Baloch people

Baloch
بلوچ Baloosh

File:BalochPeople.jpg Mir Gul Khan Naseer, Mahnoor Baloch, Rostam Mirlashari, Jan Dashti Baloch in their national dress, from a 1910 photograph.
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan	12 million (1998)
Iran	1.8 million
Afghanistan	1.3 million
Oman	407,000 (2000)
United Arab Emirates	215,000 (2000)
Turkmenistan	28,000(1993)
Kuwait	20,000 (1993)
Qatar	13,000 (2007)
Saudi Arabia	12,000 (2007)
Somalia	8,200 (2007)
Languages
Balochi, Brahui and Sindhi
Religion
Islam Sunni (predominantly) and Zikris around Turbat
Related ethnic groups
Kurds and other Iranic groups

The Baloch (بلوچ) are the majority ethnic inhabitants of the region of Balochistan in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia, including parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

The Baloch speak Balochi, an Iranian language. They mainly inhabit mountainous terrains, which have allowed them to maintain a distinct cultural identity and resist domination by neighbouring rulers. The Baloch are predominantly Muslim, with most belonging to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, but there are also a significant number of Shia in Balochistan. Some 60 percent of the total Baloch population live in Pakistan. About 25 percent inhabit the contiguous region of southeastern Iran. In Pakistan the Balochi people are divided into two groups, the Sulaimani and the Makrani, separated from each other by a compact block of Brahui tribes.

Demographics

The Baloch-speaking population worldwide is estimated to be in the range of 20 to 30 million. However, the exact number of Baloch and those who are or claim to be of Baloch ancestry is difficult to determine. In the Punjab province of Pakistan almost 35% of peoples are Balochi. Most of them speak Saraiki but in the Jhang area of Punjab, the majority of the Baloch population speak Punjabi also.

It is possible that there are more Baloch than simply those who claim Balochi as their mother tongue. This, however, raises the question as to who is and is not a Baloch, as many surrounding peoples claim to be of Baloch descent but do not speak Balochi. The Brahui, having lived in proximity to the Baloch, have absorbed substantial linguistic and genetic admixture from the Baloch and in many cases are indistinguishable. Despite very few cultural differences from the Baloch, the Brahui are still regarded as a separate group on account of language difference.

The higher population figure for the Baloch may only be possible if a large number of "Baloch" are included who speak a different languages, such as Saraikis, Sindhi, Panjabi and Brahui, and who often claim descent from Baloch ancestors. Many Baloch outside of Balochistan are also bilingual or of mixed ancestry due to their proximity to other ethnic groups including the Sindhis, Brahui, Persians, Saraikis and Pashtuns. A large number of Baloch have been migrating or have been living in adjacent provinces to Balochistan for centuries. In addition, there are many Baloch located in other parts of the world with the bulk living in the GCC countries of the Persian Gulf.

There is a significant population of Baloch in western countries such as Sweden and Australia. It is known that many Baloch settled in Australia in the 1800s and now fourth generation Baloch still live in Australia, mainly in Perth.

Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan, Afghanistan and surrounding areas, 1980. The Baloch are shown in pink.

See also: Baloch diaspora

Baloch in Oman

The Southern Baloch of Oman began migrating from the coastal Balochistan to the Arab lands some 200 years ago before oil was discovered there. Baloch in Oman have maintained their ethnic and linguistic distinctions. The Southern Baloch compose approximately 35% of the country's population. The traditional Baloch economy is based on a combination of farming and semi-nomadic shepherding.

History of the Baloch People

Main article: History of the Baloch people

There are different viewpoints about the origins of the Balochs, including Arabs, Turks, Iranis, and Italians who migrated to Balochistan with Alexander The Great and did not return back.

L. M. Dames says that Balochs are ancestral Irani, who migrated from the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea. L. W. Oshanen, a well-known anthropologist of the Soviet Union, has supported Dames' theory. The northern and southern Baloch, however, consider themselves of Arab descent, and Aleppo their first homeland. There is no doubt that Baloch tribes, particularly Bugti, and Rind, joined the Balochis during wars in Baloch regions, so there were many Arabs in that area at the time. To this viewpoint that Balochis are Arabs, Rai Bahadur Hetoraam also agrees and identifies them as descendants of Hazrat Ameer Hamza, uncle of Hazrat Muhammad.

File:1stBalochi.jpg

Officers of the 27th Bombay Native Infantry (1st Balochis), from the British Indian Army made up of Balochi people. Circa 1867.

Now have an overview on those anecdote that are based upon Balochi Ancient poetry, reasoning that the Balochis are Qureshi Arabs ( Generation of Hazrat Ibrahim). All Balochis are well-renowned due to hospitality like Arabs, no doubt whom ancestor is Hazrat Ibrahim. On the other hand Balochi curls are Imitation of Spiritual Hierarchical. Prayers of al-Aqsa Mosque never shaved there poll hair. Baloch also follow the Practice of Hazrat Abraham to judge the Truth and Falsehood by moving the suspicious person on the live coal (Baloch use Specially wood of "Kaheer" (because its coal does not turns into ash within about 24 hours).

