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Baloch of Afghanistan

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The Baloch of Afghanistan
اوگانستان ءِ بلۏچ
Total population
1 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
Balochistan Afghanistan
Languages
Balochi
Dari
Religion
Predominantly: Sunni Islam

The Baloch of Afghanistan (Balochi: اوگانستان ءِ بلۏچ;Persian: بلوچ های افغانستان) are Baloch people who live in the southwestern of Afghanistan, Balochistan Afghanistan along the border with Iran and Pakistan. The number of the Baloch in Afghanistan is estimated at 1 million people or roughly 2% of the population of Afghanistan.[1][2]

They are the majority in Nimroz Province.[3][4] Baloch also have a presence in Helmand, Faryab, Takhar, Herat, Kandahar, Badakhshan and other parts of Afghanistan.[5][6]

History

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Ibrahim Khan Baloch Fort

The history of the Baloch presence in the land that is today called Afghanistan goes back early time.[7] The author of the history of Sistan, in the description of the massacre and destruction of many , the Baloch and Majus around Hamun Lake, and mentions the presence of the Baloch in Sistan Basin(modern-day Balochistan in Nimruz province) the fifth century.[8]

Muhammad bin Khwandshah bin Mahmud, known as Mirkhvand, narrated in the book of Rawżat aṣ-ṣafāʾ, the battle of the Baloch led by Baloch Shah against Mubarak Shah the Khan of the Chagatai Khanate in Herat.[9]


The Baloch chiefdom, the Sanjranis family who ruled Sistan with its capital at Chakansur in the early and late 19th century. [10][11] Ibrahim Khan Sanjrani Fort is reported to belong to Sanjrani Chiefdom.[12] It was an union of the Baloch tribes under the leadership of Sardar Ebrahim Khan Sanjarani and Sardar Sharif Nahrui.[13] The battle between Ibrahim Khan Sanjrani Baloch and Abdur Rahman Khan took place on 1299/1882. Ibrahim Khan were defeated and the Afghan governor of Farāh captured the fort.[14]

Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai the sixth Baloch ruler of kalat was one of the most prominent and influential rulers of the Khanate of Kalat. He played a crucial role in consolidating Baloch power, unifying the Baloch tribes, and shaping the political and administrative structure of the Khanate. Balochistan, Afghanistan was a part of Baloch rulers.[15][16]

Front of Nimruz was founded in 1979 in Nimruz province of Afghanistan by Abdul Karim Brahui and Gul Mohammad Rahimi.[17][18] It was a Baloch nationalist guerrilla group,[19][20] representing the Baloch people of southwestern Afghanistan.

Culture

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Baloch Balisht(Pillow), late 19th century, Nimruz

Rug weaving is a common profession among the Baloch tribes of Afghanistan. Balochi rugs, floor coverings made by the Baloch, are often sold in the Herat local market and global market.[21]

The Baloch have their own dress code and have preserved the Baloch dress, which is their ancient tradition.Balochi needlework and handicrafts are the art of Baloch women in Afghanistan. Baloch women wear clothes called "Za Asteen Guptan", which are designed on Baloch needlework and embroidery.[22]

Keeping and breeding camels, as well as holding camel riding competitions in Nimroz province, is popular among the Baloch.[23]

The Baloch in Afghanistan speak the Balochi language.[24] In the fall of 1978, Balochi was recognized as an official language of Afghanistan, alongside Pashto and Dari. A weekly newspaper in Balochi began publication in September 1978.[25]

One of the famous Baloch customs is Chelo or Ramadani, where at the end of Eid(festival), the doors of houses are knocked on and the owners of the houses give them money, wheat, rice and biscuits. Another Baloch tradition in Afghanistan is called Shek Satin or Shab Nashini, where friends and acquaintances gather together on the night of Eid and stay up all night until morning.[26]

Balochi music, Choub bazi and Balochi dance, Chaap are customy among the Baloch people in Afghanistan. The Baloch Council of Afghanistan(Balochi:اوگانستانی بلوچانی شورا ) is a Baloch socio-cultural organization that celebrates Baloch Culture Day every year.

Notable people

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Ghulam Mohammad Lalzad Baloch is a Baluchi language broadcast journalist, based in Toronto, Canada. He is originally from Nimroz Afghanistan.[27] He was with the Baluchi service of All India Radio from 1974 to 2003.[28][29]

Naeem Baloch, center, the governor of Helmand province

Mohammad Naeem Baloch served as the governor of the Helmand Province in Afghanistan from 2012[30][31][32] until 2015.[33] Prior to that, he worked as an Afghan intelligence officer in the Helmand Province.[30][31][32]

Nimroz Provincial Gov. Abdul Karim Brahui

Abdul Karim Brahui last served as Governor of Nimroz Province from 2010 to 2012, and before that he served as a minister in the Cabinet of Afghanistan.[34] [35] From February 2009 to August 2010, Brahui served as Minister of Refugees. In 2004, He was appointed as Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs.[36] He was the head of the Baloch Council of Afghanistan for a while.

