Dardistan



Dardistan refers to a region where Dardic languages are spoken. The terms "Dardic" and "Dardistan" are not indigenous to the region, and were coined by Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner. The legitimacy of the term has been called into question. The region also includes a number of non-Dardic peoples and languages.

History
The initial efforts by the British grouped almost all the people and languages of the upper Indus River, between Kashmir and Kabul, into a single category. This led to the creation of distinct identities for all other groups in the region, giving rise to terms such as Dard, Dardistan, and Dardic.

None of the inhabitants in the region identify themselves as Dards, their homeland as Dardistan, or their language as Dardic. The term Dard is not recognized in any of the local languages, with the exception of Khowar, where it translates to 'way of the language' or 'dialect'. The broad application of this term have been criticised by many scholars. The languages and peoples are often referred to as "Kohistani", mostly by the Pashtuns. In academic linguistic contexts, however, Kohistani refers to one subgroup of Dardic languages which is mainly spoken in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkwa.

In a historic context, Herodotus (4th century B.C.), in one of his stories, mentioned a war-like people by the name of Dadikai on the frontier of India. Subsequently, Strabo and Pliny made references to the warlike tribe known as Dardae. Alexander, whose journeys contribute significantly to the classical geography of the subcontinent, did not encounter any Dard people. However, he did visit a location named Daedala, where he reportedly engaged in combat with a group known as the Assakenoi.

Herodotus Dadikai appears to be the Persian name derived from the Daradas given in the Puranic sources. Instead of identifying a specific group, the term was used to describe a fierce population living in the northwest, beyond the confines of established society. In Rajatarangini, Kalhana refers to the Darads as inhabitants of the area north of Kashmir, known for their frequent attempts to invade and plunder Kashmir.

The term eventually gained acceptance through frequent use. The labels 'Dard' and 'Dardistan' were introduced by G.W. Leitner, despite the fact that no local population identified as 'Dard'. John Biddulph, who resided in Gilgit for an extended period, also noted that none of the tribes typically referred to as 'Dard' recognized the term. Biddulph acknowledged that Leitner's label 'Dardistan' was based on a misunderstanding, but he accepted it as a useful term for referring to the complex, diverse, and largely unexplored Karakoram region between Kashmir and the Hindukush Range. Interestingly, this usage mirrors the Sanskrit interpretation, where it refers to unspecified fierce outsiders residing in the mountainous regions beyond the area's borders.