Briefly describing, first of all a channel (about 10 ft (3.0 m) in length, 4 ft (1.2 m) in width and 3 ft (0.91 m) depth) is dug and wood of Kaheer (commonly) is burnt to prepare coal during this time a reciter recites some verses of the Qu'ran, after that the suspicious person is asked to walk on the blazing coal in the presence of Above All (Muqadams, white beard men). If he is true then coal never burns his feet, a blameless Baloch has faith in this fact to that day. It is known by "Patt" in Balochi.

Languages

Major Ethnic Groups of Iran
Mazanderani Persian Kurd Kurd Gilaki Lur Balochi Azerbaijani Turkmen Qashqai Uninhabited Arab Arab Talysh

The national language of the Baloch is Balochi. In Balochistan, their second-most commonly spoken language is Brahui, a language of unknown origins with a lot of Iranic (mainly Balochi) loanwords. Brahui has been hypothesized to have been a proto-Dravidian origin.

The Baloch do not only live in Balochistan but also are in Sindh and Southern Punjab of Pakistan, in Southern Afghanistan, Eastern Iran, Persian Gulf States and Mari region of Turkmenistan. There are also Baloch who migrated and still live on the East African coast in towns such as Mombasa and Dar es-Salaam. The Baloch Talpur Leghari ruled Sindh before the British annexation of Sindh to the British Raj. The Baloch in Sindh, South Punjab speak Sindhi, Panjabi and Saraiki.

Baloch society is divided in tens of tribes and Sub-tribes some tribes speak Brahui and some speak Balochi, and there are many tribes who speaks both and as well as Sindhi and Siraiki. The MarriBijarani tribe and the Bugti tribe speak Balochi. Mengal tribe speak Brahui and they live in Chagai, Khuzdar, Kharan and in souther parts of Afghanistan, The Lango tribe, who live in central Balochistan in the Mangochar area, speak Balochi as their first language and Brahui as their second. The Bizenjo tribe that live in the Khuzdar, Nal and parts of Makkura, along with the Muhammadsanis, (one of the largest Baloch tribes) speak both languages. The Bangulzai tribe is a Brahui-speaking tribe but a sub-tribe of the Bangulzai, the Garanis, speak Balochi and are known as Balochi-speaking Bangulzais.

The Mazari in Rajanpur speak Balochi, while the Leghari the largest Baloch tribe living in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan speak Saraiki. In Dera Ghazi Khan, their tribal elder is ex-President of Pakistan Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. The Leghari in Sindh speak Sindhi & Saraiki both. The Gopang in Rajanpur, Sadiq Abad and Rahim Yar Khan speak Saraiki while those living in Sindh speak Sindhi. Ahmedani tribe is the largest in terms of number both in Sindh and Punjab. In Punjab, the tribe is mainly settled in Dera Ghazi Khan division. A village has also been named as Mana Ahmedani in honour their tribal elder 'Mana Khan'(late). Also exists other Baloch tribe Nizamani living in dera gazi khan(panjab)and also in sanghar (sindh)and other parts of sindh and the majority of nizamani baloch speak seraeki. The Bijarani settled in Sindh speak Balochi. Kolachi,Nutkani and Malghani Baloch living in the Dera Ghazi Khan and Sindh province of Pakistan speak Saraiki,Sindhi,Balochi while those living in Sibi district of Balochistan speak Balochi. Malghani are part of the Nutkani tribe, which is the largest tribe of the Tehsil. The Talpur, Mastoi, Jatoi, Gabol, Lashari, Chandio, Bozdar,Samma, Jiskani and other Baloch tribes settled in Sindh speaks , Sindhi and Balochi and Siraiki. Qaisrani Baloch living near Taunsa Sharif speak Saraiki, while their clansmen living the Dera Ghazi Khan tribal areas speak Balochi. Rind Baloch settled in Sindh speak Sindhi and Siraiki.Tauqi Baloch settled in Khara, Noshki, Chaghi and Washuk Districts of Balochistan and speak both the languages Balochi and Bravi, but their basic language is Balochi.

Notable people

• Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti
• Zafarullah Khan Jamali
• Gul Khan Nasir
• Mir Ghaus Bux Bizenjo
• Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal
• Akhtar Jan Mengal
• Abdul Karim Shorish
• Nawab Khair Bux Marri
• Sanaullah Baloch

See also

• Baloch tribes
• Balochistan
• Brahui people
• Demographics of Iran
• Demographics of Pakistan
• Demographics of Afghanistan
• Demographics of Oman
• Demographics of United Arab Emirates
• Demographics of Kuwait
• Baloch civil wars
• Hazrat Babajan

References

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