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The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian people who live mainly in the
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the
Iranian plateau The Iranian plateau or Persian plateau is a geological feature in Western Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia. It comprises part of the Eurasian Plate and is wedged between the Arabian Plate and the Indian Plate; situated between the Zagros ...
, encompassing the countries of
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. There are also Baloch diaspora communities in neighbouring regions, including in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
, and the
Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
. The Baloch people mainly speak Balochi, a
Northwestern Iranian language The Western Iranic languages are a branch of the Iranic languages, attested from the time of Old Persian (6th century BC) and Median. Languages The traditional Northwestern branch is a convention for non-Southwestern languages, rather than a g ...
, despite their contrasting location on the southeastern side of the Persosphere. The majority of Baloch reside within Pakistan. About 50% of the total ethnic Baloch population live in the Pakistani province of
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
, while 40% are settled in
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
and a significant albeit smaller number reside in
Pakistani Punjab Punjab (; , ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in central-eastern region of the country, Punjab is the second-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the largest province by population. It shares land borders with the ...
. They make up nearly 3.6% of Pakistan's total population, and around 2% of the populations of both Iran and Afghanistan.


Etymology

The exact origin of the word 'Baloch' is unclear. * Rawlinson (1873) believed that it is derived from the name of the Babylonian king and god Belus. * Dames (1904) believed that it is derived from the Persian term for
cockscomb A comb is a fleshy growth or crest on the top of the head of some gallinaceous birds, such as domestic chickens. The alternative name cockscomb (with several spelling variations) reflects the fact that combs are generally larger on cock birds t ...
, said to have been used as a crest on the helmets of Baloch troops in 6th century BCE. * Herzfeld (1968) proposed that it is derived from the
Median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
term ''brza-vaciya'', which describes a loud or aggressive way of speaking. * Naseer Dashti (2012) presents another possibility, that of being derived from the name of the ethnic group 'Balaschik' living in
Balasagan Balāsagān (an Iranian toponym meaning "country of Balas"; Armenian: ''Bałasakan'', Arabic: ''Balāsajān''/''Balāšajān''), also known as Bazgan, was a region located in the area of the Kura and Aras rivers, adjacent to the Caspian Sea. To ...
, between the
Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
and
Lake Van Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Vana lič̣; ku, Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the far east of Turkey, in the provinces of Van and Bitlis in the Armenian highlands. It is a saline soda lake ...
in present-day Turkey and Azerbaijan, who are believed to have migrated to Balochistan during the
Sasanian The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
times. The remnants of the original name such as 'Balochuk' and 'Balochiki' are said to be still used as ethnic names in Balochistan. Some writers suggest a derivation from
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
words ''bal'', meaning strength, and ''och'' meaning high or magnificent. An earliest Sanskrit reference to the Baloch might be the Gwalior inscription of the
Gurjara-Pratihara The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj. The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of th ...
ruler
Mihira Bhoja Mihira Bhoja (c. 836–885 CE) or Bhoja I was a king belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty. He succeeded his father Ramabhadra. Bhoja was a devotee of Vishnu and adopted the title of ''Ādivarāha'' which is inscribed on some of his co ...
(r. 836–885), which says that the dynasty's founder
Nagabhata I Nagabhata I (r. c. 730 – 760 CE) was a king who founded the imperial Gurjara Pratihara dynasty of northern India. He ruled the Avanti (or Malava) region in present-day Madhya Pradesh, from his capital at Ujjain. He may have extended his con ...
repelled a powerful army of ''Valacha Mlecchas'', translated as "Baluch foreigners" by
D. R. Bhandarkar Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar ( mr, देवदत्त रामकृष्ण भांडारकर; 19 November 1875 – 13 May 1950) was an Indian archaeologist and epigraphist who worked with the Archaeological Survey of India (AS ...
. The army in question is that of the
Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...
after the conquest of
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
.


