BALUCHISTAN . Geography, History and Ethnography

7/27/2019 BALUCHISTAN . Geography, History and Ethnography

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BALUCHISTAN .

Geography, History

and Ethnography

appears to have been divided throughout history beteen Iranian !high"and# and Indian

!"o"and# spheres o$ in$"uen%e, and sin%e &'() it has been $or*a""y divided a*ong

A$ghanistan, Iran, and India !"ater +aistan#.

(-rigina""y +ub"ished /e%e*ber &0, &1''#

By Mahdem Baloch

BALUCHISTAN

i. Geography, History, ad !thography

This arti%"e is divided into the $o""oing se%tions &. introdu%tory revie o$ prob"e*s in the history

and ethnography o$ the Ba"u%h, i.e., the present2day inhabitants o$ Ba"u%histan3 4. geography3 5. the

origins o$ the Ba"67, i.e., the peop"e ho brought the na*e into the area3 8. the ear"y history o$ the

area beteen Iran and India !Ba"u%histan#3 0. the eastard *igrations o$ the Ba"673 9. the

estab"ish*ent o$ the hanate in :a"at3 (. the autono*ous hanate, &9992&'513 '. the period o$

British do*inan%e, &'512&18(3 1. the Ba"u%h in +aistan, Iran, and A$ghanistan sin%e &18(3 &). the

diaspora3 &&. ethnography. ;Note p"a%e na*es in +aistan have not been trans"iterated.e and interpret a"" the avai"ab"e *ateria" .

Ba"u%histan is genera""y understood by the Ba"u%h and their neighbors to %o*prise an area o$ over

ha"$ a *i""ion s?uare i"o*eters in the southeastern part o$ the Iranian p"ateau, south o$ the %entra"

deserts and the He"*and river, and in the arid %oasta" "o"ands beteen the Iranian p"ateau and the

Gu"$ o$ -*an. Its boundaries are vague and not %onsistent ith *odern provin%ia" boundaries. It

appears to have been divided throughout history beteen Iranian !high"and# and Indian !"o"and#spheres o$ in$"uen%e, and sin%e &'() it has been $or*a""y divided a*ong A$ghanistan, Iran, and

India !"ater +aistan#. It is un%"ear hen the na*e Ba"u%histan %a*e into genera" use. It *ay date

on"y $ro* the &4th@&'th %entury hen Na r :han I o$ :a"at during his "ong reign in the se%ond

ha"$ o$ the &4th@&'th %entury be%a*e the $irst indigenous ru"er to estab"ish autono*ous %ontro" over

a "arge part o$ the area.

The origins o$ the Ba"67 and o$ their na*e are si*i"ar"y un%"ear. They appear to have "ived in the

northestern part o$ the area !southeast o$ :er*n# at the ti*e o$ the Arab %on?uest. But their

a%tivities *ay even at that ti*e have etended a %onsiderab"e distan%e to the east. They appear to

have *igrated $arther east, and beyond Darn, beginning around the ti*e o$ the arriva" o$ the

Sa"u?s in :er*n in the 0th@&&th %entury, and %ontinuing inter*ittent"y $or the net $ive %enturies,

up to the spread o$ Sa$avid poer in the &)th@&9th %entury, ith *aor *ove*ents probab"y in the

9th@&4th and 1th@&0th %enturies.

Ho and hen the Ba"67 arrived in the region o$ :er*n is unnon. Their %"ai* !in their epi%

poetry3 seeba"u%histan iii# to be Arabs ho *igrated $ro* A"eppo a$ter $ighting at :arba" %annot

be taen at $a%e va"ue. The various in%on%"usive theories %on%erning their origins are revieed by

/a*es !&1)8, pp. (2&9#.

The s%anty eviden%e $or the* beteen the Arab %on?uest and the arriva" o$ the Sa"u?s is a"so

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di$$i%u"t to eva"uate, part"y be%ause o$ the authorsF %hara%teristi% urban preudi%e against no*adi%

tribes. But it suggests that they nu*bered in the tens o$ thousands at *ost3 that they ere

pastora"ists, herding sheep and goats3 and that, "ie other Didd"e Eastern pastora"ists, they ere

high"y *obi"e, i$ not entire"y no*adi%, "iving in triba" %o**unities !in the sense that they %onstrued

their so%ia" re"ations a%%ording to genea"ogi%a"patri"inea"%riteria#3 and that they ere poor"y

integrated into the sett"ed po"ity, hi%h they %ontinua""y harassed.

In ter*s o$ genera" %u"tura" va"ues and or"d vie, the Ba"u%h in re%ent ti*es rese*b"e

neighboring Dus"i* triba" popu"ations in both the histori%a" and the ethnographi% re%ords. =hat

has e*erged as distin%tive"y Ba"u%h, beside the "anguage, Ba"u%hi, is the stru%ture o$ their so%ia"

and po"iti%a" re"ations. But this stru%ture is *ore "ie"y to be a produ%t o$ their re%ent p"ura"ist

eperien%e in Ba"u%histan than a heritage o$ their ear"ier history. !It has not yet been %hangedsigni$i%ant"y by their in%orporation into *odern state stru%tures.# Ba"u%h identity in Ba"u%histan has

been %"ose"y tied to the use o$ the Ba"u%hi "anguage in intertriba" re"ations. Dodern Ba"u%hi has a

%"ear pedigree, ith a nu*ber o$ gra**ati%a" $eatures and vo%abu"ary o$ the Northest Iranian

type !see ba"u%histan iii#. But Ba"u%h ethni%ity today %annot be so %"ear"y de$ined. -n the one hand,

*any %o**unities genera""y re%ogni>ed as Ba"u%h by the*se"ves and by others are o$ a"ien origin

and have been assi*i"ated over the "ast $our %enturies. -n the other hand, there is no eviden%e that

a"" the %onsiderab"e nu*ber o$ s%attered %o**unities non as Ba"u%h in other parts o$ Iran,

A$ghanistan, and Soviet Tur*enistan !*ost o$ hi%h are not present"y Ba"u%hi2speaing# are in

$a%t histori%a""y re"ated, or, i$ they are re"ated, that they separated $ro* ea%h other in Ba"u%histan.

=ithin Ba"u%histan the popu"ation is not ethni%a""y ho*ogeneous. So*e %o**unities are identi$ied

!by the*se"ves and others# as Ba"67 !see &) be"o#, ith the i*p"i%ation that they are des%ended

$ro* those ho entered the area as Ba"673 hi"e others, though %onsidered *e*bers o$ Ba"u%h

so%iety no and identi$ying as Ba"u%h in re"ation to the outside or"d, are non ithin Ba"u%h

so%iety by other triba" !e.g., NoJKrvn, G7, Bra>ay# and subethni% !e.g., Brahui,/ehr, olm , a g", DKd# designations, ith the i*p"i%ation that they have adopted Ba"u%h

identity re"ative"y re%ent"ybut not that they are $or that reason in any ay outsiders. So*e o$

these Ba"u%h predate the arriva" o$ the Ba"67. -thers !e.g., the Bra>ay, ?.v., ho are o$ re%ent

A$ghan origin# postdate the*. There are a"so re*nants o$ hat ere !under autono*ous Ba"u%h

ru"e, as e"" as under the British, &9992&18(# "arger non2Dus"i* %o**unities, *ost"y Hindu, Sih,

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Is*a i"i, or Bahai traders, ho are not %onsidered Ba"u%h. The Ba"u%hi "anguage as the "anguage

o$ interethni% as e"" as intertriba" re"ations. A"though parti%ipation in Ba"u%hi inter%ourse genera""y

see*s to have "ed to assi*i"ation, being Dus"i* appears to have been a ne%essary pre%ondition.

Hoever, the Ba"u%h in the Darn ho be%a*e er !Miri# in the &)@&9th %entury did not $or

that reason %ease to be Ba"u%h. The Ba"u%h genera""y %"ai* that a"" Ba"u%h are Hana$ite Dus"i*s,

a"though, apart $ro* the ers !ho are non but rare"y dis%ussed#, there are so*e s*a"" Shi ite

%o**unities on the northestern $ringes o$ Iranian Ba"u%histan, a $a%t hi%h is unnon $arther

east.

The vast territory o$ greater Ba"u%histan has been divided histori%a""y into a nu*ber o$ areas,

a*ong hi%h Darn !in the south#, Sar add !in the northest#, and the area non ear"ier as

Trn that in%"udes the *odern tons o$ :a"at and :hu>dar !Oo dr@Oo>dr3 in the east#, have been the *ost signi$i%ant. Stronger Iranian and Indian po"iti%a" %enters to the est, north, and east

!parti%u"ar"y, :er*n, Sstn, Oandahr, /e"hi, :ara%hi#, and even the su"tan o$ -*an to the south,

have inter*ittent"y %"ai*ed su>erainty over parts o$ these areas, and %onsidered the* as their

"egiti*ate hinter"and. The idea o$ one Ba"u%h %o**unity in a po"iti%a""y uni$ied Ba"u%histan *ay

have originated in Na r :hanFs su%%esses in the &4th@&'th %entury. His su%%essors ere unab"e to

*aintain %ontro" o$ the part o$ the area he %"ai*ed to ru"e as han, "et a"one %ontinue to pursue hat

appear to have been his a*bitions to in%orporate a"" the Ba"u%h into one nation. But the po"i%y o$

indire%t ru"e pursued by the British, ho began to en%roa%h in the area during the $o""oing

generation, and *aintained the han irrespe%tive o$ interna" pro%esses that ou"d either have

destroyed or trans$or*ed the hanate, ept a"ive the idea o$ a uni$ied Ba"u%histanagainst

%onsiderab"e oddsat "east up to the borders that the British negotiated ith the Oaar govern*ent

in Iran, and the A$ghan govern*ent in :abu" in the se%ond ha"$ o$ the &5th@&1th %entury. By &18(,

the idea o$ Ba"u%histan as too $ir*"y estab"ished to be superseded or trans%ended by the ne

%on%ept o$ +aistan. The po"iti%a" a%tivities o$ the Ba"u%h in +aistan !ho %onstitute probab"y to

thirds o$ the tota" Ba"u%h popu"ation# rein$or%e and %on$ir* Ba"u%h identity in Iran, A$ghanistan,and e"sehere.

The Ba"67 appear to have be%o*e %u"tura""y do*inant in the area in the "ate *edieva" period, a"ong

ith the spread o$ Ba"u%hi as a "ingua $ran%athough the detai"s and %auses o$ ea%h pro%ess are

un%"ear. It as not unti" *u%h "ater that the *aority o$ the popu"ation o$ the area %a*e to identi$y

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the*se"ves as Ba"u%h, probab"y as a resu"t part"y o$ the su%%ess o$ Na r :hanFs po"i%ies, and part"y

be%ause o$ the "ater British ad*inistrative %"assi$i%ation. The assi*i"ation o$ a"*ost the ho"e

popu"ation to Ba"u%h identity and the do*inan%e o$ Ba"u%hi !at "east $or pub"i%, po"iti%a" purposes#

is di$$i%u"t to ep"ain, sin%e the tribes*en ho estab"ished the hanate o$ :a"at !and there$ore a"so

the po"iti%a" autono*y and identity o$ the area# in the *id2&&th@&(th %entury spoe not Ba"u%hi, but

Brahui, and %ondu%ted their ad*inistration in +ersian by *eans o$ a bureau%ra%y re%ruited a*ong

the /ehr, ho ere Tai peasants. I**igrant Ba"u%hi speaers !Ba"67# ere probab"y not

nu*eri%a""y do*inant e%ept in non2agri%u"tura" parts o$ the area.

Ba"u%histan re*ains a pa"i*psest o$ %u"tura" and "inguisti% dis%ontinuities. A"though the eisting

"iterature is *u%h greater than $or other %o*parab"e triba" areas o$ the Iranian or"d, the under"ying

heterogeneity raises a nu*ber o$ prob"e*s $or any syste*ati% a%%ount o$ Ba"u%histan and theBa"u%h. These prob"e*s %annot yet be de$initive"y treated. Par *ore histori%a" and ethnographi%

resear%h is needed. =hat $o""os is on"y a pre"i*inary synthesis.

$. Geography.

Ba"u%histan has re%eived re"ative"y "itt"e attention $ro* geographers. Apart $ro* the initia"

des%riptions provided by s%ho"ars "ie Qredenberg $or the Ga>etteers, and by Harrison $or the

Ad*ira"ty Handboo !+ersia#, Snead ored a"ong the Darn %oast in &10129), and Qita2Pin>iored in estern Darn in the *id2&1()sboth geo*orpho"ogistsand S%ho">, a %u"tura"

geographer, %ondu%ted short studies $ro* Ouetta. The standard or on the geography o$

A$ghanistan !Hu*"u*# devotes a $e pages to the Ba"u%h areas in the southest o$ the %ountry.

The $o""oing des%ription is based *ain"y on the Ga>etteers and the authorFs $ie"d notes.

Throughout *ost o$ Ba"u%histan the topography is etre*e"y broen and *ountainous, varying in

a"titude $ro* &,0))24,))) * !the steppe on the edge o$ the Iranian p"ateau, at the base o$

*ountains# to over 5,0)) * in the north and northeast and to sea "eve" on the %oasta" p"ain. In the

part that is no southestern A$ghanistan, and here and there in the 0)) *2ide >one beteen the

A$ghan border ith +aistan and the %oast, the "and opens out into vast epanses o$ $eature"ess

se*idesert and desert. Te*peratures are %ontinenta" in the high"ands ith bitter"y %o"d inters and

etre*e diurna" and seasona" ranges3 the "o"ands and %oasta" areas are subtropi%a". Etre*es o$

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su**er heat !ith high hu*idity during the *onsoon# o%%ur at "o a"titudes aay $ro* the %oast

in the :a%%hi2Sibi p"ain and the "arger Darn va""eys. High inds are a"so regu"ar"y re%orded,

re"ated to the e"" non bd-e sad o bst rzpheno*enon in Sstn.

Rain$a"" varies *ain"y a%%ording to a"titude. Though rare in su**er on the Iranian p"ateau, it *ay

%o*e at any season, but *ay $ai" a"together $or severa" years in su%%ession, espe%ia""y at the "oer

a"titudes. The high"ands and high *ountains in the east and northeast re%eive up to 8)) **, even

*ore in p"a%es on the eastern es%arp*ent. Dost o$ the rest sees an average o$ &)) ** or "ess

though averages are *is"eading be%ause o$ ide annua" $"u%tuations. Rain $a""s *ost"y in inter !as

sno at high a"titudes#. The *onsoon brings su**er hu*idity and o%%asiona""y signi$i%ant rain to

the %oast and "o"ands. Por ea*p"e, in &198 it rained heavi"y every day $or to ees in August

over a "arge area o$ Darn !see be"o, on ba#. So*eti*es su%h eather edges up the es%arp*entsand *argina""y a$$e%ts the Iranian p"ateau. Su**er rain %an be torrentia" and in the *ountains $"ash

$"oods *ay %ause sensationa" da*age. Heavy rain turns the %oasta" p"ain into a *orass o$ %"ayey

*ud, i*passib"e $or hu*an, ani*a", or *otori>ed tra$$i% unti" it dries out, possib"y as *u%h as a

ee. In the southern *ountains so*e rivers $"o %ontinuous"y $or stret%hes3 e"sehere o%%asiona"

poo"s o$ten "ast ti"" the net $"ood. In the Nahang and Sarb> rivers so*e o$ the deeper poo"s

%ontain %ro%odi"es. !Ga*e genera""y has be%o*e s%ar%e e%ept $or ibe in the higher *ountains,

and the ubi?uitous partridge and s*a""er ga*e birds, su%h as %hiara, sisi, pigeon, and so*e

sandgrouse and ?uai". =i"d sheep, deer, b"a% bear, i"d pig, o"$, a%a", hyena, $o, and

por%upine a"so o%%ur.# Here and there poo"s provide a tri%"e o$ ater to irrigate a no*adFs garden

p"ot. =ater is nohere abundant or !ith $e e%eptions# perennia", but in the *ountains soi" is the

"i*iting $a%tor $or agri%u"ture. -n the %oasta" p"ain on the other hand, the soi" is o$ten good but

there is no ater e%ept $ro* rain or runo$$, and the ports have no re"iab"e ater supp"y.

The history o$ sett"e*ent in Ba"u%histan is re$"e%ted in its topony*y. +"a%e na*es $a"" into three

%ategories Na*es that are o$ Ba"u%hi origin, or have been Ba"u%hi>ed, are used $or *ost *inornatura" $eatures rivers, strea*s, ro%s, *ountains3 o"d sett"e*ents and *aor natura" $eatures tend

to have pre2Ba"u%h na*es3 and ne sett"e*ents, dating $ro* the *idd"e o$ the "ast %entury in Iran,

and the *idd"e o$ this %entury in +aistan genera""y have +ersian or Urdu na*es. Urban sett"e*ent

in Ba"u%histan today is a"" the resu"t o$ +ersian and +aistani ad*inistrative and !*ore re%ent"y#

deve"op*ent a%tivity. The Ba"u%h have never deve"oped an urban ay o$ "i$e, and though *any

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no "ive in tons, the tons are essentia""y non2Ba"u%h !Iranian or +aistani# in %hara%ter. Dost o$

the *aor Ba"u%h agri%u"tura" sett"e*ents, hoever, have deve"oped on the sites o$ pre2Ba"u%h

tons, non $ro* the ti*e o$ pre*edieva" prosperity, that as based on invest*ent in agri%u"ture,

as e"" as trade. Sin%e the *edieva" period, both be$ore and sin%e the Ba"u%h be%a*e do*inant, up

to the beginning o$ *odern deve"op*ent, agri%u"tura" sett"e*ent has been dependent on the

prote%tion o$ ru"ers ho "ived in $orts. A $e traders %"ustered around the $orts. But the %u"tura"

%enter o$ gravity o$ Ba"u%h "i$e as a*ong the no*ads ho %ontro""ed the vast areas beteen the

sett"e*ents.

=ithin the geographi%a" and %u"tura" diversity o$ Ba"u%histan a nu*ber o$ distri%ts have e*erged

histori%a""y, ea%h ith its on distin%tive geographi%a" $eatures. Starting $ro* the Iranian p"ateau in

the north, the $o""oing are the signi$i%ant natura" and %u"tura" divisions o$ Ba"u%histan !the *odernad*inistrative divisions are a"*ost identi%a"# the Sar add, the DJd !DaJK"# depression, the

DJd drainage are o$ Sarvn2+angur, the northeast high"ands o$ Ouetta, +ishin, Mhob, Lora"ai,

and Sibi, the Dari2Bugti hi""s, the eastern high"ands o$ Saraan2ah"aan, the > Drn

depression, Darn, the :a%%hi2Sibi "o"ands, and the %oasta" p"ain in%"uding Las Be"a and

/aJtr.

Sar add appears to have %o*e into use in the *edieva" period $or the southern border"ands o$

Sstn. It is a high p"ateau, averaging &,0))24,))) * in a"titude and do*inated by the to vo"%ano

*assi$s, :h2e Ta$tn !8,)84 *# and :h2e Ba>*n !5,8'1 *#. A"though it is no thought o$ as

%oter*inous ith theahrestno$ Mhedn, its histori%a" boundaries ere not stri%t"y de$ined and

usage o$ the ter* varied a%%ording to $"u%tuation in the re"ative strength o$ "o%a" ru"ers It as

so*eti*es %onsidered to etend into the northeastern part o$ the > Drn depression and into the

DJd drainage o$ Sarvn, and estard through southern NK*r6> and He"*and provin%es and

Chagai and even into :haran. It is %hara%teri>ed by %o"d inters and *oderate su**ers, ith

pre%ipitation %on%entrated in the inters, as sno on the higher ground. There are "arge areas o$sand on either side o$ the border ith A$ghanistan. Apart $ro* the genera" steppe vegetation, there

are re"i%t stands o$ i"d a"*ond and pista%hio on the p"ains, espe%ia""y beteen J !a"so J, Ba".

QJt# and GoJt !GaJt#, and uniper in the *ountains. The area is %hara%teri>ed by iso"ated hi""s

and depressions that $un%tion as interna" drainage basins. The "arger depressions, hmn, are

genera""y sa"ine3 the s*a""er ones, navr, in so*e %ases %ontain seet ater. Tra%es o$ o"d bands

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!?.v.# are evident on the p"ain southest o$ Ta$tn and e"sehere. The on"y signi$i%ant agri%u"tura"

sett"e*ent o$ any anti?uity is J, hi%h "ies to the south o$ Ta$tn. A $e o"d vi""ages nest"e at the

$oot o$ the *ountain, *ain"y on the eastern side. The *ost notab"e are Ld> and Sangn. J

depends upon irrigation $ro* qants, hi%h though probab"y an%ient ere redeve"oped by

entrepreneurs $ro* a>d under Re Shah. There are a"so a $e qants a%ross the border in Chagai.

Sin%e the *edieva" period the Sar add has been divided a*ong a nu*ber o$ tribes. The *ost

i*portant are the Es* ">ay !rena*ed ahba J under Re Shah#, Dr2Ba"7>ay, Rg, r2

Do a**ad>ay !rena*ed hnav> under Re Shah#, Ga*Jd>ay, Nr , and GrgK7. A%ross

the *odern borders in A$ghanistan and +aistan the *aor tribes are Sanarn, a*"2a"2/n,

Bdn, Do a**ad2 asan, and the Brahui2speaing Denga". So*e ten thousand out o$ the

esti*ated ninety thousand Ba"u%h in A$ghanistan, espe%ia""y the Nr , Rg, Sanarn, and GrgK7 tribes, are %"ose"y re"ated to the groups a%ross the border in Iran and +aistan. Dost A$ghan

Ba"u%h are present"y re$ugees in the neighboring part o$ +aistan.

The hmno$ the DJd river "ies on the southestern side o$ a "arge depression o$ so*e &0,)))

s?uare *i"es that, a"though geographi%a""y an etension o$ the Sar add, has genera""y been

%ontro""ed separate"y $ro* a $ort on its northeastern side, non as :haran. In the British period

:haran as a separate prin%ipa"ity under :a"at. Ear"ier it had been dependent on Oandahr. It is

*ost"y desert and in%"udes a "arge area o$ sand dunes on the southern side. It is bounded on the

north by the range o$ Ra soh hi%h divides it $ro* Chagai, and on the south by the Siahan range

hi%h separates it $ro* +angur and Darn. There is a "arge area o$ thi% ta*aris $orest

donstrea* $ro* the seat o$ the prin%ipa"ity !:haran2:a"at# on a river that as on%e da**ed and

supports annua" %u"tivation. -n the estern side o$ the DJd hmnthere is a "arge area o$ rather

poor ?ua"ity date pa"*s hi%h have been i*portant in the e%o"ogy o$ so*e o$ the Sar add tribes to

the est in Iran. A nu*ber o$ *assive stone da*s, no non in the ar%heo"ogi%a" "iterature as

gabar-bands, appear to have supported terra%ed $ie"ds in the hi""s bordering the *ain depression!Stein, pp. (, &0258, &8028(3 Raies, &190#. This type o$ engineering %ontinues to be pra%ti%ed on a

s*a"" s%a"e throughout Ba"u%histan !and in other parts o$ A$ghanistan, Iran, and +aistan3 see be"o

and byr#. It as probab"y *ore i*portant in ear"ier periods.

The ru"ing tribe in :haran are the NoJKrvn, ho %"ai* +ersian origin. -ther i*portant tribes are

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the Ra Jn, Do a**ad2 asan, and the Brahui2speaing Sso" and Sa*a"r.

South o$ :h2e Ta$tn the p"ateau drops aay to be"o &,))) * a"ong the %ourse o$ the DJd

river and its tributaries, $or*ing the distri%ts o$ Sarvn and +angur, be$ore it turns ba% north into

:haran. +resent"y the river %arries ater on"y a$ter rain. The e%o"ogy is transitiona" ith e"e*ents

$ro* both the te*perate p"ateau and the subtropi%a" south. =here the *ain tributaries oin, the river

$"os through a deep"y eroded grave" p"ain and penep"ain, %o*p"ete"y barren e%ept $or %"u*ps

o$p!Nanorrhops ritchiana# in the o%%asiona" adis. :h2e Berg, a narro 4,0)) * ridge hi%h

runs &0) * northest to southeast, divides Sarvn $ro* the > Drn depression. Dagas

!rena*ed Mbo" under Re Shah# at over &,4)) * be"o the southern end o$ :h2e Berg gros

the best ?ua"ity dates on the Iranian side o$ the border. East o$ it to "ong para""e" va""eys %ontain

the o"d agri%u"tura" sett"e*ents o$ +ash, Srn and Sb in the $irst, and GoJt, astn !the *odernton o$ Sarvn#, and /e>a !rena*ed /varpanh under Re Shah# in the se%ond. -ther o"d

sett"e*ents "ie $arther donstrea* and in the *ountains on either side :a""agn, Es$anda, :ha,

Nh, "?, :ant, Hd7, VJr, A$Jn, Wra$Jn. Ba*poJt, hi%h is one o$ the *aor areas o$

*ountain no*adis* and p-band !b-band3 see be"o# $ar*ing, "ies to the south o$ the DJd.

