{"id":3719,"date":"2026-01-07T23:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T18:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719"},"modified":"2026-01-08T21:55:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:55:30","slug":"from-kafiristan-to-nuristan-how-did-the-afghans-convert-the-pagans-of-the-hindu-kush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719","title":{"rendered":"From Kafiristan to Nuristan: The Forced Islamization of the Hindu Kush Pagans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>by Fakhr-e-Alam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(<strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> The author acknowledges that both the terms Kafirs &amp; Kafiristan are highly charged and are usually used with negative connotations in today&#8217;s world. However, due to the absence of any endonym, both the exonyms are used in academic and research works related to the region as alternative to &#8216;Pagan&#8217; and &#8216;Land of Pagans&#8217; respectively. The author dismisses any negative, provocative and offensive connotation associated with these terms, and uses them for purely identification purpose.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Most of us have heard about the <em>Kalash <\/em>tribe in Chitral, known for its unique culture and beliefs, but very few people know that up until 150 years ago, non-Muslim tribes like the <em>Kalash <\/em>were not only present in the three <em>Kalash <\/em>valleys of Chitral, but also in an extended area around. The Nuristan province of present-day Afghanistan, at that time was called <em>Kafiristan<\/em> (land of Pagans\/non-Muslims), and its inhabitants were labeled <em>Kafirs<\/em> (Pagans\/non-Muslims) by the Muslim majority areas around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">So what happened that within just a few years, not only did the non-Muslim tribes disappear, but the name <em>Kafiristan <\/em>itself was changed to Nuristan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\">Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2481\">An Annotated Bibliography of Nuristan and the <em>Kalash <\/em>of Chitral<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Nuristan, nestled in the Hindu Kush mountains, is the present-day eastern province of Afghanistan. To its north lies Afghanistan\u2019s Badakhshan province, to the west is Panjshir, to the south are Laghman and Kunar, and to the east is Pakistan\u2019s Lower Chitral district. The region was called \u201c<em>Kafiristan<\/em>\u201d by the surrounding Muslim populations; however, the tribes themselves used local names for each other and had no single collective name. This area has long been the home of autonomous tribes, although one of its large valleys, Bashgal, recognized the suzerainty of the State of Chitral and paid tribute annually. Additionally, the three <em>Kalash <\/em>\u201cinfidel\u201d valleys, Bumburet, Rumbur, and Birir, were entirely under Chitral\u2019s control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Who were the pagans of <em>Kafiristan<\/em>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\"><em>Kafiristan <\/em>consisted of several mountainous valleys, where an estimated 60,000 \u201c<em>Kafirs<\/em>\u201d lived<sup data-fn=\"37168257-a362-4511-a54d-3e6ba6a1f305\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"37168257-a362-4511-a54d-3e6ba6a1f305-link\" href=\"#37168257-a362-4511-a54d-3e6ba6a1f305\">1<\/a><\/sup>. The first detailed account of the area by the outside world came in 1888, when British military officer George Scott Robertson spent a year in Lower Bashgal and wrote a research book titled <em>The Kafirs of the Hindu Kush<\/em>. Before this, very little was known outside about these tribes, and outsiders only distinguished them by the clothes they wore, dividing them into two groups: the \u201cwhite-clad\u201d and the \u201cblack-clad.\u201d However, after living among them and studying them closely, Robertson documented at least eight different tribes in <em>Kafiristan <\/em>along with several sub-branches<sup data-fn=\"f5bd1a01-e1d4-42f7-94e2-851d3b48ec4f\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"f5bd1a01-e1d4-42f7-94e2-851d3b48ec4f-link\" href=\"#f5bd1a01-e1d4-42f7-94e2-851d3b48ec4f\">2<\/a><\/sup>. Among these, the Kati, Qam, Madugal, Prasun, and Waye were the most influential tribes. The present-day <em>Kalash <\/em>considered all these tribes as lower caste and collectively regarded them as a slave tribe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Nuristan-Kafiristan-map-afghan-invasion-1895-copy-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3382\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Nuristan-Kafiristan-map-afghan-invasion-1895-copy-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Nuristan-Kafiristan-map-afghan-invasion-1895-copy-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Nuristan-Kafiristan-map-afghan-invasion-1895-copy-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Nuristan-Kafiristan-map-afghan-invasion-1895-copy-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Nuristan-Kafiristan-map-afghan-invasion-1895-copy.