Hindko and Dardic speaking inhabitants of the Hazara region of Northern Pakistan
This article is about the inhabitants of the Hazara region in Pakistan. For the Persian-speaking ethnic group of Afghanistan, see
Hazara people.
Hazarewal (Urdu: ہزاریوال; Hazarewal pronunciation: [(h)əzaːɾeːʋaːl]; Standard pronunciation: [həzaːɾeːʋaːl]) refers to the inhabitants of the
Hazara region in
Northern Pakistan. This region is known for its multi-ethnic population, comprising various ethnic groups with diverse origins. The majority of the inhabitants belong to
Dardic tribes (Yashkuns,Mankiyalis,Shinkari,Rajkoti,Chilis,Gabara and Marooch[1]), alongside communities of
Punjabi (Awans,Karlal's, Abbassi's) and
Pashtun tribes (Tareens, Dilazak, Yousafzai,Swatis,Tanolis,) who migrated to the area.
The primary language spoken in the Hazara region is a Punjabi dialect called Hindko, followed by other Dardic languages as well as Pashto - predominantly in the
Battagram District. The linguistic diversity reflects the region's rich cultural and ethnic tapestry.
Swati dress
Languages
Indigenous Hazarewal languages: Hindko,Bateri[citation needed], Chilliso,[2] Mankiyali[3],Kohistani-Shina and Kohistani
Jumlo/Peyraan dress worn by the Hazarewal community
Another form of
Punjabi, called
Pahari-Pothwari, is spoken by sections of the Karlal and Abbasi tribes of the
Galyat region of Abbottabad District (where the local variety is called Dhundi-Kairali).
Gujari[5] is spoken by some nomadic Gujjars of the
Kaghan Valley.[8][9][10]
^
abRensch, Calvin Ross; O'Leary, Clare F.; Hallberg, Calinda E. (1992).
Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan: Hindko and Gujari. National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University. pp. 10–11. Members of a variety of ethnic groups speak the language called Hindko. A large number of Hindko speakers in Hazara Division (Mansehra and Abbottabad Districts) are Pashtoons. Some of those speak Hindko as a second language; many others speak it as their mother tongue. These include the Tahir Kheli Pashtoons, who claim to have migrated to Hazara Division from Afghanistan during the eighteenth century. Many other mother- tongue speakers of Hindko are Swati Pathans, who are said to have formerly spoken Pashto while living in the lower Swat valley. After migrating across the Indus River into Hazara Division, which Ahmed dates around A.D. 1515, the Swatis adopted the Hindko language. There are also Pashtoons belonging to three other groups, the Yusufzai, the Jadun and the Tarin, who have replaced Pashto with Hindko. Many speakers of Hindko belong to groups other than the Pashtoons: Some of these are Saiyids, said to have come to the area in the early centuries of Islamic history, many of whom live in the Peshawar area. Large numbers of Hindko speakers are Avans, particularly in Attock District and Hazara Division. Still others belong to groups of Moughals, Bulghadris, Turks and Qureshis. In Jammun significant numbers of Gujars have adopted Hindko as their first language.