Balawaristan (Urdu: بلاورستان, lit. 'Land of heights'), is a term used for the historical region forming present-day Gilgit-Baltistan .The modern term was coined by the political party Balawaristan National Front, founded by Nawaz Khan Naji, in 1989. But it has its roots in the historical names Broshal, Dardistan and BolororBoloristan, with documented usage in Chinese sources from the 8th century AD.[1] According to the present day activists, 'Balawaristan' includes Chitral, Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Nagar, Ishkoman, Punial and Yasin (see Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan). The leader of BNF Nawaz Khan Naji declared that Balawaristan (Gilgit-Baltistan) is not part of Kashmir[2]
Balors means "highlanders", it is believed to have come from "Bala" meaning high or upper. Thus it means land of highlanders.[3]
Historically, the Baltistan region was called "Great Bolor" and Dardistan and parts of Brooshal (e.g. Gilgit Valley) were called "Little Bolor."[4] Great Boloristan is known to have sent ambassadors to the Chinese court in the 8th century.[4] The Mons, an Indo-Aryan group, made the region as a hub of Buddhism.[5]
Chinese historian Faxian mentioned it as PololoorPalolo, Tibetans called it Nang-khod, where Arab historians mentioned it as Baloristan, moreover Theodre Foster in his The London Quarterly Review has stated that to Muslim geographers the name of the region was not known, use of the name in very rare cases is found.[6] Phunchok Stobdan says Mughal historian called it Tibet-i-Khurd.[7][page needed] The people of this region though belonging to various ethnicities, have historically been referred to as Balors, which means the highlanders or mountain people, a reference to the high-altitudes prevalent in this area. An alternative theory links the name to a mythic ancient king called Bolor Shah, who had first united the region and from whom local rulers in turn often claimed descent.[8][9]
In more recent times, the name Balawaristan is found used by Gilgiti political party like Balawaristan National Front led by Nawaz Khan Naji. The party is seeking to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as the fifth province of Pakistan.[10] The party has been represented in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly by a single member, the aforementioned Nawaz Khan Naji, since 2011.[11][12][13]
The Balawaristan National Students Organisation, in April 2008, raised a demand for Balawaristan to be constituted into the fifth province of Pakistan (the other four are Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).[14]
A more indigenous label for the same territory is Bolor (or Boloristan); this designation had appeared in Chinese sources already in the 8th century.
The eastern half, Great Bolor, could afford to send several embassies to the Chinese court during the first half of the 8th century
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... Princes of Gilgit-Baltistan assumed to be descendants of Bolor Shah ...
Speakers from the Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan) demanded an independent Bolor state at a seminar 'Great Bolor State and Kashmir Issue' at the Rawalpindi Press Club on Sunday.
Naji said that the federal government should declare Gilgit-Baltistan a province of Pakistan, give its people representation in the National Assembly and Senate, and extend the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to the region
Nawaz Khan Naji from the Balawarastan National Front won the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly by-elections in the L-A 19 constituency of Ghazar on Friday.
Historically, geographically and politically, Gilgit-Baltistan deserves to be a province. The people of the region should have the right to send their representatives to the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan, of which they have been deprived for the last 60 years, said speakers at a seminar organised by the Balawaristan National Students Organisation here.
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35°35′N 75°9′E / 35.583°N 75.150°E / 35.583; 75.150
