Author and Publication
Written by Colonel Reginald Charles Francis Schomberg and published in London by Martin Hopkinson Ltd. in 1935, the book contains 275 pages and is based on several travels in the Gilgit region made during an eight-year period.
Historical Context
The territory between the Oxus River and the Indus River, known as the Gilgit Agency, was under British rule at the time and administered by officials appointed by the Maharaja of Kashmir.
Content Overview
Schomberg provides a general overview of the Gilgit district's geography and people, detailing local traditions, folklore, marriage customs, heritage laws, annual festivals, and ceremonies.
States of Hunza and Nagir
Comprehensive historical accounts cover the origin of the states of Hunza and Nagir, their succession of Mirs, Khans and Wazirs, and the 1891 Hunza-Nagir war that shaped the Gilgit Agency's formation.
Travel Accounts
Schomberg details his journeys through Punyal, Kuh, Yasin, Thui valley, Ishkoman, and interactions with local rulers including Raja Anwar Khan of Punyal, Governor Raja Abdur Rahman Khan of Yasin, Mir Ahmed Khan of Ishkoman, and Mir Mahomed Nazim Khan of Hunza.
Companion Descriptions
The author accompanied by two men from Hunza (Daulat Shah and Abdulla Beg) and two from Kashmir (Aziza Rathar and Abdulla Rathar, later renamed Subhana), with close-up photographs of these companions appearing after page 26.
Appendix and Additional Features
- Map of the Country between the Oxus and the Indus
- Photo gallery including images of Shah Sikandar Khan and Mir Mahomed Nazim Khan
- Three additional appendices covering Gilgit, Yasin, Punyal and Ishkoman history