Hunza has been ruled by the same family known
as Mirs of Hunza for 960 years. Hunzakuts are
believed to be the descendents of five wandering
soldiers of Alexander the Great. The people of Hunza speak Brushuski, an aboriginal language.
This princely state retained its isolated
independence for a long time in the remote part
of the areas which now from the Northern Areas
of Pakistan adjoining the Sinkiang Autonomous
Region of China. During early nineteenth
century, Hunza resented Kashmir's attempts to
gain control and its rulers periodically
expelled Kashmir garrisons, threatened Gilgit,
and politicked with the rulers of Kashgar to the
north where the Russians were gaining influence.
Fearing Russians infiltration into their
northern frontiers, the British took over direct
political control at Gilgit in 1889. Incessant
fratricidal intrigues in Hunza and Nagar made
the areas doubly insecure. This, coupled with
the Mir of Hunza's consistent intransigence
induced the British to march on Hunza in
December 1891, where they fought a decisive
battle at Nilit, 60 km beyond Diaynor Bridge.
After this the British garrisoned Aliabad until
1897 when Hunza became a princely state
protected by the Government of British India.
After the Pakistan was created in 1947, the
people of Hunza also gained liberation and the
princely state was merged in Pakistan.
The Baltit Fort is a kilometer away from
Karimabad. It was built 700 years ago by 300
laborers brought to Hunza in the dowry of the
Princess of Baltistan when she married Mir of
Hunza. The area is named Baltit after those
laborers. Over the centuries it has been
inhabited by the ruling family of the Hunza
State.
Buddhist
Rock Carving
The rock carving and inscriptions around
Ganesh village give proof of the Buddhist
influence in the area. The inscriptions are in
four different scripts and the carvings are of
human and animals figures.
Batura,
Passu, Hopper, Hisper Glacier
Batura Passu glacier is 35 kms from Karimabad
while the Hopper and Hisper glaciers are 25 kms
away. The journey takes two hours by jeep and
the last two kilometers have to be travelled on
foot.
Altit fort is situated in the village of
Altit about three kilometers from Karimbabd. It
has been built on a sheer rock cliff that falls
300 meters (1,000 feet) into the Indus river.
The fort is a 100 years older than the Baltit
Fort and was at one time inhabited by the ruling
family.
The Ultar peak known as the killer mountain
is the only un-conquered peak.
Nagar
Nagar, the large kingdom across the river
from Hunza, was possibly first settled by people
from Baltistan who arrived over the mountains by
walking along the Biafo and Hispar glaciers. It
was settled again in about the 14th century by
Hunzakuts who crossed the river. A man called
Borosh from Hunza supposedly founded the first
village of Boroshal, and married a Balti girl he
found there. The legend says the girl and her
grandmother were the sole survivors of a
landslide that killed all the early Balti
settlers.
Nagar is entered by the jeep road that leaves
the KKH just beyond the Ganeshbridge across the Hunza River. The first
five kilometres (three miles) of this road are
dry and barren, then the road divides. Once
branch of crosses the Hispar River on a bridge
and climbs up into the fertile villages of
central Nagar, where many kilometres of
irrigation channels provide pleasant walks
through fields and villages right up to the last
village of Hoper. You can get here by public
transport from Aliabad in Hunza, which leaves
most days for Nagar, and occasionally continues
to Hopar.
The KKH is at its most spectacular between
Ganesh and Gulmit. The road rides high on the
eastern side of the river, twisting and turning
round the barren foot of the Hispar Range, which
boasts six peaks over 7,000 meters (23,000
feet). On the opposite bank, villages cling
implausibly to the side of the 7,388 meter
(24,240 foot) Ultar Mountain. Between the
villages, grey screen slithers down to the
river, looking in the distance like piles of
find cigarette ash. Above, the jagged teeth
along the ridge hide the highest snow-covered
peaks from view.
The KKH crosses back to the west bank at
Shishkot Bridge, from which the view upstream of
the serrated ridge of mountains above the river
is one of the most photogenic prospects of the
entire drive. From here to Tashkurgan in China
the people speak Wakhi.