Both distri%ts depend upon qants and sett"ed popu"ations have probab"y predo*inated over

no*ads throughout the histori%a" period. A "arge proportion o$ the %u"tivators o$ Sarvn and Sb2

Srn are /ehr. -ther tribes in%"ude the Bra>ay, *ost re%ent"y the do*inant group, their

prede%essors in poer the Bo>org>da !o$ ho* one bran%h, the Dr2Dord>ay, he"d the $orts in

Sb, Srn, +ash, :ant, GaJt, HJa3 hi"e another bran%h, Ne *at2A""h, %ontro""ed "? and

/e>a#, NoJKrvn !in Nh, :ha, Es$anda#, eb>da !ho are sayyeds#, Da"e>da,

Lor, Nt>ay, Seph !ho $or*ed the *i"itia o$ the Bo>org>da#, Arbb !ho are s*a""ho"ders#,

Ba"67 tribes non as Shbor, Xarbor, Abdo">ay, Xr>ay, /orra>ay !in Ba*poJt and Hd7#,

:ord !in Dagas#3 the Ba"67 in Sa"hoh and the neighboring *ountains are Vsn, +or,

SKpda3 theahrin Wra$Jn are Ra s and =atr.

In +angur, hi%h in *any ays is a *irror i*age o$ Sarvn a%ross the border in +aistan,

sett"e*ent is *ore restri%ted. The Ra Jn has a %ourse o$ over &0) *i"es but $ro* Ng at the

northeastern end o$ the va""ey don to the %on$"uen%e ith the DJd %"ose to the Iranian border

!a"though there are "arge areas o$ $"ood $ar*ing# it supports irrigation !either dire%t"y or by qant#

on"y around +angur itse"$. Re*ains o$ a da* dating $ro* the pre2Ba"67 period ere sti"" visib"e a

&&


10/80

hundred years ago at a p"a%e %a""ed Bonestn be"o +angur. Sarvn has been *ost %"ose"y

asso%iated ith the Sar add and Ba*pr. +angur has genera""y been *ost %"ose"y asso%iated ith

:e%h and there$ore %onsidered part o$ Darn, but the in$"uen%e o$ Darn has a"ays been

disputed by :haran, hi%h has *anaged to re*ain do*inant in the border area in Es$anda and

:ha.

The distri%ts o$ Mhob, Lora"ai, +ishin, Ouetta in the northeast are based on river va""eys that drain

out o$ the *ountains around Ouetta, hi%h in%"ude to peas over 5,8)) *. Unti" to hundred

years ago they had been *ore %"ose"y re"ated to Oandahr than :a"at, and they be%a*e part o$

Ba"u%histan as a resu"t o$ the po"iti%a" re"ationship beteen :a"at and Oandahr, a situation that

as "ater rein$or%ed by British border interests. E%ept $or Lora"ai these distri%ts ere never sett"ed

by Ba"67 and their popu"ation re*ains *ain"y +ashtun, unassi*i"ated to Ba"u%h identity. A"thoughthey enoy re"ative"y high rain$a"" they re*ained *ain"y pastora" unti" the re%ent %o**er%ia"

deve"op*ent o$ $ruit groing. I*portant areas o$ $orest survive in the *ountains, espe%ia""y uniper

!Juniperus excelsus# beteen 4,)))25,))) * and i"d o"ive !Olea cuspidata#. Daor earth?uaes

ere re%orded in &''', &'14, &1)), &1)4 !azetteerQ, pp. 5)25, and again the &159. The *aor

+ashtun tribes are the :a , Tarn, +an, A%a>ay. The Ba"u%h tribes in Lora"ai are the Bu>dr,

LKgar and 6 7n. In Ouetta2+ishin there are on"y $e Ba"u%h pastora"ists, *ost"y Rind

!azetteerQ, p. ((#. There are no *igrants $ro* *any Ba"u%h tribes in the vi%inity o$ Ouetta.

South o$ Ouetta a tongue o$ high"and and *ountain etends a"*ost to the %oast, dividing the "oer

Indus va""ey $ro* Darn. The *ain rivers are the Hingo", +ora"i, Baddo, and Hab. This as the

*edieva" Trn, and as Saraan and ah"aan it has provided the %enter stage o$ Ba"u%h history.

Saraan is "itera""y the above2"and and ah"aan is the !be#"o2"and !ah"aan be%o*es

ha"aan in +aistani Urdu no*en%"ature#, but the ter*s derive not $ro* the topography but $ro*

the to divisions o$ the "arge"y Brahui2speaing %on$ederation "iving there. :a"at is the seat o$

Saraan and :hu>dar o$ ah"aan. Na" and =ad are other i*portant triba" %enters. The &159earth?uae destroyed the A *ad>ay $ort !Dr# in :a"at as e"" as the %ity o$ Ouetta !Ba"u%h,

&1(0, p. &4. A"though these distri%ts have s"ight"y higher rain$a"" than *ost o$ Ba"u%histan south

and est o$ Ouetta, they ere *ain"y pastora" and no*adi% unti" the re%ent etension into the* o$

the nationa" poer grid, hi%h en%ouraged invest*ent in e""s and pu*ps and sett"ed agri%u"ture

and "ed to neg"e%t o$ the traditiona" qantand band te%hno"ogy !see be"o#. +astora" transhu*an%e

&4


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to the "o"ands o$ :a%%hi on the est, hi%h as the basis o$ the po"iti%a" pree*inen%e o$ the area,

re*ains i*portant. The *aor tribes are the Ra sn, ahvn, Banga">ay, LKhr, Langa,

Rosta*>ay, Denga", B>en6, :a*barn !Oa*barn#, Drar, Gorgnr, Ni7at, Sso", edrn,

Mra>ay, and the MKhr !o$ hi%h on"y the "ast is Ba"u%hi2speaing#.

East o$ Saraan and ah"aan the terrain drops a"*ost to sea "eve" ithin so*e 4) *. This is the

pied*ont p"ain o$ :a%%hi !the northern part o$ it be"ongs to the distri%t o$ Sibi that etends up the

va""eys into the high *ountains east o$ Ouetta#. :a%%hi is about 4,))) * 4, s"oping $ro* an

e"evation o$ about &0) * at Sibi in the north to 0) * at a%obabad in the south. Sin%e the

introdu%tion o$ a %ana" $ro* the Indus in the &15)s the southern part has be%o*e the *ost

produ%tive agri%u"tura" part o$ Ba"u%histan. The *aority o$ the year2round popu"ation are ats.

Cu"tivation in :a%%hi depends on harnessing the $"oods that arrive in u"y and August $ro* the*onsoon on the hi""sthere is "ess than &)) ** o$ rain on the p"ain. The *ain rivers are the Bo"an

and the Nari. Seasona" river dis%harge onto the agri%u"tura" "and o$ Sibi, :a%%hi, Las Be"a, Bh,

and Ba*pr as traditiona""y *anaged in the sa*e ay !though on a s*a""er s%a"e than# the

dis%harge o$ the He"*and into the de"ta "ands o$ Sstn. !The annua" rebui"ding o$ the barrages in

Sstn is des%ribed in Tate, &1)1, pp. 4482449.# It as the *ost i*portant event o$ the year, using

a"" avai"ab"e "abor. Crops in%"ude sorghu*, pu"ses, and sesa*e. There is a n eb $or ea%h vi""age,

appointed by the han. The ats %onstru%t huge e*ban*ents a%ross the dry riverbeds to %at%h and

divert the torrentia" $"oods. As the $ie"ds are $"ooded, they brea one da* and "et the ater rush

don to the net. The Nari has *ore than $i$teen su%h da*s. Dost o$ the* re?uire repair or

re%onstru%tion during inter, $or hi%h the "abor is provided by the no*ads. No*ads a"so provide

the "abor $or harvesting. The traditiona" organi>ation has been *odi$ied re%ent"y by ad*inistrative

%hanges !N. Sid"er, p. &)4#. The *aor tribes are the Rind, Dagas, /u*b, -*rn, Bu"Kd,

6sa, t6, :Kbr, Dugr, /nr, X"gr, Dar, and Bg .

South o$ Lora"ai an iso"ated area o$ hi"" %ountry etends southard to the bans o$ the Indus,bounded on the east by the southern end o$ the Su"ai*an range. These are the Dari2Bugti hi""s,

%a""ed a$ter the tribes that have %ontro""ed the* ith a %onsiderab"e degree o$ autono*y into the

*odern period. They %onsist %hie$"y o$ narro para""e" ridges o$ %"ose"y pa%ed hi""s, hi%h $or*

the gradua" des%ent $ro* the Su"ai*an p"ateau into the p"ains, interse%ted by nu*erous ravines and

genera""y barren and inhospitab"e. But here and there are good pat%hes o$ gra>ing, and a $e

&5


12/80

va""eys hi%h have been brought under %u"tivation. The Dar are the "argest Ba"u%h tribe and ere

esti*ated at 9),))) !+ehrson, p. 4#. They are Ba"u%hi2speaing and identi$y strong"y as Ba"u%h,

%"ai*ing to be des%ended $ro* a bran%h o$ the Rind tribe. But they spea a distin%t dia"e%t o$

Ba"u%hi, and have a"ays ea"ous"y guarded their autono*y $ro* the "arger Ba"u%h po"ity,

espe%ia""y as represented by :a"at. In their po"iti%a" organi>ation they disp"ay $eatures that are

re*inis%ent o$ their +ashtun neighbors, su%h as triba" %oun%i"s.

To the northest the histori%a" boundary beteen Ba"u%histan and :er*n is a vague no2*anFs

"and in the > Drn depression. The > Drn is a "arge hmn, about 5)) * "ong and (),)))

*4in area, into hi%h the Ba*pr river drains $ro* the east and the Ha""rd $ro* the est. A "o

range separates it $ro* Nar*Jr and the /aJt2e Lt to the north. A "arge area o$ dunes i*pedes

%o**uni%ation on the southeast side, and there is a thi%"y ooded area, *ain"y ta*aris, a"ongthe bans o$ the Ba*pr river be"o Ba*pr. Dost o$ the rest, e%ept $or a varying a*ount o$

sha""o ater in the %enter, is $"at desert, ith high su**er te*peratures, but an open gateay to

:er*n in the inter. There is a s%ore o$ ri%h agri%u"tura" vi""ages around YrnJahr !previous"y

Pahra, Ba"u%hi +ahra# and Ba*pr !o$ hi%h the "argest is Aptar# depending part"y on qants and

part"y on a da* above Ba*pr, hi%h is the site o$ the "argest $ort in estern Ba"u%histan. The

agri%u"tura" popu"ation is *ain"y "o2status tribes*en andg!lms. &)) * est o$ Ba*pr, on the

northeast edge o$ the %entra" depression, is the %enter o$ the B*er tribe, ho breed the best $ast

riding %a*e"s. They engage in a s*a"" a*ount o$ %u"tivation based on sha""o e""s $ro* hi%h

they raise the ater by *eans o$ "ong %ounterba"an%ed po"es !Arabi%d"#.

South o$ the > Drn and Sarvn the Darn *ountains etend in a &0)244) * ide >one

$ro* BaJerd in the est to Dashai in ah"aan in the east. There is a nu*ber o$ para""e" east2

est ranges and va""eys that rese*b"e steps $ro* the Iranian p"ateau don to the %oast. They are

rugged and di$$i%u"t to traverse, though the peas rare"y e%eed 4,))) *. The *ost i*portant rivers

are the gn, Gabrg, SadK7, Rp7, Sarb>, :e%h, and its tributary Nahang. The estern rivers %utthrough the *ountains in deep gorges, o$ hi%h Sarb> is the *ost spe%ta%u"ar. In the east the

*aor river is the :e%h, hi%h runs &0) * due est beteen to ranges be$ore oining the

Nahang and turning south through a gap to the sea. Rain$a"" is s%anty and irregu"ar, and su**er

te*peratures are high, but the *onsoon brings hu*idity and o%%asiona" rain that redu%es the

te*perature and resus%itates the vegetation. The Darn *ountains are the ho*e o$ Ba"67 no*adi%

&8


13/80

pastora"ists. Natura" vegetation is sparse, and they divide their ti*e beteen their ani*a"s !*ain"y

goats# and their p-band. =here va""eys open out and %ontain soi" but no ater, a band is bui"t

round a terra%e o$ good a""uvia" soi" to %at%h o%%asiona" rain, or ater %hanne"ed $ro* the river a$ter

$"ood. The $e per*anent sett"e*ents are riverine and s*a"". Dost are situated in the seep o$ a

bend or here a river issues onto desert p"ains. The *ain %enters are Bent, Pann, Geh !rena*ed

NJahr under Re Shah#, Oa r2e Oand, Bog, Rs, X*p, and LJr, Espaa, Dand, and Tu*p.

