the baluch and the brahui and their rebellions - Tribal Analysis Center

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The Baluch and the Brahui - and their RebellionsThe Baluch(Baloch, Balooch, Beluch, Biluch)Tribal StructureThe Baluch ethnic group is comprised of approximately 15-25 independent units, more akin to confederations than tribes. Baluch tribalhierarchies are somewhat loosely defined, being based more on alliance and location than tribal identity. Largely independent from one another, eachtribe recognizes a clear internal hierarchical structure, a characteristic that differentiates the Baluch from the more egalitarian neighboring Pashtuntribes. This hierarchic structure greatly impacts Baluch tribal unity and interaction with other groups. The Baluch have traditionally been moreresponsive to both internal and external authority and more willing to incorporate outsiders than Pashtun tribes.The Baluch are broadly divided into eastern and western linguistic groupings with the Brahui ethnic group falling between. The western Baluchtribes, referred to as Mekrani Baluch after the Mekran region, is the smaller of the two and includes those tribes located in Mekran Division, KharanDistrict of Kalat Division, Chagai District of Quetta Division in Baluchistan, and those living in southeastern Iran and southwestern Afghanistan. Mostof the tribes of the eastern grouping, referred to as Sulaimani Baluch after the Sulaiman Range, are located primarily in Sibi Division, Baluchistan.Others live in Nasirabad Division, Baluchistan, and large numbers live outside Baluchistan in Punjab and Sindh Provinces. A few also live in theNorth-West Frontier Province. The western or plains Baluch have historically been seen as more peaceful than the eastern or hill Baluch.The British who dealt with the Baluch from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s saw both the western and eastern Baluch as easier to manage than thePashtun tribes to the north and northeast. Stereotypes of the independent, egalitarian Pashtun with a strong sense of Pashtun identity contrast withthose of the less independent, more hierarchical Baluch who mix more freely with other tribes. The stereotypes still exist, even among the Baluch andPashtuns themselves. Pashtun tribes usually claim descent from a common ancestor and recognize a familial-like bond within their division, clan, andtribe. They also recognize a very strict common set of characteristics that make one a Pashtun, including speaking Pashtu and following the Pashtuncode or Pashtunwali. The Baluch on the other hand define their tribe according to more political and geographic criteria: loyalty to an authority andcommon location. Anyone choosing to live under the authority of the tribal chief can be considered a part of the tribe. An outsider wishing to join aBaluch tribe or section first moves into a Baluch tribe’s area, shares in the tribe’s good and ill fortune, is eventually able to obtain tribal land, and isfully admitted upon marrying a woman from the tribe.The tendency of Baluch tribes to take on outside groups or members, and likewise for groups or members to leave one tribe for another, makesestablishing a basis for a tribal hierarchy difficult. One often encounters the same sub-element split between two or more tribes. To further complicatematters, elements sometimes change their names or take on the name of their host, even in the case where they are not ethnically Baluch. In manyparts of Baluchistan, it is popular to be considered a Baluch, so non-Baluch will sometimes take on Baluch tribal names, and after many years, maybecome considered as such. For example, Gichkis, Khetrans, and Nausherwanis are considered to be of non-Baluch origin (Khetrans do not evenspeak Baluchi), and yet multiple sources list them as Baluch in tribal hierarchies.Tribal Analysis Center, 6610-M Mooretown Road, Box 159. Williamsburg, VA, 23188
The Baluch and the Brahui - and their RebellionsThe structure within each Baluch tribe follows a more or less common pattern: 23I. Tuman/Toman (Tribe): The Baluch are divided into tumans led by a tumandar/tomandar (chief). 24 The term tuman also refers to a Baluch village.A. Para/Phara (Clan): Tumans are divided into paras led by a mukadum/mukadam (headman or chief).1. Pali/Phalli (Sept or Division): Paras are divided into palis led by aheadman, sometimes called a wadera.a. Family: Palis are sometimes further divided into family groupsled by the head of the family, sometimes called a motabar.A grouping called a sub-tuman occurs in some cases between tuman and para and is a large clan or sub-tribe, having its own significant sectionsakin to clans. Examples of these are the Haddiani clan of the Leghari tribe, the Durkani and Lashari clans of the Gurchani tribe, the Ghulmani clanof the Buzdar tribe, the Shambani clan of the Bugti tribe, and the Mazarani clan of the Marri tribe.According to legend, when the Baluch first arrived in Baluchistan, they were united under one headman, one Jalal Khan, but soon split eitheralong ancestral lines or based on which headman they chose to follow as they spread north and east across Baluchistan. Some sources indicate theBaluch are essentially made up of three or five main tribal groupings, though these vary according to the source. Some list the Narui, Rind, and Magzi,some the Rind, Magzi, and Lashari, and some the Rind, Hot, Lashari, Kaheri, and Jatoi. 25 In addition to these, there were several other unaffiliatedBaluch tribes. These divisions seem to serve little purpose today. Though a Baluch tribe may hearken back to their Rind or Lashari origins, they areindependent of these tribes.23. The Marri tribe does not use the same terms for its elements. Some sources refer to the element between tuman and pali as a takkar rather than a para.24. Tribe, clan, or division/section heads are often referred to as sardars as well.25. Narui or Nharui is also a term meaning “non-hill men” often used by the Brahui ethnic group to refer to all Baluch.Tribal Analysis Center, 6610-M Mooretown Road, Box 159. Williamsburg, VA, 23188
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