The religious system of the last Aryan survivors in Kafirstan of Afghanistan

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Niazzi Fazlullah; HAKIMIFAR KHALIL

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Journal: Journal of Subcontinent Researches Year:2023 | Volume:15 | Issue:44 Page(s): 211-228

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Information Journal Paper

Title

The religious system of the last Aryan survivors in Kafirstan of Afghanistan

Author(s)

Niazzi Fazlullah | HAKIMIFAR KHALIL | Issue Writer Certificate

Keywords

infidelsQ4

AryansQ4

AfghanistanQ4

NuristanQ4

beliefs and ritualsQ4

Abstract

Until one hundred years ago, the people of the mountains of eastern Afghanistan had an Indo-Iranian culture and a livestock-based ideology. These Aryans, whose land was called Kafiristan by the Muslims, were called Nuristan after the advent of Islam. They were the last believers and practitioners of the ancient Aryan religions, who remained in this land until the last century due to geographical and social conditions. They spoke different Indo-European languages and had aspects of Indo-Aryan religions. In this research, first the history and ethnic roots of Nuristanians are discussed. Then, a general outline of the worship of different gods and their relationship with the great Indo-Iranian culture and garlic is examined by looking at Domzil's theory. So, the main question will be whether these gods can be placed in a system like the Pantheon of Demzil? What is the relationship between these beliefs and the Indo-Iranian ideological system? The importance of this research is that the culture and beliefs of these people can reflect the social and religious life of the Indo-Iranian peoples. The present research has been done by using library resources and by comparative and analytical method. Introduction While migrating to Sind and Iran, a number of Aryans settled in the eastern province of Afghanistan (Kafiristan / Nuristan), which shares borders with Panjshir, Badakhshan, Kunar, and Pakistan. The inhabitants of this region remained steadfast on the ancient Aryan religion until one hundred years ago. The great conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Amir Timur Gurkhani and Babur the Gurkhanian Emperor of India could not dominate this region. By the end of the winter of 1895/96, however, the people of this region still retained their ancient culture, from religious languages and beliefs to their individual talents in art and architecture and their "primitive" traditions. The purpose of this study is to introduce the latest generation of Aryans and their religious system to people who study and research in this field, and then to examine the ideological and religious background of the people living in this land to determine What were the beliefs of these people as the last believers in the Aryan religion, and what were the characteristics of their religious system in comparison with the Indo-Iranian religious systems. 1. 1. Detailed Research Method The research method in this research is comparative analysis according to the type of subject. Research sources obtained from the library in such a way that the required data after collection has been analyzed by reading and taking notes from the relevant books and articles according to the specified chapters. Discussion Almost all the scholars agrees that the adequate knowledge of the ancient Aryans can be achieved by examining the various aspects of the life of the Nuristan people. Here, various gods with different motives are worshiped, among which the god Imra is considered as a distinct creator and the other three gods are considered as his agents. Various rituals are performed to please these gods, including sacrifice, dancing, and vows. Here, in front of the Creator God, there is a devil who seeks to create evil and corruption in opposition to the Almighty God. In addition to the gods mentioned and the rituals which related to them, the goddess Dizani has also been praised by the people in matters related to the women and the care of children. In the worldview of the inhabitants of this region, the universe consists of the sky, the upper world (Ardish Urdesh) which is the abode of lords, the earth, the middle world (Michdesh) and the lower world (Yurdesh Yurdesh). They believed in heaven and hell, and they thought that heaven was in the upper world and hell was in the underground. Here, all of the heaven is comparable to similar cases in the Indo-Iranian religious systems. The main question is whether the gods of these infidels and their beliefs can be presented in a plan, similar to the Pantheon system of Demzil? What does this cosmology have to do with Indo-Iranian cosmology? Conclusion The main theme of Indo-Iranian thought is dualism. This duality is seen in the transcendental world as the themes of Ahura-demon in Iran and Deva-Asura in India and in the field of ethics as virtues and vices. According to Hindu Kush infidels, Imra, the one God, the Creator, is opposed to Yush as the devil. The lower gods, as Imra’s agents in the war against the devil, help him by creating good creatures. This duality goes back to the Indo-European biological backgrounds, which were based on "pastoral ideology". According to this ideology, the positive values of patriarchy and animal husbandry are opposed to the negative values of feminism and agriculture and have led to the belief in duality. This dualism in ritual practices has created rulings on purity and impurity among these tribes. In discussing the type of relationship of the gods with humans and their distance and closeness to them, Imra is comparable to Varuna and Moon to Mitra. In this pantheon, the gods of the infidels, Bagisht made a covenant with Imra, and the brotherhood ritual based on this covenant is celebrated during a ceremony. Regarding the names of the gods and their function, Imra (called Sanskrit Yame) and Yama the king (Persian Jam) are known to be homosexual. all three seem to have the same roots, although despite these similarities, there are significant differences. The title of Blessing God is comparable to Indra's role in the Mahabharata and Dizani As the only goddess similar to the gods of the trinity and the goddess of fertility, is very similar to the Persian Anahita. The end result is that such evidence points to the existence of an Indo-Iranian religious system in pre-Islamic Nuristan.

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