The Kharmang Valley (), also known as Kartaksha, is one of the five main valleys in Gilgit–Baltistan region of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. The area became a district in 2015, with its temporary headquarters at the town of

Tolti Tolti is a city that serves as the administrative capital of Kharmang District of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. The village lies on the left bank of the Indus river, and is approximately 35 km south ...

. The valley is located from the city of

Skardu Skardu (, Tibetan script: སྐར་མདོ, ) is a city located in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kas ...

. Tourist destinations in the area include Manthokha Waterfall, Khamosh Waterfall, Mehdiabad Valley, Kharmang Khas Valley, and Kharmang Fort, which is located in Kharmang Khas Valley. Kharmang is the region where the

Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...

enters Pakistani-administered territory from the

Leh district Leh district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir-region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:T ...

in the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

-controlled territory of the disputed

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

region.

Etymology

''Kahrmang'' is a Balti word that consists of two parts (''khar'' means "fort" and ''mang'' means "abundant"). The name ''Kharmang'' was given to the valley in the era of

Ali Sher Khan Anchan Ali Sher Khan ( Balti: ཨལི་ཤེར་ཁན་ཨནཆན་།; 1580–1633), better known by his title Anchan ("the Great"), was the Maqpon king of Baltistan from 1595 to 1633. Considered greatest of the Balti rulers, Anchan unifi ...

, who built many forts in this region because of its strategic importance.

Geography

According to the ''Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladak'' (1890), Kharmang is an old ''ilaqa'' of

Baltistan Baltistan (); also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet, is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and constitutes a northern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

that consists of the right bank of the

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...

from the border of

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...

to the village of Pari, and from the source of the

Shingo River The Shingo River is a tributary of the Indus River, and flows through Gilgit-Baltistan and Kargil regions. The river originates in Pakistan's Gilgit-Batistan region and flows into the Kargil district where it joins the Dras River. The combin ...

to the village of

on the left bank of the Indus.

Demographics

Kharmang valley is a populated area. The approximate population is about 20,000 households (approximately 60,000 people); most of the population resides in scattered villages. The main source of income is subsistence livestock rearing for their livelihood and agriculture and unskilled man power working abroad and urban centers of Pakistan. Many Kharmang people work in Gulf countries with a majority in

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

and

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. Natives of Kharmang Valley speak Balti, Shina and predominantly follow

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

, with the exception of a few people who belong to Noorbakhshi who live around Mehdi Abad.

References

{{Reflist Populated places in Kharmang District Baltistan Valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan Tourist attractions in Gilgit-Baltistan

Etymology

Geography

Demographics

See also

References