History

According to Baloch lore, their ancestors hail from
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
in what is now
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. They claim to be descendants of Ameer Hamza, uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who settled in Halab (present-day
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
). After the fight against second
Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
Caliph
Yazid I Yazid ibn Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan ( ar, يزيد بن معاوية بن أبي سفيان, Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiya ibn ʾAbī Sufyān; 64611 November 683), commonly known as Yazid I, was the second caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate. He ruled from ...
at
Karbala Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
(in which Ameer Hamza's descendants supported and fought alongside
Husayn ibn Ali Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi ...
) in 680, descendants of Ameer Hamza migrated to east or southeast of the central
Caspian region The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
, specially toward
Sistan Sistān ( fa, سیستان), known in ancient times as Sakastān ( fa, سَكاستان, "the land of the Saka"), is a historical and geographical region in present-day Eastern Iran ( Sistan and Baluchestan Province) and Southern Afghanistan (N ...
, Iran.
Dayaram Gidumal Dayaram Gidumal Shahani (30 June 1857 – 7 December 1927) or Rishi Dayaram, was an Indian social reformer, judge, poet, and scholar. He was known as the godfather of Sindhi Hindus. Life Born in Hyderabad, Sindh, Dayaram received his early educat ...
writes that a Balochi legend is backed up by the medieval
Qarmatians The Qarmatians ( ar, قرامطة, Qarāmiṭa; ) were a militant Isma'ilism, Isma'ili Shia Islam, Shia movement centred in Al-Ahsa Oasis, al-Hasa in Eastern Arabia, where they established a Utopia#Religious utopias, religious-utopian Socialis ...
. The fact that the Karmatians were ethnic Baluchis is also confirmed by the Persian historian in the 16th century
Muhammad Qasim Ferishta Firishta or Ferešte ( fa, ), full name Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah Astarabadi ( fa, مُحَمَّد قاسِم هِندو شاہ), was a Persian historian, who later settled in India and served the Deccan Sultans as their court historian. He was ...
. According to another historian ''Ali Sher Kanei'', the author of Tuhfatul Kiram, in his history written in 1774 A.D, he believes that only the Rind tribe from
Jalal Khan Jalal Khan ( ur, جلال خان) is a legendary figure in the history of the Baloch people who led the Baloch from Persia to Makran. Jalal Khan had four sons, Rind Khan, Hoth Khan, Lashar Khan, and Kora Khan, and a daughter, Bibi Jato, who was ...
, a descendant of Muhammad ibn Harun, nicknamed Makurani, is a direct descendant of Hamza. Based on an analysis of the linguistic connections of the Balochi language, which is one of the
Western Iranian languages The Western Iranic languages are a branch of the Iranic languages, attested from the time of Old Persian (6th century BC) and Median. Languages The traditional Northwestern branch is a convention for non-Southwestern languages, rather than a ge ...
, the original homeland of the Balochi tribes was likely to the east or southeast of the central
Caspian Caspian can refer to: *The Caspian Sea *The Caspian Depression, surrounding the northern part of the Caspian Sea *The Caspians, the ancient people living near the Caspian Sea *Caspian languages, collection of languages and dialects of Caspian peopl ...
region. The Baloch began migrating towards the east in the late
Sasanian The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
period. The cause of the migration is unknown but may have been as a result of the generally unstable conditions in the Caspian area. The migrations occurred over several centuries. By the 9th century,
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
writers refer to the Baloch as living in the area between
Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...
,
Khorasan Khorasan may refer to: * Greater Khorasan, a historical region which lies mostly in modern-day northern/northwestern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan * Khorasan Province, a pre-2004 province of Ira ...