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Valleys of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>and adjoining areas, Map by Khowari<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The religion of the tribes of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>incorporated elements of ancient Hinduism, divination, and nature worship, with belief in various deities and natural phenomena. These people pleased their gods through music, dance, songs, and sacrifices; they carved idols and built temples in their memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The tribes often fought among themselves and occasionally carried out raids into Chitral and other Muslim areas, looting travelers and local residents before fleeing. In those times, the route from Lowari to Chitral town, which is still used today, was considered unsafe due to attacks by these tribes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\">Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=1598\">Bira Khan: An Odyssey<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">These tribes considered it an honor to kill a Muslim. A person who did so was regarded as a hero within the region. If someone set out from the valley with the intention of killing a Muslim, he was sent off with special rituals. If he succeeded in killing his enemy, he would bring the severed head or ear back to the village as a token, where other tribesmen gathered to welcome him and place a special necklace around his neck. The killer was also entitled to decorate his cap with bird feathers, the number of which represented the number of Muslims he had killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"526\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-Bashgali-Kafir-Woman-by-George-Michael-James-1886-during-Gilgit-Mission.png\" alt=\"A Bashgali Kafir Woman in 1886, Picture: George Michael James during Gilgit Mission\n\" class=\"wp-image-3430\" style=\"width:384px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-Bashgali-Kafir-Woman-by-George-Michael-James-1886-during-Gilgit-Mission.png 526w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-Bashgali-Kafir-Woman-by-George-Michael-James-1886-during-Gilgit-Mission-231x300.png 231w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-Bashgali-Kafir-Woman-by-George-Michael-James-1886-during-Gilgit-Mission-62x80.png 62w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A <em>Bashgali <\/em>Kafir Woman in 1886, Picture: George Michael James during&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2098\">Gilgit Mission<\/a><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Like the present-day <em>Kalash <\/em>valleys, wine was common in <em>Kafiristan<\/em>. Mughal emperor Zahir-ud-din Babur wrote in his memoirs that \u201cevery <em>Kafir <\/em>hangs a leather bottle of wine around his neck; they drink wine instead of water.<sup data-fn=\"a70532f2-6cda-4b0f-b838-7001173da70f\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"a70532f2-6cda-4b0f-b838-7001173da70f-link\" href=\"#a70532f2-6cda-4b0f-b838-7001173da70f\">3<\/a><\/sup>\u201d The same observations were made by Portuguese missionary Benedict Goes, who, in 1603, while traveling to China via Peshawar, was told about Kafiristan and offered its grape wine<sup data-fn=\"e1f496f6-905f-4e0a-acc1-519a3551d563\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"e1f496f6-905f-4e0a-acc1-519a3551d563-link\" href=\"#e1f496f6-905f-4e0a-acc1-519a3551d563\">4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">In the 19th century, a rivalry began between the British in India and Russia, which was rapidly expanding into Central Asia. Britain feared that after occupying Central Asia, Russia might turn its attention toward the plains of India. Therefore, the British began taking measures against Russian expansionism; this period is remembered as the <em>Great Game<\/em>. The British considered it necessary to bring autonomous local states like Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza, Badakhshan, and Wakhan either under their influence or under Afghanistan, whose ruler, Amir Abdur Rahman, became a British ally at the time. As a result, in the first three states, the British installed their preferred rulers, and Afghanistan was given freedom and support to eventually bring Badakhshan, Wakhan, the Hazarajat, Shighnan, and finally <em>Kafiristan <\/em>under its control. Thus, with British assistance during Amir Abdur Rahman\u2019s rule, the foundation of modern Afghanistan was laid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The Great Game and British Patronage of the Afghans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">In 1893, when the Durand Line was drawn between India and Afghanistan, many new areas came under Afghanistan\u2019s control. However, the third clause of the agreement explicitly stated that Afghanistan would not occupy the Bashgal Valley, which was under Chitral\u2019s influence. Despite this, the Amir of Kabul exploited errors in the names and maps in the agreement and insisted that <em>Kafiristan <\/em>was his territory. British officer Richard Udney, fearing that the Afghan Amir might annul the entire agreement, formally recognized <em>Kafiristan <\/em>as part of Afghanistan under the Bashagam Agreement of April 1895, a decision that went against the original Durand Agreement<sup data-fn=\"fb2a7317-5989-464e-9a47-af93df46653b\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"fb2a7317-5989-464e-9a47-af93df46653b-link\" href=\"#fb2a7317-5989-464e-9a47-af93df46653b\">5<\/a><\/sup>. After securing British approval, Amir Abdur Rahman immediately began preparations to establish authority over these areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\">Also Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=1159\">The Forgotten Shakles: Slavery and Slave Trade in Chitral State<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">In the summer of 1895, he planned to attack <em>Kafiristan <\/em>from three sides: Badakhshan, Laghman, and Asmar. The first army was sent from Asmar under the command of General Ghulam Haider Charkhi. The details of this campaign are recorded in a long poem by Afghan poet Mirza Sher Ahmad Jalalabadi, titled <em>Fath Nama-e-Kafiristan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shui-or-Pshur-valley-Kafiristan-in-1886-Picture-by-George-Michael-James-during-Gilgit-Mission.jpg\" alt=\"Shui or Pshur valley in Kafiristan in 1886. Kafirs used to reside in strong fortifications, Picture: George Michael James during Gilgit Mission\n\" class=\"wp-image-3433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shui-or-Pshur-valley-Kafiristan-in-1886-Picture-by-George-Michael-James-during-Gilgit-Mission.jpg 800w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shui-or-Pshur-valley-Kafiristan-in-1886-Picture-by-George-Michael-James-during-Gilgit-Mission-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shui-or-Pshur-valley-Kafiristan-in-1886-Picture-by-George-Michael-James-during-Gilgit-Mission-80x48.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shui-or-Pshur-valley-Kafiristan-in-1886-Picture-by-George-Michael-James-during-Gilgit-Mission-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Shui or Pshur valley in <em>Kafiristan <\/em>in 1886. <em>Kafirs <\/em>used to reside in strong fortifications, Picture: George Michael James during&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2098\">Gilgit Mission<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The poet writes that when news of Ghulam Haider\u2019s advance reached the <em>Kafirs<\/em>, their representatives went to Asmar to negotiate. According to the poet, Ghulam Haider addressed them as \u201cuncivilized dogs\u201d and warned that if they did not convert to Islam, they would be killed. The <em>Kafir <\/em>chiefs returned to consult among themselves but did not come back at the appointed time, so Charkhi advanced. Beyond the area of Brekut, two <em>Kafir <\/em>representatives approached and said that if they were not forced to abandon their religion, they were willing to submit to Kabul and pay tribute<sup data-fn=\"f80ae1de-54bc-47a6-9e59-720e5690952a\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"f80ae1de-54bc-47a6-9e59-720e5690952a-link\" href=\"#f80ae1de-54bc-47a6-9e59-720e5690952a\">6<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">On the other hand, it is also reported that the <em>Kafirs <\/em>of Kamdesh had offered to convert to Islam and accept Afghan authority in exchange for not being subjected to military action. However, the Afghan commander not only demanded conversion and tribute but also required the construction of roads in <em>Kafiristan<\/em>, enlistment of 120 men into the army, and the provision of several beautiful girls for the royal harem. These terms were unacceptable to the <em>Kafirs<\/em><sup data-fn=\"f92af5af-5cdd-41f5-8d27-f2305d3c5acb\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"f92af5af-5cdd-41f5-8d27-f2305d3c5acb-link\" href=\"#f92af5af-5cdd-41f5-8d27-f2305d3c5acb\">7<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-interior-of-a-house-in-Kafiristan-with-curved-wooden-pillars-in-1972-by-Max-Klimburg-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"The interior of a house in Kafiristan with curved wooden pillars, 1972, Picture: Max Klimburg\n\" class=\"wp-image-3421\" style=\"width:498px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-interior-of-a-house-in-Kafiristan-with-curved-wooden-pillars-in-1972-by-Max-Klimburg-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-interior-of-a-house-in-Kafiristan-with-curved-wooden-pillars-in-1972-by-Max-Klimburg-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-interior-of-a-house-in-Kafiristan-with-curved-wooden-pillars-in-1972-by-Max-Klimburg-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-interior-of-a-house-in-Kafiristan-with-curved-wooden-pillars-in-1972-by-Max-Klimburg-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-interior-of-a-house-in-Kafiristan-with-curved-wooden-pillars-in-1972-by-Max-Klimburg.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The interior of a house in <em>Kafiristan <\/em>with curved wooden pillars, 1972, Picture:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.id\/books?id=2WUyOy_CrU8C&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;hl=id&amp;source=gbs_atb&amp;pli=1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\">Max Klimburg<\/a><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The general sent two of his men with the local chiefs to assess the situation. Upon their return, they reported that the valleys were narrow and difficult to traverse, and that it was not appropriate to attack at that time. In response, Charkhi decided that, for the moment, they would be satisfied with collecting tribute until the snow blocked the valleys and prevented the <em>Kafirs <\/em>from escaping. Amir Abdur Rahman also mentioned another reason in his autobiography: he feared that news of an attack on <em>Kafiristan <\/em>might reach Christian missionaries, who had already protested the exploitation of the <em>Kafirs <\/em>by the Afghans and were demanding intervention from the British government<sup data-fn=\"8f9bc1ef-2fb6-4b80-9b28-4fd7ba8c9420\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"8f9bc1ef-2fb6-4b80-9b28-4fd7ba8c9420-link\" href=\"#8f9bc1ef-2fb6-4b80-9b28-4fd7ba8c9420\">8<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">As a result, the Afghan army waited for three months for the snowfall to subside, and during this period, preparations for the attack included constructing a road from Brekut to Bashgal. In August 1895, a delegation of <em>Kafirs <\/em>from Lut Deh came to Chitral to pay tribute and learned that the Afghans had already occupied their most important valley, Gowardesh. Upon hearing this news, they started to weep<sup data-fn=\"1b953231-630a-4a81-9094-3a3b6b0dbf84\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"1b953231-630a-4a81-9094-3a3b6b0dbf84-link\" href=\"#1b953231-630a-4a81-9094-3a3b6b0dbf84\">9<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\">Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=1576\">Who were the <em>Bari <\/em>of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>and Chitral?