Baloch people

Baloch بلوچ

File:Baluchpeopletitle2.jpg
Total population
approximately 9 million
Regions with significant populations
Baluchestan (region)	6.2 million (2008)
Iran	1.484 million (2009)
Afghanistan	567,920 (2009)
Oman	425,000 (2009)
United Arab Emirates	100,000
Turkmenistan	28,000 (1993)
Kuwait	20,000 (1993)
Qatar	13,000 (2007)
Saudi Arabia	12,000 (2007)
Somalia	8,200 (2007)
Bahrain	25,000 (2009)
Languages
Balochi, Kurdish, Pashto, Mazandarani and Persian
Religion
Sunni Islam (predominantly) and Zikris (minority)
Related ethnic groups
Kurdish people, Pashtuns, Mazandaranis, Lurs and other Iranic groups

The Baloch' or Baluch (بلوچ) are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Persian people including Kurds and Lurs. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Baluchestan region and Sistan va Baluchestan in the southeast corner of the Persian plateau in Western Asia since their departure from Mesopotamia due to reasons largely believed to be continuous wars and chaos in Ancient Persia that pushed them towards their present location in Sistan va Baluchestan in present day Iran and later towards Baluchestan and parts of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, as well as on the other side of the Gulf of Oman in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain.

The Baluch people mainly speak Baluchi, which is a branch of the Persian languages. They inhabit mountainous terrains and deserts and maintain a distinct cultural identity.

Some 70 percent of the total Baloch population live in Baluchestan. About 22 percent inhabit the Iranian region of Sistan va Baluchestan. Much of the remaining live in Afghanistan, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait. Small communities of Baluch people also live in Sweden, and Perth, Australia where they arrived in 1800's.

Origins and History

File:Iranburntcity.jpg

Ancient Temple in the region of Sistan va Baluchestan province of Iran. One of the most ancient sites in Iran is The Burnt City, located in the Eastern part of the country, South of Zabol in the region of Sistan

File:Baluchtribals.jpg

Baluch man in the mountains of Khuzdar

Baluch first moved to the region Sistan va Baluchestan province of Iran in the twelfth century. Their name, "Baluch," is shrouded in controversy. Some say it means "nomad," while others claim that it is anAncient Persian word meaning "the cock's crest." They migrated some thousands of years ago due to reasons widely blamed on the general beginning of chaos in the region, to present day Sistan va Baluchestan province of Iran and later to others parts of Baluchestan, Afghanistan, [[Turkmenistan] and others.

Baluchi Culture

The Baluchis are the ancient Iranians who have their exclusive and special celebrations and feats. For a curious visitor who arrives in ancient province of Sakestan, or today Sistan va Baluchistan province of Iran, the first interesting issue that attracts the attention most is the way Baluchis are dressed up. Baluchis have preserved their way of clothing with a slight change. Men wear long shirts, loose pants resembling Partho-Sasanid outfits, added by a turban around their heads while women put on loose dress and pants with needle works that are special of the people of the area and is not common in other parts of the country. The upper part of the dress and sleeves are decorated with needle works, an artistic work that is specific of the clothing of the Baluchi women. They cover their hair with a scarf that is called `Sarig' in the local dialect. Baluchi women usually put on gold ornaments such as necklace and bracelet but their special jewelry is `Dorr' or heavy earrings that are fastened to the head with gold chains so that their heavy weight will not cause the tearing of the ear. They usually wear a gold brooch called `Tasni' that are made by local jewelers in various shapes and are used to fasten the two parts of the dress over the chest.

Apart from the dressing style of the Baluchis, Indigenous and local traditions and customs were of greater importance to the Baluchis in the past as apparently up to about half a century ago when the central and provincial government of the chieftains were imposed as the individual dictatorships.

Therefore, it can be concluded that there were no formulated laws and regulations in order to regulate social behaviors. Under such circumstances, traditions and customs in fact filled the vacuum caused by the absence of laws which were used in the regulation of many social relations and therefore enjoyed special credit among the Baluchi tribal people.

Baluchi gril.

A Baluch girl in Sistan va Baluchestan province of Iran

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Baluchi Customs and Traditions

• Beggari

This is a custom specific of the time when the Baluchi youth reaches the age of marriage but apparently his family cannot afford the marriage expenses due to their economic condition. Under such circumstances, the youth would go to his relatives and friends and would discuss with them his decision about marriage and would ask for their `Beggari', or in other words, their contribution.

