The closed valley : with fierce friends in the Pakistani Himalaya / Jürgen Wasim Frembgen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Frembgen, Jürgen Wasim, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sufism.

Gilgit-Baltistān (Pakistan)--Description and travel.

Gilgit-Baltistān (Pakistan).

Frembgen, Jürgen Wasim--Travel.

Frembgen, Jürgen Wasim.

Sufism--Pakistan--Gilgit-Baltistān.

Anthropology--Research.

Manners and customs.

Travel.

Tribes.

Pakistan--Gilgit-Baltistān.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

ix, 124 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Karachi : Oxford University Press, 2014.

Summary:

In Pakistan, stubborn mountain tribes still lead a largely secluded life, preserving their archaic cultural traditions. Their distinctive features are Sunni Islam, strict gender segregation, a prevalent caste system, and frequent blood feuds already apparent in the layout of fortified villages with watchtowers. Jurgen Wasim Frembgen, renowned anthropologist, was one of the first to venture into the valley of Harban, a world hostile to outsiders, lying in the Gilgit-Baltistan region located in the Himalayas of North Pakistan, branching off from the east bank of the Indus River. The study was conducted over the course of several stays between 1989 and 1997. Enduring strains and dangers, Jurgen Wasim found a way to overcome the omnipresent mistrust. In this work of literary anthropology he narrates his experiences in sharing the daily life of a harsh, male-dominated society where he surprisingly discovers gentleness, poetry, and warm-hearted friendship -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Open Sesame!

The Land of Outlaws

Disconcerting reading

A letter as a key

Journey to Harban

Where are you going? Who do you know there?

Arrival in the fortified village

The first day

My new host

On Narrow Paths

Morning ritual

Through the fields to the river

Encounters with Craftsmen

In the fortified village

Hiking to the 'Heavenly Fortress'

The story of the carpenter, Qalandar, Shah

A rose in the desert

The keeper of the shrine

A sufi's years of apprenticeship

No longer of this world

The saint's nephew

In the Men's House

Yusuf Jan and his friends

Flowers, fragrances, and feathers

Passion for hunting

The dance of the Peacock

Alif's third leg

A Harbani in Germany

Blood Revenge

The fortified towers

The shots

The Feud

The dead shin woman

Love, honour, and violence

Afterword.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page 121) and index.

ISBN:

9780199400232

0199400237

OCLC:

884304920