,
Sistan Sistān ( fa, سیستان), known in ancient times as Sakastān ( fa, سَكاستان, "the land of the Saka"), is a historical and geographical region in present-day Eastern Iran ( Sistan and Baluchestan Province) and Southern Afghanistan (N ...
, and
Makran Makran ( fa, مكران), mentioned in some sources as Mecran and Mokrān, is the coastal region of Baluchistan. It is a semi-desert coastal strip in Balochistan, in Pakistan and Iran, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman. It extends westwards, ...
in what is now eastern Iran. Although they kept flocks of sheep, the Baloches also engaged in plundering travelers on the desert routes. This brought them into conflict with the
Buyids The Buyid dynasty ( fa, آل بویه, Āl-e Būya), also spelled Buwayhid ( ar, البويهية, Al-Buwayhiyyah), was a Shia Iranian dynasty of Daylamite origin, which mainly ruled over Iraq and central and southern Iran from 934 to 1062. Coup ...
, and later the
Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
and the
Seljuqs The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...
.
Adud al-Dawla Fannā (Panāh) Khusraw ( fa, پناه خسرو), better known by his laqab of ʿAḍud al-Dawla ( ar, عضد الدولة, "Pillar of the bbasidDynasty") (September 24, 936 – March 26, 983) was an emir of the Buyid dynasty, ruling from ...
of the Buyid dynasty launched a punitive campaign against them and defeated them in 971–972. After this, the Baloch continued their eastward migration towards what is now the Balochistan province of Pakistan, although some remained behind and there are still Baloch in the eastern parts of the Iranian Sistan-Baluchestan and
Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...
provinces. By the 13th–14th centuries, waves of Baloch were moving into Sindh, and by the 15th century into the Punjab. According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch, professor at
University of Karachi The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (wh ...
, the Balochis migrated from
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
during the Little Ice Age and settled in
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
and
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
. The Little Ice Age is conventionally defined as a period extending from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, (noted in Grove 2004:4). or alternatively, from about 1300Miller ''et al.'' 2012. "Abrupt onset of the Little Ice Age triggered by volcanism and sustained by sea-ice/ocean feedbacks" ''Geophysical Research Letters'' 39, 31 January
abstract (formerly on AGU website)
(accessed via wayback machine 11 July 2015); se
press release on AGU website
(accessed 11 July 2015).
to about 1850. although climatologists and historians working with local records no longer expect to agree on either the start or end dates of this period, which varied according to local conditions. According to Professor Baloch, the climate of Balochistan was very cold and the region was not inhabitable during the winter so the Baloch people migrated in waves and settled in
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
and
Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
. The area where the Baloch tribes settled was disputed between the
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
Safavids Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
and the
Mughal emperors The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
. Although the Mughals managed to establish some control over the eastern parts of the area, by the 17th century, a tribal leader named Mir Hasan established himself as the first "Khan of the Baloch". In 1666, he was succeeded by Mir Aḥmad Khan Qambarani who established the Balochi
Khanate of Kalat The Khanate of Kalat ( bal, کلاتءِ ھانات) was a Baloch Khanate that existed from 1512 to 1955 in the centre of the modern-day province of Balochistan, Pakistan. Its rulers were Brahui speakers. Prior to that they were subjects of ...
under the Ahmadzai dynasty. Originally in alliance with the Mughals, the Khanate lost its autonomy in 1839 with the signing of a treaty with the British colonial government and the region effectively became part of the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
.