Gulmit
Eight kms (five miles) past the bridge, is a
fertile plateau 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) high,
with irrigated fields on either side of the
road. This is a good place to spend a night or
two, marking the halfway point between Gilgit
and the Khunjerab Pass. The small museum here
belongs to the prince, Raja Bahadur Khan, and is
full of interesting ethnic artifacts. And two of
the hotels here belong to Mirzada Shah Khan,
hero of the 1947 mutiny.
The rock and gravel covered Ghilkin Glacier
comes right down to the road about one kilometer
(just over half a mile) past Gulmit. The road
crosses the snout of the glacier at the very
edge of the river, then climbs up on to the
lateral moraine - a great, grey slag heap. About
five kilometers (three miles) further on, you
round a corner to find Passu Glacier straight
ahead. It is shining white and deeply crevassed
- just as you would expect a glacier to look.
Above the glacier to the left is the jagged line
of the Passu and Batua peaks, seven of which are
over 7,500 meters (25,000 feet). On the opposite
side of the river, which you can cross over a
terrifying footbridge, the valley is hemmed in
by a half-circle of saw-toothed summits, down
the flanks of which slide grey alluvial fans.
Passu is a village of farmers and mountain
guides 15 kilometres (nine miles) beyond Gulmit.
This is the setting-off point for climbing
expeditions up the Batura, Passu, Kurk and
Lupgar groups of peaks, and for trekking trips
up the Shimshal Valley and Batura Glacier. The
Passu Inn, right beside the road, is the meeting
place for mountaineers and guides.
The KKH passes through four more villages
before reaching the immigration and customs post
at Sost, 33 kilometres (21 miles) from Passu.
Outgoing traffic must pass through Sost before
11 am. It is a four-or-five hour drive from here
to Tashkurgan, and you must allow time for
clearing Chinese customs and immigration to
kilometres before Tashkurgan (moved down from
Pirali). The time difference between China and
Pakistan is three hours, so it will be around 7
to 8 pm Chinese time before you arrive in
Tashkurgan. Incoming traffic is processed until
4 pm Pakistani time, 7 pm Chinese time.
From
Sost to Tashkurgan
PTDC and NATCO run daily buses from Sost to
Tashkurgan, for about US $ 35)
For the first 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Sost,
the valley is narrow and barren, the cliff-face
shattered into huge cubes and slabs that peel
off and tumble down to the road, where they lie
like forgotten building blocks belonging toll
giant children. The road leaves the Hunza for
the Khunjerab River, and there is more of the
same, with alluvial fans flowing down every
gully, frequently blocking the way.
Khunjerab National Park begins 30 kilometres (19
miles) from Sost. The hills move back from the
road, the valley opens out and the Khunjerab
River dwindles to a tiny mountain stream with
the odd tuft of grass, willow or birch along its
banks.
The check-post at Dih consists of six lonely
stone houses. The last 30 kilometres (19 miles)
to the top of the pass are easier driving, as
there is less mountain above and the slopes are
gentler. The road follows the banks of the
stream before winding up round 12 wide,
well-engineered hairpin bends to the top.
The Khunjerab Pass, at 4,733 meters (15,528
feet), is reputedly the highest metalled border
crossing in the world. A red sign announces
'China drive right', and a rival green sign says
'Pakistan drive left'. A monument declares that
the highway was opened in 1982 and indulges in a
bit of hyperbole by saying that the pass is
16,000 feet (4,875 meters). The Khunjerab is on
a continental watershed. All water on the
Pakistani side flows down to the Indian Ocean,
while that on the Chinese side is swallowed by
the Taklamakan Desert, the name of which means,
if you go in, you don't come out'.
It is 32 kilometres (20 miles) from the top
of the pass to the abandoned Chinese border post
at Pirali. The scenery is remarkably different
on the two sides of the pass. The Pakistani side
is vertical world of desert gorges devoid of any
sign of human life for the last 30 kilometres
(19 miles), except for the road itself. the
Chinese side is wide, open and grassy
high-altitude plateau with grazing herds of
yaks, sheep and goats tended by Tajik herders.
