DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36958#0167
big but they are thickly fringed with hair on both sides. And I
never heard of demonic qualities attributed to this nice and harm-
less animal. An animal definitely considered as demonic and fitting
into the description is the Himalayan otter. The external ear pin-
nae are very small and capable of being pressed back against the
skull when under water (ROBERTS 1977: 124-127).
This digression was necessary because the legend of origin com-
posed for the Tarakhané dynasty (which died out in the early 19^
century AD in Gilgit, but ruled by sidelines of the family until
recently in Hunza and Nager) includes among other motifs - some
of which are quite decent and honourable with clear loans from
literary traditions, others with mythical elements - that the found-
er came from Baltistan.
"Tarakhan" is a local variation of Turkish "tanya/r (pi tanyaf)",
Mongolian "&zr/n37?, (pi <7ar/mt), &7/Y?(3t)" (VLADIMIRTSOV
1948: 151) signifying a man who has attained his position by his
own bravoury. The original meaning was "blacksmith", according
to AEFÖLDY (1932), and that is plausible, as this profession was
necessary for nomads. Therefore this craftsman had a position
apart from the web of kinship. The meaning was "specialist" -
corresponding to the word "smith" which also included woodcar-
vers etc.
There is no argument against the inevitable conclusion, namely
that the ancestor belonged to the wave of Turkish (and Tibetan)
warriors crossing the passes of the Karakorum on their way south-
wards, some of them settling in the mountain valleys. The most
frequented route was via the Mustagh - with the Shigar valley as
next and pleasant part of the route.
This interpretation is inconsistent with the version which became
known by the publication of the "Genealogical account of the
ruling families of Hunza, Nager and Gilgit ..." in the book of
MÜLLER-STELLRECHT (1979: 290) based on the notes collected by
LORIMER: "Two princes of Persia, named Abul Ghani, having
been exiled from their motherland, came to Baltistan - Skardu
and Shigar - after travelling through India and Kashmir, and
entered Baltistan across the Zoji La Pass."
However, this prelude to the genealogy which allowed the late
Shah Rais Khan to make the claim of Sasanian origin of his ances-
tors, is the weakest link in a chain of semi-mythical and pseudo-
historical information.
109
never heard of demonic qualities attributed to this nice and harm-
less animal. An animal definitely considered as demonic and fitting
into the description is the Himalayan otter. The external ear pin-
nae are very small and capable of being pressed back against the
skull when under water (ROBERTS 1977: 124-127).
This digression was necessary because the legend of origin com-
posed for the Tarakhané dynasty (which died out in the early 19^
century AD in Gilgit, but ruled by sidelines of the family until
recently in Hunza and Nager) includes among other motifs - some
of which are quite decent and honourable with clear loans from
literary traditions, others with mythical elements - that the found-
er came from Baltistan.
"Tarakhan" is a local variation of Turkish "tanya/r (pi tanyaf)",
Mongolian "&zr/n37?, (pi <7ar/mt), &7/Y?(3t)" (VLADIMIRTSOV
1948: 151) signifying a man who has attained his position by his
own bravoury. The original meaning was "blacksmith", according
to AEFÖLDY (1932), and that is plausible, as this profession was
necessary for nomads. Therefore this craftsman had a position
apart from the web of kinship. The meaning was "specialist" -
corresponding to the word "smith" which also included woodcar-
vers etc.
There is no argument against the inevitable conclusion, namely
that the ancestor belonged to the wave of Turkish (and Tibetan)
warriors crossing the passes of the Karakorum on their way south-
wards, some of them settling in the mountain valleys. The most
frequented route was via the Mustagh - with the Shigar valley as
next and pleasant part of the route.
This interpretation is inconsistent with the version which became
known by the publication of the "Genealogical account of the
ruling families of Hunza, Nager and Gilgit ..." in the book of
MÜLLER-STELLRECHT (1979: 290) based on the notes collected by
LORIMER: "Two princes of Persia, named Abul Ghani, having
been exiled from their motherland, came to Baltistan - Skardu
and Shigar - after travelling through India and Kashmir, and
entered Baltistan across the Zoji La Pass."
However, this prelude to the genealogy which allowed the late
Shah Rais Khan to make the claim of Sasanian origin of his ances-
tors, is the weakest link in a chain of semi-mythical and pseudo-
historical information.
109