Balti people

Baltis
	Balti children photographed in Tarishing, Gilgit−Baltistan in September 2008
Total population
	Gilgit−Baltistan: 247,520 – 28% (1998)
Regions with significant populations
	Gilgit−Baltistan, Pakistan; Ladakh, India;
Languages
	Balti, Hindi–Urdu
Religion
	Islam; (predominantly Shia Islam,[1] small minorities of Noorbakshia Sufi Islam and Sunni Islam)
Related ethnic groups
	Purigpas, Ladakhis, Tibetans, Dards

The Balti people or Baltis are an ethnic group of Tibetan descent (with Dardic admixture) who are native to the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit−Baltistan. They are also found in the Indian-administered territory of Ladakh—predominantly in the Kargil district with smaller concentrations present in the Leh district. Outside of the greater Kashmir region, Baltis are scattered throughout Pakistan, with the majority inhabiting major urban centres such as Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Origin

The origin of the name Balti is unknown.[2] The first written mention of the Balti people occurs in the second century BCE, by the Alexandrian astronomer and geographer Ptolemy, who refers to the region as Byaltae.[3] The Balti people themselves refer to their native land as Balti-yul (transl. 'Land of Baltis'); the modern name of Baltistan is the Persian rendering of this name.[4]

Language

The Balti language belongs to the Tibetic language family. Read (1934) considers it a dialect of Ladakhi,[5] while Nicolas Tournadre (2005) instead considers it a sister language of Ladakhi.[6]

Religion

Bön and Tibetan Buddhism were the dominant religions amongst Baltis until the arrival of Islam in Baltistan during the 14th century, predominantly through Sufi missionaries such as Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani. The Noorbakshia Sufi sect further propagated the Islamic faith in the region, and most of the Balti people had accepted Islam by the end of the 17th century.[7] With the passage of time, a large number of Baltis converted to Shia Islam, while a few converted to Sunni Islam.

The Baltis still retain many cultural traits of pre-Islamic Bön and Tibetan Buddhist rituals within their society, making them a unique demographic in Pakistan.[8] The Balti language remains highly archaic and conservative, closer to Classical Tibetan than other Tibetan languages.

Baltis see congregation in mosques and Sufi Khanqahs as an important religious ritual. Khanqahs are training schools introduced by early Sufi saints who arrived in the region. The students gain spiritual purity (tazkiah) through this training (meditations and contemplations) under well-practiced spiritual guides who have already attained a certain degree of spirituality.

Mosques in Baltistan are predominantly built in the Tibetan style of architecture, though several mosques have wood-finishings and decorations in the Mughal style, which is also seen in the Kargil district of Indian-administered Ladakh, across the Line of Control.

Today, around 60% of Baltis are Shia Muslims, while some 30% practice Noorbakshia Sufi Islam, and 10% are Sunni Muslims.[9][7]

Cuisine

Balti cuisine is rather well-known. One delicacy includes spicy curry, cooked in a karahi (a heavy, bowl-shaped cast-iron pan with two handles). This dish is often eaten with thick naan.[10]

References

Bakshi, S.R. (1997). Kashmir: History and People. Sarup & Sons. p. 186. ISBN 978-81-85431-96-3.
Backstrom, Peter C.; Radloff, Carla F. (1992). O’Leary, Clare F. (ed.). Languages of Northern Areas. Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan. 2. Quaid-i-Azam University: National Institute of Pakistani Studies. p. 5. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.860.8811. ISBN 9698023127.
Afridi, Banat Gul (1988). Baltistan in history. Peshawar, Pakistan: Emjay Books International. p. 9.
Kazmi, Syed Muhamad Abbas (1996). "The Balti Language". In Pushp, P. N.; Warikoo, K. (eds.). Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh: Linguistic predicament. Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications. pp. 135–153]. ISBN 8124103453.
Balti Grammar, by A. F. C. Read. London: The Royal Asiatic society, 1934.
- N. Tournadre (2005) "L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes." Lalies, 2005, n°25, p. 7–56
"Little Tibet: Renaissance and Resistance in Baltistan". Himal Southasian. 30 April 1998. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
"The Nurbakhshi religion in Baltistan". Baltistan Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
Bakshi, S. R. (1 January 1997). Kashmir: History and People. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788185431963.
Winston, Robert, ed. (2004). Human: The Definitive Visual Guide. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 437. ISBN 0-7566-0520-2.