Gilgit-Baltistan History & Culture

 Introduction

The newly established province Gilgit-Baltistan lies in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, with the border belts of  India, China and Afghanistan.It ranges from Hindukush to the Karakorum in the North-East with the Western Himalaya in the South and the Pamirs in the extreme North. These important mountain ranges rendezvous with each other. With an expanse of about 27,188 square miles, Gilgit-Baltistan, geographically, climatically and biologically presents primarily a land of trans- Himalayan character, where Himalayan features, monsoon rains and seasons.

            The land lies amidst towering mountains,  snow-clad  peaks and  narrow valleys with  heights varying  between  3000  feet  and  28750  feet  above  sea  level. In the regional  geographical set up, the Karakorum, the Hindukush, and the N.W. Himalaya emanate from the Pamir mass lying on the north, from where the majority of the mountain ranges of Central-Asia branch off to east and west. The second highest peak of the world, K2 or Chogori with an elevation of  8611mt and the third highest peak, Nanga Parbat with an elevation of  8125mt has always increased the eminence of this part of Pakistan in the world (Hussainabadi, 2003: 202-213). Gilgit Baltistan holds twelve out of thirty top peaks of the world with elevations over 7500mt. Therefore, this region is considered to be the crown of Pakistan.The geology of the rocky mountains of Northern Areas is very ancient, with some of the world’s oldest rocks forming the highly stratified Precambrian peak groups such as:-

Gasherbrum, Mashabrum, Baltoro, Rakaposhi, Ultar, Diran, Broadpeak, Muztagh towers, Trango Towers, Batura, Saltoro Kangri and countless others (Trench, 1992: 31). The region also contains some of the largest glaciers outside the polar region. Almost 12 percent of the region is shaped by mightiest glaciers i.e, Hispar 61 km long, Biafo 62 km, Baltoro 58 km, Gasherbrun 38 km, Chogo Lungma  38 km, Passu 32 km, Batura 58 km, Rupal 29 km, Nabandi 32 km, Baraldu 30 km, Snow lake sim glacier 20 km, Siachen 62 km along with hundreds of other glaciers (Stein, 1987: 74). An American study denotes that only Karakorum's are 23 - 25 percent under ice. It will not be out of place to mention that Tirich Mir located in Chitral with an elevation of 7736 mt, the highest peak in the Hindukush system, is also adjacent to Gilgit-Baltistan region (Waters, 1978: 71). The mountain ranges of the area form the headwaters of major rivers, including the mighty Indus. The Shyok river and the Indus river come through occupied Kashmir but inside Northern Areas, hundreds of their tributaries offer some of the finest spots for fishing, navigation and water sports. But except for rare places such as Skardu and Chilas, living along the Indus banks, has so far been difficult for agricultural production and, therefore, people have stuck to smaller valleys and mountain slopes where glacial water is easy at hand for drinking and irrigation. However, it is only the Indus river and its tributaries that dominate the landscape of Northern Areas by running through the chain of famous mountain systems.

History Of Gilgit/Baltistan

Abstract:-

Gilgit Baltistan region, which in its amazing history has been known by various names, has one of the unique geographical composition on the globe. Occupying an extraordinary varied and attractive landscape, Gilgit Baltistan becomes a meeting point of world’s four famous high altitude mountain ranges i.e. Pamirs, Hindukush, Karakorum and Himalayas. This is also the region, which in the opinion of geologists, is the meeting ground of “continents in collision” as the Indo-Pak sub- continental mass emerges to integrate into Eurasian continent of the north-west, leaving behind two main “faults” along the area. Previously known as Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA), now Gilgit Baltistan province, is a vital factor in the country’s fortunes. The mighty Indus, the longest and largest river and a major source of Pakistan’s agricultural strength meanders through the newly constituted province of Gilgit Baltistan. With recent administrative changes in this part of the country, its strategic significance has increased more than ever. Bordering three neighbouring states, Gilgit Baltistan’s communication set up is undergoing a considerable expansion and diversification for future trade and investment. Furthermore, from the age of monarchies to popular democracy, the social interaction and political culture of the inhabitants of the area has remained a model for contemporary territories. Therefore, a comprehensive socio-political study of Gilgit Baltistan is essential in an attempt to examine the factors responsible for its gradual evolution in the context of its history, ethno-culturalcomposition, geography, socialization, economic potential, strategic location and politics. This paper also deals with the future prospects by taking into consideration the political response of the federal government with the view to restructuring the new province on the basis of other federal units of Pakistan.