Dardic people
The Dardic people are a group of peoples in northern Pakistan, north India, and eastern Afghanistan speaking Dardic languages, which are Indo-Aryan languages.
Most are now Muslims, but some follow other religions, notably the Kalash people who follow a religion that as been described a form of ancient Hinduism.
Indologist Asko Parpola identifies "Proto-Dardic" with "Proto-Rigvedic", suggesting that the Dards are the linguistic descendants of the bearers of proto-Vedic culture ca. 1700 BC, pointing to features in certain Dardic dialects that continue peculiarities of Vedic Sanskrit.
Their genetic ancestry/ancestries are controversial, with the region having been conquered/colonized different times by different groups.