Baloch culture

Gold ornaments such as necklaces and bracelets are an important aspect of Baloch women's traditions and among their most favoured items of jewellery are ''dorr'', heavy earrings that are fastened to the head with gold chains so that the heavy weight will not cause harm to the ears. They usually wear a gold brooch (''tasni'') that is made by local jewellers in different shapes and sizes and is used to fasten the two parts of the dress together over the chest. In ancient times, especially during the pre-Islamic era, it was common for Baloch women to perform
dances Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...
and sing
folk songs Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...
at different events. The tradition of a Baloch mother singing lullabies to her children has played an important role in the transfer of knowledge from generation to generation since ancient times. Apart from the dressing style of the Baloch, indigenous and local traditions and customs are also of great importance to the Baloch. Baloch Culture Day is celebrated by the Balochi people annually on 2 March with festivities to celebrate their rich culture and history.


Baloch tribes


Tradition

Traditionally,
Jalal Khan Jalal Khan ( ur, جلال خان) is a legendary figure in the history of the Baloch people who led the Baloch from Persia to Makran. Jalal Khan had four sons, Rind Khan, Hoth Khan, Lashar Khan, and Kora Khan, and a daughter, Bibi Jato, who was ...
was the ruler and founder of the first Balochi confederacy in 12th century. (He may be the same as
Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu Jalal al-Din Mangburni ( fa, جلال الدین مِنکُبِرنی), also known as Jalal al-Din Khwarazmshah (), Minkubirni or Mengu-Berdi (c.1199 – August 1231), was the last Khwarazmshah of the Anushtegin dynasty, Anushteginid dynasty. The ...
the last ruler of the
Khwarezmian Empire The Khwarazmian or Khwarezmian Empire) or the Khwarazmshahs ( fa, خوارزمشاهیان, Khwārazmshāhiyān) () was a Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire that ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran in the app ...
.) Jalal Khan left four sons –
Rind Khan The Rind () is a Baloch tribe. According to Baloch folklore the tribe was founded by Rind Khan, one of Mir Jalal Khan's four sons. History According to Ali Sher Kanei of Tatta in his history, written in 1774 A.D. traces the origin of the Rind ...
, Lashar Khan, Hoth Khan, Kora Khan and a daughter, Bibi Jato, who married his nephew Murad.


Divisions

As of 2008 it was estimated that there were between eight and nine million Baloch people living in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. They were subdivided between over 130 tribes. Some estimates put the figure at over 150 tribes, though estimates vary depending on how subtribes are counted. The tribes, known as ''taman'', are led by a tribal chief, the
tumandar Tumandar ( ur, ) is a title given to the leader of Baloch and Pashtoon tribe in Pakistan. As defined in the Gazette of Pakistan, a "Tumandar" or "Sardar" who is accepted as the leader of a tribe, under any custom or usage or otherwise could obt ...
. Subtribes, known as paras, are led by a muquaddam. Five Baloch tribes derive their names from Khan's children. Many, if not all, Baloch tribes can be categorized as either Rind or Lashari based on their actual descent or historical tribal allegiances that developed into cross-generational relationships. This basic division was accentuated by a war lasting 30 years between the Rind and Lashari tribes in the 15th century.


Pakistan

There are 180,000
Bugti Bugti ( bal, بُگٹی ) is a Baloch tribe found in eastern Balochistan, Pakistan. , it was estimated to comprise over 180,000 people, mostly living in the Dera Bugti region of Pakistan. They are in turn divided into the Rahija,Marhita, Perozani, ...
based in
Dera Bugti District Dera Bugti ( Balochi and Urdu: ) is a district within the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It was established as a separate district in 1983. Administration The district is administratively subdivided into Four sub-divisions, these are: * Pirko ...
. They are divided between the Rahija Bugti, Masori Bugti, Kalpar Bugti, Marehta Bugti and other sub-tribes.
Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti ( Balochi, Urdu: ; 12 July 1927 – 26 August 2006) was a Pakistani politician and the Tumandar (head) of the Bugti tribe of Baloch people who served as the Minister of State for Interior and Governor of Baloc ...
led the Bugti as Tumandar until his death in 2006. Talal Akbar Bugti was the tribal leader and President of the
Jamhoori Watan Party The Jamhoori Wattan Party ( ur, جمہوری وطن پارٹی, lit=Republican National Party) is a political party in Balochistan, Pakistan. The party has split into two factions, with the non-dominant one led by Baramdagh Bugti splitting off to ...
from 2006 until his death in 2015. There are 98,000 Marri based in
Kohlo Kohlu (Urdu and bal, ) is the capital of Kohlu District in Pakistan's Balochistan province.In· May 1892 a sub-tahsil was established at Kohlu, the income being treated as a part of the Zhob Zhob (; ) or Zhobak (), formerly known as Appozai ...
district, who further divide themselves into Gazni Marri, Bejarani Marri, and Zarkon Marri.