Children and dogs romp among round felt tents
called yurts. The Tajiks are a smiling and
friendly lot, and the women are as happy to be
photographed as the men. Even the camels are
altogether different animals. Pakistani camels
are tall, short-haired, one-humped Bactrian's
that appear to wear hairy, knee-length shorts.
Baltistan
Baltistan, 26,000 square kilometres in area
is right below the serrated, jagged and
glaciated ramparts of the Karakoram. Once part
of Ladkah, it was known as Tibet-i-Khurd -
Little Tibet.
Archaeological exploration has proven that it
was encompassed by the Silk Trade Route. Rock
carvings have been discovered along the road
between Gol and Khapulu, and Skardu and Satpara
Lake. the trade routes here split in Skardu with
one leading to Satpara over the Deosai and
Burzil Pass (5000 meters high) into Kashmir and
another leading to Gol. At Gol it forks again
with one trail leading to Khapulu, the other to
Kharmang into Leh.
Amidst a landscape of towering mountains,
deep gorges, crashing waterfalls and quiet
lakes, Skardu, the district headquarters of Baltistan, is situated on the banks of the
mighty river Indus, just 8 km (5 miles) above
its confluence with the river Shigar. Perched at
a height of 2286 meters (7,500 ft), Skardu
offers a cool and bracing climate.
On the eastern boundary of the district lies
Ladakh, in the west Gilgit, in the south
Indian-held Kashmir and to the north is the
Chinese province of Sinkiang.
During the summer, Skardu attracts a large
number of trekkers and mountaineers from all
parts of the world. In fact, the entire region
is known as a mountaineers' paradise. Nowhere in
the world does one find such a large collection
of lofty peaks, including K-2 the world's second
highest peak, and huge glaciers like Baltoro,
Biafo and Siachen, some of the largest in the
world outside the Polar region, as in this
16,283 square km (10,118 square miles) of
wonderland.
There are five main valleys in the district
Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu, Rondu and Kharmang. All
of them produce apricots, peaches, pears and
apples in such profusion that this region is
known as the land of apricots and apples.
The construction of Kharfocho fort of the
King of forts at Skardu has been attributed to
the famous ruler of Skardu - Maqpon Bugha (1490
- 1515 AD), the great grand father of Ali Sher
Khan Anchan (1560 - 1625 AD) by Hishatullah. But
Moghal historians are of the view that the great
fort was built by Ali Sher Khan Anchan himself.
This view is upheld by European writers such as
Cunningham, Foso Marine, G.T. Vagne etc. Some
observations about this fort have been made in
the Imperial Gazetteer of British India. It
states that one of the most famous of the
Gralpos (Monarchs of Skardu), Ali Sher Khan, who
ruled till the end of the 16th century,
conquered Ladakh and built a fort at Skardu.
Mindoq
Khar
This palace was built by Gul Khatoon or
Mindoq Gialmo on the hill where now stands the
Kharfocho fort only. The palace was named after
the queen as 'Mindoq Khar' meaning the 'Flower
Palace'. The Palace was destroyed by the troops
of the Sikh ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Gulab
Singh, when he invaded Skardu in 1840 AD.
Hilal
Bagh and Chahar Bagh
Just below the Mindoq Khar or Flower Palace,
there was a terraced garden with fountains built
in marble. This royal garden covered the areas
from Mindoq Khan to the present bazaar at Skardu
where the newly constructed road crosses the
channel. A palace built in marble with towers
also stood in the middle of the garden, above
the Polo Ground which is called Ghudi Changra.
The palace was destroyed during the great floods
in the area after the death of Ali Sher Khan
Anchan and a marble Baradari was later
constructed at this palace. This royal garden
was named Hilal Bagh (Crescent Garden). Another
garden was also laid which was named Chhar Bagh
on the site where a Girls College stands now.
