PREFACE by Ugo Fabietti

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION by Alberto Cacopardo

Chapter 1 - PERISTAN by Alberto and Augusto Cacopardo

Peristani Cultures, Buddhism and Hinduism
Trade Routes of the past
Islamic Attacks from the South
Islamic Attacks from the North
The Conversion of the Shina-Burusho Area
The Diffusion of Islam in Eastern Kohistan
Islam in Western Kohistan
Borders of Kafiristan
Contrasting Forms of Government
Social Stratification in Peristan

Chapter 2 - CHITRAL by Augusto Cacopardo

The Islamization of Chitral
The Structure of Chitral State
The British in Chitral
Last Decades of the Mehtars and Developments of Anthropological Research
Notes on the Kalasha
The Other Kalasha
The Present Research

Chapter 3 - THE PALULA by Alberto Cacopardo

Autoethnography of the Palula
Early sources on the Palula
"They did not bow their head to oppression": the Legend of Choke-Machoke
Field Work and Recent Research
Villages and Demography
The Lowri Road
Economy and Material Culture
Society and Customs
Politics
The Oral Traditions of Biyori
The Oral Traditions of Ashret and the Work of Guldali Shah
The Genealogies
The Poem
Migration and arrival in Ashret
"Nobody Remained on His Throne": The Rebellion against Nagar Shah
The Fall of Rahli Kot
The End of the Kalasha of Ashret
The Iron Bridge
The Rais Appear
Palula and Dameli
The Rais campaign in southern Chitral
Kator times
The pre-Islamic culture of the Palula

Chapter 4 - THE DAMELI by Augusto Cacopardo

The smallest separate linguistic community in the Hindu Kush
Society and customs
Economy
Oral traditions
The ancient inhabitants: the Charashdari
Refugees from Dir Kohistan: the Rahzandari
Refugees from Swat Kohistan: the Khoramerdari
Refugees from Bashgal: the Otadari
The rebellion against tribute
Ethnohistory of Damel

Chapter 5 - THE JASHI by Alberto Cacopardo

Field work and informants
A hundred years ago
Gawardesh in the times of Robertson
Jashi and Bari
The old Muslim village
Umra Khan attacks and fails
Which side of the border
The invasion: "I will come with silver hair"
Of influence turned to power: Mir Jan and Akram Jan
What happened after
The transitional period
A remarkable building
A stateless society
Stateless politics
A very original affluent society
Kafir Daur in Gawardesh
Of gods and holy places
The giver and the killer
Celebrations
New ways and old
Images of the past
Sons of arabian skies
Kama, homeland in the plains
The conflict with the Binio
War in Ramram
The maiden and the friend of the fairies
Wine to kill
Badrugal history

Chapter 6 - THE GAWAR by Augusto Cacopardo

A troubled borderland
People of the main valley
An extraordinarily fertile land
An acephalous system with hereditary chiefs?
Ethnohistory of the Gawar
The pre-Islamic culture of the Gawar

APPENDIX 1 - The Tongues of Peristân (by Richard F. Strand)

APPENDIX 2 - Morgenstierne in Urtsun (by Augusto Cacopardo)

APPENDIX 3 - Palula Voices on Palula History

1. Tarikh-i-Ashret (by Mirza Guldali Shah)
2. Descendants of Choke in Ashret (by Ahmad Saeed)
3. The History of the Açhar'îta (recorded by Richard Strand)

List of informants

Bibliography

List of Maps

Index