Tribalism

Violent intertribal competition has prevented any credible attempt at creating a nation-state. A myriad of militant secessionist movements, each loyal to their own tribal leader, threatens regional security and political stability.


Genetics

For most Balochs,
haplogroup R1a Haplogroup R1a, or haplogroup R-M420, is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup which is distributed in a large region in Eurasia, extending from Scandinavia and Central Europe to southern Siberia and South Asia. While R1a originated c. 22,000 to 2 ...
is the most common paternal clade, while
haplogroup L-M20 Haplogroup L-M20 is a human Y-DNA haplogroup, which is defined by SNPs M11, M20, M61 and M185. As a secondary descendant of haplogroup K and a primary branch of haplogroup LT, haplogroup L currently has the alternative phylogenetic name of K ...
is the most common paternal clade in
Makran Makran ( fa, مكران), mentioned in some sources as Mecran and Mokrān, is the coastal region of Baluchistan. It is a semi-desert coastal strip in Balochistan, in Pakistan and Iran, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman. It extends westwards, ...
.


Religion

The majority of the Baloch people in Pakistan are Sunni Muslims, with 64.78% belonging to the Deobandi movement, 33.38% to the
Barelvi The Barelvi movement ( ur, بَریلوِی, , ), also known as Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaah (People of the Prophet's Way and the Community) is a Sunni revivalist movement following the Hanafi and Shafi'i school of jurisprudence, with strong Suf ...
movement, and 1.25% to the Ahl-i Hadith movement.
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
Muslims comprise 0.59% of Balochs. 800,000 Pakistani Balochis are estimated to follow the
Zikri Zikris are an Islamic Mahdist sect found mostly in the Balochistan region of western Pakistan. The name Zikri comes from the Arabic word dhikr. Origins The Zikri faith developed in Makran in the late 16th century. Zikris believe in a myst ...
sect. Although Baloch leaders, backed by traditional scholarship, have held that the Baloch people are secular,
Christine Fair Carol Christine Fair (born 1968) is an American political scientist. She is an associate professor in the Security Studies Program within the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Her work is primarily focused on ...
and Ali Hamza found during their 2017 study that, when it comes to
Islamism Islamism (also often called political Islam or Islamic fundamentalism) is a political ideology which posits that modern states and regions should be reconstituted in constitutional, economic and judicial terms, in accordance with what is ...
, "contrary to the conventional wisdom, Baloch are generally indistinguishable from other Pakistanis in Balochistan or the rest of Pakistan". There are virtually no statistically significant or substantive differences between Balochi Muslims and other Muslims in Pakistan in terms of religiosity, support for a sharia-compliant Pakistan state, liberating Muslims from oppression, etc. A small number of Balochs are non-Muslims, particularly in the
Bugti Bugti ( bal, بُگٹی ) is a Baloch tribe found in eastern Balochistan, Pakistan. , it was estimated to comprise over 180,000 people, mostly living in the Dera Bugti region of Pakistan. They are in turn divided into the Rahija,Marhita, Perozani, ...
clan which has
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
members. There are a few Hindus in the Bugti, Bezenjo, Marri, Rind and other Baloch tribes. The Bhagnaris are a Hindu Baloch community living in India who trace their origin to southern Balochistan but migrated to India during the
Partition Partition may refer to: Computing Hardware * Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive * Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job Software * Partition (database), the division of a ...
.


