Hunza People

By Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

The Hunza people, called Hunzakuts are people who have lived for centuries in the Hunza valley. They speak Wakhi and Shina. Those who speak Wakhi reside in Gojal (the upper part of Hunza valley), the bordering regions of China, Tajikstan and Afghanistan. Some of them live in Pakistan. Those who speak Shina live in the southern part of Hunza.

The Hunzas are known for their exceptionally long life expectancy. According to a local legend the Hunzas may have been associated with the lost kingdom of Shangri La mentioned in James Hilton’s novel "The Lost Horizon".

Another group of Hunza people called Broshuski or Burusho people live in the Hunza, Nagar, and Yasin valleys of northern Pakistan. They represent a population of about 60 000 predominantly Muslims people, and speak a language, that has not been shown to be related to any other language. Their genetic make up has East Asian components.

According to the local beliefs the Hunza people descend from soldiers left behind from the army of Alexander the Great. It is interesting that the neighboring Kalash people of Pakistan also claim to be descendants of Alexander’ soldiers.

A Macedonian linguist has attempted to demonstrate a link between Burushaski (the language spoken by the Burusho people) and the modern, Macedonian language but his proposed linguistic connection has not been accepted by other linguists. The existing genetic evidence only supports a Balkan genetic component in the Afghan Pashtun population, but not in the Burusho group.

According to James Stuart Olson author of "An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China" the Burushos also known as Hunzus, Hunzukuts are a mountain people who live in deep valleys cut by the Hunza River. Their language is divided into two dialects that reflect Burusho locations in Hunza and Nagir. Burushos live in villages constructed 9000 to 10000 feet in altitude high above the Hunza River gorge. They are farmers who plant their crops in carefully attended terraced fields. The major crops are wheat, barley, millet, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, beans, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. They hunt and also raise cattle, goats, sheep, and chickens.

The Hunza people society is organized in a clan system divided into 5 classes. They include the Thamos (the royal family), the Uyongko and Akabirting (who hold most government posts), the Bar and Sis groups (who farm the land), the Baldakuyos (who are teamsters and carriers for other groups), and the Berichos (who are ethnic Indians).

For centuries the Hunza Valley has been one of the most isolated territories of the world but after the construction in 1978 of the Karakoram Highway which cuts directly through the Hunza Valley, the region is connected to commercial trade routes between Pakistan and China.

Copyright Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

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