Lesser Known Fact:

Their exist in extreme north western Pakistan, a group of people following an ancient religion and customs who’re the centre of much controversy since long.

Here’s a detailed thread on origin, history, language, religion and relations of the Kalasha with

Location:

The Kalasha live in the Chitral and Drosh Tehsils of District lower Chitral. They are concentrated in 3 valleys of Bomboret, Birir and Rumbur. There are a substantial amount of ethnic Kalashas who are Muslims and no longer identify as Kalashas or speak Kalashagum. [1]

First outer contact:

The first European to document the Kalashas was Leitner in 1877 who referred to their lanague as Bashgali but it was actually Kalashawar according to Morgenstierne. Ever since, the Kalashas have been heavily studied by the outer world.

Name of the people and language:

No origin of the word Kalasha has been traced however the historic name for them was Kaafirs i.e. unbelievers in Khowar/Arabic. Their language is referred to as Kalashagum by themselves and as Kalashwar by Chitralis. Their land is Kalashadesh.[2]

Origins and History:

The Kalasha people have been documented again and again by European accounts to be descendants of Alexander of Macedon to push an “exotic” narrative. However genetic studies have shown them to be indigenous. [3]
According to Kalasha folklore,

They migrated from a place in the south called Tsyam. As proven my Morgenstierne, This place was somewhere near Jalalabad in Afghanistan, from where they migrated to Nuristan and then into Chitral. Nuristanis used to refer to themselves as Kalasha-Ala too.

The people of Kalash used to rule over all of Southern Chitral, when in 1320 a war was initiated by the Kho (Chitrali) Kings of the Rais Dynasty who conquered southern Chitral. Many Kalashas retired to the 3 valleys whereas many lived and slowly adopted Islam and Khowar. [4]

Religion:

They follow a pre vedic or Proto Vedic religion. Over the years multiple attempts have been made to claim the religion to be an “ancient form of Hinduism” but neither does the religion resemble Hinduism nor do the Kalashas call themselves Hindus. It is animistic. [5]

Though that being said, a deity resembling Indr is found in the pantheon of Kalasha gods, a rudimentary nod at the pre vedic animistic belief of the Hindu Kush. Other deities are Jestak, Munjem Malik, Mahandeo, Imra etc

In their religion gender determines adherence to God. Men worship Dezau, both genders worship Jestakh. Women are not allowed in the open air sanctities of Mahandeo. Similarly Men are not allowed the Bashali. Use of water is also based on Gender. Springs are considered holy,

And can only be accessed by Men who are pure (Onjesta), women can’t use it as they would “contaminate” it. Women can access water in canals and rivers. That is why men control water in higher regions whereas it is handed to women once it reaches pastures. [6]

Kalashas and Pakistan

The popular narrative that is pushed that the Kalashas hate the state of Pakistan due to oppression is completely false. On the other hand, not only are the Kalashas very patriotic but also benefited directly from the creation of Pakistan,

Before it’s creation, the Kalashas were directly dependent on the Mehtar (King) to whom they had to pay in labour, crops and land transfers.
The creation of Pakistan freed them from the yoke of the Mehtar and granted full rights according to the constitution. [7]

Myth of Decline:

Contrary to the popular narrative that is driven that the Kalashas are “dying” their population has doubled since the 80s when they were a mere 2500 and are now 4,000+.

However the population of Kalash has remained almost static for a century,

The Kalashas haven’t declined since they were never in majority but static population is alarming. Though conversions (legal) have played a part in it, there’s never been accounts of mass conversions in Kalash and the rate of conversions each year is 8-10 women and 2-4 men. [8]

However a large number of these converts were Bairas, the Kalashan equivalent of Shudars.
The Bairas were bought and sold and barred from marrying higher class Kalashas. These were the first to convert to Islam as it meant a direct jump in class, status and standards. [9]

Another massive reason of conversion to Islam was monetary. Kalashas by nature are extremely extravagant. Every family has to give 4 goats on each festival. Funerals and weddings are crippling, more than 80 goats and 4 cows have to be slaughtered. [10]

So then how come have we had such a large myth propagated that the Kalashas are dying and about to be wiped out?

Obliviousness and western narratives.

Majority of the sources that you’d see of the Kalashas being about 100,000 or more in Number are of the Surkhposh people of Nuristan who were converted in 1893 and have absolutely nothing to do with the ones living in Chitral.

Other western sources speak of forced conversions, all citing only one incident of 2016 (which was a minunderstanding), made up numbers for their populations are also made to push the “Muslim encroacher” narrative.

These sources fail to highlight that the western tourists have also had incidents of marrying Kalashan women, have been described as “contradictive and alarming” forcing Kalashas to forcefully adhere to primitive lifestyles for show. [11]

Though still, the Kalashas do face problems in Pakistan such as poverty, discrimination, harassment cases, and are often looked down upon. Which is why it is imperative for Pakistanis to create an environment supportive for the Kalasha.

References:

[1] Sociolinguistic survey of northern Pakistan.
[2] Ibid.
[3] New study Denies Greek origin of Kalash tribe - Katherina P.
[4] Sociolinguistic survey of northern Pakistan
[5] Colliding continents - M. Searle.
[6] Natural sources and cosmology in Kalasha society

[7] Ibid.
[8] The Myth of the declining Kalash population - Zahiruddin.
[9]Heirs to forgotten Kingdoms - G. Russel.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Our women are free - W. Maggie.