Naeema Baloch was the head of the Afghan women Police before the Taliban came to power.

Farida Hamidi a Baloch women politician who was a representative of the people of Nimroz province in the 16th term of the House of the People(Afghanistan).[37][38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Tyagi, Vidya Prakash (2009). Martial races of undivided India. Kalpaz Publications. p. 12. ISBN 9788178357751.
  2. ^ Bruns, Miggelbrin, Bettina Bruns, Judith (2012). Subverting Borders. Springer. p. 41,45.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Baloch Tribal Council". Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "Afghanistan's Forgotten Province". The Diplomat. December 1, 2010. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  5. ^ Carina،Korn, Jahani،Korn (2003). The Baloch and Their Neighbours. Reichert. p. 260. ISBN 9783895003660.
  6. ^ Crews, Bashir, Robert, Shahzad (212). Under the Drones. Harvard University Press. p. 139,147,150,151. ISBN 9780674064768.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "AFGHANISTAN: ETHNIC DIVERSITY AND DISSIDENCE" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  8. ^ The Baloch Race: A Historical and Ethnological Sketch Paperback – November 26, 2017 (in Persian). p. 370. ISBN 1981149007.
  9. ^ Mīr Khvānd, Muḥammad ibn Khāvandshāh (1847). Rawz̧at al-ṣafāʾ (in Persian). p. 200.
  10. ^ Baloch, Inayatullah (1987). The Problem of "Greater Baluchistan": A Study of Baluch Nationalism. Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden. ISBN 978-3-515-04999-3.
  11. ^ Breseeg, Taj Mohammad (2001). Baloch Nationalism Its Origin And Development. Routledge. pp. 102 & 148. ISBN 969407309X.
  12. ^ "Seistan". 1910.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ^ Dashti, Naseer (2012). The Baloch and Balochistan. Trafford Publishing. p. 127. ISBN 9781466958968.
  14. ^ "ČAḴĀNSŪR". Encyclopædia Iranica.
  15. ^ Ramsey, Syed (2017). Balochistan In Quest of Freedom. VIJ Books (India) PVT Limited. ISBN 9789386834393.
  16. ^ Siddiqi, Farhan Hanif (2012). The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan. Routledge. p. 54. ISBN 9780415686143.
  17. ^ Robert D. Crews, Amin Tarzi. The Taliban and the crisis of Afghanistan. Harvard University Press, 2008. ISBN 0-674-02690-X, 9780674026902. Pg 185-187
  18. ^ "The Scariest Little Corner of the World". Luke Mogelson. The New York Times Magazine. October 18, 2012. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  19. ^ "Baloch from Afghanistan: between insurgency and famine - Crisis Balochistan". www.crisisbalochistan.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26.
  20. ^ "Balochvoice - Baloch Provinces of Afghanistan Seek Independence". Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
  21. ^ "Baluchi rug". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  22. ^ Amiri, Ghulam Rahman (2024). The Helmand Baluch. Berghahn Books. ISBN 9781836950592.
  23. ^ Amiri, Ghulam Rahman (2024). The Helmand Baluch. Berghahn Books. pp. 124–125. ISBN 9781836950592.
  24. ^ Windfuhr, Gernot (2013). The Iranian Languages. Taylor & Francis. p. 634. ISBN 9781135797041.
  25. ^ Badalkhan, Sabir (2013). Two Essays on Baloch History and Folklore. Balochistan Monograph Series, V. Naples, Italy: Universita degli studi di Napoli. p. 36. ISBN 978-88-6719-060-7.
  26. ^ "برخى رسوم عيد بلوچ هاى نيمروز رنگ باخته است" [Some Baloch traditions of Nimroz is begin to fade away]. Pajhwok Afghan News فارسی (in Persian). 2014-05-29. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  27. ^ "Background profile of Nimroz". www.elections.pajhwok.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  28. ^ "International Conference on Balochistan, Washington D.C., November 21, 2009". www.thebaluch.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  29. ^ Raman, Anuradha (4 September 2016). "Missed signals — AIR's Baloch service". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  30. ^ a b Ben Farmer, President Hamid Karzai sacks Helmand governor in blow to British influence, The Daily Telegraph, September 20, 2012
  31. ^ a b Karzai sacks Helmand governor Gulab Mangal, BBC, September 20, 2012
  32. ^ a b Karzai fires five provincial governors, The Financial Times, September 20, 2012
  33. ^ "Abdullah oppose with the appoint of 4 new provincial governors". Khaama Press. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  34. ^ Who is who in Afghanistan. "[1], accessed 19 September 2018
  35. ^ Afghanistan Online. Members of President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet Archived 2010-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 5 April 2010
  36. ^ Decree By the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Press Release. December 23, 2004
  37. ^ "Gender, Women and DemocracyAsia". National Democratic Institute. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  38. ^ "بلوچ ها: سهم ما در نظام سياسى ناديده گرفته نشود" [Baloch: Our contribution in the political system is ignored]. Pajhwok Afghan News فارسی (in Persian). 2019-03-15. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
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