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">On the other side, the <em>Kafirs <\/em>were disturbed by this sudden military campaign. They sent multiple representatives to the Mehtar of Chitral and the British officials stationed there, requesting them to persuade the Afghans to refrain from attacking. However, Mehtar Shuja-ul-Mulk, who had been placed on the throne by the British that year at the age of only 14 after a succession struggle, was powerless, and the British, in their wider political interests, did not want to antagonize the Afghans by intervening. Reluctantly, the <em>Kafirs <\/em>presented a large tribute to Ghulam Haider Charkhi, believing this would protect them from the Afghan army\u2014but this was a misunderstanding. During this time, their religious leader, called the \u201c<em>Uta<\/em>\u201d, went to meet Charkhi and was captured along with 27 of his companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The Invasion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Skirmishes had occurred from the beginning of the campaign, but the full-scale attack began on 19 November 1895. Upon hearing of Charkhi\u2019s arrival, the <em>Kafirs <\/em>set fire to their homes and fled toward the higher mountains. Those who were caught were executed selectively over three days. During this time, the Afghan army captured Bazgul, Nusratgul, Hamjuz, Wuro Moru, Surat, Kamoba, and Mirdesh. On the fourth day, another key area, Kamdesh, was taken, and men and women were killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"3418\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"3419\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-in-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-in-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-in-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-in-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-in-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-boys-in-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"3420\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-people-brought-to-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-people-brought-to-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-people-brought-to-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-people-brought-to-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-people-brought-to-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-people-brought-to-Kabul-after-Kafiristan-invasion-circa-1895-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-from-Wellcome-Collection-1.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"3417\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-women-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-women-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-women-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-women-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-women-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kafir-women-taken-to-Kabul-after-invasion-of-Kafiristan-Circa-1895-Picture-by-Lillias-Anna-Hamilton-in-Wellcome-Collection-1.jpg 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Kafir men and women brought to Kabul after the invasion of Kafiristan, circa 1895, Picture: Lillias Anna Hamilton (<a href=\"https:\/\/wellcomecollection.org\/search\/images?source.contributors.agent.label=%22Lillias+Anna+Hamilton%22&amp;page=2#\">Wellcome Collection<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Approximately 6,000 fleeing <em>Kafirs <\/em>took refuge in the extremely difficult Mandagal Valley, where, according to the poet, they \u201cstood firm like wild boars.\u201d Charkhi bombarded them with artillery and sent military detachments from two directions, defeating them within three hours. Many of them were killed. The previously captured Uta and his 27 companions were executed before the newly converted Muslims, and out of fear, more <em>Kafirs <\/em>offered to convert to Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Ghulam Haider Charkhi ordered that the <em>Kafirs <\/em>present their young men as hostages, whom he intended to send to Kabul. The poem recounts that a few days later, the Qam and Kati tribes came with their children and women and embraced Islam. The inhabitants of Mandagal Valley also presented themselves, and Charkhi forced them to destroy the idols of their four major gods\u2014Mani, Gesh, Mari, and Umra\u2014by smashing them with hammers in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph\">Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=2993\">The Ancient Gods and Deities of the Tribes of Dardistan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The tribes of <em>Kafiristan<\/em>, renowned for their bravery and martial qualities, were now trying to save themselves from the Afghans, but they had nowhere to flee. Initially, 3,000 <em>Kafirs <\/em>went to Chitral, where they had previously paid tribute to the Mehtar and presented their grievances. However, this time, the British officials stationed there discouraged their arrival and sent them back. We can only imagine how difficult it must have been to traverse the high and snowy mountains in winter with children, elders, and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Status-brought-to-Kabul-from-Kafiristan-after-its-invasion-Picture-by-A-C-Jewett-1916-1024x650.jpg\" alt=\"Image caption: Statues and idols brought to Kabul from Kafiristan after its invasion, Picture by A. C. Jewett, 1916.