Rats of Shah Dola

Common card · No. 427402

Chuas or rat-children are children and adults with microcephaly who are exploited as beggars in the Punjab region. They are associated with the Shrine of Shah Dola in Gujrat City, Pakistan, where they were first recorded as 'chuhas' in 1839. As of 2009, only one or two chuas remain at the shrine, and they are more frequently encountered traveling the Grand Trunk Road between Islamabad and Lahore as itinerant beggars instead. It is unknown how chuas became associated with Shah Dola, and various local legends and stories exist. Most involve women seeking a cure for infertility who produce chuas after receiving prayers from the holy man. Speculation that chuas were a result of intentionally deforming the skulls of developing infants began in the mid-19th century and continues today. Such intentional deformation to produce microcephaly has never been witnessed, and the clamps, molds, or other instruments used for such a practice have never been found. It is unclear if such a practice is even...

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