In the past, some historians considered the Kalash to be the descendants of Alexander the Great. But the archaeological investigations conducted at Parwak (upper Chitral) as well as at Gankoriniotek and Singoor (lower Chitral) have revealed remains of Indo Aryans in the form of graves. The Radiocarbon dating of bones samples collected from these sites ranges from 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. Based on the burial traditions of the Indo Aryans which are still practiced today by the Kalash, archaeologists consider the Kalashas to be descendants of Indo Aryans. The perceptions of the local community about their origin are based in ancient oral traditions. According to a recent survey, about 70 % of the Kalashas consider themselves to be descendants of General Shalakshah, of Alexander’s army. About 10% maintain that their history was stolen when Reais Mehtar, a ruler of Chitral, conquered the Kalash in the 14th -15th century CE. 10% are aware of the archaeological findings.
The ratio of the Kalash people who have no information about their origin is 5%The remaining 5 % link their origin to the Arabs who first came to Afghanistan and from Afghanistan to Chitral. The Kalash songs and folk stories tell that the people came from Tsiam and Yarkhand.
The Kalash are an indigenous ethnic group living in the three narrow and secluded valleys of Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, in the Chitral district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The Kalash have a unique culture of their own, which is considered to be one of the oldest living cultural heritages of the world.
The Kalash speak an archaic form of Indo-European Dardic language called Kalash language. The Kalash have a rich tradition of folklore, epic and love songs in this old language, consistent with a high standard of indigenous experience.
