Kom (people)

The Kom or Kam are a Nuristani tribe in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Most used alternative names are Kamozi, Kamoz/Camoze, Caumojee/Kaumoji, and Camoje (M. Elphinstone, George Roberston, Richard Strand).

History

In 1895, following their conquest by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, the Kom Kafir people in Afghanistan were forced to convert to Islam. Every former Kafiristan Kafiri were renamed Nuristani ("The Enlightened Ones") respectively Nuristan ("Land of Light"). In present time there are now known "Nuristani Kom" or simply "Kom".

At the end of the 19th century, they were living in the lower part of the Bashgul Valley, known as Kam (George Scott Robertson), Kamdesh in Khowar, and Kamoz in Pashto, and in the adjacent valleys.

Numerous scholars have connected the names Kom and Kata with ancient Kamboja and identified the Kafirs, especially the "Siah-Posh" Kafirs, as having descended from ancient Kambojas (H.H. Wilson, M. Elphinstone, "Bombay Gazetteer", D. Wilber, M. C. Gillet, W. K. Fraser Tytler, "J.R.A.S." 1843, "J.A.S.B." 1874, etc, etc).

Though not a numerous people, the Kom were greatly respected military prowess by neighboring tribes as well as by Chitralis and the Pashtun people. The Kom control the destiny of Bashgul valley and were said to be its virtual kings (George Scott Roberston).

The political headquarters of the Kom of the Siah-Posh Kafir clan were at "Kamdesh" or "Kombrom". The country of the Koms is also in present-day Nuristan called "Komstan".

ee also

* Nurestan
* Nuristani people
* Nuristani languages
* Hindukush Kafir people
* Hindukush Black-Robed Kafir people
* Katir
* Kamviri
* Kambojas

References

* George Scott Robertson (1896), "The Kafirs of Hindukush"
* Mountstuart Elphinstone (1815), "An Account of the Kingdom of Caubol", London
* J. Biddulph (1971), "Tribes of Hindukush", Craz (Austria)
* The Kom. Retrieved July 04, 2006, from "Richard F. Strand: Nuristan, Hidden Land of the Hindu-Kush" [http://users.sedona.net/~strand/Nuristani/Kamkata/Kom/kom.html] .