Salman Rashid

Travel writer, Fellow of Royal Geographical Society

Travel writers are myth busters
07 April 2016

I first wrote in 1986 that the Kalasha people of Chitral are NOT of Greek descent. That was a time when everyone, including everyone, believed that. Now, thankfully, DNA testing has shown my assertion to be true.

There have always been quasi-religious stories of the power of holy men. The story of the struggle between Wali Kandahari and Guru Nanak and the resulting hand print in Hasan Abdal is shown to be false by history. Wali Kandahari died twenty years before Guru Nanak was born. Not that Guru Nanak was not one of the greatest spiritual leader.

The myth of the Karakoram Highway being the old Silk Road. The road between Hunza and Kashgar was a local travel route. No long distance trade came into the subcontinent this way. Least of all silk. The old trade route from, say, Yarkand or Kashgar was over the Karakoram Pass in the east that led to Leh (Ladakh) and eventually Srinagar via Kargil.

Then there are the several stories of Invisible Saints. The one just outside the PTV station in Lahore can easily be investigated. Another is the Jhandian vali Sarkar at Choa Kariala midway between Kharian and Jhelum. This one is a complete and total fraud. It was created after the famous signal exercise November Handicap. The place where the so-called tomb now stands was one of the gun positions of 14 Field Regiment Artillery. Someone saw the flags and the rifleman’s trench and turned it into a Pir Ghaib who had gone into purdah.

Labels: About, Historic Myths, Silk Road, Travel Writer

posted by Salman Rashid @ 08:00,

8 Comments:

At 7 April 2016 at 14:04, Arslankataya said...: So Salman the buster.
There is a town between Rahimyarkhan and Khanpur by the name Zahirpeer. So it must be opposite of Peerghaib.
At 7 April 2016 at 14:39, Salman Rashid said...: Sounds logical. The corollary to Pir Ghaib can only be a fraud that is Zahir.
At 7 April 2016 at 15:18, Anonymous said...: Aha, u are at it again. the holy men are not going to like u !!!

Personally I don' think there is anything wrong in these sort of beliefs or traditions as long as folks don't start going on warpath. Making a little money on the side, I guess that's ok!!
Enjoyed the post.
At 8 April 2016 at 04:51, Anonymous said...: Hi Salman very good article. Could you name a religious authority who is clean these days and can be listened to ?
At 8 April 2016 at 12:03, Salman Rashid said...: Javed Ghamidi is the ONLY clean religious scholar who should be heeded. As well as him there is Maulvi Jahangir Mahmood who does a programme on FM radio. I don't know his channel.
At 9 April 2016 at 12:33, Unknown said...: My grandfather Mian Abdul Hameed had been in charge of whole trade between Kashgar and India via Lagakh. He was stationed at Sirinagar looking after that trade rule. His title was Aqasqal and was called Khan Sahib Mian Bdul Hameed. He belonged to Mian Family of Baghbanpura.
At 9 April 2016 at 16:34, Salman Rashid said...: Aqsaqal is Turkish for White (Aq) Beard (Saqal). Good to know that an Arain of Baghbanpura held such an important station. If you live in Lahore, please text me your phone number. You can find mine on the "home" and "About" page.
At 9 April 2016 at 19:33, Unknown said...: Thanks a lot for reply. My cell is 03334236178 and I live in Lahore. I have a lot to share with you. Insha Allah,