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The BalocChu ltural Heritage (Second Edition) Jan Muhammad Dashti BalochiAcademy, Quetta Copyrights@Jan Muhammad Dashti This book was first published in 1982 by Royal Book Company: Karachi The Baloch Cultural Heritage Jan Muhammad Dashti Second edition (2019) ISBN No. 978-969-680-100-9 Price:$ 20 Pakistani Rupees: 1000/= Balochi Academy has published the book from Meeras Printers, Karachi. Dedicated To The Baloch Youth ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to many friends who helped me in writing this book. I received the most valuable and cordial assistance from Mr. Muneer Baloch who helped me in making notes during the period of research. He typed the first draft of my almost illegible handwriting and also typed the final draft. Without his cooperation, I might not have been able to present this small volume without a delay of many months. I am thankful to Mir Surat Khan Mari for some very useful suggestions; quite a few of these are included in the book. For, second edition, I am highly indebted to Dr. Naseer Dashti, who helped me in editing and revising the book in its present shape and form. Haibethan Umar and Balaach Hameed selected most of the pictures, which are included in the book. Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 28 THE BALOCH ............................................................................4 3 THEB ALOCH 43 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• THEB ALOCMHI GRATIONS 44 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• THEK URDS 48 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• TRACITNHGE R ACIKAILN SHIP 50 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• RACIOARLI GIMNA:I NF ACTORS 62 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LANGUAAGNED L ITERATURE 63 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• CULTURAANLD R ELIGITORUASD ITIONS 71 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• PHYSICTARLA ITS 73 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• THEB ALOCAHR YAONR IGIN 74 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• THE BALOCH CULTURE .........................................................9 2 THE BALOCH SETILEMENTS 107 ...................................................... NAMES AND TITLES 107 ................................................................... COSTUMES: DRESS-JEWELLERY 108 ................................................ CEREMONIES 110 .....•....................................................................... BURIAL RITES 113 ..•.•....................................................................... GAMES 115 ................................................................................•..... MUSIC AND DANCES 115 .................................................................. DRINKS 117 ..............•....................................................................... TRADEANDCOMMERCE 117 ............................................................ HAAL 117 .................•....................................................................... MESrnAGA I. 117 ......•....................................................................... DIWAAN 118 ......................................................................•............. CODES 119 ...•................................................................................... BIJJAAR 120 .•..........••..•.••••••••••••••••••••.•••..•••...••.•••.•.••.•.••.•..•...........•.• HAWAACHK. 121 ............................................................................... CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS. ...................................................... 122 5 MEID .... . .. 124 .................................................................................. CASTE SYSTEM . .. . . 127 ..................................................................... SLAVERY . . .... .. . . .. .. . 129 .................................................................... THE DOMB . : .......................................... 131 .................................... STATUS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A WOMAN 131 ............................ POLYGAMY. .. . . . .. 139 . ....................................................................... DIVORCE ... ... 141 ............................................................................. CONCUBINAGE .... . 143 ..................................................................... INHERITANCE . ... . . . ... . .. 144 ............................................................... HOSPITALITY .... . . 146 .......................................................... ............. SANCTITY OF HOME . . . . 148 ............................................................... Vows .. . . 148 .................................................................................... BAAHOT .. .. . .... .. . 150 ........................................................................ BIER 154 .......................................................................................... SIUGAAN . . . 162 ................................................................................ LAJJO MAYAAR . . .. .. .. ....... . ...... 165 .................................. . ........ ....... MEHR .. . . . . . . . .. . . .. 165 ................................................................. ........ VENERATION OF WAR HEROES 166 ................................................... WARETHICS . 173 ............................................................................. RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY ............................................ 179 THE GENESIS OF BALOCH RELIGIOUS BELIEFS 183 ........................... INTER-RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES . .. 187 ............................ ................... SHAPING THE RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK . 195 .......................................... SACRIFICE .. 197 ............................................................................... VENERATION OF THE TRIBAL HEROES 198 ........................................ THE PRIESTHOOD . . . 199 .................................................................... WORSHIP . . .......... ......... . .. . 202 ........... . ............ .................................. BURIALS . . .......... 204 ........................ ................................................ MONSTERS, FAIRIES, JINN . . ....... .... 206 ..... ........................................ SORCERY . ... .. ...... ... . . 208 ................... .. ... .. ........................................ DREAMS . ... . .... 212 .................................... ....................................... 6 SUPERSTITIONS 213 •.••.......••.••.••••••.••.••.•..•.•••.••••...•..•....•..•....•........•.. POLITICAL STRUCTURE ...................................................... 222 THE TRIBAL UNIONS 223 ......••••••••..••••••••.•..•..•...•........•....••••...•......... THE TRIBAL ORGANIZATION 224 •••••••••••••.••••••••••••.••••••••••••••.••••••..••.. THE SARDAR 226 •••.••••.....•.••......••••••..•.•.•.•.......•......•.......•..•••...•....... THE COUNCIL 231 •••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••.••••••.•.•.•.•.•••.•••.••••.. ECONOMIC SYSTEM 232 •...•..•.•.•.•••..••.•.•....••••••........•....•.•.•.•.•••.•.•••••• MILITARY SYSTEM 234 ••••••.•••.•.•••.••••.•.•.•••••••••••••••••••••••••......•....•••.•• JUDICIAL SYSTEM 235 ...................................................................... EPILOGUE ................................................................................ 237 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................. 246 INDEX ....................................................................................... 254 7 Foreword No culture could achieve any compactness without continuity. The continuity which may be geographical or religious can hardly imply any cultural homogeneity unless people attain a life-pattern inspired by the fundamental values and depicted through its social and political institutions. Any term thus connoting territorial or religious culture like the Asian, the Muslim or Christian culture would be a misnomer. The factors of cultural coherence are common history and traditions which invariably produce a common outlook. In other words, a collective will, generated by common traditions and past glory, would not only unite a people and give meaning to their Culture but also guarantee its vitality and strength. The culture remains vigorous and forceful as long as the people find some real fulfilment by living up to the common values, which are never automatically adopted as a legacy. Every generation must recapture them afresh in view of their usefulness. This book is a modest effort to discuss the conditions which have ensured the continuity of the Baloch culture, and also the inspiring characteristics which still direct the Baloch society. 8 Written source material on Baloch history and culture is almost scarce, which save some faint references in a few ancient documents which require a very cautious and scientific analysis for arriving at proper conclusions. Tremendous efforts are needed to separate facts from fiction and distortions of the modem writers on the Baloch. One of the somewhat reliable sources could be the Baloch traditions preserved mostly in classical poetry and folk literature. There also one has to proceed with extra care to avoid the later bardic additions to almost every poem. Balochi poetry has undergone many changes according to the requirements of the time. We fmd in the so-called poem of genealogy that Rind, a Baloch tribe, migrated from Aleppo, Syria, after the martyrdom of Hussain, grandson of Prophet Mohammad. There is also a poem indicating that Baloch belonged to the Shia sect of Islam. Both of these poems are far from the truth. Rind suzerainty in Eastern Balochistan for a few Decades led to general desires of every Baloch or indigenous non-Baloch tribe to associate itself with Rind or claim to have been originally Rind. One of the famous Baloch tribes, Lashaar, after their defeat and migration had got some later bardic contempts, and their leaders were ridiculed in order to flatter the Rind and their allies. Some tribes who did not even exist at that period were later mentioned in the poems as participating in Rind-Lashaar Wars. There is an interesting poem on the Battle of Gok:prosh, in which Mir Baloch Khan Nosherwani was killed with scores of others. MehraabKhan, fl?.e Gichki 9