DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36954#0029
An even larger area west of the mouth of the Hodar stream cer-
tainly did belong to a local community, devoted to the same
cult. Here we find a most expressive demonstration of the con-
temporary spiritual situation. It is a battle-scene, the warriors
equipped with picks or swords. A strange anthropomorphic
figure is leading one party — much larger than the warriors, the
body and legs being simple strokes, and the face is replaced by a
circle or wheel, with a dot in the centre. The other party is ap-
parently defending a stupa — but this building is situated in the
left corner of the tray in the rock, brushed aside by the victori-
ous giant.
There are more rocks, decorated with a full set of such symbols
— and one of them shows a combat between the representative
of the stupa and the man of the wheel. I proposed here a connec-
tion with the solar cults, propagated by the Chionitic invaders in
the lowlands.
Upwards curved battle-axes of the same type as those suddenly
appearing in the Indus valley were also used in the valleys of the
Central Hindukush by the so-called Kafirs of the nineteenth
century, the last pagans of the region. Other symbols, e.g. solar
rosettes, have the same extensive diffusion. So we are confronted
with a powerful movement. No historical report tells about the
exact circumstances, but a date before the end of the 8th cen-
tury A.D. is improbable.
2.3.3 Only a small number of petroglyphs can be safely attrib-
uted to a horizon which is later than that of the axes and deco-
rated wheels : There are carvings of stupas enclosing the umbrellas
of the spire into a sort of mandorla, like the paintings in the
temples of Alchi. That points to a date later than most of the
other petroglyphs — around the 11th century A.D. The Sarada
inscriptions observed on the same rock may also speak for such a
date (cf. GOEPPER 1982, pi. 29).
This period is not well known from rock-carvings, but the histor-
ical background can be reconstructed by using the literary sour-
ces — if they are used more systematically than has been done so
far. They indicate that Gilgit, Astor and Chilas were situated in
one and the same state, which must have been identical with the
Kingdom of the Daradas. Buddhism was the official religion, but
XXV
tainly did belong to a local community, devoted to the same
cult. Here we find a most expressive demonstration of the con-
temporary spiritual situation. It is a battle-scene, the warriors
equipped with picks or swords. A strange anthropomorphic
figure is leading one party — much larger than the warriors, the
body and legs being simple strokes, and the face is replaced by a
circle or wheel, with a dot in the centre. The other party is ap-
parently defending a stupa — but this building is situated in the
left corner of the tray in the rock, brushed aside by the victori-
ous giant.
There are more rocks, decorated with a full set of such symbols
— and one of them shows a combat between the representative
of the stupa and the man of the wheel. I proposed here a connec-
tion with the solar cults, propagated by the Chionitic invaders in
the lowlands.
Upwards curved battle-axes of the same type as those suddenly
appearing in the Indus valley were also used in the valleys of the
Central Hindukush by the so-called Kafirs of the nineteenth
century, the last pagans of the region. Other symbols, e.g. solar
rosettes, have the same extensive diffusion. So we are confronted
with a powerful movement. No historical report tells about the
exact circumstances, but a date before the end of the 8th cen-
tury A.D. is improbable.
2.3.3 Only a small number of petroglyphs can be safely attrib-
uted to a horizon which is later than that of the axes and deco-
rated wheels : There are carvings of stupas enclosing the umbrellas
of the spire into a sort of mandorla, like the paintings in the
temples of Alchi. That points to a date later than most of the
other petroglyphs — around the 11th century A.D. The Sarada
inscriptions observed on the same rock may also speak for such a
date (cf. GOEPPER 1982, pi. 29).
This period is not well known from rock-carvings, but the histor-
ical background can be reconstructed by using the literary sour-
ces — if they are used more systematically than has been done so
far. They indicate that Gilgit, Astor and Chilas were situated in
one and the same state, which must have been identical with the
Kingdom of the Daradas. Buddhism was the official religion, but
XXV