The said garden was laid on the orders of the
Queen while her husband was away to Gilgit and
then to Chitral. As the mother tongue of the
Queen was Persian, she gave Persian name to
these gardens.
There is only one surviving Buddhist Rock
with rock carvings in the Skardu Valley located
on Satpara road. Probably the rock carvings and
images of Buddha date back to the period of
Great Tibetan Empire. When the Buddhist people
of Gandhara migrated and passed through the
present northern areas of Pakistan, they settled
at some places temporarily and carved drawings
of Stupas, scenes of their experiences and
images of Buddha with texts in Kharoshti
language. There were a number of such Buddhist
rock carvings in the Skardu Valley. Probably
those rocks were used either by Ali Sher Khan
Anchan as building material or submerged in the
Satpara lake. Scholars and researchers like Dr.
A.H. Dani from Pakistan and some from other
countries have done lot of research work on
these rock carvings and have since deciphered
the text of the carvings in Kharoshti language.
8 km (5 miles) south of Skardu, 20 minutes by
jeep, lies the Satpara Lake. Surrounded by high
glacial mountains, this lake has an island in
the middle of its clear waters, which can be
reached by boat. The lake is considered ideal
for fishing.
About 32 kms (20 miles) from Skardu, 2 hours
by jeep, lie the shimmering waters of the
Kachura Lake. In the springtime its banks are
adorned by a multitude of colorful flowers,
while the trees are laden with peach, apricot
and apple blossoms. The lake offers great
opportunities for trout fishing.
Shigar
Valley
The Shigar Valley, 32 kms (20 miles) from
Skardu and 2 hours by jeep, is watered by the
Shigar River. It forms the gateway to the great
mountain peaks of the Karakoram, including Mount
K-2. The valley has an extremely picturesque
landscape, and abounds in fruit such as grapes,
peaches, pears, walnuts and apricots.
Khaplu
Valley
This beautiful valley of the Shyok River is
103 kms (64 miles) from Skardu and 6 hours by
jeep. There is a sprawling village perched on
the slopes of the steep mountains that hem in
the river. Many famous mountains, such as
Masherbrum, K-6, K-7, Sherpi Kangh, Sia Kangri,
Saltoro Kangri etc. are located here.
the descendents of five wandering
soldiers of Alexander the Great. The people of Hunza speak Brushuski, an aboriginal language.
This princely state retained its isolated
independence for a long time in the remote part
of the areas which now from the Northern Areas
of Pakistan adjoining the Sinkiang Autonomous
Region of China. During early nineteenth
century, Hunza resented Kashmir's attempts to
gain control and its rulers periodically
expelled Kashmir garrisons, threatened Gilgit,
and politicked with the rulers of Kashgar to the
north where the Russians were gaining influence.
Fearing Russians infiltration into their
northern frontiers, the British took over direct
political control at Gilgit in 1889. Incessant
fratricidal intrigues in Hunza and Nagar made
the areas doubly insecure. This, coupled with
the Mir of Hunza's consistent intransigence
induced the British to march on Hunza in
December 1891, where they fought a decisive
battle at Nilit, 60 km beyond Diaynor Bridge.
After this the British garrisoned Aliabad until
1897 when Hunza became a princely state
protected by the Government of British India.
After the Pakistan was created in 1947, the
people of Hunza also gained liberation and the
princely state was merged in Pakistan.
The Baltit Fort is a kilometer away from
Karimabad. It was built 700 years ago by 300
laborers brought to Hunza in the dowry of the
Princess of Baltistan when she married Mir of
Hunza. The area is named Baltit after those
laborers. Over the centuries it has been
inhabited by the ruling family of the Hunza
State.
The Ultar peak known as the killer mountain
is the only un-conquered peak.
See Also:
district headquarters of Baltistan, is situated on the banks of the
mighty river Indus, just 8 km (5 miles) above
its confluence with the river Shigar. Perched at
a height of 2286 meters (7,500 ft), Skardu
offers a cool and bracing climate.