There are over 0) vi""ages on either side o$ a "ong gorge in the Sarb> river, and an a"*ost

%ontinuous string o$ oases "ining the bans o$ the :e%h river ith $ie"ds and date p"antations

irrigated $ro* both #rzand %uts !Ba". #a$r-%!3 #a$r is Ba"u%hi $or river# taing o$$ $ro* "arge

poo"s in the river bed. Tu*p and Dand enoy si*i"ar %onditions. :o"a is an ')2*i"e natura"

%ontinuation o$ the :e%h va""ey to the east separated by an a"*ost i*per%eptib"e atershed. It

%ontains by $ar the greatest dry %rop area o$ the Darn. The /asht va""ey %arries the united :e%h2Nahang through the %oasta" range to the sea, irrigating i*portant agri%u"tura" "and on either side.

The Bu"eda va""ey north o$ Turbat has so*e agri%u"ture, as do so*e spring2irrigated areas in the

Ma*uran hi""s north o$ the Nahang river. -therise, apart $ro* +aro* and Ba"gattar hi%h are

sa"ine $"ats, Darn supports on"y pastora"is*. The %rops in the *ountains are ri%e and dates,

though a ide range o$ $ruits and vegetab"es are gron in s*a"" ?uantities, and *angoes deserve

spe%ia" *ention. /ates are par e%e""en%e the %rop o$ the Darn3 &)1 %u"tivated !nasab# varieties

are "isted in the Darn azetteer, apart $ro* i"d !#ur! varieties.'is the *ost typi%a" o$ a""

Darn p"ants. It gros on ro%y ground up to &,))) *, and provides a $a*ine $ood, as e"" as

$iber. The *ain tribes o$ the Darn *ountains are the G7, Bu"Kd, H6t, B>en6, NoJKrvn,

Drr, Rind, Ra s, Lnd, :attar, :Knag>ay, Du"">ay, rn, Dubra, LJr, Vhurn,

a g", Sardr>ay. The rn ho"d Geh, Pann, and Bent3 the Dubra, ho are a bran%h o$ the

rn, ho"d X*p and LJr. The Bu"Kd he"d $orts in Rs, Oa r2e Oand, Bog, and Ht and their

arriorztas the Bar. :atr and Bpr are non2Ba"u%h *er%hants. The %u"tivators in Darn are

*ost"y "and"ess.

The %oasta" p"ain varies in idth $ro* a"*ost >ero to as *u%h as &)) * in /aJtr and *ore in

Las Be"a. It %ontains no re"iab"e supp"ies o$ $resh ater, but supports %onsiderab"e $orest and

ood"and o$'rosopis,(yziphus, and)cacia spp. The %oast"ine is deep"y indented ith bays, hi%h

provide good an%horages $or Xhbahr !$or*er"y Ts, a "itt"e to the north o$ it# and Gadar, a*ong

&0


14/80

other ports. In the est the p"ain is *ost"y "o and sa*py or sandy, but $arther east there are hi""s

near the %oast and head"ands. Bare sandstone has eathered into $antasti% shapes. At their seaard

base so*e o$ the* have deteriorated into bad"ands and are di$$i%u"t to traverse. The *ain rivers,

hi%h on"y $"o a$ter heavy rain, pass beteen the sandstone *assi$s, providing the on"y passages

in"and. A "ine o$ *ud vo"%anoes etends a"ong the %oast, o$ hi%h the "argest, Napag !&) *i"es

north o$ Ras Tan@Ra s Tang#, has a %one bui"t up to 0) * by %onstant eruptions o$ greenish *ud

!'ersia, p. &8. There are etensive *angrove sa*ps interse%ted by %rees in the Gatar bay

and the rivers to the est. The rivers %ontain ?ui%sands. The soi" in /aJtr and Be"a, "ie :a%%hi

and so*e parts o$ Darn su%h as +aro* and a"ong the /asht river, has unusua" *oisture2retaining

%apabi"ity. A$ter one good rain it i"" ho"d ater "ong enough to obtain a %rop o$ sorghu*. /aJtr

re"ied on the :ar and Bh on the Da>anar !the %ontinuation o$ the Sarb> river# $or

irrigation. But about a hundred years ago both o$ these rivers %ut ba% so that e%ept in e%eptiona"$"oods the ater as out o$ rea%h o$ the agri%u"tura" "and. In both /aJtr and Las Be"a da*s ere

bui"t seasona""y $ro* earth and trees, as in :a%%hi. S*a"" $ishing %o**unities o$ DKd "ive here and

there on the bea%h. S%attered a"ong the p"ain are *obi"e vi""ages and %a*ps o$ Ba"67 ho are

*ain"y pastora", but pra%ti%e a "itt"e %u"tivation a$ter rain. A"" these popu"ations have traditiona""y

depended on rain and rain2$i""ed ponds as the on"y sour%e o$ ater.

%. The origis o& the Bal#ch.

The ear"iest etant sour%e !*ahristnh +rn-ahr, a +ah"avi tet ritten in the 4nd@'th %entury,

though probab"y representing a pre2Is"a*i% %o*pi"ation3 see Darart,'rovincial ,apitals, pp. 0,

&0, (82(9# "ists the Ba"67 as one o$ seven autono*ous *ountain %o**unities ! #!"yr#. Arabi%

riters in the 5rd@1th and 8th@&)th %enturies !espe%ia""y Ebn ord beh, Das d, E a r,

Do?addas# *ention the*, usua""y as Ba" , in asso%iation ith other triba" popu"ations in the area

beteen :er*n, :horasan, Sstn, and Darn. A"" these tribes !o$ hi%h on"y the Ba"67 survive

in na*e# ere $eared by the sett"ed popu"ation. The sour%es a"so add so*e detai", but thei*p"i%ations are un%"ear. The Ba"67 appear to have had a separate distri%t o$ :er*n, but they a"so

"ived in to distri%ts o$ Sstn !E a r# and appeared in a tra%t so*e distan%e to the east o$ Pahra

!the eastern border o$ :er*n#, probab"y *odern :haran ! rn# or Chagai !Ebn ord beh#.

E a r a"so re%ords the* as pea%e$u", though Do?addas %"ai*s they ere *ore troub"eso*e than

the :7, ith ho* they are o$ten paired !$or re$eren%es see /a*es, &1)8b, pp. 49255, ho a"so

&9


15/80

provides a *ore detai"ed dis%ussion#.

The Ba"67 are genera""y %onsidered to have arrived in :er*n $ro* the north !e.g., /a*es, &1)8b,

pp. 4125)#. The eviden%e $or this assu*ption depends on to argu*ents the %"assi$i%ation o$

Ba"u%hi as a Northest Iranian "anguage and the $a%t that in PerdosFs *h-nma!%o*posed at

the beginning o$ the 8th@&)th %entury on the basis o$ ear"ier ors no "ost# they are *entioned in

%onun%tion ith G"n. A%%ording to Perdos !see, e.g., /eh od, s.v. Ba"67# the Sasanian ings

ArdaJr and osro I An6Jravn $ought the Ba"67 and the Ba"67 $ought $or severa" other Sasanian

ings. It has a"so been argued that the Ba"67 "e$t tra%es o$ their "anguage in the oases o$ the %entra"

deserts o$ the Iranian p"ateau as they *igrated south !Dinorsy, &10(3 Prye, &19. So*e o$ this

eviden%e !e.g., p"a%e na*es#, i$ pertinent, %ou"d be the resu"t o$ "ater raiding a%tivities on the part o$

s*a"" nu*bers o$ Ba"u%hi2speaers. !Su%h a%tivities have been re%orded as "ate as the &5th@&1th andear"y &8th@4)th %enturies.# There is no other eviden%e that %ou"d be used either to date or to

%orroborate the theory o$ a southard *igration by the Ba"67.

It is %"ear that the desert areas east and southeast o$ :er*n have been genera""y inse%ure

throughout *u%h o$ the histori%a" period. The ear"y Dus"i* riters ere preo%%upied ith the

unpredi%tabi"ity o$ popu"ations not %ontro""ed by the govern*ent, and by the danger to trave"ers.

Their des%riptions te"" us "itt"e *ore about the popu"ations o$ these areas than e *ight epe%t.

They ept $"o%s and "ived in goat2hair tents. Their native "anguage as not +ersian. They see* to

have been %on%entrated in the *ore $erti"e *ountains southeast o$ :er*n and to have p"undered

inter*ittent"y on the desert routes to the north and northeast.

The situation ith regard to the se%urity o$ trave" apparent"y deteriorated, be%ause in 59&@1(&2(4

the Buyid Aod2a"2/a"a !?.v.# %onsidered it orthhi"e to %ondu%t a %a*paign against the*. The

Ba"67 ere de$eated, but they %ontinued to be troub"eso*e under the Gha>navids and the Sa"u?s.

=hen they robbed Da *dFs a*bassador in the desert north o$ :er*n beteen abas and ab ,

Da *d sent his son, Das d, against the* !/a*es, &1)8b, pp. 54255#. A"though the eastard

*igration o$ the Ba"67 appears to have intensi$ied soon a$ter this, there are sti"" Ba"67 in eastern

:er*n provin%e.

It is i*portant to note that the sour%es do not *ention any "eaders. It is "ie"y that the Ba"67 at this

&(


16/80

period ere a series o$ triba" %o**unities not sharing any $ee"ings o$ %o**on ethni%ity. In $a%t,

the na*e Ba"67 !Ba"7# appears to have been a na*e used by the sett"ed !and espe%ia""y the urban#

popu"ation $or a nu*ber o$ out"a triba" groups over a very "arge area. The ety*o"ogy is un%"ear, as

is that o$ :7 !a"so ritten as "e&,!"&orarabi>ed.o"#, a na*e genera""y taen to re$er to

a %o*parab"e neighboring triba" %o**unity in the ear"y Is"a*i% period. The %o**on pairing o$

:7 ith Ba"7 in Perdos !see, e.g., /eh od, s.vv.# suggests a ind o$ rhy*ing %o*bination or

even dup"i%ation, su%h as is %o**on in +ersian and histori%a""y re"ated "anguages !%$. tr o mr#.

The Ba"67 *ay have entered the histori%a" re%ord as the sett"ed ritersF generi% no*ads. Be%ause o$

the signi$i%an%e o$ their a%tivities at this period they ou"d gradua""y have be%o*e re%ogni>ed as

the no*ads par e%e""en%e in this parti%u"ar part o$ the Is"a*i% or"d. It is possib"e, $or ea*p"e,

that Ba"7, a"ong ith :7, ere ter*s app"ied to parti%u"ar popu"ations hi%h ere beyond the

%ontro" o$ sett"ed govern*ents3 that these popu"ations %a*e to a%%ept the appe""ation and to seethe*se"ves in the %u"tura" ter*s o$ the "arger, *ore organi>ed so%iety that as estab"ished in the

*aor agri%u"tura" territories3 but they re*ained, then as no, a %ongeries o$ triba" %o**unities o$

various origins. There is a"so ethnographi% eviden%e to suggest that Ba"7, irrespe%tive o$ its

ety*o"ogy, *ay be app"ied to no*adi% groups by the sett"ed popu"ation as a generi% appe""ation in

other parts o$ eastern and southern Iran. The other triba" popu"ations re%orded in southeastern

:er*n in the ear"y Is"a*i% period, hi%h did not survive in na*e, *ay have assi*i"ated to the

Ba"u%h identity. An i*portant $eature o$ the history o$ the Ba"u%h up to the &8th@4)th %entury has

been their abi"ity to assi*i"ate nu*erous and diverse e"e*ents. Their history *ay have begun in the

area east and southeast o$ :er*n around the ti*e o$ the Arab %on?uest and their ethnogenesis *ay

have been a produ%t o$ the inse%urity o$ a vast desert area hi%h the govern*ents o$ the period did

not %are to %ontro" despite their need $or se%ure %o**uni%ations a%ross it. It *ust be re*e*bered,

hoever, that su%h a theory o$ the origin o$ the Ba"u%h "eaves open the ?uestion o$ ho and hen

the "anguage spread to be%o*e the "ingua $ran%a !though not the *other tongue# o$ a"" assi*i"ated

Ba"u%h.

