Wednesday 13 July 2016

Baloch Tribes Living in Punjab.

A significant number of Baloch tribes started to settle in the Punjab province of Pakistan from 1555 CE. Due to accepting Punjab as the motherland, adopting the Punjabi language as mother tongue, assimilating in Punjabi culture and practicing Punjabi traditions, these Baloch were usually referred as the Punjabi Baloch.

But, from 1962 the Baloch background settlers of South Punjab started to introduce themselves as Saraiki by creating a new identity of Saraiki by means of combining three dialects of Punjabi i.e; Multani Punjabi + Derawali Punjabi + Riyasti Punjabi = Saraiki, as a new language and achieved the social, economic and political domination over Multani Punjabi, Riyasti Punjabi and Derawali Punjabi due to the advantage of their tribal structure and feudalistic mentality.

In 1555 a large body of Balochis, under Chakar Khan Rind, accompanied the Emperor Humayun into India. It is probable that many of the Baloch settlements, in the Eastern districts of the Punjab, were founded by Humayun's soldiers. Mir Chakar Khan Rind settled in Sahiwal and his tomb still exists at Satgarha, where he founded a military colony of Rinds.

In the middle of the 17th century the Brahvis, with the help of Turks, took advantage of the Balochis weakness after the Rind-Lashari war, which lasted for 30 years and had driven them out of the Kalat valley. Yielding to the pressure they moved eastward into the Sulaimans and settled along the banks of the Indus.

Three Baloch adventurers Ismail Khan, Fateh Khan, and Ghazi Khan founded the three Deras that bear their names and established themselves as independent rulers of the Lower Derajat and Muzaffargarh, which they and their descendants held for nearly 300 years. The three brothers founded the settlements of Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, and Darya Khan. Thence the southern Balochis gradually spread into the valleys of the Indus, Chenab, and Sutlej.

Throughout the Punjab, the term Baloch denotes any Muslim camel-man. The word has come to be associated with the care of camels, because the Baloch settlers of the Western plains have taken to the grazing and breeding of camels rather than to husbandry, and every Baloch is supposed to be a camel-man and every camel-man to be a Baloch.

Long residence in Punjab and intermarriage with the Jats has deprived them of many of their characteristics, and they have now forgotten the Baloch language and have abandoned the Baloch dress. Yet Baloch traditions can be seen in some parts (where Baloch families and tribes reside) of South Punjab mainly in Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffarghar, and Rajanpur. They mostly speak Sulemani Balochi in the south of Punjab, while those in the districts of Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Jhang, Sargodha and Khushab speak Punjabi.

They are good Muslims, fair good agriculturists. In character, they are brave, chivalrous, and honorable. In physique, they are tall, thin, wiry, hardy, and frugal in their habits.

The Baloch are found mainly in the districts of Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Multan, Bhakar, Tonsa, Jhang, Sargodha, Khushab, Sahiwal.

The following Baloch clans are those most commonly found of the Punjab:

Ahmadani,
Chandio,
Dashti,
Dodai,
Gishkauri,
Gopang,
Gurchani,
Gurmani,
Hot,
Jalbani,
Jamali,
Jatoi,
Jhar,
Khosa,
Khushk,
Korai,
Kulachi,
Lalwani,
Lashari,
Lund,
Nutkani,
Mandwani,
Marri,
Mashori,
Mazari,
Meerani,
Nutkani,
Pitafi,
Rind,
Sanjrani,
Zangeza,

The Jatoi, Korai, Mandwani, and Rind are numerous in Multan, Jhang, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Rahimyar Khan and Muzaffargarh districts.

The Dashtis and Gopangs both are found in the Muzaffargarh district.

The Hot are found in Jhang, Multan, and Muzaffargarh.

The Giskhauris, Gurmanis, Khushik, Pitafis in Muzaffargarh and Rahimyar Khan.

The Mazaris in Jhang, Rajanpur, and Rahimyar khan.

The Magassi Baloch, who are found in Multan, Muzaffargarh, Mianwali and Jhang, appear to be a "peculiar people" rather than a tribe.

The Jalbani tribe is concentrated in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts in the Punjab

1 comment: