During April I'll be posting daily on the A-Z Blogging ChallengeMy theme is the Hunzas.
Today is Q ...... for Queen Rani
The male leader of Hunza was called Mir, meaning leader of a tribal group. Mir Muhammad Jamal Khan was the last official Mir of Hunza when it became a part of North Pakistan in 1974. Below is a picture of Queen Rani and her husband, Mir Khan.
Dr. Bernard Jensen had spent time with the Hunzas and stayed at the palace of the Mir and Queen. I plied him with questions about the Queen...... what she looked like, how she dressed, all the usual questions one woman asks about another.
Although they are Muslim, the women enjoy freedom. They seldom cover their face in public and the marriage is more equal, as in a Western marriage. The little "Jackie Kennedy" pillbox hat is traditional for women, although Queen Rani isn't wearing one in the above picture. Evidently some of the younger women prefer the Western style of dress.
The women are beautiful and dare I say, suffer from radiant health. Dr. Jensen lavished praise on Queen Rani's charismatic personality and the beautiful gifts she sent home with them.
Everyone in the palace spoke excellent English and their children had English tutors.
I like this pic - such a happy couple - genuine smiles! Take care
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How beautiful Queen Rani is. So Is She alive today I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe people that were so secluded spoke such perfect English.
There are so many people that live in the United States that still can't speak English and there the Hunzi speak it well.
She looks like she was a beautiful woman. How lucky you were to have talked with someone who spent time with her.
ReplyDeleteThey may only have so much but the more you tell the more they seem like they live better than most of us.
ReplyDeleteThey look so happy and so 'real' if you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteKitty : A comfort to think of a king and queen as kinda normal folks.
ReplyDeleteTerry : I don't know. She could be as when Dr. Jensen visited them, he was probably well into his 50's and she was fairly young.
Most Pakistani speak English and several other languages, too. Most of the mid eastern people are well educated.
Bish : I often regret not making it happen that I visited there before the Karakaram Hwy.
Pat : I agree. I was a teen-ager when I first discovered them and their lifestyle has influenced my entire life.... the organic food and pure water and all the exercise they get from walking the steep mountains every day. My small ranch in the rocky mountains is patterned after (somewhat) after their life.
They really look like such lovely kind people, kind of radiant like.
ReplyDeleteWow! New visitor here (from the A-Z challenge), and I'm so curious to know why you spent time with these people! You've definitely lived an exciting life :)
ReplyDeleteHi Manzanita .. fascinating story to the last King .. and Queen Rani - isn't it interesting how far English has got to .. and always how well foreigners speak it ..
ReplyDeleteThey obviously respect their peoples, the peoples respect their King and Queen .. and everyone respects their land ..
Cheers Hilary
You've really opened my eyes on such a little-known part of the world.
ReplyDeleteIsn't 'Mir' something like 'peace' in Russian or something like that?
Equal like western marriage seems odd in the Muslim world...maybe they are ahead of their time in the Hunza culture.
ReplyDelete"suffer from radiant health"
ReplyDeleteHa Ha. I wouldn't call radiant health "suffering", but I know what you mean.
The healthy foods and stress-free lifestyle speaks for itself when you see these people.
Best Working Dear friend keep working get more success in the name of LORD
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