'. The early history o& the area.

Throughout its history the area beteen Iran and India has been strong"y a$$e%ted by in$"uen%es

$ro* the *ore $erti"e areas surrounding it, parti%u"ar"y :er*n, Sstn, Oandahr, +unab, Sind,

and -*an. Sea tra$$i% %onne%ted it to the Indian -%ean and the +ersian Gu"$. Litt"e histori%a"

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resear%h has yet been $o%used on it, and the re"evant syntheses so $ar avai"ab"e derive %oin%identa""y

$ro* the pursuit o$ ansers to ?uestions arising $ro* pri*ary interests in the %ivi"i>ations to the

east and est.

=hat is no Ba"u%histan has "ong interested s%ho"ars as the hinter"and o$ the sett"ed so%ieties o$ the

Indus va""ey, the Iranian p"ateau, and Desopota*ia. A nu*ber o$ i*portant ar%heo"ogi%a" sites have

yie"ded eviden%e o$ hu*an o%%upation etending ba% to the $ourth *i""enniu* !see ba"u%histan ii#.

Ar%heo"ogists and phi"o"ogists have sought eviden%e o$ over"and %onne%tions beteen the ear"y

%ivi"i>ations o$ the Indus va""ey and Desopota*ia. Beteen 5))) and 4))) b.%. Su*erian and

Aadian re%ords indi%ate trade re"ations beteen the Tigris2Euphrates va""ey and p"a%es %a""ed

/i"*un, Daan, and De"uhha, hi%h, though their ea%t "o%ation has been a *atter $or debate,

ere obvious"y situated don the +ersian Gu"$ and beyond. Daan is genera""y assu*ed to bere"ated to Darn hi%h in "ater histori%a" periods is the na*e o$ the southern ha"$ o$ the area, the

%oast, and its hinter"and !Ei"ers, Hans*an#. =hether or not Daan a"ays in%"uded this area, in the

ear"y periods the na*e see*s to have app"ied *ain"y to the southern shores o$ the Gu"$ o$ -*an.

This %onne%tion is signi$i%ant, sin%e it has %ontinued into the present !though in *ore re%ent ti*es

the %"ose re"ationship beteen the popu"ations o$ hat are no Ba"u%histan and -*an has been

redu%ed by the apparatus o$ *odern nation2states#.

Pro* the *id2&st *i""enniu* onard the area as divided into na*ed provin%es o$ the +ersian

e*pires. Daa and Mrana appear in the ins%riptions o$ /arius at Bsotn and +ersepo"is. Daa

here is %ertain"y *odern Darn !the southern ha"$ o$ Ba"u%histan#, and Mra na !N+ers. Marang#,

the Marangai o$ Herodotus, /rangiane o$ Arrian, et%., as Sstn, hi%h appears then and "ater to

have in%"uded *ost o$ the northern parts o$ the area and so*eti*es even to have etended into

Darn. Dore spe%i$i% in$or*ation is provided by Gree authors ho began to be interested in the

+ersian Gu"$ as a resu"t o$ the +ersian ars !Herodotus, 5.15#. A"eanderFs epeditions beyond the

+ersian e*pire "ate in the 8th %entury generated *ore detai"ed riting. This as $urther en%ouragedby %o**er%ia" interest in the sour%es o$ various "uury %o**odities, *ain"y spi%es and dyestu$$s,

hi%h ere a"ready rea%hing the eastern Dediterranean $ro* the Indian -%ean.

The provin%e A"eander traversed on his return to Iran $ro* India as na*ed Gedrosia. The

eperien%e o$ his ar*y and $"eet given by Arrian is interesting be%ause it suggests that !%ontrary to

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the assess*ents o$ *odern e%o"ogists# the natura" %onditions o$ Ba"u%histan have not %hanged

signi$i%ant"y over the past 4,5)) years. There ere ports in Son*iani Bay, northest o$ *odern

:ara%hi, and at Gadar !Badara# and Ts !Tesa3 ear"ier Ta"*ena#. +opu"ation as genera""y sparse,

part"y Indian, in%"uding the Arbies and -reitae, part"y Iranian, in%"uding the Dy%i !assu*ed to be

re"ated to Daa#. =ater and provisions ere di$$i%u"t to $ind ithout good guides. In the in"and

va""eys agri%u"ture as $a%i"itated by sophisti%ated engineering o$ s*a""2s%a"e irrigation, based

*ain"y on the yie"d $ro* su**er rains. The *ost $erti"e area as the :e%h va""ey, hi%h as

dense"y sett"ed. A highay to the Indus ran $ro* the %apita" +ura, probab"y *odern Ba*pr, hi%h

is the "argest area o$ $erti"e atered "and, though it %ou"d have been in :e%h, the net "argest, or

possib"y even in one o$ the narroer river va""eys, su%h as the Sarb>. Indians, both Hindu and

Buddhist, "ived in +ura3 through it both "and and sea trade %ou"d pass onto the arteria" route to

:er*n.

A"eander $ounded an A"eandria at the prin%ipa" sett"e*ent o$ the -reitae in *odern Las Be"a. As

he pro%eeded estard he as $or%ed to strie in"and by the di$$i%u"ty o$ the %oasta" terrain.

Beteen Be"a and +asni as the orst stret%h o$ the ho"e epedition. Apart $ro* into"erab"e heat

and "a% o$ $ood, ater, and $ireood, at one point a $"ash $"ood sept aay *ost o$ the o*en

and %hi"dren $o""oing the ar*y and a"" the roya" e?uip*ent and the surviving transport ani*a"s.

Pro* +asni they pro%eeded a"ong the $"at %oasta" p"ain to Gadar, then in"and to +ura. The

eperien%e o$ the $"eet under Near%hos as si*i"ar. The dai"y sear%h $or $ood and ater rare"y

produ%ed *ore than $ish *ea" and dates, so*eti*es nothing. A"ong the bea%h they $ound

%o**unities o$ I%hthyophagi !$ish eaters#, hairy peop"e ith ooden spears ho %aught $ish in the

sha""os ith pa"* bar nets and ate the* ra or dried the* in the sun and ground the* into *ea",

ore $ish sins, and bui"t huts o$ she""s and bones o$ stranded ha"es !Arrian, )nabasis 4&249,

/ndica45255#.

The net signi$i%ant in$or*ation %o*es $ro* the Sasanian period, hen the area as on%e againintegrated into a provin%ia" ad*inistration. A ing o$ Darn paid ho*age to Narseh !son o$ the

Sasanian pr I# at NarsehFs a%%ession, ho during the reign o$ his $ather bore the honori$i% !Z#

tit"e o$ ing o$ Saastn, Tristn, and Hind up to the shore o$ the sea, and "ater Bahr*Fs son is

%a""ed :ing o$ Saas in the +aiu"i ins%ription, hi%h suggests that it as a not insigni$i%ant

provin%e !S[rv\, III@4, pp. &)2&. pr I na*ed $our ad*inistrative entities ithin the area

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Tugrn !"ater Trn, and present"y Saraan or :a"at#, +radn !probab"y *odern :haran#, and

Hind !presu*ab"y Sind, or the "and atered by the Indus#, as e"" as Darnas appendages o$

Saastn !Sstn#. The eastern boundary o$ the Sasanian provin%e o$ :er*n as set at the port o$

Ts on the %oast, and at ]+oh"pahra !Pahra#, *odern YrnJahr, ust beyond Ba*pr at the $ar side

o$ the irrigab"e area o$ the > Drn depression. Beyond that the ingdo* o$ Darn stret%hed

a"ong the %oast to the port o$ /aibu" at the *outh o$ the Indus. The ingdo* o$ +radn stret%hed

eastard $ro* Ba*pr to Trn. The ingdo* o$ Tugrn probab"y etended $ro* :>nn

!*odern :a"at# and the Bo"an pass !that %onne%ted =a"ishtan, *odern Ouetta, ith the Sibi and

:a%%hi "o"ands# through the Budahah distri%t and the +ab and :irthar ranges to a vague border

ith Darn and Hind near /aibu". It appears to have been e"" popu"ated by peop"e ho spoe a

non2Iranian "anguage, possib"y Brahui as today. The *ain ton as %a""ed Bauterna !*odern

:hu>dar#. !Por re$eren%es and *ore detai"ed dis%ussion see Brunner, pp. ((42((3 Chau*ont, pp.&5)25(.#

Toard the end o$ the %a"iphate o$ -*ar, Darn as invaded by the Arabs !45@988#, ho $ound it

as unattra%tive as *ost outsiders appear to have done both be$ore and sin%e. A$ter de$eating the

"o%a" ru"er and *ar%hing a"*ost to the Indus, they reported ba% to -*ar that it as an

unattra%tive region, ith the resu"t that -*ar ordered that the Arabs shou"d not %ross the Indus. A

si*i"ar senti*ent is attributed to another %o**ander that the ater in Darn as s%anty, the

dates poor in ?ua"ity3 that a s*a"" ar*y ou"d be sa""oed up in the deserts and a "arge one ou"d

die o$ hunger !Bosorth, &19', pp. &240#.

A$ter the Arab %on?uest *ost o$ the area soon returned to its *ore %hara%teristi% %ondition o$

interna" autono*y under a"ien hege*ony. In parti%u"ar it %ontinued to serve as a re$uge $or peop"e

ho had been disp"a%ed $ro* the *ore $erti"e %onditions o$ Iran and India. Espe%ia""y, in the net

$e %enturies, sin%e Sstn as a *aor %enter o$ :hariite senti*ent, *any :hariites $ound their

ay into Darn !Bosorth, &19', pp. 5(28& #.

In the ear"y 0th@&&th %entury the Gha>navid e*pire estab"ished a pattern hi%h has %ontinued into

*ore re%ent history. The geopo"iti%a" interests o$ the Gha>navids, %entered to the northeast o$ the

area, %o*p"e*ented the de%"ine o$ Sstn, and brought Oo dr !:hu>dar#, and through it *u%h o$

Darn, into dependen%y on Oandahr. Sin%e then, a"though the govern*ents o$ the estern

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p"ateau !*odern Iran# %ontinued !unti" the estab"ish*ent o$ Mhedn as the ad*inistrative %apita" o$

the Iranian provin%e o$ Ba"u%histan under Re Shah# to see Darn as an etension o$ :er*n,

govern*ents on the eastern p"ateau !*odern A$ghanistan# have seen it as a southard etension

$ro* Oandahr.

-ver the net three %enturies, hen $irst the Sa"u?s and then the Dongo"s ru"ed in Iran, Iranian

in$"uen%e did not etend very $ar beyond :er*n, and Darn be%a*e re"ative"y autono*ous

again. In the (th@&5th %entury Dar%o +o"o %a""s it :es*a%oran !:e%h2Darn#, suggesting that the

agri%u"tura" sett"e*ents a"ong the :e%h river ere the *ost $"ourishing part o$ the area. Pood as

abundant and good !he *entions the $u"" range o$ stap"es ri%e and heat, *eat and *i"#. :e%h had

its on ru"er !male##, and the peop"e, ho in%"uded non2Dus"i*s and "ived by %o**er%e as *u%h

as agri%u"ture, trading both over"and and by sea in a"" dire%tions, spoe a "anguage +o"o did notre%ogni>e. It is a"so orth noting that he identi$ied the ingdo* o$ :es*a%oran as the "ast in India,

rather than the $irst in Iran !II, pp. 8)&2)5#. /uring this period Ba"67 *igration intensi$ied and the

area began to tae on the %hara%ter o$ Ba"u%histan, absorbing a su%%ession o$ i**igrant groups, o$

hi%h the Ba"67 ere neither the $irst nor the "ast. But the history o$ the area %annot be understood

as a re$uge area or ba%ater. It is a border"and beteen India and Iran and a bridge beteen the

Iranian p"ateau and the Arabian peninsu"a. +o"iti%a" and e%ono*i% in$"uen%es $ro* both Iran

!in%"uding hat "ater be%a*e A$ghanistan# and India %ontinua""y a$$e%ted the po"iti%a" e%ono*y,

and "o%a" "eaders have genera""y "ooed in both dire%tions $or potentia" sour%es o$ eterna" support

in their interna" %on$"i%ts.

. The east)ard migratios o& the Bal*+.

A"though *any Ba"67 *oved into and through Darn starting in the 0th@&&th %entury, others ere

probab"y a"ready present in the genera" area east o$ :er*n. Eviden%e $or the *igration is sparse.

