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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Well said. I am curious though, which culture are you referring to?
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The Kafirs.
After your post Jim will have to learn more about the Kalash! I would also like to better understand the relationship to the chilanum, which is cast as one piece.
Here is information I have gathered from a variety of sources about the this weapon and the Kafirs:
There is much debate about the origin of the name and in fact which name is “correct” (jamadhar, jandad, jamdhar, jumdud). The spelling jamdhar seems to indicate Hindi origin yet “Jamdar” may also be a Persian word with the suggested etymology of janb-dar, that is, 'flank render.'
The Kafirs are an ethnic group located in the southern part of the Hindu Kush valleys, just across the border from Chitral, Pakistan. Today, this is a region of Afghanistan known historically as Kafiristan and today as Nurestan (Nuristan, Nooristan).
The Kafirs are thought to be descendants of an old Indian population that used to occupy the region and did not convert to Islam with the rest of the population. They sometimes claim to be descended from Alexander the Great who passed through the area; he only subdued the Kafirs after a great struggle. Their physical appearance is quite distinct from the Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan.
Until they were forcefully converted to Islam around 1895 by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, the people of the region practiced an ancient Indo-Iranian polytheistic religion. Non-Muslim practices endure today as folk customs. The word "Kafir" is derived from the ancient Sanskrit name of the region that included historic Kafiristan. This may in turn relate to the Arabic word "Kufr", which means not only to disbelieve but also to blaspheme. Its derivative "Kafir" means one who commits blasphemy. Today, the people are known as Nuristanis to outsiders although they do not have a formal tribal structure such as the Pashtun's. Instead, they designate themselves by the names of the local regions where they live.
- Dave A.