The Traditional Taxation System of the Former Hunza State: A Socio-Economic Analysis
Figure 1 : Baltit Fort, the seat of the Mirs of Hunza, overlooking the agricultural terraces of the Hunza Valley. Source: گمنام سپاهى. (n.d.). Baltit Fort, Karimabad, Hunza Valley, Front view [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baltit_Fort,_Karimabad,_Hunza_Valley,_Front_view.JPG (CC BY-SA 3.0) Abstract The taxation system of the former Hunza State- known locally as Ilban, Hilban, or Yeelban-was central to its feudal governance. It sustained the Mir's authority, funded infrastructure development, supported defense, and enabled external tributes within a high-mountain subsistence economy. This comprehensive analysis examines the full fiscal framework that operated until Hunza's merger with Pakistan in 1974. The system featured sophisticated social stratification across Lupon (nobility), Shana (royal-affiliated upper middle class), Darqan (zamindars/middle class), and Borwar (labor class), alongside the Auyum caste system. The administrative f...