Baloch people from Pakistan

* Mir Jafar Khan Jamali, a veteran politician from
Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. **Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...
and a tribal leader from Balochistan. He was a close friend of Quaid-e-Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
. *
Zafarullah Khan Jamali Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali (; 1 January 1940 – 2 December 2020) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Pakistan from 2002 until his resignation in 2004. He was the first and only elected prime minister from Balochi ...
, the 15th prime minister of Pakistan. * Musa Khan, a former commander in chief of the Pakistan army. *
Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari ( ur, ; sd, ; born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician who is the president of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party. He served as the 11th president of Pakistan ...
, the 11th president of Pakistan. *
Asif Saeed Khan Khosa Asif Saeed Khan Khosa ( ur, ; born 21 December 1954) is a Pakistani jurist who served as the 26th Chief Justice of Pakistan from 18 January 2019 to 20 December 2019. He joined the Supreme Court as a judge on 18 February 2010 and prior to that ...
, the 26th chief justice of Pakistan. *
Sardar Usman Buzdar Sardar Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar ( ur, ; born 1 May 1969) is a Pakistani politician and previously served as Chief Minister of The Punjab from 20 August 2018 to 30 April 2022. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab since Aug ...
, the current chief minister of Punjab province. *
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ( ur, بلاول بھٹو زرداری; born 21 September 1988) is a Pakistani politician who is serving as the 37th Minister of Foreign Affairs, in office since 27 April 2022. He became the chairman of Pakistan Peopl ...
, the current chairman of the
Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
. *
Shireen Mazari Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari ( ur, ) is a Pakistani politician who served the Federal Minister for Human Rights, from 20 August 2018 to 10 April 2022. She is the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Chief Election Commi ...
, the federal minister for human rights and a member of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI; ur, , ) is a political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1996 by Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The PTI is one of the thre ...
. *
Quratulain Balouch Quratulain Balouch ( ur, ) is a Pakistani American singer-songwriter. Also known as QB or the Humsafar Girl, she became popular for her title track " Woh Humsafar Tha" in Hum TV's serial '' Humsafar''. Career Balouch has no formal music edu ...
, Pakistani American singer and songwriter. *
Abdul Rashid Ghazi Abdul Rashid Ghazi ( ur, عبد الرشید غازی; – 10 July 2007) was a Pakistani Islamic fundamentalist who served as the vice-chancellor of Faridia University. Prior to his radicalisation, he served as a diplomat for UNESCO. He was ...
, Pakistani Diplomat and Religious Cleric. *
Farooq Leghari Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari ( ur, ; 29 May 194020 October 2010), was a Pakistani politician who served as the eighth president of Pakistan from 14 November 1993 until resigning on 2 December 1997. He is the first Baloch to have been elected ...
, the 8th president of Pakistan. *
Maulana Muhammad Abdullah Mawlānā Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi ( ur, – 17 October 1998) was a Pakistani Islamic scholar who served as Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and as the first Imam of Lal Masjid, and founded Faridia University and Jamia Hafsa. He Gradu ...
, Islamic scholar who served as Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. * Sardar Mohammad Ayub Khan Gadhi, a
Member of the Provincial Assembly A Member of the Provincial Assembly, or MPA is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the legislature or legislative assembly of a subnational jurisdiction. In Pakistan, the members are elected by the voters in prov ...
and Ex-Minister for Counter Terrorism Punjab. * Kiran Maqsood Baluch, a Pakistani women cricketer. *
Maulana Abdul Aziz Abdul Aziz ( ur, ) is a Pakistani cleric and sermon preacher at Lal Masjid, Islamabad, which was the site of a siege in 2007 with the Pakistani army. He is also the current Chancellor of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia Faridia, Aziz was released from c ...
. Imam of Red Mosque *
Aftab Baloch Aftab Baloch ( ur, آفتاب بلوچ) (1 April 1953 – 24 January 2022) was a Pakistani cricketer. Career He played in two Tests from 1969 to 1975. A right-handed middle order batsman and capable right arm offbreak bowler, Baloch is best kno ...
, a former Pakistani cricketer. *
Zulfiqar Ali Khosa Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa ( ur, ; born 20 October 1935) is a Pakistani political leader, former senator and former Governor of Punjab. He represented Punjab, Pakistan in the Senate of Pakistan. Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan has been elected to ...
, a former governor of Punjab province. *
Mir Hazar Khan Khoso Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (, ) (30 September 1929 – 26 June 2021) was a Pakistani jurist who was the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan from 25 March to 5 June 2013. Khoso was a judge who previously served as the chief justice of the Federal Sh ...
