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A Mountain Oasis
Daily Life in a Village in the Yasin Valley, Pakistan
Series: - Iran and the Caucasus Monographs, Volume: 2
Author:
In A Mountain Oasis, Susan York presents a richly illustrated socio-economic study of village life in Pakistan’s Yasin Valley, undertaken during one year spent living with a local family. It documents this dynamic agro-pastoral society at a time when few researchers were recording developments in these far-flung and difficult to reach mountain oases of the Hindukush. It is a record of a time when development interventions were in their beginnings, and before this area in Gilgit-Baltistan entered a crucial period of transformation. It provides solid comparative reference material for future research on this region, which is continuing to undergo challenging and complex changes.
Susan York is a social anthropologist, researcher and teacher with degrees in social anthropology, humanities and psychology. She has carried out research on mountain communities in Pakistan, Afghan refugees in Pakistan and food emergencies in Sudan.
Foreword
Prologue and Acknowledgements
List of Maps, Figures and Graphs
List of Photographs
List of Tableslii
1 The Valley and the Village Economy
Background
A Household-focused Mountain Economy
Village Housing Layout
Clans
2 The House and Its Uses
The Main Room – ha
A Multi-Purpose Space
Constructing a House
3 The Seasons: Spring and Summer
Spring (garú)
Spring Celebrations (Bo)
Summer (šiní)
4 The Seasons: Autumn and Winter
Autumn (datú)
Winter – (bái)
5 Daily Life in a Large Household
First Task of the Day – Light the Fire
Making the Breakfast Bread for gunc̣áṭa čái
The Rest of the Household Awakens
After Breakfast
Mid-morning: Time for Tea – čaṣṭákal čái
Mid-day: More Bread and Tea – doɣói páqo
Afternoon Tea: pišín čái
Evening Bread: šaáma páqo
6 A High Pasture Settlement
Establishing a High Pasture Settlement
Leaving for the High Pastures
Daily Life in a High Pasture Settlement – Makuli Makuli High Pasture Settlement Shelters in 1982
Visitors to the High Pastures
Clear Air, Clean Water and Plentiful Food
7 Food: Daily and Celebratory
Bread and Tea – The Daily Diet
The Evening Meal
Seasonally Available Foods
Bread (páqo) – A Staple and Celebratory Food
Milk (mamú) Products
Hot and Cold Foods
Food for Celebrations
8 Making and Decorating: Craft Activities
Spinning and Weaving
Knitting
Basket Making
Embroidery
Tailoring
Shoe Making
Wood Carving
Other Craft Activities
9 The Household: Who Lives in the House?
Forming a Household and Changes in Household Size
Households and Changes over Time
Why Did Households Divide?
Developing Trends
10 Relationships within the Household
Age
Children
Adulthood
Interpersonal Status
11 Beyond the Household
Perspectives on Co-operation
Relationships between Members of the deh
Grambéšu-level Interactions
Inter-household and Interpersonal Relationships beyond the Household, deh and grambéšu
Epilogue
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Prologue and Acknowledgements
List of Maps, Figures and Graphs
List of Photographs
List of Tableslii
1 The Valley and the Village Economy
Background
A Household-focused Mountain Economy
Village Housing Layout
Clans
2 The House and Its Uses
The Main Room – ha
A Multi-Purpose Space
Constructing a House
3 The Seasons: Spring and Summer
Spring (garú)
Spring Celebrations (Bo)
Summer (šiní)
4 The Seasons: Autumn and Winter
Autumn (datú)
Winter – (bái)
5 Daily Life in a Large Household
First Task of the Day – Light the Fire
Making the Breakfast Bread for gunc̣áṭa čái
The Rest of the Household Awakens
After Breakfast
Mid-morning: Time for Tea – čaṣṭákal čái
Mid-day: More Bread and Tea – doɣói páqo
Afternoon Tea: pišín čái
Evening Bread: šaáma páqo
6 A High Pasture Settlement
Establishing a High Pasture Settlement
Leaving for the High Pastures
Daily Life in a High Pasture Settlement – Makuli Makuli High Pasture Settlement Shelters in 1982
Visitors to the High Pastures
Clear Air, Clean Water and Plentiful Food
7 Food: Daily and Celebratory
Bread and Tea – The Daily Diet
The Evening Meal
Seasonally Available Foods
Bread (páqo) – A Staple and Celebratory Food
Milk (mamú) Products
Hot and Cold Foods
Food for Celebrations
8 Making and Decorating: Craft Activities
Spinning and Weaving
Knitting
Basket Making
Embroidery
Tailoring
Shoe Making
Wood Carving
Other Craft Activities
9 The Household: Who Lives in the House?
Forming a Household and Changes in Household Size
Households and Changes over Time
Why Did Households Divide?
Developing Trends
10 Relationships within the Household
Age
Children
Adulthood
Interpersonal Status
11 Beyond the Household
Perspectives on Co-operation
Relationships between Members of the deh
Grambéšu-level Interactions
Inter-household and Interpersonal Relationships beyond the Household, deh and grambéšu
Epilogue
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
University libraries and departments, institutes, scholars and students, general readers and travellers, with an interest in: Pakistan, Hindukush/Karakoram region, Gilgit-Baltistan, mountain economies and societies, agro-pastoral societies, high mountain pastoralism, household nutrition, traditional crafts.