Jammu, April 9 -- A Case Study of Erstwhile Doda (Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban)
By Sadaket Ali Malik
The category "Pahari" in the context of erstwhile Doda cannot be reduced to a narrow linguistic or ethnic label; rather, it represents a historically evolved socio-ecological identity shaped by the interaction between mountainous geography, dispersed settlement patterns, and adaptive livelihood systems. Unlike rigid ethnonyms, Pahari functions as a relational category that emerges from inhabitation of highland environments and the consequent development of shared cultural practices, linguistic continuities, and economic strategies. In Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, this identity manifests not through uniformity but through a structured diversity of...