Such a tradition is so strongly respected that even the poorest member of the family cannot remain indifferent towards such a demand and feels obliged to pay a certain amount of money in cash or offer material aid. Lack of participation in such a benevolent affair will cause humiliation and disgrace. Therefore, although Beggari is a voluntary contribution, however, a social compulsion can be traced in it somehow. Even in the case of those who have no children and cannot benefit from the advantages of Beggari in future, participation in this benevolent act guarantees further social credit. As a result of this, marriage is being made more easily among Baluchis as the community is meeting the cost.

• Hashar

This is a custom that is applied when an individual cannot perform a task alone and needs help of the others.

Traditionally, working for money is not customary, and those who need help would go to their relatives and friends and would inform them of their decision to do a special job on a specific day and for that purpose they need a certain number of work force. Under such circumstances, as many volunteers may join the collective work without being paid.

If the work is accomplished within a day, the only thing that the employer has to do is to prepare lunch and dinner for the workers by usually slaughtering a sheep for making the required food. If the work takes longer, more preparations will be made and new volunteers will substitute the previous ones.

However, there would be enough volunteers to complete the work through collective cooperation, as it is not customary to give a negative response to the call for contribution.

Such a habit is mostly customary in rural areas where people are mainly engaged in agriculture where Hashar is being practiced in various stages of the work from cultivation to harvest. It is also widely practiced in building rural houses and bridges and in collecting dates. Such a habit is still practiced given its positive social effects despite the fact that paid work is gradually established.

Baluch boy

a Baluch boy

• Bagi

This custom was widely practiced in the past while these days it is losing importance in areas going through the trend of urbanization.

In the practice of such a tradition, people are used to cook extra food and would distribute it among needy people in their neighborhood. Those who were well off and could have better nutrition would carefully observe this.

The positive social impact of such a tradition has removed the negative feeling of humiliation as receiving Bagi is not tantamount to receiving donations but rather is some sort of contribution among neighbors and is not limited to a specific person or a specific family.

Bagi is not merely confined to consumption but is performed in a wider dimension that forges greater convergence among neighbors and minimizes probable disputes. At the meantime, it helps fair distribution of limited facilities.

Baluchistan waterfall

view of a waterfall in Baluchistan

• Divan

Settlement of disputes in their everyday life is of great importance. In order to solve problems, people would gather in a place and while studying various aspects of disputes, they try to find the best possible solution in an effort to secure satisfaction of the parties involved. The place in the local dialect is called `Divan' and is normally a house that belongs to the eldest member of the community.

Baluch couple

a Baluch couple

Of course Divan is not merely exclusive for the settlement of disputes but is also used for exchange of information and consultations for the coordination of affairs. However, the significance of Divan at the time of the settlement of disputes lies in the fact that although decision-making at Divan is not legally valid, however, it is applicable and is rarely ignored by the parties to the dispute.

The reason is that presence of the gathering at the place is to some extent the executive and moral guarantee for the parties to the dispute and if one party for any reason ignores the agreement reached at Divan, in fact it would damage its own social credibility. If Divan fails to settle the dispute, the case will be solved on the basis of the rules of the religion.

The tradition of Divan is being gradually forgotten in both rural and urban areas but it is still being enforced among some tribes. A unified Judicial system in fact have substituted traditional Divan and the elderly people are still settling regulations in rural and urban areas but not completely as in primary stages attempts are made to resolve the disputes through local traditions and at the Divans of the elderly.

Baluch women dress

Baluch women dress

• Mayar

The habit is inspired by a social reality and need for the support of the oppressed against the oppressor. When a powerful individual is oppressing a powerless person for any reason, the former can seek help from a stronger person who has enough power to defend his right. Given the undertakings that the host feels towards the person who seeks help as `Mayar', he is free either to accept the demand or deny it.

But, as soon as he accepts, the social tradition puts the responsibility of the Mayar's defense on the shoulder of the host. Of course, the importance of the tradition becomes further evident when the person who seeks help is not guilty and whose rights have been trampled upon. However, when the person seeks help according to the tradition of Mayar, he becomes a member of the family and tribe of the host and can enjoy his support until his problem is solved.

