Where is Brushaski spoken apart from Hunza-Nagar and Yasin?
Brushaski is considered to be a language of the ancients. All the words in Brushaski reflect the sound of events happening around. Thus far, it has not been categorized into any particular language type because of its mysterious roots. The Brushaski language is widely spoken in Hunza-Nagar and Yasin.
Apart from those regions, Brushaski is also spoken in Srinagar, Kashmir. Though the number of Brushaski speakers in the Kashmir region is not huge, the language has been preserved meticulously.
How did the Brushaski-speaking people reach Srinagar, Kashmir?
There are numerous theories regarding the early migration of Brushaski-speaking people to Srinagar, Kashmir.
Some people believe that these Brushaski-speaking people were the descendents of local rulers( rajas of Hunza and Nagir) who were made captives by the Dogra rulers during a war between the Dogras and the Brushoo people of Hunza.
According to other historians, it is quite unlikely that all the people were made captives during a war. It is said that the Dogra rulers employed these people as laborers and soldiers.
Many people also suggest that the Brusho people, who went for the purpose of trade or pilgrimage, decided to settle there.
How many Brushaski-speaking people are there in Kashmir?
Though there are around a hundred thousand people in the Gilgit Division who speak Brushaski, But there are few Brushoo people residing in Srinagar, Kashmir. The estimated number of Brushaski-speaking people is 350 to 400.
Does the Brushaski spoken by the Kashmiri people resemble that of Gilgit?
The accent of Brushaski in Yasin is quite different from that of Hunza and Nagar. The people who are residing in Kashmir are descendants of the Hunza-Nagar region. The Brushaski language spoken in Kashmir is the same as that spoken in the Hunza-Nagar region. Despite being a small community in Kashmir, the Brushaski-speaking people have successfully preserved their language.
Which sect do they belong to?
The Brushaski-speaking people of Srinagar, Kashmir, subscribe to the Twelver Shia faith. In the month of Muharram, they recite Marsiyas in the local Kashmiri language, and they also recite Marsiyas in their mother tongue, Brushaski.
In a nutshell, Brushaski as a language has been well preserved in a different region with different conditions. Despite the challenge of contamination, it has been well intact. Though it has evolved in a culture where dominant languages like Kashmiri and Urdu are widely spoken.
It has still managed to thrive through a few Brushoo speakers.
