ABSTRACT
Our research work in the Pamirs has concentrated on the Indo-European ethnic groups; that is, the actual Pamiris. The people of the Murghâb, however, were regarded as another important problem group in terms of developmental politics: their completely different economic structure meant that the resources they had access to after 1995 were for a while even more restricted than they were in the lower valleys, where agriculture was possible. For that reason we visited the settlements of the Murghâb, travelling right into the furthest corners of the most remote valleys to interview representatives of the people about their problems. We concentrated on the present situation – the existing resources and how they are used – and also on possible alternatives. We did not carry out ethnographic research while doing this, concentrating instead on aspects relevant to development, for example animal husbandry, living conditions, food and social security.
