Kata (people)
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The Kata or Katirs (George Scott Robertson) are the main present-day Nuristani tribe and were one of the five clans of the Black-Robed (Siah-Posh) Kafir tribal group of Kafiristan (present Nuristan).
In 1895, following their conquest by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, the Kata Kafir people in Afghanistan were converted to Islam. Everey former Kafiristan Kafiri were renamed Nuristani (The Enlightened Ones) respectively Nuristan (Land of Light). In present time there are now known Nuristani Kata or simply Kata.
Other clans
The former Black-Robed Kafir tribes has included five divisions or clans:
- Kata
- Kom
- Mumo
- Kshto
- Gourdesh
Divisions
Around 1890, the Kata division was further sub-divided as under:
- The Kata of Bashgul Valley.
- The Kata or the Katawers of Kti Valley,
- The Kulam Kata of the Kulam country and
- The Ramguli Kata of Ramgul Valley.
The upper part of the Bashgul Valley of Nuristan (Afghanistan) is known as Katirgul. It is called Lutdeh in Chitrali and Kamtoz in Pashto.
According to George Scott Robertson, the Kata Siah-Posh clan settled in Katirgul valley is called Kamtoz (or Camtoz) in Pashto and Lutdehhchis in Chitrali (The Kafirs of the Hindukush, p 71).
But, according to recent American investigator Richard Strand's website, the name Kamtoz/Kamtozi seems to apply to all Kata of the Siah-Posh group, including the Ramguli and Kulam Katirs'' [link].
Alternative names for Kamtoz are Camtozi, Kantozi.
Alternative forms of Kata are Katir, Kator, Katawar, Katawer and Kata. Katawar also is the name of the northern moutainous region of Kafiristan.
Numerous scholars have connected the names Kata and Kom with ancient Kamboja and identified the Kafirs, especially the Siah-Posh Kafirs, as having descended from ancient Kambojas. (H.H. Wilson, M. Elphinstone, Bombay Gazetteer, D. Wilber, M. C. Gillet, W. K. Fraser Tytler, J.R.A.S. 1843, J.A.S.B. 1874 etc etc)
Kata Siah-Poshes in History
Timur invaded Afghanistan in 1398. On the basis of local complaints of ill-treatment and extortions filed by the Muslims against the Kafirs, Timur personally attacked the Kata of the Siah-Posh group located north-east of Kabul in Eastern Afghanistan .
The Kata left their fort Najil and took refuge at the top of the hill. Timur razed the fort to ground, burnt their houses and surrounded the hill where the Kata had collected for shelter. The relic of the historic fort is said to still exist a little north to Najil in the form of a structure known as Timur Hissar (Timur's Fort). After a tough fight, some of the Kata were defeated and were instantly put to death while the others held out against heavy odds for three days. Timur offered them the usual alternative of death or Islam. They chose the latter, but soon recanted and attacked the regiment of Muslim soldiers during night. The latter being on guard, fought back, killed numerous Kata and took 150 as prisoners and put them to death afterwards.
Next day, Timur ordered his troops to advance on all four sides to kill all men, enslave the women and children and plunder or lay waste all their property.
In his autobiography called Tuzak-i-Timuri, Timur proudly boasts of the towers of the skulls of the Kata which he built on the mountain in the auspicious month of Ramazan A.H. 800 (1300 CE) (''See: Tuzak-i-Timuri , III, pp 400)
References
- The Kâta. Retrieved July 04, 2006, from Richard F. Strand: Nuristan, Hidden Land of the Hindu-Kush [link].
See also
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