Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Shina people" in English language version.
The Shins (Shina), or Gilgitis, are the largest of several distinct ethnic groups in Gilgit.
The Shins (Shina), or Gilgitis, are the largest of several distinct ethnic groups in Gilgit.
Shina is an Indo-Aryan language of the Dardic group, spoken in the Karakorams and the western Himalayas: Gilgit, Hunza, the Astor Valley, the Tangir-Darel valleys, Chilas and Indus Kohistan, as well as in the upper Neelam Valley and Dras. Outliers of Shina are found in Ladakh (Brokskat), Chitral (Palula and Sawi), Swat (Ushojo; Bashir 2003: 878) and Dir (Kalkoti).
Their chief peculiarity is their feeling towards the cow, which is esteemed by them unclean. They will never eat beef, drink cow's milk nor touch any vessel containing it.
Drew notices that they hold the cow in abhorrence. They will not drink cow's milk, nor will they burn cow-dung, the universal fuel of the East, and in a pure Shin village no one will eat fowls or touch them.
The most remarkable characteristic of the Shins is their feeling with regard to the cow, a point to which Drew first called attention. In spite to their conversion to Islam this feeling is still maintained in Nagar, Gilgit, Astor, and the Indus valley above Bunji. In that valley below Astor the feeling has died out, but in the places mentioned orthodox Shins will not eat beef, drink milk or touch a vessel containing it. A sucking calf, or any portion of a dead animal, is especially unclean, so that purification is necessary if even the garments chance to touch it.
Notwithstanding the roots of these tribes in the Hindu antiquity and persistence of that memory in their language and ritual, they have been all converted to Islam perhaps a few centuries ago. Of 48.4 thousand Brokpa, etc., counted in 2011, 45.1 thousand are Muslim. Of the rest, 3,144 are Buddhist and 133 Hindu.
It seems quite evident that the Shin expanded to the north from Shinkari, the Land of the Shin, which has been identified as the Kohistan region on the Indus River. However, the homeland of the Shin (the old Shinkari region) must have covered also parts of the present Gilgit Division, in particular the district of Diamer. As of yet, the period during which this conquest took place has not been de-termined. However, an educated guess would place it somewhere within the 9th and 10th century.
From their new stronghold, in Gilgit and the adjacent valleys, the Shin continued pushing further to the west (areas in Chitral), the north (Lower Hunza Valley) and the southeast. The furthest southeastern expansion reached the Ganoks River in Baltistan and the Purig region in Ladakh.
Shina is an Indo-Aryan language of the Dardic group which is spoken in several dialect groups in Northern Pakistan. The variety spoken in the fertile valley of the Gilgit River is known as Gilgiti Shina, as the greatest number of speakers live in and around Gilgit town. While Gilgit is a multicultural and multilingual place, Shina is the language used in the homes of the majority of the inhabitants. Most speakers use Shina as a spoken language, especially for private purposes, while Urdu is the first choice as a medium for writing and as a lingua franca current throughout Pakistan.
It seems quite evident that the Shin expanded to the north from Shinkari, the Land of the Shin, which has been identified as the Kohistan region on the Indus River. However, the homeland of the Shin (the old Shinkari region) must have covered also parts of the present Gilgit Division, in particular the district of Diamer. As of yet, the period during which this conquest took place has not been de-termined. However, an educated guess would place it somewhere within the 9th and 10th century.
From their new stronghold, in Gilgit and the adjacent valleys, the Shin continued pushing further to the west (areas in Chitral), the north (Lower Hunza Valley) and the southeast. The furthest southeastern expansion reached the Ganoks River in Baltistan and the Purig region in Ladakh.
The researchers have observed that like every living language, Shina is rapidly changing due to its contact with Urdu and English. In schools and colleges of Gilgit-Baltistan, the medium of instruction is either Urdu or English from primary level to the higher level in universities, so the students have to learn both English and Urdu from the beginning. Moreover, Urdu is used as a lingua franca in the entire region as people from different linguistic backgrounds like Balti, Khowar, Wakhi and Brushashki communicate with each other in Urdu. Urdu is also used for trade purposes and by tourists from other parts of the country.
It seems quite evident that the Shin expanded to the north from Shinkari, the Land of the Shin, which has been identified as the Kohistan region on the Indus River. However, the homeland of the Shin (the old Shinkari region) must have covered also parts of the present Gilgit Division, in particular the district of Diamer. As of yet, the period during which this conquest took place has not been de-termined. However, an educated guess would place it somewhere within the 9th and 10th century.
From their new stronghold, in Gilgit and the adjacent valleys, the Shin continued pushing further to the west (areas in Chitral), the north (Lower Hunza Valley) and the southeast. The furthest southeastern expansion reached the Ganoks River in Baltistan and the Purig region in Ladakh.
