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

THE BRAHUI (Brahvi)The Baluch and the Brahui - and their RebellionsEthnologyThe Brahuis are the dominant and most numerous race in Baluchistan. British ethnology documents do not fully determine the Brahui originexcept to say, they are possibly of the Tartars, while more recent census reports (1998) lend to the possibilities of Turko-Iranian extraction (the samewith the Afghan and Baluch).The name Brahui means “highlander,” as opposed to Narui (Baluch) “lowlander.” They are divided into a number of tribes or khels (kheil) andare a wandering, unsettled nation. The Brahui always reside in one part of the country in summer and in another during the winter; they likewisechange their immediate places of residence many times every year in quest of pasturage for their flocks – a practice which is rare among the Baluchtribes.The Brahuis are equally faithful in an adherence to their promises, and equally hospitable with the Baluch, and on the whole [as noted by British],are preferred as to their general character.The 1930 Military report on Baluchistan notes that the “Brahui tribe [is] based on common good and ill; cemented by obligations arising fromblood feud. Unsurpassed in strength and hardiness; excellent mountaineers and good marksmen; “mean, parsimonious, avaricious, exceedinglyidle...”LanguageThe bulk of the present Baluch and Brahui populations are bilingual, and sometimes trilingual. Baluchi and Brahui may be their mother tonguesbut they are equally fluent in Sindhi and Saraiki.ReligionBrahuis are all Sunni Muslims and their external forms, such as marriage and interment, are practiced according to the tenets of that sect. Theyare, however, very lax as to religious observances and ceremonies, and very few of their tomans are furnished with a place of worship.LocationOccupy the great mountainous band extending from the south of Quetta to Lasbela. In the northeast of Kharan, Brahuis are numerous. Brahuitribes usually migrate to the plains of Bolan District for winter from Kalat, Mastung, and Quetta districts and return to their homes after winterTribal Analysis Center, 6610-M Mooretown Road, Box 159. Williamsburg, VA, 23188