Sometimes the situation will remain unchanged forever and the person who seeks help will remain in the new condition. Therefore, it will become part of the responsibility of the host to find a job for the person who seeks help and puts enough capital at his disposal. This will help enable the powerless people to defend themselves against the oppressors.

• Karch-va-Kapon

This tradition is practiced when a person for any reason kills someone else, either intentionally or unintentionally. Under such circumstances an unreasonable feeling of revenge will afflict the Baluchi tribes to the extent that no matter to what tribe the murderer belonged, if he is out of reach, a member of his family or one of his relatives can be killed in his place or, in other words, take revenge.

Under these circumstances many innocent people will become victim of such a revenge merely for belonging to a certain family or tribe. At this moment, in an effort to prevent further bloodshed, the elderly members of the family resort to the custom of `shroud and knife.' They send the murderer together with a knife and a piece of white cloth to the family of the person who has been killed and they are free either to punish him or forgive him.

However, punishment of the murderer is not a proven act from social and scientific points of view while forgiveness is the manifestation of generosity. For this reason, the murderer will be forgiven and returned to his family.

Sometimes it may happen that in order to remove all the hostilities and misunderstandings, the two families prepare marriages as a means to put aside differences. Of course, sometimes ransom would be demanded. In that case the family of the murderer or the tribe to which he belongs will pay the money.

Although prosecution of the murderer falls within the authority of the law, however, there are still evidences indicating that tribal people are willing to safeguard the tradition of `shroud and knife'.

• Patardeyag

This tradition is practiced when there is a quarrel between two or more members of a tribe. The side that is guilty of fomenting the quarrel accepts to apologize but not verbally rather through a mediator who is usually an elderly of the tribe. No matter how deep the difference, the other party usually accepts the apology, as its rejection will cause criticism of others.

Following the acceptance of the apology, the side that had fomented the quarrel will invite the other party to a dinner party through the mediator and a sheep is slaughtered on the occasion. There is no need for verbal apology and normally no word would be said about issues causing the dispute. Holding the Patardeyag ceremony implies acceptance of the apology and removal of all differences.

Music and Major Instruments

[[Image:sistani dance2.jpg|thumb|alt=Baluch Men.|Baluch men performing Baluchi traditional dance in Sistan va Baluchestan The folk music has always played a great role in Baluchi traditions. The Baluchi music and instruments belong to the same branch of Persian music performed by many other Iranian people including Kurds, Lurs, Tajiks and others. Traditions like transfer of knowledge from generation to generation by singing lullaby to children and praising warriors also have a significant role in Baluchi music traditions. The fact that both men and women participate in folk music reflects on the pre-Islamic significance of folk music in Baluchi culture. Many years of invasions, wars and later adopted religious values have prevented Baluchi music from prevailing further in the 21st century. However, a Swedish folk band Golbang has made achievements in introducing Baluchi folk music in the western world. The instruments used in Baluchi music can also be found throughout modern day Kurdistan,Iran, Afghanistan and present day occupied Baluchestan. The most commonly used instruments in Baluchi folk music are Tanbur, long-necked lutes. Lutes have been present in Mesopotamia since the Akkadian era, or the third millennium BCE. Dohol a large cylindrical drum with two skin heads, it is the principal accompaniment for the Surna an ancient Iranian woodwind instrument that dates back to the Achaemenid Dynasty (550-330 B.C.E.). Ney which is also commonly played with using single or double flutes. Suroz, a Baluchi folk violin is also commonly played. Other Baluchi musical instruments include: Tar, Saz, and others.

Baloch Men.

Baluch men performing their traditional folk music in Vällingby Stockholm, Sweden

Languages

Balochi language is spoken in Iran, Baluchestan (region), Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf Arab-States, Turkmenistan and also as far as East Africa. It is classified as a member of the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family which includes Kurdish, Persian, Pashto, Dari, Tajik, Ossetian. Baluchi is closely related to Kurdish and Persian.

