Pakistan faced it's first invasion around 800 BC when Queen Semiramis of Assyrian Empire invaded the country of Indus.
At that time Stabrobates was the King of Indos (Pakistan) who successfully repelled this invasion while Assyria was the most powerful state of world.
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According to the accounts of ancient Greek historians Diodorus and Ctesias, the Queen Semiramis “resolved to subjugate the Indos/Pakistanis on hearing that they were the most numerous of all nations, and possessed the largest and most beautiful country in the world”.
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To invade Pakistan, two years preparations were made throughout Assyrian Empire - modern day Iraq, Egypt, Turkey and Central Asia. During preparations she realized that her lack of war elephants can cause serious disaster. So she made a very unique plan to avoid this.
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She ordered to cover 100,000 camels with the sewn skins of black oxen and fitted with fake movable trunks in order to trick the people of Indos/Pakistan into believing that she had a large elephant corps as well.
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The workmen who were building these puppets for her pursued their work in a wall enclosure with closely guarded gates. She did this so that no one outside could see what was happening, and also no rumour of these transactions could leaked aboard to the Stabrobates.
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Besides formation of these beasts, 2000 boats were also built for crossing the Indus river. After preparations of two years, in the third year she summoned his army into Bactria from all sides.
According to the accounts of Diodorus and Ctesias,
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she invaded the Pakistan with 3,000,000 foot soldiers, 500,000 horsemen and 100,000 chariots along with 100,000 camels with covering of elephants. It was probably the largest military invasion on any country in ancient world.
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During all of this when King Stabrobates learned about the magnitude of Assyrian army, he ordered his kingdom for preparations and gathered army greater than Assyrians. He made special departments for weapon production, maintenance of supply chain, elephants and boats.
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After completion of preparations, he sent messengers to Queen and accused her of stirring up a war without any provocation. In letter he calling the gods to witness and promised a shameful end for Semiramis by crucifying her. However she ignored the all warnings.
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Initially Assyrians were winning, all boats of Indos were sunk and many became prisoners. By seeing this Stabrobates pretended to flight but actually he led his army back from the Indus; in reality he wished to induce the enemy to cross the Indus.
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Now in second turn he successfully launched attack on Semiramis and succeeded to crush Assyrians. 2/3 army of invaders was slaughtered, their Queen was injured by the arrow of Stabrobates and eventually Queen left the battlefield and never returned.
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In this way the first attack on the lands of Pakistan was crushed by the brave sons of Indus Valley.
But here there is another twist in the story and that is according to some 20th century historions, Queen Semiramis was mythical figure not the historical.
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However there is division of historions on this matter. Some argue that the Queen Semiramis was actually historical figure in the form Queen Shammuramat.
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Actually we have some evidences in support of this theory including some Assyrian records which indicate that Semiramis was Greek reflection of Shammuramat. Or may be Semiramis was the royal title of Queen Shammuramat as the regent of her son Adad-nirari III.
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However whatever the matter is; either this event is historical or semi-legendery, we can assume one thing from this event is that to invade Pakistan was considered a sign of pride and power in ancient times. It was like a dream even for most powerful states.
"During the reign of Jahangir, who laid out many lovely gardens and villas in Kashmir, the Subadar of Kashmir became enamoured by the beauty of a Hindu girl. When he could not obtain her consent without making trouble he had to resort to a ruse.
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He persuaded an elderly Mohammedan woman to appear veiled before his court and whilst personating the aforesaid Hindu girl, professed her love for the Subadar and was ready to marry him, but was prevented by her father under the influence of his co-religionists.
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The Subadar obtained a fatwa (legal opinion) from the mullahs permitting him to marry the girl without her father’s consent. He then sent troops to the house of the innocent girl to seize her by force and bring her to his Zenan Khana.
A beautiful Timurid Quran : Unfortunately sold by Christie’s for £7 million.
The Quran was likely to have been commissioned by the one of the grandsons of Amir Timur, the Asian conqueror.
The manuscript’s aesthetic properties stop the heart. Each of its 534 folios are dyed in rich hues of deep blue, turquoise, pink, purple, orange, green and cream—the kaleidoscopic variety meant to both honour God in all His infinite variety.
Which evoke a pleasurable aesthetic response in the worshiper. The paper itself was made by a little-known process that infused lead white into the folios, resulting in a silky-soft and pliable page that would have enhanced the sensory experience of holding the Qur’an.
So this thread is about a festival named "Ginani" which is traditionally celebrated to mark the beginning of harvesting season in the Hunza Valley.
However it is also celebrated in Gilgit by the name of Ganoni and in Baltistan by the name of Strublah.
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Usually it takes place in the middle of the June when the wheat & barley ripe. The headman of the village fixes & proclaims the date of the event before fews days of ceremony, depending upon the situation of crops. In Hunza traditionally this date is fixes by Mir of Hunza.
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On the afternoon of the fixed day, people go to their fields with the loaves fried in butter, which are eaten at a corner of the field by all the members of the family. After this they return to their homes with some spikes of barley. These are used to make a sacred drink.
So this is about the "Fabulous creature of Winters" from the deep forests & snow mountains of Kashmir, locally known as "Rantas" (plural rantse).
Rantas is metonym for mysterious witch in Kashmiri folklore, known for abducting husbands & children among mortals.
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By appearance she is a female with the size of one-and-half human having dishevelled & long hairs that reaches to her feet. Those hairs actually help her to hide her body.
She has also the wings from neck down to the feet, bestial teeth & extended arms.
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However she can alter her physical appearance often pretending a woman of unparalleled beauty having sweetest fragrance to attract males.
As she is considered a master of disguise so there is no way to recognize her except her feet that would always be in reverse direction