Kanshian

Etymology

According to the oral traditions, the word Kanshian is after the name of a person "Kansha Ram". He is said to have been the Hindu merchant who lived here in about British Period. However, there is no rigid evidence for this assumption there are strong reference of the existence of such Hindu community in the region during Sikh and British Period. This community established Hatti ہٹـی (Small shop) in the area.

Geography

The village consists of rugged mountainous terrain. Topography comprises mounds, steeps and large area covered and washed by the hill streams. There is very small plain area in the village. It virtually carries its boundaries to the spurs of surrounding mountains. To the east, it is shaded by two peaks, Lo-e-Dandi and Butti, 10,465 and 10,890 feet above the sea level respectively. Between these two, from Gehal (a beautiful plain area, a summer pasture), are the passes allowing travelers to Kutla Valley, a sub valley of the Neelum Valley (Azad Jammu and Kashmir). Weathers goes very cold in winters by an average o.5 to 1 foot of snow however it is very pleasant in the summers. Two major hill streams joins in the center of the village. In the moon-soon (15 June to 15 August) rushing torrents often make it wild and it floods dangerously.

Accessibility

Before 1985, the only way to get to Kanshian was on foot and then a dirt road was built. People use to go there on foot carrying their luggage or mount it on mules, horses and donkeys, they specially kept for the purpose. After the construction of dirt road, the same process is there to this day in small hamlets of the village. People of Kutla Valley, (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) used the same path to reach the market in Kanshian for known times till they got connected to Muzafarabad by road.

History

Though there is no authentic reference but still acceptable traditional theory of the origin of its habitation, is that it was approximately inhabited in the second half of the seventeenth century CE. However some of the archaeological site of Hindu Shahi Period are found by the archaeologists of Hazara University. British rule is also witnessed by the elders of the village. The orthodox Sunni Muslim population of the village taken part in the skirmishes fought against the forces of the "Maharaja of Kashmir", Hari Singh in different villages near to it in 1948. The stories of the valor of same are still enjoyed by the villagers. Department of Archaeology, Hazara University, Mansehra is working for establishing the occupational chronology of the area.[1]

Literacy

Even though the village is lacking in basic facilities with Medical and infrastructure in particular, still the population is well known for higher literacy rate. Roughly 50% of the males are graduates however females education trend is raising.

First schools

The first primary schools in Kanshian was mobile to meet the demands of the seasonally migrating population in the 1930s as per told by the old generation. The first permanent school started working in the 1940s in Tangri, a hamlet of the village. Only few students were enrolled there till the 1970s. That time some other primary schools also started. Students for matriculation classes use to go to Balakot about 10 km to north-west. In the 1990s a middle school for boys was started which soon elevated to the status of High School.

Administration

The village of Kanshian is administratively comes under Union Councils: Garlat گرلاٹ.

Language

Hindko is the major language of the area with sharing its dialect to the Hinko of Balakot. Second language is Gojri. Gojri is spoken only the Gojar tribe.

Cultural festival

In summer inhabitants use to migrate seasonally on the high pastures. There they organize games. Initially these were traditional games but currently Cricket and Volley Ball are famous.

Traditions and Traditional Games

Traditional games are very rich in nature, Gatka گتکا (Stick Fighting), Itti Danda اٹّی ڈنڈا which is Gulli Danda in Urdu,Budkar بدکر (Weight Lifting),etc. were common games however the young generations is more interested in international games. Among these, Gatka and Budkar was famously played on the marriage ceremonies. The hosts at the house of bride used to bound the companions of bridegroom to lift the weight which they did in front of them. The stone is said as Budkar, a weight. Another famous tradition like same was the requirement of firing at a target set by bridsiders. It is known as Tammanr (Urdu ٹمّنڑ) and hence the name of the game. After the earthquake of 8 October 2005, many people migrated to Mansehra and currently these traditions are almost died.

Myths

There are some of the mythic stories belonged to the local places.

Zare ali Tehairi زرے آلی ٹہیری

There is a hill of red sand to the north of the village. A mound detaches to it is known as Zare ali Tehairi which means in Hindko "The mound of treasure". Accordingly, the Hindu community of the area buried their treasures beneath this mound while they were leaving the country in hurry after partition to India. An extension of the myth says that there is a two headed snake protecting the deposit. When the snake drinks from the nearby hill stream through head at one end, it dries.

Bazurgan ali Gatti بزرگاں آلی گٹیّ

There is a huge stone in the midst of the village. It was also said to have been covering the treasures of the pre-partition Hindu traders. However, after the earthquake of 2005, it is replaced uncovering none.

Inhabitants

The people of the village are distributed diversely in the different hamlets but still one can count for their origin by the way they are distributed. There are many casts but majority can be observed for the Gujjar tribe. They claim to be the earliest known inhabitants of the village. There are Mughals linking them to Mughal dynasty, Kashmiris relating themselves to Dogras, Sayeds, Swatis and very few Pathans.

Subsistence Patterns

Initially people depended totally on the poor farming and herding till 60s. Currently people are mostly employed and economic trends are getting changed

Earthquake of October 2005

The village struck hard in this disaster. Government and NGOs helped the locals to rehabilitate. Most of the rich culture and tradition died by it. There is a hamlet "Khaitan (Hindkoکھیتاں)". It is famous for being shaded in the winters due to the change of the course of the Sun. Locals says that after the earthquake shade is little reduced.