, a former Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan. *
Latif Khosa Muhammad Latif Khosa (Punjabi and ur, ) is a politician representing Pakistan People's Party who has been the Governor of Punjab from 2011 until 2013. He is a lawyer by profession, having been a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of Pakis ...
, a former Governor of Punjab. *
Muhammad Muqeem Khan Khoso Sardar Muhammad Muqeem Khan Khoso (12 October 194917 April 2016; Urdu:سردار محمد مقیم خان کھوسو) was a Pakistani politician and the Chief Sardar of Khoso tribe. He was elected as a Member of National Assembly of Pakistan f ...
, a former Chief Sardar of the Khoso Tribe and former Member of the Provincial Assembly from PS-14 Jacobabad. *
Sarfraz Bugti Mir Sarfraz Bugti (Urdu, bal, ) (born June 1, 1981) is a Pakistani politician. He is the son of Mir Ghulam Qadir Masori Bugti. The latter is the pioneer of the middle-class movement against the tribal Sardars of Dera Bugti. Sarfraz Bugti is a ...
, a former home minister of Balochistan. Currently a member of the senate. *
Jam Kamal Khan Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani (; born 1 January 1970) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 16th Chief Minister of Balochistan, between August 2018 and October 2021. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan since August 2 ...
, the current chief minister of Balochistan. *
Sanaullah Khan Zehri Sardar Sanaullah Khan Zehri ( ur, ) is a Pakistani politician who had been the List of Chief Ministers of Balochistan, Chief Minister of Balochistan from 24 December 2015, to 9 December 2017. He belongs to Channal Zarakzai family and also the ...
, the 15th chief minister of Balochistan. *
Siraj Raisani Mir Siraj Khan Raisani (4 April 1963 – 13 July 2018) was a Pakistani politician from Balochistan. He belonged to the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). Previously, he had served as the chief of the political party called Balochistan Muttahida Mah ...
, a member of
Balochistan Awami Party The Balochistan Awami Party ( ur, , lit=Balochistan People's Party) is a political party based in the Balochistan province of Pakistan founded in 2018 by political dissidents of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) ...
. He is also a recipient of the
Sitara-e-Shujaat Sitara-e-Shujaat ( ur, ستارہِ شجاعت, , Star of Bravery), sometimes spelled Sitara-i-Shujaat, is the second-highest civil award for bravery bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is usually awarded to the Pakistani citizens ...
(star of bravery). *
Sherbaz Khan Mazari Sherbaz Khan Mazari () (6 October 1930 – 5 December 2020) was a Pakistani politician and a leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. Career Mazari was born in Rojhan Mazari on October 5, 1930. His father, Mir Murad Bakhsh Khan, was ...
, a Baluch veteran politician. *
Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari ( ur, ; 8 July 1928 – 4 November 2022) was a Pakistani politician who served as Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan for five weeks in 1993. He was the tumandar (or chieftain) and the paramount sardar of the M ...
, the interim prime minister of Pakistan in a 1993 caretaker government. *
Abdul Qadir Baloch Abdul Qadir Baloch (; born 9 April 1945) is a Pakistani politician and retired army general who served as Minister for States and Frontier Regions in the third Sharif ministry from 2013 to 2017 and in the Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2 ...
, a retired General in the Pakistan army. Currently a Pakistani politician. *
Khair Bakhsh Marri Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri (28 February 1928 – 10 June 2014), bal, نواب خیر بخش مری) was Pakistani politician from the province of Balochistan in Pakistan. Early life and career Khair Bakhsh Marri had received his early educ ...
was a Baloch politician from the province of
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
in Pakistan. *
Akbar Bugti Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti ( Balochi, Urdu: ; 12 July 1927 – 26 August 2006) was a Pakistani politician and the Tumandar (head) of the Bugti tribe of Baloch people who served as the Minister of State for Interior and Governor of Baloc ...
, the former Tumandar of the Bugti tribe and Minister of State of Balochistan Province. *
Muniba Mazari Muniba Mazari Baloch (Urdu: منیبہ مزاری; born 3 March 1987, also known as the ''Iron Lady of Pakistan'') is a Pakistani activist, anchor artist, model, singer and motivational speaker. She became the National Ambassador for UN Women Pak ...
, human rights activist, artist and motivational speaker. * Karima Baloch, human rights activist. *
Mahnoor Baloch Mahnoor Baloch (born 15 February 1970) is an American-born Canadian Pakistani actress, film director and former model. Baloch made her television debut in 1993 with the drama serial ''Marvi'' aired on PTV. She is often praised by critics for her ...
, Canadian Pakistani actress. *
Anmol Baloch Anmol Baloch, is a Pakistani television actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Areeba in the Hum TV television series Qurbatein, as ''Anmol'' in Hum TV's Aik Larki Aam Si and as Sajeeda in the Pakistani-Malaysian co-produced te ...
, television actress and model.


