Brokpa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Brokpa or Shins are a small community of Dard people residing in the Dha-Hanu valley about 163 km southwest of Leh in Ladakh.
Dha and Hanu are two villages situated in the Dhahanu valley where they are found. They are also scattered in other parts of Ladakh. Part of the community are also located in the Deosai plateau just across the LOC in the Baltistan. Like the people of Gilgit, they speak an archaic form of the Shina language unintelligible with other dialects of Shina. They are originally said to have come from Chilas and settled in the area generations ago. They have an Indo-European appearance in contrast to the predominant Tibeto-Mongol inhabitants of most of Ladakh and are considered to be pure Aryan. They are nominally Buddhist, however animist, pagan and Bön rituals still survive.
Minaro is an alternate ethnic name. 'Brokpa' is the name given by the Ladakhi for the people.[1]
The Brokpa's staple is barley, which they grow in terraced fields irrigated by mountain streams. Walnut and apricot trees are also common, as is other fruit. The Brokpa do not eat meat, dairy, or eggs, can therefore be considered a vegan tribe. [2]
