History of Gojal Hunza #Shireen_Gojal

The valleys and villages of Gojal were settled over time by people from surrounding regions. Kirghiz nomads initially used the areas in upper Gojal as winter pastures. Wakhis migrated from Wakhan to this region, the Yishkuk (Chipursun) valley, the Avgarch area of Gircha and Sost villages were settled in the upper Gojal while in the lower Gojal Hussaini is considered ancient settlement. When Hunza was under the Central Government of Gilgit the Ishkook settlement was wealthy and paid cattle and other dairy products to the Raja of Gilgit. As Hunza emerged as an independent state during the early 15th century so it can be inferred that different valleys in upper Gojal were inhabited by the Wakhi speaking migrants prior to the emergence of the Hunza state. Later, the oral history holds, a catastrophic flood destroyed the Ishkook settlement during the 18th century.

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Shishkat 

Shishkat is also known as Nazimabad Shishkat is the first village of Gojal valley which borders Gojal with Hunza. The total population of the village is 2,160 individuals living within 220 households. This is dominantly a Burushaski speaking village. However, a sizable population of Wakhi and Domaaki speakers also live in the village. The village was settled down in 1903 during the reign of Mir Nazim KhanBefore this the barren lands were used as grazing land of the Gulmit village. Some Wakhi households from Gulmit also permanently settled down in Shishkat whilethe Burushaski and Domaaki people migrated from Central Hunza.

Gulmit 

Gulmit is the administrative headquarters of the Gojal Sub-Division. Gulmit is a centuries-old historic town, with mountains, peaks and glaciers. It is a tourist spot and has many hotels, shops and a museum. It is located 2,408 meters (7,900 feet) above the sea level. Gulmit consists of small hamlets called Kamaris, Odver, Dalgiram, Laksh, Kalha, Shawaran, Khor Lakhsh, Chamangul and Goze. Gulmit is home to around 4,000 people, all of them Wakhi-speakers and followers of the Ismaili school of thought of Shia Islam.

A view of Gulmit during autumn season

Before 1974, when Hunza was a state, Gulmit   used to be the Summer Capital of the state. After the abolition of the state it became the Tehsil's seat of government. The oldest intact house in Gulmit is more than six centuries old.

Passu

Passu is located with 125 km from  Gilgit on the KKH near the border of  China and is surrounded by the mountains of the Karakoram range. Its neighbourhood also includes two large glaciers:  Batura and passu Glacier . It is one of the most dangerous places to live in due to the continuous threat of floods and has been flooded four times in the past. Passu is also one of the most ancient villages in the area. According to  archeologists the first human settlement in the area dates back to 3000 BC or 5000 BC.In 1941 the people of Passu under the leadership of Muhammad Adab Khan son of Ali Parast mobilised a revolt against the heavy taxes imposed by Mir Ghazan Khan II on the people of Gojal. The government of India intervened and through the local administration of Gilgit agency the issue was resolved by reducing the taxes to the minimum level.

The latest figures put the population of Passu around 1,000.

Ghulkin Gojal

Ghulkin Village is located in Gojal. It is reached by following the Karakoram Highway (KKH)

140 km north of Gilgit. This trip takes 3–4 hours by van. From a turn-off just beyond Gulmit, a winding jeep track leads upwards for 3 km, until the ground flattens out and the first houses of the village come into view.

Ghulkin Glacier

Ghulkin occupies the site of an old glacier fed lake, which has been silted up by continuous sedimentation. Many of the 140 traditional dwellings that constitute Ghulkin village are arranged in a circular form, facing the one-time shores of the lake, creating a wonderfully communal atmosphere. 

Hussaini

Hussaini village on Attabad Lake

 Hussaini village is one of the new settlements of the Wakhi People  in the Gojal valley. Hussaini  is surrounded by the Gulkin Glacier  and the Khunjarav  River and the Karakorum Highway  passes through the middle of the village.

People: The residents of Hussaini are ethnically Wakhi  and speak Xikwor or Wakhi Language . Most of the residents are from the passu village of Sahki family and few are from Broghil chitral known as Musofeer,s ,

Avgarch

One of the oldest strongholds of the Wakhis against the  Kirghiz and other invaders is located in a valley starting at Murkhun. There are two forts, namely Pasth Qlha and Wuch Qlha, an Ismaili mosque and Watch towers in Avgarch. These historic sites are still in use. Baba Sufi is considered one of the first to settle in Gojal along with his wife. He settled by the spring of Gircha but abandoned it from the fear of looters, his clan later kept using Gircha as a fertile land and took the crops back to Avgarch. The settler of Shimshal, Mamu Singh also went through the Avgarch and Qorun Pass. Legends say his wife was also from Avegarch. Later Mir Silum Khan of Hunza convinced people to settle Gircha and use Avgarch for one season. During the invasion of the British the people from all lower Gojal and Hunza, took shelter in Avgarch.

Gircha

A spring village, by the KKH is one of the first settled lands in Gojal. Settled by Wakhi legend Bobo e Sufi, his generation used this land to just to grow crops for long, then a fort was built in Gircha which became the centre of political activities for Mirs, sarai for travelers/explorers and Ismaili Missionaries. Gircha has a geographical significance as there are proofs that provide unique litho- and biofacies which has led to the term Gircha has been flooded multiple times, woods etc. can be seen in the sediments made visible by recent erosion.

A flood from Dilboy stopped the Khunjerav River which eroded the old village and fort. People relocated the fort but the erosion continued and people had settle new villages nearby, namely; Sost, Nazimabad, Murkun, Jamalabad and Ghalapan.

Sost

Sost is the last border town of Pakistan which leads the KKH to China through Khunjerab. Sost is the center of activities in upper Gojal with office of Assistant Magistrate, an established bazaar, a dry port, customs and other official setups. Sost is also an old village, with a diverse population. An old house related to Bobo e Sufi is visitable, a Shrine of Saint Baba Sheikh Farid, brother of Shah Shams and Shah Talib is a place of interest for visitor.

  

Chapursan 

 also spelt Chipurson,) is a valley containing some eight scattered villages within the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is the most Northern part of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and China. The majority of the people in the valley speak the Wakhi Language, but the villagers of Raminj speak the Burushaski language and belong to the Ismaili sect of Islam. Chipurson Valley hosts over 500 households with a population of 3,000.

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