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=                             Dardistan                              =
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                             Introduction                             
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Dardistan refers to a region where Dardic languages are spoken. The
terms "Dardic" and "Dardistan" are not indigenous to the region, and
were coined by Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner. The legitimacy of the term
has been called into question. The region also includes a number of
non-Dardic peoples and languages.


                               History                                
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The initial efforts by the British grouped almost all the people and
languages of the upper Indus River, between Kashmir and Kabul, into a
single category. This led to the creation of distinct identities for
all other groups in the region, giving rise to terms such as 'Dard',
'Dardistan', and 'Dardic'.

None of the inhabitants in the region identify themselves as 'Dards',
their homeland as 'Dardistan', or their language as 'Dardic'. The term
'Dard' is not recognized in any of the local languages, with the
exception of Khowar, where it translates to 'way of the language' or
'dialect'. The broad application of this term have been criticised by
many scholars. The languages and peoples are often referred to as
"Kohistani", mostly by the Pashtuns. In academic linguistic contexts,
however, Kohistani refers to one subgroup of Dardic languages which is
mainly spoken in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkwa.

In a historic context, Herodotus (4th century B.C.), in one of his
stories, mentioned a war-like people by the name of 'Dadikai' on the
frontier of India. Subsequently, Strabo and Pliny made references to
the warlike tribe known as 'Dardae'. Alexander, whose journeys
contribute significantly to the classical geography of the
subcontinent, did not encounter any Dard people. However, he did visit
a location named 'Daedala', where he reportedly engaged in combat with
a group known as the 'Assakenoi'.

Herodotus 'Dadikai' appears to be the Persian name derived from the
'Daradas' given in the Puranic sources. Instead of identifying a
specific group, the term was used to describe a fierce population
living in the northwest, beyond the confines of established society.
In 'Rajatarangini', Kalhana refers to the Darads as inhabitants of the
area north of Kashmir, known for their frequent attempts to invade and
plunder Kashmir.

The term eventually gained acceptance through frequent use. The labels
'Dard' and 'Dardistan' were introduced by G.W. Leitner, despite the
fact that no local population identified as 'Dard'. John Biddulph, who
resided in Gilgit for an extended period, also noted that none of the
tribes typically referred to as 'Dard' recognized the term. Biddulph
acknowledged that Leitner's label 'Dardistan' was based on a
misunderstanding, but he accepted it as a useful term for referring to
the complex, diverse, and largely unexplored Karakoram region between
Kashmir and the Hindukush Range. Interestingly, this usage mirrors the
Sanskrit interpretation, where it refers to unspecified fierce
outsiders residing in the mountainous regions beyond the area's
borders.


                            External links                            
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* [https://www.britannica.com/place/Dardistan Dardistan on Britannica]
* [https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dardestan- Dardistan on
Iranica]


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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardistan


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