The valley of the Hunza River (the border of India and Pakistan) is called the “oasis of youth”. The life expectancy of the inhabitants of this valley is 110-120 years. They almost never get sick and look young.
1. This means that there is a certain way of life, approaching the ideal, when people feel healthy, happy, do not age, as in other countries, by the age of 40-50. It is curious that the inhabitants of the Hunza Valley, in contrast to the neighboring peoples, outwardly very similar to Europeans (as well as the Kalash who live very close).
According to legend, the dwarf mountain state located here was founded by a group of soldiers of the army of Alexander the Great during his Indian campaign. Naturally, they established a strict combat discipline here - such that the inhabitants with swords and shields had to sleep, eat, and even dance …
2. At the same time, the hunzakuts with light irony refer to the fact that someone else in the world is called mountaineers. Well, in fact, isn't it obvious that only those who live near the famous "mountain meeting place" - the point where the three highest systems of the world converge: the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakorum - should rightfully bear this name. Of the 14 eight-thousanders of the Earth, five are nearby, including the second after Everest K2 (8611 meters), the ascent of which is valued even more in the climbing community than the conquest of Chomolungma. And what about the no less famous local "killer peak" Nanga Parbat (8126 meters), which buried a record number of climbers? And what about tens of seven- and six-thousanders literally "crowding" around Hunza?
Passing through these rock massifs will not be possible if you are not a world-class athlete. You can only "leak" through narrow passes, gorges, paths. Since ancient times, these rare arteries were controlled by the principalities, which imposed a significant duty on all passing caravans. Hunza was considered one of the most influential among them.
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3. In distant Russia, little is known about this "lost world", and for reasons not only geographic, but also political: Hunza, along with some other valleys of the Himalayas, ended up in the territory over which India and Pakistan have been fighting a fierce dispute for almost 60 years (its main subject remains the much more extensive Kashmir).
The USSR - out of harm's way - has always tried to distance itself from the conflict. For example, in most Soviet dictionaries and encyclopedias, the same K2 (another name - Chogori) is mentioned, but without specifying the area in which it is located. Local, quite traditional names were erased from Soviet maps and, accordingly, from the Soviet news lexicon. But here's what is surprising: in Hunza, everyone knows about Russia.
Two captains
“Castle” many locals respectfully call the Baltite Fort, hanging from a cliff over Karimabad. It is already about 700 years old, and at one time he served as a local independent ruler as a palace of peace and a fortress. Not devoid of imposingness from the outside, from the inside Baltit seems gloomy and damp. Semi-dark rooms and a poor environment - ordinary pots, spoons, a giant stove … In one of the rooms in the floor a hatch - under it the world (prince) of Hunza kept his personal captives. There are not many bright and large rooms, perhaps, only the “balcony hall” makes a pleasant impression - a majestic view of the valley opens from here. On one of the walls of this hall there is a collection of ancient musical instruments, on the other - weapons: sabers, swords. And a checker donated by the Russians.
In one of the rooms there are two portraits: the British captain Younghusband and the Russian captain Grombchevsky, who decided the fate of the principality. In 1888, at the junction of the Karakorum and the Himalayas, a Russian village almost appeared: when the Russian officer Bronislav Grombchevsky arrived with a mission to the then world of Hunza Safdar Ali. Then on the border of Hindustan and Central Asia was the Great Game, an active confrontation between the two superpowers of the 19th century - Russia and Great Britain. Not only a military man, but also a scientist, and later even an honorary member of the Imperial Geographical Society, this man was not going to conquer the land for his king. And then there were only six Cossacks with him. But nevertheless, it was about the earliest possible arrangement of a trading post and a political union. Russia, which by that time had influence in the whole Pamirs, now turned its gaze to Indian goods. This is how the captain entered the Game.
Safdar received him very warmly and willingly entered into the proposed agreement - he was afraid of the British who were pushing from the south.
And, as it turned out, not without reason. Grombchevsky's mission seriously alarmed Calcutta, where at that time the court of the Viceroy of British India was located. And although the special envoys and spies reassured the authorities: it is hardly worth fearing the appearance of Russian troops on the "crown of India" - too difficult passes lead to Hunzu from the north, moreover, they are covered with snow for most of the year, it was decided to urgently send a detachment under the command of Francis Younghusband.
4. Both captains were colleagues - "geographers in uniform", they met more than once in the Pamir expeditions. Now they had to determine the future of the orphaned "Hunzakut bandits", as they were called in Calcutta.
Meanwhile, Russian goods and weapons were slowly appearing in Khunza, and even a ceremonial portrait of Alexander III appeared in the Baltit palace. The distant mountain government began diplomatic correspondence with St. Petersburg and offered to host a Cossack garrison. And in 1891, a message came from Khunza: the world of Safdar Ali was officially asking to be admitted to Russian citizenship together with all the people. This news soon reached Calcutta, as a result, on December 1, 1891, the mountain arrows of Yanghazbend captured the principality, Safdar Ali fled to Xinjiang. "The door to India is slammed for the king," the British occupier wrote to the Viceroy.
So Hunza considered herself to be Russian territory for only four days. The ruler of the Khunzakuts wished to see himself as a Russian, but did not have time to receive an official answer. And the British entrenched and stayed here until 1947, when, during the collapse of the newly independent British India, the principality suddenly found itself on the territory controlled by Muslims.
Today, Hunza is run by the Pakistani Ministry of Kashmir and Northern Territories, but the fond memories of the failed outcome of the Great Game remain.
Moreover, local residents ask Russian tourists why there are so few tourists from Russia. At the same time, although the British left almost 60 years ago, their hippies are still flooding the territories.
