Balawaristan

Balawaristan (Urdu:بلاورستان) is an historical name of Gilgit-Baltistan that has regained some prevalence in recent years. The archaic English spelling for the name was Boloristan, and its first known documented usage is in Chinese sources from the 8th century AD. Gilgit-Baltistan includes Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Ishkoman Puniyal and Yasin (see Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan). The regions of Baltistan, and Ladakh (including Kargil) are also considered to be a part of Balawaristan by nationalist parties of Gilgit, and sometimes Chitral is as well.

The name is originated from Polore. Polore was an ancient state consisting of Baltistan, Gilgit, Ladakh, Chitral and Kohitsan. Chinese historian Faxian mentioned it as Pololo. Arab historians mentioned it as Blore. The people of this region have historically been referred to as Balawars (or highlanders), which is said to have come from the term Bala, which means high, 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. Yet a third theory was proposed by the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research of Pakistan that "the name is most probably derived from the title Patola, the Buddhist royal dynasty which was powerful in the region from to 8th centuries AD."

Historically, the Baltistan region was called "Great Bolor" and Dardistan and parts of Brooshal (e.g. Gilgit Valley) were called "Little Bolor." Great Boloristan is known to have sent ambassadors to the Chinese court.

In more recent times, the name Balawaristan initially found favour with nationalists of the Gilgit region, such as the Balawaristan National Front, who are seeking independence from Pakistan. These groups state that they are geographically, ethnically, linguistically and culturally distinct from Pakistan and Kashmir, and that the region is incorrectly associated with the dilemma facing the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir. The Balawaristan National Front, for instance, has explicitly defined its goal as "freedom from Pakistan's illegal occupation." According to the chairman of the Balawaristan National Front, in May 1999, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that Balawaristan "is a disputed territory and the government of Pakistan has no claim over it". The Bolor Thinker Forum, in a public seminar in Rawalpindi in 2005, also called for "an independent Bolor state," and asserted that "it was their legitimate right to demand an independent Bolor state".

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