\" class=\"wp-image-3401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Status-brought-to-Kabul-from-Kafiristan-after-its-invasion-Picture-by-A-C-Jewett-1916-1024x650.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Status-brought-to-Kabul-from-Kafiristan-after-its-invasion-Picture-by-A-C-Jewett-1916-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Status-brought-to-Kabul-from-Kafiristan-after-its-invasion-Picture-by-A-C-Jewett-1916-80x51.jpg 80w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Status-brought-to-Kabul-from-Kafiristan-after-its-invasion-Picture-by-A-C-Jewett-1916-768x487.jpg 768w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Status-brought-to-Kabul-from-Kafiristan-after-its-invasion-Picture-by-A-C-Jewett-1916.jpg 1135w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Image caption:<\/em> Statues and idols brought to Kabul from <em>Kafiristan <\/em>after its invasion, Picture by A. C. Jewett, 1916.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Charkhi sent hundreds of mullahs and soldiers into the conquered valleys, who traveled throughout the region, preaching, burning ancient places of worship, and building mosques in their place. The attacking army initially faced stiff resistance from other sides, but they ultimately succeeded. According to the poet, \u201cmost of the <em>Kafirs <\/em>there were sacrificed to the fires of hell, and the rest accepted Islam to save their lives.\u201d Amir Abdur Rahman wrote that within just 40 days, the entire region of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>came under his control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The Fall of <em>Kafiristan<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">It is said that around 10,000 <em>Kafirs <\/em>were killed during this campaign, and 16,000 local people were forcibly relocated to other areas<sup data-fn=\"66985645-2b48-4190-9c31-fa2650a9e763\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"66985645-2b48-4190-9c31-fa2650a9e763-link\" href=\"#66985645-2b48-4190-9c31-fa2650a9e763\">10<\/a><\/sup>. By March, 4,000 prisoners had been transferred to Kabul, and this process continued. Ghulam Haider sent 1,600 prisoners and a large collection of looted goods on 100 camels to Kabul, where a celebration of the victory was held<sup data-fn=\"3127c020-4505-4eac-8618-abca3feccdac\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"3127c020-4505-4eac-8618-abca3feccdac-link\" href=\"#3127c020-4505-4eac-8618-abca3feccdac\">11<\/a><\/sup>. This included ten valuable idols made of gold as well<sup data-fn=\"e08597ae-ac42-4128-8743-074ca807a41d\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"e08597ae-ac42-4128-8743-074ca807a41d-link\" href=\"#e08597ae-ac42-4128-8743-074ca807a41d\">12<\/a><\/sup>. In the spring of 1896, additional valleys of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>were brought under Afghan control. By March, the valleys of Waigal, Parun, and Ramgal had fallen to the Afghans<sup data-fn=\"08fe4ba2-0924-4606-803d-f3cf3109fe4b\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"08fe4ba2-0924-4606-803d-f3cf3109fe4b-link\" href=\"#08fe4ba2-0924-4606-803d-f3cf3109fe4b\">13<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-watch-tower-in-Parun-valley-in-1964-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan.png\" alt=\"Image caption: A watchtower in Parun Valley of Kafiristan in 1964, Picture: Schuyler Jones.\" class=\"wp-image-3393\" style=\"width:533px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-watch-tower-in-Parun-valley-in-1964-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan.png 723w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-watch-tower-in-Parun-valley-in-1964-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan-300x285.png 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-watch-tower-in-Parun-valley-in-1964-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan-80x76.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Image caption:<\/em> A watchtower in Parun Valley of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>in 1964, Picture: Schuyler Jones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">News of the attacks and atrocities against the <em>Kafirs <\/em>reached Britain, sparking debate in Parliament and among some organizations, with criticism directed at the government. A small number of <em>Kafirs <\/em>were allowed to settle in the <em>Kalash <\/em>valleys of Chitral, but Amir Abdur Rahman was not prevented from occupying the region and forcibly converting the people\u2019s religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The locals were unhappy about being stripped of their beliefs and autonomy and subjected to Afghan oppression. When <em>Kafirs <\/em>sent to Kabul were searched, 90 small idols of their gods were found, which they had apparently been secretly worshiping despite outwardly converting to Islam<sup