Book Review: Among the Mountains: Travels Through Asia by Wilfred Thesiger

In this book, Wilfred Thesiger a well known British explorer of the twentieth century writes about his travel experience in the mountains of Middle East and Asia. The author makes some interesting revelations about the people, terrain, flora and fauna, that he observes during his travels. He also shows his bias in his writings.

He states that at Brep in Chitral all the inhabitants had goitre (p. 20). He mentions about the presence of Kirghiz, Wakhis, Kazakhs and Sariqolis in Chitral (p. 22-23). The author also mentions about the Muslim converts he encountered in Kalash valley, who were previously Kafirs. In Chitral the author meets Major Mir Badshah who was the commanding officer of the Mahsud battalion on the Lawari pass. He had served in France and East Africa during the 1914-18 war and his father was one of the important Mahsud Maliks (p. 34). The author reveals that there were 2800 Khassadars in South Waziristan and in North Waziristan. They were recruited on hereditary basis and paid fifty rupees per month (p.35).

The author mentions meeting the powindah people (nomads) in Afghanistan. According to the author, these people are migratory camel-owning tribes from Afghanistan who come down into Pakistan for the winter months, and then on to the Punjab (p.36). He also mentioned Waziris with strings of camels carrying planks of wood from Khajuri to Bannu, where they sold it in exchange for food.

In 1953 when the author was on his way to Hunza, he mentions coming across Gujar people near Besal, after crossing Btakondie (p. 53). He says that until partition of 1947 these nomads had always wintered in Jammu (p. 53). At Gilgit, Thesiger had a letter of introduction from John Dent to Khan Muhammad Jan Khan, the political agent stationed at Gilgit. The author also mentions Kirghiz going to Spanj (Chipursan) to buy flour (p. 61).

Regarding the Hazara people of Afghanistan the author states that near Herat possibly the Hazaras speak the Mongol language (p. 92). The author further states that theft was very rare among the Hazaras, and Hazara people were very much in demand as servants in Kabul (p. 93).

Further in the book, Thesiger mentions about the conflicts during the journey, presence of Brown Bears in Nuristan, Lapis lazuli of Sar-i-Sang and meeting different nomadic communities. He also travels through Jurm, Baharak and Munjan. The book presents a fascinating account of the how the author considers some of people as hospitable and others as inhospitable. He also comments on the way of life, cleanliness, physical features, religiosity, and the personal likes and dislikes of the author. The book presents some amazing photographs which makes the reader more interested in reading Thesiger's account.