Broq-Pa in Pakistan


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* From latest Pakistan census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.

Identity

Approximately 4,000 Dokhpa people live in northern India, along the Indus River in Ladakh and Kargil districts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Their villages are named Garkun, Darchik, Chulichan, Gurgurdo, Batalik and Da. They formerly lived in Hanu village as well, but now no Dokhpa people appear to live there. There may be a small number of Dokhpa living in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Interestingly, K S Singh, in his authoritative book on India's tribes, says, 'Their population for the 1981 census is not available as the community was notified as a scheduled tribe only in 1989.' The official classification of the Dokhpa in India appears to include three sub-ethnicities: the Brokpa, Dard and Shin. The Dokhpa should not be mistaken for other similarly named groups in the Himalayan Region, including the Drokpa people of Nepal and the Brokpa of Bhutan. Brokpa is a name also given to this group by the Ladakhi people.

The Dokhpa's language is called Brokskat. It is part of the Shina branch of the Indo-European linguistic family— the only one of the seven Shina languages that is spoken in India. Five of the Shina languages are spoken in Pakistan and one in Afghanistan. This linguistic link confirms the suspicions of K S Singh, that the Dokhpa 'are the descendants of the Dards and have migrated from Gilgit. The history of their migration is preserved in their folk literature. '


Customs

Although they live in the same area as the Ladakhi, the Dokhpa are distinguished by their linguistic differences and also by appearance. The Dokhpa 'wear headgear and a gown, the former being decorated with flowers, beads, needles, ribbons and buttons. Both men and women are particularly fond of flowers. Women style their hair in plaits while men shave the front portion of the head and have a long pigtail. The men and women cover their body with goat skin, lined inside with fur.' The main staple food of the Dokhpa is roasted barley flour, called sattu. Certain foods, such as beef, cow's milk, birds and eggs, are strictly taboo because of religious and superstitious beliefs.


Religion

While all of the closest ethnolinguistic relatives of the Dokhpa people are Muslims living in Pakistan and Afghanistan, most Dokhpa in India follow the Tibetan Buddhist religion. 'The deities worshipped by them are La, Dogla and Sapdak, to whom animal sacrifices are offered. They also believe in demons.... Marriage ceremonies are conducted by the Buddhist priest, the lama, at the bride's place. When a death occurs, the lama is called upon to assist the chief mourner to conduct the funeral rites. The dead are cremated in a lying posture and a member of the clan lights the funeral pyre. The remains of the bones and ashes are buried.' Smaller numbers of Dokhpa people follow their traditional animistic religion, while a few have converted to Islam.


Christianity

Few Dokhpa people have ever been exposed to the gospel. Although there are more than 200 Christians among the neighbouring Ladakhi, few are engaged in sharing their faith.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Broq-Pa in Pakistan.


Profile Source:   Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  

The Drokpa

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Broq-Pa
People Name in Country Broq-Pa
Alternate Names Brokhpa; Brokkat; Brokpa; Brokskat; Broqpa; Brukpa; Dardi; Dokhpa; Dokpa; Dokskat; Drokpa; Drukpa; Kyanga; Kyango; Minaro; Shin; Sina; ब्रोक़्-पा
Population this Country 5,800
Population all Countries 70,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 16524
ROP3 Code 111700
ROP25 Code 301419
ROP25 Name Broq-Pa (ST)
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Country Pakistan
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 7  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 1
  Gilgit-Baltistan 5,800
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
100.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest Pakistan census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Brokskat (5,800 speakers)
Language Code bkk   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Brokskat (5,800 speakers)
Language Code bkk   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Brokskat

Primary Language:  Brokskat

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source Sunny Tank - Unsplash  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©  Used with permission 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.