data-fn=\"953c4153-a80f-46cc-80a3-8330b16562fa\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"953c4153-a80f-46cc-80a3-8330b16562fa-link\" href=\"#953c4153-a80f-46cc-80a3-8330b16562fa\">14<\/a><\/sup>. The Afghan mullahs assigned to convert the <em>Kafirs <\/em>behaved in a brutal and intolerable manner. In some places, they did not hesitate to sexually assault <em>Kafir <\/em>women. For example, a report dated 3 March 1897, received by British officials, stated that the <em>Kafirs <\/em>had killed four mullahs for sexually abusing their women. Additionally, several hostages already sent to Kabul had died, and the Afghan forces were demanding more hostages<sup data-fn=\"0162e2f2-9395-45ce-baec-5ff692798351\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"0162e2f2-9395-45ce-baec-5ff692798351-link\" href=\"#0162e2f2-9395-45ce-baec-5ff692798351\">15<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-6 wp-block-paragraph\">Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=2447\">What was the 1877 Chitral-Kashmir agreement?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"735\" height=\"715\" src=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-former-Kafir-still-singing-hymns-to-goddeses-in-1953-playing-Urba-guitar-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan-1.png\" alt=\"A former Kafir still singing hymns to goddeses in 1953 playing Urba guitar by Jones Schuyler in his book Nuristan\" class=\"wp-image-3416\" style=\"width:380px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-former-Kafir-still-singing-hymns-to-goddeses-in-1953-playing-Urba-guitar-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan-1.png 735w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-former-Kafir-still-singing-hymns-to-goddeses-in-1953-playing-Urba-guitar-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan-1-300x292.png 300w, https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/A-former-Kafir-still-singing-hymns-to-goddeses-in-1953-playing-Urba-guitar-by-Jones-Schuyler-in-his-book-Nuristan-1-80x78.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 735px) 100vw, 735px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A former Kafir still singing hymns to goddeses in 1953, playing <em>Urba,<\/em> a local guitar, Picture: Jones Schuyler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\"><sup data-fn=\"17b370c4-88af-4728-a834-7c88f3268cb3\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"17b370c4-88af-4728-a834-7c88f3268cb3-link\" href=\"#17b370c4-88af-4728-a834-7c88f3268cb3\">16<\/a><\/sup>Driven to desperation, in May 1897 the <em>Kafirs <\/em>of Upper Bashgal rebelled, killing several mullahs and Afghan soldiers, and returned to their old religion. However, Afghan forces were dispatched from Kamdesh to crush the uprising, killing 400 people and suppressing the revolt. Evidence of unrest among the local population continued to appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Amir Abdur Rahman sent 3,000 Afghans to settle in <em>Kafiristan <\/em>in order to strengthen control over the local population. Thus, this region, which had successfully defended its autonomy for centuries, not only lost its freedom but was also forcibly stripped of its unique identity and traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">This event remained alive in the collective memory of the people of <em>Kafiristan <\/em>and is frequently referenced in their poetry. In one song, a local poet remembers a relative named Skelik, who was sacrificed during the Afghan attack:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\" style=\"font-size:22px\">Alas! This heartbreaking news has reached us<br>Thirteen families of the Kati tribe have been taken to Kabul<br>Alas, O Skelik! Your priceless bones have been scattered<sup data-fn=\"188b8e56-f139-402f-888c-2cedb5bc6e38\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"188b8e56-f139-402f-888c-2cedb5bc6e38-link\" href=\"#188b8e56-f139-402f-888c-2cedb5bc6e38\">17<\/a><\/sup><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">After the fall of <em>Kafiristan<\/em>, the three <em>Kalash <\/em>valleys of Chitral remained as the only reminder of this lost land, along with a British cargo ship famously named <em>Kafiristan<\/em>. However, the fate of this ship mirrored that of the region. Only 17 days after the outbreak of World War II, while carrying Chinese cargo from Cuba to England, a German U-boat targeted it with a torpedo. Some crew members were killed, and dozens were rescued. This colossal ship sank into the unfathomable, dark depths of the Atlantic Ocean, lost forever to the passage of time, as didi the culture of <em>Kafiristan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">(The article was initially published in the <em>Independent Urdu<\/em>, and now a detailed and illustrated English version is produced here)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-footnotes has-medium-font-size\"><li id=\"37168257-a362-4511-a54d-3e6ba6a1f305\">Jones, S., (1969).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2481\"><em>An Annotated Bibliography of Nuristan (Kafisristan) and the Kalash Kafirs of Chitral<\/em><\/a>, Volume I, II. p. 257 <a href=\"#37168257-a362-4511-a54d-3e6ba6a1f305-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 1\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"f5bd1a01-e1d4-42f7-94e2-851d3b48ec4f\">Robertson, G. S. (1896).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/in.ernet.dli.2015.24815\"><em>The Kafirs of the Hindu-Kush<\/em><\/a>. Lawrence &amp; Bullen, Limited. <a href=\"#f5bd1a01-e1d4-42f7-94e2-851d3b48ec4f-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 2\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"a70532f2-6cda-4b0f-b838-7001173da70f\">Waddington, C. (Ed.). (1826).