We all know that Greeks live in Greece, Bulgarians in Bulgaria, and Italians in Italy. What about who lives in Kafiristan, is there such a place, are they really infidels? Why do they call these people infidels? Let’s find answers to all these questions together.
infidelity A place called still exists today. Kafiristan; Nuristan Province of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Khyber Province can be defined within its limits. But the people living in Kafiristan are not called Kafirs, they are called Kalash.
The name Kafiristan refers to the region where the Kalash live; It was given by Muslims since the predominant population in the neighboring regions is Muslim. Kafiristan literally means the land of the unbelievers. of the Kalash because of their fondness for alcohol and their non-Muslim beliefs. The Muslims called this region Kafiristan and in time the name of the region remained as Kafiristan. In later times Although the name of the region was officially changed to Nuristan during the reign of Abdurrahman Khan, also known as the Iron Emir, the region It is still known as Kafiristan.
Where did the Kalash come from, where are they going?
The people living in Kafiristan are called Kalash, and their beliefs are also called Kalash. Kalash Faith is named. Kalash Faith Shaman, Zoroastrianism and Hinduism Although it is influenced by such beliefs, there are many differences from these beliefs. In short, the general principle of their faith is to worship the Sun and Nature.
The lineage of the Kalash until recently Based on Alexander the Great was predicted. It is for this reason that many investigations have been made in the region. Especially Greek researchers have made very serious research investments in the region. In recent genetic studies, Kalash of Caucasian ancestry gained weight. According to a strong rumor, the Kalash people are descended from the Macedonians who migrated to the present-day Kafiristan Region during Alexander the Great’s Indian campaign.
They perform a jewelry ceremony and dance halay at the funeral.
The traditions of the Kalash, who live in the valleys where it is difficult to reach geographically, are far from us. The most striking tradition is to wear jewelery and dance halay at the funeral.
In the funeral rites of the Kalash, corpses are not buried, left open to the ground. The reason of this; a body buried in the ground; According to the Kalash belief, on the day of the resurrection, he will not be able to get up from the ground and go to heaven. In order for the deceased to reach heaven easily on the day of resurrection, nails are not nailed and soil is not thrown into the coffins, they are left in the cemetery area. To the members of the funeral home at funerals just like at weddings money and jewelry. These coins are used by the condolence house as an expense at the funeral dinner. There is an enthusiastic dance during the funeral ceremony. The reason for this is the belief that the deceased is sent off to eternal happiness.
They look at the seasons and emotions with a divine eye
In the Kalash Faith, each of the four seasons is seen as a prophet. also some emotions such as compassion, joy, surprise They accept him as a prophet. A separate prayer is held for each season. The most famous of these Josi Mela called worship. This religious ceremony held in the first days of spring; It is one of the rare ceremonies open to tourists. In the Josi Mela Ceremony held in honor of the arrival of spring, a sacrifice is made. Women’s faces; the slaughtered victim They make up from his horn, oil and blood.
A society that values women
The Kalash are matriarchal, although not fully is a society. While men have the right to choose a spouse when getting married; They do not have the right to divorce. The right to divorce is only granted to women. is a right. Women have to pay bride price in order to marry a man they like. Kalash Women also They care a lot about their beauty. Even on an ordinary day fancy clothes, bold make-up and lots of jewelry they prefer.
women each menstrual period and the last 1 week of pregnancy periods the beginning They live in houses called Başaleni changed their homes to today’s women’s shelters. We can partially compare them, but differently, in the Kalash, the bazaleni houses are designed for women to feel more comfortable. A woman in the Başalen house cannot meet any man in this process. There are also experienced midwives in these houses to assist the Kalash Women.
They have been experiencing a serious cultural degeneration in recent years.
There was no electricity in the area until recently. The electricity need of the region was provided by the water mills, but with the influence of the state that entered the region recently, the electricity and hot water needs were met. In addition, modern schools were opened in the region due to the cultural studies of Greece. However, in Kafiristan cultural degeneration has also accelerated. After the education they received, the young people left the region on the grounds of university education.
the Kalash; together with the infrastructures coming to the region telephone, television and computer they started using it. Women marry Muslim men, children attend modern schools, and there is a general conversion to Islam. The population of the region is gradually decreasing as people who converted to Islam due to Kalash traditions had to leave Kafiristan. As a reason for this great cultural corruption in Kafiristan state pressure, living in a predominantly Muslim environment and investments in the region. is shown.
So, have you heard of Kafiristan before and what did you know about the Kalash?