There are to *aor types the %orpus o$ traditiona" Ba"u%hi poetry and "ater Dugha" histories.

The poe*s %"ai* that the Ba"67 are des%ended $ro* Dr a*>a !Dr is a Ba"u%hi tit"e $or "eaders,

Arabi% amr#, the un%"e o$ the +rophet3 that they $ought ith the sons o$ A" at :arba" , hen%e

they *igrated to Ba"u%histan. There are to possib"e interpretations o$ this epi% history. Pirst, triba"

popu"ations in the Dus"i* or"d have typi%a""y tra%ed their genea"ogies ba% to the ti*e o$ the

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+rophet as a ay o$ "egiti*i>ing their Is"a* in their on triba" !i.e., genea"ogi%a"# ter*s. Se%ond,

there are a nu*ber o$ ays in hi%h Arab groups %ou"d have $ound their ay into the

heterogeneous triba" popu"ation that eventua""y assi*i"ated Ba"u%h identity east o$ :er*n,

hether or not their $orebears had $ought at :arba" . So*e o$ the origina" Arab invaders *ay have

re*ained in the area, and there is eviden%e o$ *igration a%ross the +ersian Gu"$ $ro* Arabia into

the :er*n region in the ear"y %enturies o$ Is"a*.

The poe*s te"" o$ arriva" in Sstn and o$ the hospita"ity o$ a ing na*ed a*s2a"2/n. A ru"er

!male## by that na*e %"ai*ing des%ent $ro* the Sa$$arids is non to have died in 001@&&98. A$ter

a ti*e another ru"er %a""ed Badr2a"2/n !o$ ho* e have no independent re%ord, un"ess he as a

Ghurid# perse%uted the* and drove the* out. Litt"e e"se o$ any signi$i%an%e is identi$iab"e, e%ept

the o%%asiona" p"a%e na*e in Darn !see dis%ussion in /a*es, &1)8b, pp. 50259#. It see*s "ie"ythat this sort o$ eastard progress as deter*ined by the use that various *inor ru"ers *ay have

had $or a *er%enary $or%e.

The $irst re%ord o$ *ove*ent into Sind is $ro* the (2'th@&52&8th %enturies. The *ain divisions o$

the Ba"67 tribes des%ribed in the poe*s presu*ab"y re$"e%t events during this period. A%%ording to

the poe*s a Dr a"" :han ho as "eader o$ a"" the Ba"67 "e$t $our sons, Rind, LJr, H6t, and

:6ra, and a daughter na*ed t6, ho *arried his nephe Dord. These $ive be%a*e the

epony*ous $ounders o$ the $ive *ain tribes o$ the poe*s, the Rind, LJr, H6t, :6ra and t6.

The poe*s te"" o$ $orty2$our tribes !%a""ed tuman or b!la##, o$ hi%h $orty ere Ba"67, and $our

ere servi"e tribes dependent on the*. -ther i*portant na*es that have survived to the present are

/rJa, Da>r, /u*b, :h6s. The H6t see* to have been in the area ear"ier than the others. It

*ay be signi$i%ant that so*e na*es are derived $ro* non p"a%e na*es in Ba"u%histan. Dany o$

the pro*inent tribes o$ today are not *entioned in the poe*s, su%h as Bg , Bu"Kd, Bu>dr,

:asrn, LKgar, Lund, Dar. Sin%e these tribes ere probab"y there in the 1th@&0th %entury, the

absen%e o$ their na*es in the poe*s suggests that either they are "ater bran%hes o$ the o"d tribes, orthey ere not then Ba"67 and have been assi*i"ated sin%e.

In the 1th@&0th %entury another ave %arried the Ba"67 into southern +unab. This as the period o$

Dr Xar !Xor# Rind, the greatest o$ Ba"u%histan heroes. So*e groups $ro* the Rind tribe

*igrated $ro* Sibi to +unab, and spread up the va""eys o$ the Chenab, Ravi, and Sat"e rivers.

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Deanhi"e, the /6da !probab"y a Sindhi tribe assi*i"ated during the previous 4)) years# and H6t

*oved up the Indus and the he"a*. Bbor, the $irst Dugha" e*peror, $ound Ba"67 in +unab in

140@&0&1. He hired the*, as did his su%%essor, Ho*yn. The $irst a%tua" sett"e*ent o$ Ba"67 in

+unab appears to have been *ade in the reign o$ Shah osayn in Du"tan '(821)'@&8912()2&0)4,

ho gave the* a%gr!probab"y in return $or *i"itary servi%e#an a%t hi%h attra%ted *ore Ba"67

into the area. In +unab *any Ba"67 turned to sett"ed agri%u"ture in the &)th@&9th %entury. !The

re$eren%es $or this period are "isted and dis%ussed in *ore detai" by /a*es, &1)8b, pp. 58285.#

A"though "arge nu*bers o$ Ba"67 *oved into the Indus va""ey, there has never been any ?uestion o$

*oving the boundaries o$ Ba"u%histan eastard to in%orporate the*. Ba"67 ho sett"ed in the

"o"ands, ith the e%eption o$ :a%%hi, tended to assi*i"ate "inguisti%a""y ith the surrounding

popu"ation, and "ose their ties ith in in the high"ands, though *any !e %annot no hatproportion# have retained their Ba"67 identity.

. !-ets leadig to the estalishmet o& the Bal#ch /haate o& 0alat. The &)th@&9th %entury

sa the rise o$ Sa$avid poer in Iran and o$ Dugha" poer in India, and the arriva" o$ European

ships in the Sea o$ -*an and the +ersian Gu"$. The interests and %on$"i%ts o$ these three outside

poers %ou"d not $ai" to a$$e%t the interna" po"iti%s o$ the Ba"67 and other %o**unities that "ay

beteen the*. The *aor events that $or* the basis o$ Ba"u%hi epi% poetry, re*e*bered as the ars

beteen the Rind and LJr tribes, o%%urred during this period and ere obvious"y %onditioned by

the opportunities and in%entives a$$orded by the "arger geopo"iti%a" %ontet.

The Sa$avids reestab"ished so*e Iranian %ontro" in Darn, *ain"y $ro* Ba*pr, /e>a, and

Sstn !R^hrborn, pp. &4, (8, '42'5#. In &0&0, Shah Es* " !ho had no navy# as $or%ed to

a%%ept the +ortuguese o%%upation o$ Hor*o>, and %on%"uded a treaty ith the ad*ira", A"$onso de

A"bu?uer?ue !?.v.#, on ter*s that in%"uded the provision that the +ortuguese ou"d assist the shah

in suppressing a revo"t in Darn. Hoever, this %o""aboration, hi%h ou"d have been the $irst o$

its type ith a European $or%e in the area, proved abortive be%ause o$ A"bu?uer?ueFs death. In

&0'&, $or reasons that are un%"ear, the +ortuguese destroyed the ports o$ Gadar and Ts, !Lori*er,

I@&A, pp. (2'#.

The /ut%h arrived in Hor*o> at the beginning o$ the &&th@&(th %entury and the British appeared

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soon a$terard. In &9&5 Sir Robert Sher"ey, ho stopped at Gadar on his ay to Is$ahan as

a*bassador, as near"y i""ed hen a group o$ Ba"u%h *ade a surprise atta% on his ship. But

a$terard he rote to the East India Co*pany !estab"ished in &9))# in London re%o**ending that

they set up a $a%tory in Gadar, be%ause it as autono*ous, tributary to Iran, sa$e $ro* the

+ortuguese, and pro*ised the ri%hest tra$$i% in the or"d. In &90) a Ba"u%h guard de$ended

Dus%at !Das?a # on beha"$ o$ the +ortuguese !though the I*a* o$ Dus%at ousted the +ortuguese

"ater in the sa*e year3 see Lori*er, I@&A, p. 51#. A"" the Europeans readi"y too on various groups

o$ Ba"u%h as guards and *er%enaries. The Ba"u%h did not disp"ay any so"idarity in re"ation to these

non2Dus"i* a"iens. Ba"u%h and $oreigner %ooperated or $ought, a%%ording to "o%a" interests and

ani*osities.

At this ti*e the over"and tra$$i% as sti"" taed by the ru"er ! male## o$ :e%h, ho a"so %ontro""edGadar, and a%%ording to +ietro de""a Qa""e as on $riend"y ter*s ith the +ersian govern*ent.

But around &)41@&94) :e%h as taen over by the Bu"Kd tribe, ho appear to have been $o""oers

o$ the er !Miri# heresy !see && be"o ethnography#, and do*inated the ho"e o$ Darn up to

s unti" &(8) !Lori*er, &@4, pp. 4&0)20.

The preva"en%e o$ heresy in Darn during this period *ay have separated it *ore than usua" $ro*

the events o$ the high"ands. Oandahr and the Ouetta2+ishin area to the north %hanged hands

beteen the Sa$avids and Dugha"s *ore than on%e, but a"though the Sa$avids eventua""y retained

Oandahr and %"ai*ed the high"ands don to :a"at !R^hrborn, p. &5#, the Dugha" in$"uen%e as

*ore signi$i%ant in the history o$ the Ba"u%h. Ho*yn is reputed to have given Sha" !Ouetta# and

Dastung to a Ba"u%h na*ed Laang :han !azetteerQ, p. 58#. A Dr Oa*barn !:a*barn#

used Dugha" support to drive out the ats $ro* the ah"aan distri%t to the south, though his son,

Dr -*ar, as %on$ronted ith the Ar ns o$ Oandahr. =hen Bbor too Oandahr !&044#,

Shah BKg Ar n had *oved to Sind, and Dr -*ar sei>ed an opportunity to tae :a"at. He as

driven out and i""ed by Rind and LJr Ba"67 $ro* Darn, ho in%"uded the $igures %e"ebratedin the heroi% ba""ads, Dr ayha Rind, his son Dr Xar Rind, and Dr Gahr* LJr. But the

Ba"u%h did not stay3 they *oved on to :a%%hi, "eaving Dr XarFs $ather2in2"a, Dr Dand6, in

:a"at. Dr Xar appears to have re*ained in the area o$ Sibi and the Bo"an +ass. In &009 short"y

be$ore he died he is said to have a%no"edged the su>erainty o$ the Dugha"s. In :a"at Dand6 as

soon overpoered by Brahui tribes*en under Dr Biar, the son o$ -*ar. A$ter Dr Biar, :a"at

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as again taen by the Dugha"s, though they never *anaged to %ontro" the surrounding tribes. But

ith the "oss o$ Oandahr the Dugha" ho"d on the high"ands eaened and the Brahui under Dr

Ebrh* :han Drr *anaged to regain :a"at. Dr Ebrh* de%"ined to ru"e, and the hanate

as o$$ered to Dr asan, his brother2in2"a. Dr asan as the $irst han o$ the Ba"67. The

ter* Ba"u%h !as used in this arti%"e# app"ies to parti%ipants in the po"ity that deve"oped under his

ru"e and that o$ his su%%essors.

Dr asan died ithout issue short"y a$ter a%%eding to the tit"e, the govern*ent passed to Dr

A *ad :han Oa*barn, ho be%a*e the epony*ous $ounder o$ the A *ad>ay dynasty o$ the

State o$ :a"at !Ratu%h, pp. 912(03 Roo*an, pp. 4'241#.

1. The A mad2ay /haate o& 0alat #p to the itr#sio o& British po)er ("3"4%56.

The *aor $a%tors in the history o$ :a"at in this period !be$ore the en%roa%h*ent o$ the British and

the reaaening o$ +ersian interest in the area# ere the epansion o$ :a"at territory under the

ear"y hans, the e$$e%ts o$ Nder ShahFs a%tivities ith regard to India, and the +ersian Gu"$3 the

poer o$ Nder ShahFs su%%essor in Oandahr, A *ad Shah Abd"3 the de%"ine o$ the hanate

a$ter the death o$ Dr Na r :han I in &(103 the a*bitions o$ Do a**ad Shah Or, and the

deve"op*ent o$ British interest. The up"ands and the "o"ands %ontinued to have distin%t po"iti%a"

histories, though the su%%ess o$ Na r :han I in the se%ond ha"$ o$ the &4th@&'th %entury integrated the* to so*e etent $or the duration o$ his reign. Pro* this period onard the history o$ the area

has been seen in re"ative"y e%"usive ter*s as the history o$ Ba"u%histan !though its ea%t

boundaries ere o$ten vague#. -utside interest in the area, su%h as that o$ -*an !in Gadar# and o$

A$ghanistan !in +ashtunistan#, have been seen as intrusive. Hoever, a deeper histori%a"

perspe%tive *aes it %"ear that up unti" this period the area as neither an e%"usive nor an

integrated po"iti%a" or %u"tura" unit3 rather it $or*ed part o$ a "arger area that in%"uded Oandahr and

Sstn to the north and -*an to the south, and "ay beteen the po"iti%a" po"es o$ Iran and India.