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/memoirsofzehired01babuuoft\"><em>Memoirs of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Baber: Emperor of Hindustan<\/em><\/a>. P. 232 <a href=\"#a70532f2-6cda-4b0f-b838-7001173da70f-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 3\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"e1f496f6-905f-4e0a-acc1-519a3551d563\"><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/cathaywaythither04yule\/page\/n6\/mode\/1up\"><em>Cathay and the Way Thither, Being a Collection of Medieval Notices of China<\/em>, Vol. IV (London, 1916), pp. 203-4<\/a> <a href=\"#e1f496f6-905f-4e0a-acc1-519a3551d563-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 4\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"fb2a7317-5989-464e-9a47-af93df46653b\">Jones, S., (1969). p. 77 <a href=\"#fb2a7317-5989-464e-9a47-af93df46653b-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 5\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"f80ae1de-54bc-47a6-9e59-720e5690952a\"><em>The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review and Oriental Colonial Record<\/em>, Third Series, Vol II, 1896, p. 285 <a href=\"#f80ae1de-54bc-47a6-9e59-720e5690952a-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 6\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"f92af5af-5cdd-41f5-8d27-f2305d3c5acb\">Jones, S., (1969).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2481\"><em>An Annotated Bibliography of Nuristan (Kafisristan) and the Kalash Kafirs of Chitral<\/em><\/a>, Volume I, II. p. 89 <a href=\"#f92af5af-5cdd-41f5-8d27-f2305d3c5acb-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 7\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"8f9bc1ef-2fb6-4b80-9b28-4fd7ba8c9420\">Khan, M. (Ed.). (1900).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/lifeofabdurrahma01abdauoft\"><em>The Life of Abdur Rahman, Amir of Afghanistan. (Vol. 1)<\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0J. Murray. p. 289 <a href=\"#8f9bc1ef-2fb6-4b80-9b28-4fd7ba8c9420-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 8\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"1b953231-630a-4a81-9094-3a3b6b0dbf84\">\u00a0Jones, S., (1969). p. 91 <a href=\"#1b953231-630a-4a81-9094-3a3b6b0dbf84-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 9\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"66985645-2b48-4190-9c31-fa2650a9e763\">Saikal, A. (2012).\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/modernafghanista0000saik\">Modern Afghanistan: A history of struggle and survival<\/a><\/em>. I.B. Tauris &amp; Co. Ltd. p. 38 <a href=\"#66985645-2b48-4190-9c31-fa2650a9e763-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 10\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"3127c020-4505-4eac-8618-abca3feccdac\">Jones, S., &amp; Campbell, K. F. (1974).\u00a0<em>Men of influence in Nuristan: A study of social control and dispute settlement in Waigal Valley, Afghanistan<\/em>.\u00a0p. 14 <a href=\"#3127c020-4505-4eac-8618-abca3feccdac-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 11\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"e08597ae-ac42-4128-8743-074ca807a41d\">\u00a0Jones, S., (1969). p. 217 <a href=\"#e08597ae-ac42-4128-8743-074ca807a41d-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 12\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"08fe4ba2-0924-4606-803d-f3cf3109fe4b\">Jones, S., &amp; Campbell, K. F. (1974).\u00a0p. 16 <a href=\"#08fe4ba2-0924-4606-803d-f3cf3109fe4b-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 13\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"953c4153-a80f-46cc-80a3-8330b16562fa\">Jones, S., (1969). p.221 <a href=\"#953c4153-a80f-46cc-80a3-8330b16562fa-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 14\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"0162e2f2-9395-45ce-baec-5ff692798351\">ibid, p. 248 <a href=\"#0162e2f2-9395-45ce-baec-5ff692798351-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 15\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"17b370c4-88af-4728-a834-7c88f3268cb3\">Cacopardo, A. (2006).\u00a0<em>My Heartrendingly Tragic Story. Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah Khan \u2018Azar\u2019<\/em>. p. 72 <a href=\"#17b370c4-88af-4728-a834-7c88f3268cb3-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 16\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"188b8e56-f139-402f-888c-2cedb5bc6e38\"><em>To Honor Roman Jokobson, Essays on the Occassion of his 70 Birthday<\/em>, 11 October 1966, Vol II\u060c 1967, Essay by Georg Morgenstierne, p. 1382 <a href=\"#188b8e56-f139-402f-888c-2cedb5bc6e38-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 17\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Posted on 7 January 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Fakhr-e-Alam (Disclaimer: The author acknowledges that both the terms Kafirs &amp; Kafiristan are highly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Jones, S., (1969).\u00a0<a href=\\\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2481\\\"><em>An Annotated Bibliography of Nuristan (Kafisristan) and the Kalash Kafirs of Chitral<\/em><\/a>, Volume I, II. p. 257\",\"id\":\"37168257-a362-4511-a54d-3e6ba6a1f305\"},{\"content\":\"Robertson, G. S. (1896).\u00a0<a href=\\\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/in.ernet.dli.2015.24815\\\"><em>The Kafirs of the Hindu-Kush<\/em><\/a>. Lawrence &amp; Bullen, Limited.