• Comparison table between Persian languages

English	Baluchi	Kurdish	Pashto	Mazandarani	Persian	Middle Persian	Old Persian	Avestan
beautiful	sharr, soherâ	rind, delal/cwan	ʂkulai/xkulai, ʂɑjista/xɑjista	ṣəmxâl/ Xəş-nəmâ	zibâ/ xuš-chehreh	hučihr, hužihr	naiba	vahu-, srîra
brother	brāt, brās	bira	wror	birâr	barādar	brād, brâdar	brâtar	brâtar-
daughter	dohtir, duttag	keç, kîj, dot/kiç, kîj, kenîşk	lur	kijâ/ dether	doxtar	duxtar	unknown	duxδar
dark	thár	tarî/tarîk	tjɑrə	siyo	târīg/k	duxtar	unknown	sâmahe, sâma
father	pit, piss	bav/bab, bawk	plɑr	piyer	pedar	pidar	pitar	pitar
man	merd	mêr/ pyaw	saɺ̡ai, meɺ̡ə	merd	mard	mard	martiya-	mašîm, mašya
mother	mât, mâs	dayik, mak	saɺ̡ai, meɺ̡ə	mor	mâr	mâdar	mādar	mâtar

More examples: Persian languages

There are two main dialects: Eastern and Western. It is difficult to estimate the total number of Baluchi speakers, but there are probably around six million, most of whom speak Western Baluchi, which is also the dialect that has been most widely used in Baluchi literature. Within the Western dialect are two further dialects, Rakhshani (in the northern areas) and Makrani (in the south). Like many other Iranian people, the Baluch are divided in several tribes and sub-tribes. Some of these tribes speak Brahui, while most speak Baluchi. Multilingualism is common, with many Baluch speaking both Brahui and Baluchi. The Marri tribe and the Bugti tribe speak Baluchi. The Mengal tribe, who live in Chagai, Khuzdar, Kharan and in southern parts of Afghanistan, speak Brahui. The Lango tribe, who live in central Baluchestan in the Mangochar area, speak Baluchi as their first language and Brahui as their second. The Bizenjo tribe living in the Khuzdar, Nal, and parts of Makkura, along with the Muhammadsanis, speak both languages. The Bangulzai tribe mostly speaks Brahui, but has a Baluchi-speaking minority (known as Garanis).

The Mazaris widely speak Baluchi or both dialects. The Malghani are part of the Nutkani tribe, which is the largest tribe of the Tehsil. The Talpur, Mastoi, Jatoi, Gabol, Lashari, Chandio, Khushk, Khosa, Bozdar, Jiskani, Heesbani, Magsi, Zardari, Rind, Bhurgri, Jakhrani and other Baluch tribes that settled in Sindh speak Sindhi, Baluchi and Siraiki. Qaisrani Baluch living near Taunsa Sharif speak Saraiki and Baluchi, while their clansmen living the Dera Ghazi Khan tribal areas speak Balochi. Lund Baluch living in Shadan Lund speak Sindhi, Sairaki and Balochi. The Leghari, Lashari, Korai, Kunara Baluch settled in the Dera Ismail Khan and Mianwali Districts of khyber pakhtoonkhwa speaks Siraiki as their first Language.The Tauqi Baloch settled in the Khara, Noshki, Chaghi and Washuk Districts of Balochistan and can speak both Baluchi and Bravi, but their primary language is Baluchi.Buzdar is one of the largest tribe of baloch in southern Punjab, living in Koh-e-Suleman. The Buzdar Tribe is comprised of 4 union councils in District Dera Ghazi khan. It is headed by Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Buzdar, While Sardar Farooq Buzdar, also belonging froms same family, hold a very prominent position among the Buzdar tribe.

Baluch in Oman

The Southern Baluch of Oman began migrating from coastal Baluchestan to the Arab lands some 200 years before oil was discovered. The Baloch in Oman have maintained their ethnic and linguistic distinctions. The Southern Baloch compose approximately 22% of the country's population. The traditional Baloch economy is based on a combination of trade, farming and semi-nomadic shepherding.

See also

• Baluchi Music
• Persian people
• Sistan va Baluchestan province
• Brahui People
• Kurdish People
• Afghan People

References

• Note: population statistics for Baloch (including those without a citation) in foreign countries were derived from various census counts, the UN, the CIA World Factbook and Ethnologue.

http://www.unpo.org/article/6116

http://www.iranchamber.com/people/articles/cultural_anthropology_of_baluchis.php

External links

• Baluch tribal structure, US Naval Postgraduate School