=ithin :a"at the high"ands and "o"ands ere on"y "oose"y re"ated The "o"ands ere %"ose"y

re"ated to -*an, and the high"ands ere an etension o$ Oandahr. The subse?uent history o$ the

area is easier to $o""o hen seen in these "arger geopo"iti%a" ter*s. !This se%tion is based on the

*ore detai"ed dis%ussions in Ba"u%h, Lo%hart, Roo*an, the azetteers, and the authorFs

unpub"ished ethnohistori%a" resear%h.#

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Continuity o$ authority in :a"at dates $ro* the a%%ession o$ Dr A *ad Oa*barn in &999. Dr

A *ad ru"ed $or thirty years and be%a*e an a""y o$ the Dugha" e*peror Arang>Kb A"a*gr I. He

spent his "i$e $ighting the Br6>ay A$ghans to the north and the :a"hora ru"ers o$ Sind to the south

in order to preserve and epand his territory. He $ina""y su%%eeded in %ontro""ing both Sibi and the

Ouetta2+ishin area. But his son, Dr De rb :han I, as sti"" ob"iged to $ight the :a"horas. He

de$eated the* in &910, though he died in the batt"e. Dr Sa*andar :han, De rbFs brotherFs son

and su%%essor, %ontinued to eep the :a"hora $a*i"y in %he% and a"so de$eated a *i"itary

epedition $ro* Iran under ah*sb BKg, ho p"anned to anne estern Ba"u%histan to Iran.

Sa*andar as rearded $or these servi%es by the Dugha"s ith the port o$ :ara%hi and other gi$ts.

The a%?uisition o$ poer by a "o%a" "eader, ho as ab"e to estab"ish the $ra*eor $or dynasti%

su%%ession in :a"at, trans$or*ed the po"iti%a" e%ono*y o$ the area, and set the s%ene $or the "aterdeve"op*ent o$ Ba"u%h so%iety. /uring the to %enturies up to the ti*e hen the British too over

the a$$airs o$ :a"at the genera" pattern o$ the hanFs eterna" re"ations as a%%o**odation ith the

po"iti%a" poer in Oandahr and in /e"hi, hosti"ities ith Sind, and disorder in re"ations ith

:er*n. Ba"u%h tribes in estern Darn and the Sar add o$ten raided into Iranespe%ia""y

during the reign o$ Shah Su"tan osayn, the "ast Sa$avid *onar%h &&)0250@&9182&(44 !Lori*er,

I@4, p. 4&04#. In &(4& the British and /ut%h $a%tories at Bandar2e Abbs !?.v.# ere atta%ed by a

$or%e o$ $our thousand Ba"u%h on horseba%, ho !apparent"y en%ouraged by the A$ghan invasion

o$ +ersia# overran the provin%e o$ :er*n and raided estard into Lorestn.

The rise o$ the e">ay under Dr =ays in Oandahr ear"y in the &4th@&'th %entury %hanged the

po"iti%a" %"i*ate in Ba"u%histan. Ouetta and +ishin ere reatta%hed to Oandahr in &()1. Dr

A *ad :han II, the son o$ Dr De rb :han, hose pro$"iga%y disp"eased the Ba"u%h sardars,

as i""ed by his younger brother Dr Abd2A""h :han ho then su%%eeded hi*. Abd2A""ah !r.

&(&8258#, ho as non as Oah!h#r :han, as one o$ the stronger A *ad>ay ru"ers, and

re*ained re"ative"y $ree to pursue his *i"itary and po"iti%a" a*bitions during the periodi**ediate"y pre%eding Nder ShahFs appearan%e at Oandahr. He *anaged to %on?uer :a%%hi in

the south, Harand and /ai" in the northeast, +angur, :e%h, and even Bandar2e Abbs to the est,

and Shoraa in the northest. The "ast brought hi* into *ore dire%t %on$"i%t ith Shah osayn

a" !r. &(4025'# o$ Oandahr, ho oined $or%es ith the :a"horas in Sind in an atte*pt to de$eat

hi*. They ere su%%ess$u", and the han tried to punish the :a"horas again, but as de$eated and

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i""ed in :a%%hi.

Though the A *ad>ayFs a""ian%e ith the Dugha"s had served the* e"", their en$or%ed

a%%o**odation ith the high"and poer o$ Nder Shah and his su%%essor in Oandahr, A *ad

Shah Abd", served the* even better. The %on$"i%t beteen Nder Shah and the Dugha"s a""oed

the A *ad>ay to estab"ish the*se"ves to the point here the British ou"d "ater de%ide to ru"e

through the*, despite their de%"ining abi"ities.

In %on%entrating his attention on the south, Dr Abd2A""h :han had served the Dugha"s too e""

and in%urred the rath o$ Nder Shah. Nder had na*ed Abd2A""h his governor o$ Ba"u%histan

and re?uired hi* to *ove against the Abd"s in Oandahr $ro* the south, hi"e he, Nder, *oved

in $ro* the est. -ing to his entang"e*ent ith the :a"horas, hi%h "ed to his death in batt"e,

Abd2A""h had $ai"ed to respond. Be$ore Nder as ab"e to punish :a"at, Abd2A""hFs son, Dr

Do abbat :han, as $ound unsatis$a%tory by the Ba"u%h sardars, and rep"a%ed by his brother Dr

Ah"t> :han. Hoever, the sardars soon $ound Dr Ah"t> no better and reinstated Do abbat

!though Ah"t> see*s to have retained so*e poer a*ong the /ehr in Dastung#. Nder sent +r

Do a**ad, the beglarbeg o$ Herat, against :a"at. In &&81@&(59, rather than $ight, both

Do abbat and Ah"t> ent to Oandahr and sub*itted to Nder Shah, ho too the e"der,

Do abbat, into his servi%e and appointed hi* governor o$ Ba"u%histan in%"uding Darn. Nder

a"so gave the* the "o"and p"ains o$ :a%%hi !then ru"ed by the :a"horas o$ Sind# as b"ood

%o*pensation $or the death o$ Dr Abd2A""h :han. As a resu"t the hanate no %ontro""ed both

high"and and "o"and gra>ing and *ore "and $or %u"tivation throughout the year. Their resour%e

base as great"y in%reased and the stage as set $or $urther interna" po"iti%a" deve"op*ent.

Po""oing the assassination o$ Nder Shah in &&9)@&(8(, A *ad Shah Abd", "ater non as

/orrn, ho as heir to Nder ShahFs para*ount%y over :a"at, deposed Do abbat and put in his

p"a%e another younger brother, Dr Na r :han, ho ith his *other had been a hostage in NderFs

%a*p sin%e &(5(. Na r as histori%a""y the *ost signi$i%ant o$ the A *ad>ay ru"ers. He ru"ed $or

near"y ha"$ a %entury, and estab"ished the organi>ation o$ the state o$ :a"at $or the re*ainder o$ its

eisten%e. He as the on"y han ho su%%ess$u""y trans%ended triba" "oya"ties.

-$ the "and that had a%%rued to the state o$ :a"at up to this ti*e ha"$ as reserved $or the

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A *ad>ay as %ron "and and the other ha"$ as divided a*ong the tribes that *ade up the $ighting

$or%e $ro* Saraan and ah"aan. The han a""o%ated "and to the tribes in to %ategories gm

"ands and%gr"ands. m"ands ere a""o%ated a%%ording to the nu*ber o$ $ighting *en supp"ied

by ea%h tribe, ith the stipu"ation that the "and be used to raise %rops to support the $ighting $or%e in

the $ie"d. Sin%e it as %o**una" property o$ ea%h tribe, it %ou"d not be a"ienated. -ne2te"$th o$

the in%o*e as gathered by the "eader o$ ea%h tribe and sub*itted to the han as revenue. Un"ie

the%gr this "and %ou"d be %on$is%ated by the han i$ the tribe $ai"ed in its ob"igations. It is

interesting to note that this %o**una" tenure originated ith the han and as not generated by the

triba" %o**unity itse"$, as is o$ten assu*ed. The hanFs %ron "ands ere ored by /ehr,

hereas the tribes used at %u"tivators.

Na r set about bui"ding his $ighting $or%e in three regi*ents the Saraan regi*ent, the ah"aan regi*ent, and a spe%ia" regi*ent dire%t"y under his on %o**and. He %hose one tribe

ea%h $ro* Saraan and ah"aan !hi%h *ay have "aid the basis o$ the "ater raning o$ the tribes#

to "ead and to be responsib"e $or re%ruit*ent $ro* their respe%tive areas. He a"so $or*ed a

bureau%ra%y, by %reating o$$i%es o$ govern*ent a $azras given %harge o$ interna" and $oreign

a$$airs3 a$a#las *ade responsib"e $or the %o""e%tion o$ tribute and b"ood %o*pensation, and the

revenue $ro* %ron "ands3 a dr! a as put in %harge o$ the organi>ation o$ the /ehar

%u"tivators on %ron "ands, and ored through Brahui n eb s !deputies#. Pina""y, a h01qs

!a$ter NderFs e#-qs as given dire%tion o$darbrs and the seating arrange*ent $or "eaders

a%%ording to their ran. Beside these o$$i%ers, he %reated to %oun%i"s. De*bership in one o$ the

%oun%i"s !ma%les-e mo ebn # as by his on no*ination, and pri*ari"y $ro* a*ong his %"ose

ins*en, but it a"so in%"uded the to "eaders o$ the tribes o$ Saraan and ah"aan. The se%ond

as a %oun%i" o$ sardars !ma%les-e mo$arat#. De*bers o$ the $irst %oun%i", or their

representatives, had to re*ain at :a"at %ontinuous"y a"ong ith one2te"$th the nu*ber o$ so"diers

raised by ea%h tribe !gm2 pa#ar#. udi%ia" poers ere vested in the sardars ho ere sube%t to

guidan%e by q3s !udges# a%%ording to the re"igious "a !*ar a #, e%ept that "o%a" %usto* toopre%eden%e in *atters o$ adu"tery and *urder. The ritten "anguage $or state business as +ersian,

and bureau%rati% positions ere re%ruited $ro* the +ersian2speaing /ehr peasant %o**unity.

Ouetta had %o*e under Nder Shah hen he too Oandahr, and he assigned it to Na r and his

*other during the ti*e that Dr Do abbat :han he"d :a"at. A *ad Shah is said to have $ina""y

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given it to :a"at a$ter re%eiving assistan%e $ro* Na r in a %a*paign in eastern Iran in &(0&as a

ind o$l!"it. present o$ a sha"# $or his *other, Bb Darya*. But +ishin re*ained under the

/orrns.

:a"at as sti"" subordinate to the Abd" %ourt o$ Oandahr. The treaty beteen the* %a""ed $or an

annua" pay*ent o$ Rs 4,))) $ro* :a"at to Oandahr, and the provision and *aintenan%e o$ &,)))

so"diers in Oandahr. An apparent a%t o$ insubordination on the part o$ Na r, ho $ai"ed to respond

hen su**oned to Oandahr, "ed to the negotiation o$ a ne treaty a$ter A *ad Shah Abd"

$ai"ed to de$eat hi* outright.

Be%ause A *ad Shah needed Na rFs support e"sehere, the ne treaty as *ore e?ua". The

hanate no "onger paid tribute or *aintained a $or%e at Oandahr. Instead, :a"at provided a $ighting

$or%e on"y hen the A$ghans $ought outside their ingdo*, and then the han ou"d be provided

ith *oney and a**unition. The ne treaty as sea"ed by a p"edge o$ "oya"ty to Oandahr and the

*arriage o$ the hanFs nie%e to A *ad Shah Abd"Fs son. In the sett"e*ent ith Oandahr the

$ina" a%%o**odation as that the shah gave Na r the tit"e o$ beglarbeg hi"e the han

re%ogni>ed hi* as su>erain.

=ith the se%urity and $reedo* o$ a%tion a$$orded by the ne treaty ith Oandahr and the resu"ting

stabi"i>ation o$ the northern and eastern border, Na r as ab"e to *ove against the neighboring territories o$ :haran, Darn, and Las Be"a. The G7 !ho had be%o*e do*inant in Darn in

&(8)# and *ost o$ the Bu"Kd ere er. Na r *ade nine epeditions against the*. The strugg"e

as ended, apparent"y be$ore &((', by a %o*pro*ise under hi%h the revenues o$ the %ountry ere

divided e?ua""y beteen the G7 "eaders and the han, ith the dire%t ad*inistration re*aining in

the hands o$ the G7, ho ere divided into to bran%hes, a senior bran%h in +angur and a unior

one in :e%h and Gadar.