\",\"id\":\"f5bd1a01-e1d4-42f7-94e2-851d3b48ec4f\"},{\"content\":\"Waddington, C. (Ed.). (1826).\u00a0<a href=\\\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/memoirsofzehired01babuuoft\\\"><em>Memoirs of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Baber: Emperor of Hindustan<\/em><\/a>. P. 232\",\"id\":\"a70532f2-6cda-4b0f-b838-7001173da70f\"},{\"content\":\"<a href=\\\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/cathaywaythither04yule\/page\/n6\/mode\/1up\\\"><em>Cathay and the Way Thither, Being a Collection of Medieval Notices of China<\/em>, Vol. IV (London, 1916), pp. 203-4<\/a>\",\"id\":\"e1f496f6-905f-4e0a-acc1-519a3551d563\"},{\"content\":\"Jones, S., (1969). p. 77\",\"id\":\"fb2a7317-5989-464e-9a47-af93df46653b\"},{\"content\":\"<em>The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review and Oriental Colonial Record<\/em>, Third Series, Vol II, 1896, p. 285\",\"id\":\"f80ae1de-54bc-47a6-9e59-720e5690952a\"},{\"content\":\"Jones, S., (1969).\u00a0<a href=\\\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?page_id=2481\\\"><em>An Annotated Bibliography of Nuristan (Kafisristan) and the Kalash Kafirs of Chitral<\/em><\/a>, Volume I, II. p. 89\",\"id\":\"f92af5af-5cdd-41f5-8d27-f2305d3c5acb\"},{\"content\":\"Khan, M. (Ed.). (1900).\u00a0<a href=\\\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/lifeofabdurrahma01abdauoft\\\"><em>The Life of Abdur Rahman, Amir of Afghanistan. (Vol. 1)<\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0J. Murray. p. 289\",\"id\":\"8f9bc1ef-2fb6-4b80-9b28-4fd7ba8c9420\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Jones, S., (1969). p. 91\",\"id\":\"1b953231-630a-4a81-9094-3a3b6b0dbf84\"},{\"content\":\"Saikal, A. (2012).\u00a0<em><a href=\\\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/modernafghanista0000saik\\\">Modern Afghanistan: A history of struggle and survival<\/a><\/em>. I.B. Tauris &amp; Co. Ltd. p. 38\",\"id\":\"66985645-2b48-4190-9c31-fa2650a9e763\"},{\"content\":\"Jones, S., &amp; Campbell, K. F. (1974).\u00a0<em>Men of influence in Nuristan: A study of social control and dispute settlement in Waigal Valley, Afghanistan<\/em>.\u00a0p. 14\",\"id\":\"3127c020-4505-4eac-8618-abca3feccdac\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Jones, S., (1969). p. 217\",\"id\":\"e08597ae-ac42-4128-8743-074ca807a41d\"},{\"content\":\"Jones, S., &amp; Campbell, K. F. (1974).\u00a0p. 16\",\"id\":\"08fe4ba2-0924-4606-803d-f3cf3109fe4b\"},{\"content\":\"Jones, S., (1969). p.221\",\"id\":\"953c4153-a80f-46cc-80a3-8330b16562fa\"},{\"content\":\"ibid, p. 248\",\"id\":\"0162e2f2-9395-45ce-baec-5ff692798351\"},{\"content\":\"Cacopardo, A. (2006).\u00a0<em>My Heartrendingly Tragic Story. Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah Khan \u2018Azar\u2019<\/em>. p. 72\",\"id\":\"17b370c4-88af-4728-a834-7c88f3268cb3\"},{\"content\":\"<em>To Honor Roman Jokobson, Essays on the Occassion of his 70 Birthday<\/em>, 11 October 1966, Vol II\u060c 1967, Essay by Georg Morgenstierne, p. 1382\",\"id\":\"188b8e56-f139-402f-888c-2cedb5bc6e38\"}]"},"categories":[3,25,429,6,202,134],"tags":[422,222,204,421],"class_list":["post-3719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chitral","category-culture-society","category-editors-pick","category-history","category-kalash","category-reports","tag-afghanistan","tag-kafiristan","tag-kalash","tag-nuristan"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>From Kafiristan to Nuristan: The Forced Islamization of the Hindu Kush Pagans - KHOWARI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The campaign of Amir Abdul Rehman of Afghanistan changed the demography and culture of the erstwhile Kafiristan forever.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Kafiristan to Nuristan: The Forced Islamization of the Hindu Kush Pagans - KHOWARI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The campaign of Amir Abdul Rehman of Afghanistan changed the demography and culture of the erstwhile Kafiristan forever.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"KHOWARI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/bf4QqygQ3X4czWmM\/?mibextid=qi2Omg\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100014550043230&amp;mibextid=ZbWKwL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-07T18:14:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-08T16:55:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Afghan-Amir-Abdul-Rehman-invaded-Kafiristan-Kalash-in-1895-durand-line-Islamization.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fakhr-e-Alam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Fakhr-e-Alam\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Fakhr-e-Alam\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/#\/schema\/person\/fe90d0ef632ea12207c8484c8e9fa638\"},\"headline\":\"From Kafiristan to Nuristan: The Forced Islamization of the Hindu Kush Pagans\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-07T18:14:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-08T16:55:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719\"},\"wordCount\":2605,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/?p=3719#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/khowari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Afghan-Amir-Abdul-Rehman-invaded-Kafiristan-Kalash-in-1895-durand-line-Islamization.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Afghanistan\",\"Kafiristan\",\"Kalash\",\"Nuristan\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Chitral\",\"Culture &amp; 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