu Kush and Karakoram regions of Afghanistan. Wakhan District is a district in Badakshan Province. The Wakhan is located in the extreme north-east of Afghanistan. It contains the headwaters of the Amu Darya (Oxus) River, and was an ancient corridor for travellers from the Tarim Basin to Badakshan.