See also

*
Baloch people in the United Arab Emirates Baloch people in the United Arab Emirates comprise residents of the United Arab Emirates whose ancestral roots lie in Balochistan. The Baloch are one of the oldest migrant groups in the country. History Outside Balochistan, the largest Baloch dia ...
*
Baloch of Turkmenistan Beluch ( bal, ) or the Baloch of Turkmenistan are a small part of the greater Baloch people who live primarily in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. They immigrated into the Merv and the Murghab River inland delta from the areas west and north of ...
*
Insurgency in Balochistan The Insurgency in Balochistan is an insurgency or revolt by Baloch nationalists against the governments of Pakistan and Iran in the Balochistan region, which covers the Balochistan Province in southwestern Pakistan, Sistan and Baluchestan Prov ...
*
Al Balushi Al Balushi ( ar, البلوشي; alternatively Baloushi, Balooshi, Bloushi, Blushi or Blooshi) is a tribal surname common in the Persian Gulf region, particularly Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It is a '' n ...
* Firoud *
Kai Khosrow Kay Khosrow ( fa, کیخسرو) is a legendary king of Iran of Kayanian dynasty and a character in the Persian epic book, ''Shahnameh''. He was the son of the Iranian prince Siavash who married princess Farangis of Turan while in exile. Be ...
*
Balochi cuisine Balochi cuisine is the food and cuisine of the Baloch people from the Balochistan region, comprising the Pakistani Balochistan province, the Sistan and Baluchestan Province in Iran and Balochistan, Afghanistan. Baloch food has a regional varianc ...
*
Indo-Iranian peoples Indo-Iranian peoples, also known as Indo-Iranic peoples by scholars, and sometimes as Arya or Aryans from their self-designation, were a group of Indo-European peoples who brought the Indo-Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-Europea ...
*
Baloch nationalism __NOTOC__ Baloch nationalism ( Baloch: راج دۏستی بلۏچی) asserts that the Baloch people, an ethnic group native to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan are a distinct nation, and that their ethnicity overrides religious loyalty. The origins o ...
*
Hinglaj Mata mandir Hinglaj Mata (Hindi: हिंगलाज माता, bal, هنگلاج ماتا, ), also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, a ...
*
Kalat Kali Temple Kalāt or Qalāt ( Brahui/ Balochi: قلات), historically known as Qīqān, is a historic town located in Kalat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Kalat is the capital of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-e-Brahui and Kalat-e-Sewa. Q ...
*
Rostam Aziz Rostam Abdulrasul Azizi (born 21 August 1964) is a self-made Tanzanian billionaire, business magnate, economist and former politician. In 2013, according to Forbes Magazine he was the first Tanzanian dollar billionaire with a net worth of over ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

*


Further reading

* *


External links


Iran
''
The World Factbook ''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
''.
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
. * * {{Authority control Iranian ethnic groups Social groups of Balochistan, Pakistan Social groups of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ethnic groups in Afghanistan Ethnic groups in Oman Ethnic groups in Pakistan Ethnic groups in Iran Ethnic groups in South Asia Ethnic groups in the Middle East Nimruz Province Sistan and Baluchestan Province Ethnic groups divided by international borders Baloch culture