Apricot hippies
5. It is believed that Hunzu was rediscovered for the West by the hippies who roamed Asia in the 1970s in search of truth and exoticism. Moreover, they popularized this place so much that even the usual apricot is now called Hunza Apricot by the Americans. However, not only these two categories, but also Indian hemp attracted the "flower children".
One of the main attractions of the Khunza is a glacier that descends into the valley as a wide cold river. However, on numerous terraced fields, potatoes, vegetables and hemp are grown, which is sometimes smoked here, as it is added as a seasoning to meat dishes and soups.
As for the young long-haired guys with the Hippie way sign on their T-shirts - either real hippies or retro lovers - they mostly eat apricots in Karimabad. This is undoubtedly the main value of the Khunzakut gardens. All Pakistan knows that only here "khan fruits" grow, which ooze aromatic juice on the trees.
Hunza is attractive not only for radical youth - lovers of mountain travels, fans of history, and simply lovers of getting away from their homeland come here. Of course, numerous climbers complement the picture …
6. Since the valley is located halfway from the Khunjerab Pass to the beginning of the Hindustan plains, the Khunzakuts are sure that they control the path to the "upper world" in general. In the mountains as such. It is difficult to say whether this principality was once founded by the soldiers of Alexander the Great or whether it was the Bactrians - the Aryan descendants of the once great Russian people, but there is certainly some kind of mystery in the appearance of this small and distinctive people in its environment. He speaks his own language Burushaski (Burushaski, whose relationship has not yet been established with any of the languages of the world, although everyone here knows Urdu, and many - English), professes, of course, like most Pakistanis, Islam, but a special sense, namely the Ismaili, one of the most mystical and mysterious in religion, which is professed by up to 95% of the population. Therefore, in Hunza you will not hear the usual calls to prayer coming from the speakers of the minarets. Everything is quiet, prayer is a private matter and everyone's time.
Health
Hunza swim in icy water even in 15-degree frost, play outdoor games up to a hundred years old, their 40-year-old women look like girls, at 60 they retain their slimness and gracefulness, and at 65 they still give birth to children. In the summer they feed on raw fruits and vegetables, in the winter - on sun-dried apricots and sprouted grains, sheep cheese.
The Hunza River was a natural barrier for the two medieval principalities Hunza and Nagar. Since the 17th century, these principalities have been constantly at enmity, stealing women and children from each other and selling them into slavery. Both of them lived in fortified villages. Another thing is interesting: the residents have a period when the fruits have not yet ripened - it is called "hungry spring" and lasts from two to four months. During these months they eat almost nothing and only drink a drink made from dried apricots once a day. Such a post has been elevated to a cult and is strictly observed.
Scottish physician McCarrison, the first to describe Happy Valley, emphasized that protein intake there is at the lowest level of the norm, if it can be called the norm at all. The daily calorie content of hunza averages 1933 kcal and includes 50 g of protein, 36 g of fat and 365 g of carbohydrates.
The Scotsman lived in the vicinity of the Hunza Valley for 14 years. He came to the conclusion that it is diet that is the main factor in the longevity of this people. If a person eats incorrectly, then the mountain climate will not save him from diseases. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Hunza neighbors living in the same climatic conditions suffer from a variety of diseases. Their lifespan is half as long.
7. McCarrison, returning to England, set up interesting experiments on a large number of animals. Some of them ate the usual food of the London working family (white bread, herring, refined sugar, canned and boiled vegetables). As a result, a wide variety of "human diseases" began to appear in this group. Other animals were on the Hunza diet and remained absolutely healthy throughout the experiment.
In the book "Hunza - a people who do not know disease" R. Bircher emphasizes the following very significant advantages of the nutritional model in this country:
- first of all, it is vegetarian;
- a large number of raw foods;
- vegetables and fruits predominate in the daily diet;
- natural products, without any chemicalization, and prepared with the preservation of all biologically valuable substances;
- alcohol and delicacies are consumed extremely rarely;
- very moderate salt intake;
- products grown only on their own soil;
- regular periods of fasting.
To this must be added other factors that contribute to healthy longevity. But the way of eating is, undoubtedly, of a very essential and decisive importance here.
8. In 1963, a French medical expedition visited Hunze. As a result of the population census she conducted, it was found that the average life expectancy of the Hunzakuts is 120 years, which is twice that figure among Europeans. In August 1977, at the International Cancer Congress in Paris, a statement was made: "In accordance with the data of geocancerology (the science of studying cancer in different regions of the world), the complete absence of cancer occurs only among the Hunza people."
9. In April 1984, a Hong Kong newspaper reported the following surprising incident. One of the hunzakuts, whose name was Said Abdul Mobud, who arrived at London Heathrow Airport, perplexed the workers of the emigration service when he presented his passport. According to the document, hunzakut was born in 1823 and turned 160 years old. The mullah who accompanied Mobud noted that his ward is considered a saint in the country of Hunza, famous for its long-livers. Mobud has excellent health and sanity. He perfectly remembers events from 1850 onwards.
Local residents simply say about their secret of longevity: be a vegetarian, work always and physically, constantly move and do not change the rhythm of life, then you will live up to 120-150 years. Distinctive features of the Huns as a people with "full health":
1) High working capacity in the broad sense of the word. In the Hunza, this ability to work is manifested both during work and during dances and games. For them, walking 100-200 kilometers is like taking a short walk near a house. They climb steep mountains with extraordinary ease to convey some news, and return home fresh and cheerful.
2) Cheerfulness. Hunza constantly laugh, they are always in a good mood, even if they are hungry and suffer from the cold.
3) Exceptional durability. “The Hunzes have nerves as strong as ropes and thin and delicate as a string,” wrote McCarison. “They never get angry or complain, they don’t get nervous or impatient, they don’t quarrel among themselves and endure physical pain, trouble, noise, etc. with complete peace of mind.”