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The Dards are various ethnic groups living in Afghanistan, Indian Kashmir, and Northern Pakistan. The term Dard is due to Herodotus who described a land of the Dardikae in the Hindu Kush.
The term "Dard" is an outdated one that has been used to describe a various groups of often unrelated mountain tribesman who inhabit a region between Badakhshan and Kashmir. Although the Dardic languages do show similarities they are mostly very distinct from one another. The cultures of the Dardic peoples are also quite varied but they do share similarities due to their common mountainous environment and intertwined history.
Shina language is spoken, apart from Gilgit, in Punial, Darail, Tangair, Astore and Drass. It has many dialects including Gilgiti Shina, Astori Shine, Ponyali Shina and Chilasi Shina. The pronunciation of this language is very different. It is very important to make changes in the script of this language to make is easy.
Khowar is spoken in Chitral, Yasin, Gupis, Koh-o-ghizar and Ishkoman.
Two non-Dardic langauges which are spoken in the region are Balti, a Sino-Tibetan language and Burushaski a language isolate.
There are also Dardic groups in Afghanistan such as the Pashai and the Kohistanis. The Nuristanis were previously considered to be Dards but are today classified as a distinct group.
Dards also inhabit India, the disputed territory namely the state of Kashmir. A Dardic group known as the Dah Hanu reside in a few scattered villages in the Ladakh district, a remote region of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmiris of the Kashmir valley are also considered Dards. Kashmiris of the valley are not only considered Dard but most of them are believed to be actually of Dardic origin. The community of Hindu Brahmans dispute this identity whereas the Muslims of Kashmir valley believe ancient Dardic roots are reflected in their language and their culture.
The people of Northernmost Pakistan are mostly Dards, including the people of Chitral, Gilgit, Kohistan and upper Swat.
The vast majority of Dardic peoples are Muslims (Sunni, Shia and Ismaili) though some practice Hinduism and Buddhism. For example, The Dards of Dah Hanu are nominally Buddhist but also worship their own Pantheon of gods, while the Kashmiri Pandits follow a brand of Saivaite Hinduism that has remained influential in the region for centuries. They have an Indo-European appearance in contrast to the predominantly Tibeto-Burman inhabitants of most of Ladakh. They live in very primitive conditions even when judged by the standards of Ladakh. Others have retained their ancient polytheistic religions, such as the Kalash.
Parpola (1999) identifies "Proto-Dardic" with "Proto-Rigvedic", suggesting that the Dards are the direct descendants of the bearers of early Rigvedic culture ca. 1700 BC, pointing to features in certain Dardic dialects that continue peculiarities of Rigvedic Sanskrit, such as the gerund in -tvī (p. 189).