Hindkowans facts for kids

An old drawing of a Hindki person in Peshawar from 1815.

Hindkowans are people who speak a language called Hindko. They are also known as the Hindki. The word "Hindko" means "Indian language" and refers to people who speak languages from the Indo-Aryan family. These people often live near Pashtuns, especially in parts of Pakistan.

The term "Hindko" is used for different types of Western Punjabi languages. It also includes some dialects of the Saraiki language spoken in areas like Dera Ghazi Khan District, Mianwali District, and Dera Ismail Khan District. These areas are close to where Pashto is spoken.

A small number of Hindkowans also live in Afghanistan. Many of them are Hindus and Sikhs who settled there a long time ago. However, many have moved away since the Taliban came to power. By 2018, only about 300 Sikh families were estimated to be left in Afghanistan.

Before India was divided in 1947, Hindu and Sikh Hindkowans were important traders and merchants. They had a lot of economic power in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). They settled in many places, even as far as Kalat in Balochistan. After the partition, many moved to India, especially to Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

What Does "Hindko" Mean?

The word "Hindko" is a general name for many different dialects. These dialects are spoken by people from various backgrounds in different parts of Pakistan. You can find Hindko speakers mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.

"Hindko" is a Pashto word. It originally meant "the Indian language" or "language of Hind". It helps to tell these Indo-Aryan languages apart from Pashto, which is an Iranic language.

Who Are Hindko Speakers?

The Tanoli people are one of the groups who speak Hindko.

There isn't one single name for all Hindko speakers. This is because they come from many different ethnic groups and castes. They often identify themselves by their larger family or tribal names.

However, some Hindko speakers in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are sometimes called Hazarewal. Some people in the Hazara Division who speak Hindko say their ancestors were Pashtun. These groups include the Tahirkhelis, Yusufzais, Jadoons, and Tareens. Other groups who speak Hindko include the Sayyids, Awans, Mughals, Maliks, Raja, Tanolis, Swatis, Turks, Qureshis, and Gujjars.

The most common second language for Hindko speakers in Pakistan is Urdu. The next most common is Pashto. In many areas where Hindko is spoken, Pashto speakers live nearby.

In some northern areas, like Hazara, Hindko is becoming more widely spoken. It is even replacing Pashto among some groups. In the Neelam Valley, it is gaining ground over minority languages like Kashmiri. However, in cities like Kohat and Peshawar, Hindko is not as strong. After the partition of India, many Hindko-speaking Hindus and Sikhs left. More Pashtuns moved into these cities, which has led to a shift towards Pashto.

Famous Hindko Speakers

See also

In Spanish: Hindkowan para niños

• Hazarewal
• Tribes and clans of the Pothohar Plateau
• Pahari people (Kashmir)
• Farsiwans