DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36956#0120
district councillor who, with his sons, was to remain my mam contact
there throughout my stay. The young man from Dassu quickly tired of
his responsibilities, and after a week's vacillating attendance, went
away. As the councillor thought it better to reduce the presence of my
group to the minimum, he was unconcerned at this development; I had
the impression that the frequent presence of a government representative
in the village was in any case unwelcome. My group then consisted of
myself, my interpreter, and my driver, himself a Shin from Chilas, and
so it remained but for a change of interpreter. I had initially sought an
interpreter who had some architectural experience, and had engaged a
Panjabi, who communicated with the villagers m Urdu. They regarded
him as a kq/A, however, and he was never able to adapt to the very
different social conditions of the largely classless village life in the
North. It became increasingly clear that he did not wish to continue
work at Sazm, and after a progressively more unhappy relationship he
left m early July. With the help of my driver and cook I was able to take
on a young man, Arman, from one of the Shina-speaking villages in
southern Hunza, who had experience as a mountain guide. Although his
English was not as good as the Panjabi's, his native Shina allowed him
to communicate more directly with the villagers, and his constant, self-
effacing readiness to help was a welcome contrast to the first interpret-
er's attitude. His Ismaili religion did not appear to arouse any strong
antipathy from the villagers. My driver Akhtar helped throughout with
measurements and equipment, and was a staunch and resourceful sup-
port with his constant good humour. The councillor's sons and the vil-
lage schoolmaster generally provided the escort I needed for moving
around the village, and I owe much to their continuing patience: they too
joined m taking measurements from time to time. The councillor him-
self, the the two mullahs, and other senior members of the
community were generally ready to answer my questions on social or
agricultural matters, but denied any survivals of pre-Islamic belief.
104
there throughout my stay. The young man from Dassu quickly tired of
his responsibilities, and after a week's vacillating attendance, went
away. As the councillor thought it better to reduce the presence of my
group to the minimum, he was unconcerned at this development; I had
the impression that the frequent presence of a government representative
in the village was in any case unwelcome. My group then consisted of
myself, my interpreter, and my driver, himself a Shin from Chilas, and
so it remained but for a change of interpreter. I had initially sought an
interpreter who had some architectural experience, and had engaged a
Panjabi, who communicated with the villagers m Urdu. They regarded
him as a kq/A, however, and he was never able to adapt to the very
different social conditions of the largely classless village life in the
North. It became increasingly clear that he did not wish to continue
work at Sazm, and after a progressively more unhappy relationship he
left m early July. With the help of my driver and cook I was able to take
on a young man, Arman, from one of the Shina-speaking villages in
southern Hunza, who had experience as a mountain guide. Although his
English was not as good as the Panjabi's, his native Shina allowed him
to communicate more directly with the villagers, and his constant, self-
effacing readiness to help was a welcome contrast to the first interpret-
er's attitude. His Ismaili religion did not appear to arouse any strong
antipathy from the villagers. My driver Akhtar helped throughout with
measurements and equipment, and was a staunch and resourceful sup-
port with his constant good humour. The councillor's sons and the vil-
lage schoolmaster generally provided the escort I needed for moving
around the village, and I owe much to their continuing patience: they too
joined m taking measurements from time to time. The councillor him-
self, the the two mullahs, and other senior members of the
community were generally ready to answer my questions on social or
agricultural matters, but denied any survivals of pre-Islamic belief.
104