Na r "ed so*e tenty2$ive *i"itary epeditions during his ru"e. Beside the G7 in Darn, he

$ought against Las Be"a, :haran, the Dar, and the Ba"u%h T"pr $a*i"y that had su%%eeded the

:a"horas in Sind. A"" these a%%epted his su>erainty. He a"so $ought ith the Sihs o$ +unab and

ith A" Dardn :han o$ Tn and abas in eastern Iran. At the end o$ his ru"e his authority

etended over an area not very di$$erent $ro* the "ater +aistani provin%e o$ Ba"u%histan, though it

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did not etend so $ar to the north or northeast, and on"y the %entra" parts ere dire%t"y ad*inistered.

Deanhi"e, the %ourse o$ events in the Darn "o"ands had been %hanged by a%tivities in -*an

and by the interest Nder Shah had taen in the +ersian Gu"$a"though NderFs o$$i%ers ere

in%o*petent and %orrupt and ere de$eated by the G7. The i*a* o$ -*an %ontinued a pra%ti%e,

possib"y originated by the +ortuguese, o$ re%ruiting Ba"u%h $ro* Darn into his servi%e. At "east

one e%"usive"y Ba"u%h %o**unity on the -*ani %oast today dates $ro* this period. In &(8)

A *ad b. Sa d, governor o$ Sohar, %ondu%ted a %oup and $ounded the V" B Sa d dynasty. Being

a *er%hant and shiponer, he as unab"e to re"y on triba" %onne%tions and as ob"iged to re%ruit

Ba"u%h and A$ri%an s"aves as *er%enaries. In &('8 a pretender to the govern*ent o$ -*an, na*ed

Sayyed So" n b. A *ad, sought re$uge in Darn. A%%ording to "o%a" traditions So" n %a*e $irst

to Mi, a $orti$ied vi""age o$ the Drr tribe in :o"a, and then%e, having been oined by /d2:ar* Drr, pro%eeded to :haran, here his %ause as espoused by Dr ahngr, a

NoJKrn "eader. The group then paid their respe%ts to Dr Na r :han at :a"at. Na r at $irst

see*s to have undertaen to he"p the supp"i%ant to estab"ish hi*se"$ in -*an, but in the end on"y

gave hi* Gadar. At the ti*e Gadar had de%"ined in prosperity and as an insigni$i%ant $ishing

vi""age. There is no re%ord o$ Na rFs intention. He appears to have given no thought to the interests

o$ the G7. Later -*an %"ai*ed that the gi$t as intended to be in perpetuityhi%h "ater hans

denied but ere genera""y unab"e to %ontest. The situation as %ontested by the G7s, ho argued

that Na r %ou"d a"ienate on"y his on ha"$ o$ the revenue, not the ha"$ that be"onged to the*. Unti"

&(14, hen So" n $ina""y be%a*e ru"er o$ -*an, he appears to have *ade Gadar a base $or

epeditions against the -*ani %oast. A$ter estab"ishing hi*se"$ in -*an he *ade Gadar a

dependen%y and sent a representative ith troops to o%%upy it and bui"d a $ort. He then sent a $or%e

to Xhbahr, hi%h !ith the aid o$ the Is*a i"i *er%hant %o**unity# entered the harbor under the

pretet o$ $ishing, and then too the ton by surprise. Xhbahr had been under a Bu"Kd, na*ed

a$ Do a**ad, ho paid a ?uarter o$ his revenue to Dr Sob n, the a g" ru"er at Bahu,

though he had $or so*e ti*e a"so paid another ?uarter to -*an. Xhbahr see*s to have been "ostto -*an on the death o$ So" n in &')8, but to have been re%overed again a$ter a short interva". Its

revenue in &')1 as Rs 0,))) per year, hi%h sti"" ent entire"y to the Su"tan o$ -*an. Litt"e *ore

is non o$ Gadar and Xhbahr unti" the en%roa%h*ent o$ the British attra%ted the interest o$ the

+ersian govern*ent in the &'9)s, e%ept that it rapid"y overtoo the neighboring ports, +asni and

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ianri, in prosperity. The ru"ers o$ the *aor Darn sett"e*ents ere in %ontinuous %onta%t ith

-*an ith regard to the status and se%urity o$ the ports.

Dr Na r :han as a stri%t Dus"i*. He prote%ted the Hindu traders in his territory, and $e"t an

ob"igation to %o*bat the heresy o$ the ers !Miris# in Darn. The ha"$2%entury o$ po"iti%a"

stabi"ity he provided had signi$i%ant e%ono*i% resu"ts. Both agri%u"ture and trade in%reased. So*e

se%tions o$ the Nr in :haran, Chagai, and southern Sstn turned to agri%u"ture. But a$ter

Na rFs death the de%"ine as rapid. He as su%%eeded by his e"dest son, Da *d, ho as sti"" a

*inor aged seven. A"*ost i**ediate"y the in$"uen%e o$ :a"at %eased to be $e"t in Darn and the

area be%a*e divided a*ong the "o%a" "eaders. The %ir%u*stan%es o$ the su%%ession are un%"ear. But

it appears that it as disputed by a grandson o$ Do abbat, %a""ed Bahr*. Bahr* too :ara%hi,

but as de$eated by the regent a%ting in the na*e o$ Da *d, ith assistan%e $ro* Shah Ma*n, the ru"er o$ Oandahr.

=hen he %a*e o$ age, Da *d proved inade?uate to the tas o$ rebui"ding his $atherFs state.

Seeing his "a% o$ aptitude $or the position, the periphera" territories a"" reasserted their

independen%e. In &'&) Henry +ottinger, one o$ the $irst Eng"ish trave"ers to visit Ba"u%histan, $ound

the sardars a%ting independent"y. Da *dFs son, Dr De rb :han II, stopped the de%"ine $or a

hi"e. He regained :e%h, but had troub"e ith his *inisters, hi%h %aused hi* "osses in the north

and east.

Por this period i**ediate"y pre%eding British intervention in the area, there is $or the $irst ti*e

so*e re"ative"y detai"ed e%ono*i% data. The han had %ron "ands in *ost o$ the provin%es o$ the

state, but *ost o$ the revenue as %onsu*ed by the agents ho %o""e%ted it. Dost o$ his in%o*e

as dran $ro* :a%%hi, hi%h as the *ost produ%tive o$ his provin%es. His revenue $ro* this

sour%e as esti*ated at Rs 5)),))) per annu*. :a"at had ear"ier !as :>nn# been an i*portant

entrep_t $or *er%handise $ro* :horasan, Oandahr, :abu", and India, but by the &'4)s its trade

as insigni$i%ant !=aa"tyer, II, p. 04'3 Dasson, II, pp. &44245#. The entire in%o*e o$ Ba"u%histan

and its dependen%ies in &'&) as esti*ated at no *ore than Rs 4)),))) !S%he$er, p. (#. Abd2

a"2Nab !ho a%%ording to Lee%h undertoo a se%ret re%onnaissan%e o$ Darn in &'5'# trave"ed

part o$ the ay $ro* Dastung toard +angur ith the hanFs h-qs, ho as on his ay to

%o""e%t the revenue ith a body o$ 5)) horse, $oot, and %a*e"ry. The revenue is "ater stated to be

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4,))) :ashani rupees, p"us a proportion o$ the %rop. The sa*e trave"er reported that at :haran,

hi%h as independent o$ :a"at and under the su>erainty o$ Oandahr, there ere $ive or si

irons*iths, one Hindu trader, *any %arpenters, and sity eavers. At /e>a in the est he $ound at

"east &,))) %otton eavers and $abri%s eported in a"" dire%tions, and a hundred Hindu traders. He

%ontinues to give $igures $or *any o$ the sett"e*ents o$ the Sar add and the Darn, ith *any

interesting po"iti%a" and e%ono*i% detai"s and a%%ounts o$ his adventures. Beyond the authority o$

the han o$ :a"at and the su"tan o$ -*an the territory*ost o$ hat is no Ba"u%histan ithin

Iranas genera""y divided into *iniature repub"i%s based on $orts in the agri%u"tura" sett"e*ents.

+ottinger in &'&) $ound that +ersian authority as he"d in %onte*pt by the ru"er o$ Ba*pr. The

+ersian %"ai* to the ho"e o$ Ba"u%histan up to India had %ontinued sin%e the A%hae*enids, though

in the *edieva" period on"y Nder Shah A$Jr sought to en$or%e it. It as $ina""y the a%tivity o$ the

rebe""ious V? :han !?.v.# beteen &'5' and &'88 that "ed Do a**ad Shah Or to send $or%es into the area.

/uring the sa*e period the eastern part o$ Ba"u%histan appears to have had *ore trade. =e are to"d

that Be"a had about 5)) houses, one third o%%upied by Hindus. =ad in ah"aan as a s*a"" ton,

%o*prising to groups o$ *ud houses about &)) yards apart, the estern group %ontaining about

0) houses *ain"y inhabited by Hindu traders, the eastern group %ontaining 4025) houses o$

Dus"i*s in%"uding sardars o$ the Denga" tribe, Ys and =a" Do a**ad. Na", the seat o$ the

B>en6 tribe, &0 *i"es to the est, as rough"y the sa*e si>e but had a $ort. :hu>dar had a ruined

$ort and severa" s*a"" ha*"ets o$ 425 houses ea%h, perhaps 9) houses a"together, on"y three o$

Hindus, though there had $or*er"y been 5). :a"at itse"$ had as *any as ')) houses, *any inhabited

by Hindus, and to out"ying sett"e*ents inhabited by the Bb tribe o$ A$ghans in ei"e !Dasson,

II, pp. &4&245#.

Ear"y in the &1th %entury the British in India began to tae a *ore serious interest in the interior

be%ause o$ their %on%ern about their northestern $rontier. In &')1, hen the $irst Eng"ish*an, aCaptain Grant, set out to ep"ore hether a European ar*y *ight enter India $ro* that dire%tion,

the British resident in Dus%at !Captain Seton# advised hi* that the ho"e area as unsett"ed.

Gat!a#r, here Grant "anded, be"onged to Dr Sob n, a a g" "eader ho ru"ed $ro* /aJtr

and Bh and as the strongest ru"er in Darn !Lori*er, I@4, p. 4&08#. Pro* there he *ar%hed to

Xhbahr, then to Nigar, the %oasta" p"ain to the east o$ Xhbahr, here he *et Dr Sob n and

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as e"" re%eived. At the end o$ Pebruary he rea%hed Oa r2e Oand, here he $ound an independent

ru"er, Shaih Sa*andar. He aited there $or Do a**ad :han, the ru"er o$ Geh !no NJahr#,

under hose prote%tion he as to trave" into the interior. Geh as se%ond on"y to :e%h in "o%a"

poer. Pro* Geh he *ar%hed to Ba*pr. The ru"er in Ba*pr as unre"iab"e, and Grant returned

to Oa r2e Oand, Geh, and Xhbahr, and then a"ong the %oast to s, and on to Bandar2e Abbs.

Grant reported that his ourney as possib"e on"y be%ause o$ the "etters o$ introdu%tion he %arried

$ro* the British resident in Dus%at to Dr Sob n. Grant a"so %arried "etters o$ %redit $ro* Dus%at,

and there as p"enty o$ trade beteen Dus%at and Xhbahr. He trave"ed in European %"othes and

$ound everyone *ore %ivi" and hospitab"e than they had been represented. Lie +ottinger, he

$ound no +ersian in$"uen%e in Darn.

In &'51 the $ai"ure o$ a British dip"o*ati% *ission to :abu" and the arriva" there o$ a Russian envoy"ed to the British vi%eroyFs de%ision to invade A$ghanistan and reinsta"" Shah o in :abu" !see

ang"o2a$gan ars, i#. In order to ensure sa$e passage o$ the ar*y to Oandahr, it as ne%essary to

%ontro" Ba"u%histan. Lee%h, the $irst Eng"ish*an $or*a""y dispat%hed to %on%"ude an agree*ent

ith the han, $ai"ed. Later Sir A"eander Burnes as sent and an agree*ent as arrived at in

Dar%h, &'51, hi%h guaranteed the sovereignty and borders o$ :a"at and *ade the han

responsib"e $or the sa$e passage and provisioning o$ the British troops in r

Documents

BALUCHISTAN . Geography, History and Ethnography