Cultural life in the Pamir region in the last quarter of the 19th century according to European travelers

The Pamir region was not a place that was given importance by the great states until the 19th century. However, as the end of the 19th century approached, this place began to be valued by major states. The region gained importance as Russia threatened British India and Britain threatened Russian Turkestan. Due to the expansionist policy of the Russians in Central Asia, the possibility of reaching India was threatening the colonial lands and trade area of England. The British dominance over India, China and Afghanistan posed a risk to the Russian policy in Central Asia. The Pamir region, which became the intersection point of two great empires, has been visited by travellers who examined the geographical structure of the region and the people living there. The data obtained from travels to the region are the most significant records regarding the cultural characteristics of the people living in the Pamir region in the last quarter of the 19th century. It is aimed to reveal the cultural characteristics of the people of the region by comparing and criticizing the records of the trips made to the region in the last quarter of the 19th century. At the beginning of the study, firstly, the travels made to the region were determined and information was obtained about the biographies of the travelers. Afterwards, the travel books were examined and the geographical features of the Pamir region and the information given about the people living in the region were classified. The information given by the travelers, taking into account their ethnic identities, professions and the purpose of coming to the region, was analyzed and criticized. In the information obtained from the travel books, there is information about the daily life of the people of the region, their economies and places of residence and their geographical locations in the region. According to the findings, it is seen that the Kyrgyz people living in the northern and eastern parts of the Pamir region have a very different culture from the Vakhanids, also called Tajiks and Mountain Tajiks. However, it is striking that the Tajiks living with the Kyrgyz in the eastern part of the region were influenced by the Kyrgyz and had a Kyrgyz influence in their cultural characteristics. It is observed that the Tajiks living more in the western part of the region and the Vakhanids living in the southern parts are two very similar communities to each other. It is a remarkable element that three different peoples living with similar geographical features in the Pamir region have different cultures. While the Kyrgyz living in the region stand out as the representatives of the nomadic life culture, the Tajiks and Vakhanids constitute the cultural richness of the region as the representatives of the settled life culture.