Afghan Biographies

Baloch Tribal Council


Name Baloch Tribal Council
Ethnic backgr.
Date of birth
Function/Grade Background
History and Biodata

In a conference against Genocide and Massive human rights violations of Baloch by Iran and Pakistan in Kabul Afghanistan organized by Baloch Shura e Afghanistan( The Baloch Council of Elders Afghanistan) passed a declaration.(20120705)

Baluch Tribal Council in Kabul commemorated “Baloch Martyrs Day”. The head of the council, Shir Agha Baloch, said that genocide of thousands of Balochi men and women continued in Afghanistan,Pakistan and Iran. An MP, Farida Hamidi, criticized the Government for not giving the two million Afghan Baloch any role in the Government.(20121114)

Background:
The Baluch have absorbed the Brahui tribes, which reside in the same areas as the Baluch, but which speak a Dravidian language. The Brahui either migrated from southern India or were a vestige of the ancient Indus valley civilization. While they maintain their own language, they have been culturally assimilated by the Baluch.

The largest Baluch tribe is the Marri of Pakistani Baluchistan. The Afghan Baluch reside in three distinct communities. Baluch Nomads migrating to better pastureland

Nimruz: There are roughly 60,000 Baluch residing in Nimruz. This southwestern group is the largest of the Baluch settlements in Afghanistan. The Baluch in this area are largely settled farmers. This occupation is unusual among the Baluch in general, but common for Baluch in Afghanistan. The settled agricultural lifestyle of these Baluch results from the availability of fertile land in the vicinity of Lake Helmand and the Helmand River. The agricultural lifestyle has resulted in a very different political organization among these tribes. The organization of these tribes is much more authoritarian than other Baluch and resembles feudalism more than the lineage-based tribal systems in Pakistan and Iran. The largest population of Baluch in Nimruz resides along the southern shore of the Helmand River between Rudbar and Chachar Burjak. The area consists of large agricultural landholdings, and is inhabited by a very small number of landlords and many poor tenant farmers whose position in life resembles that of serfs. Nearly all of these individuals are from the Sanjarani tribe. The northern portion of Nimruz is populated largely by Pashtuns and contains the provincial capital, Zaranj. Pashtuns only arrived in Nimruz beginning in the 1960s because of the presence of a successful Baluch bazaar in Zaranj. The Baluch residing in northern Nimruz are mostly from the Nahrui, Rakhshani, Saruni, Shahreki and Mamasani tribes.
The western section of Nimruz contains Baluch settlements on the eastern banks of the Helmand River in proximity to the Iranian border. This area is characterized by settled agricultural systems and is predominantly inhabited by members of the Gurgech, Rakhshani and Nahrui tribes.

Herat and Badghis: 30,000-40,000 Baluch reside in the western Afghani provinces of Herat
and Badghis.
Northwest Afghanistan: Scattered groups of pastoral nomadic Baluch are found throughout northwestern Afghanistan. The provinces where they can be found include Farah, Faryab, Samangan, Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Jawzjan and Kandahar.

The Baluch are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school. However, the abject poverty of most Baluch means they are not particularly involved with religious leaders. The Baluch do tend to be very committed to a kind of folk Islam. Baluch in Iran are slightly more committed to Islam than their northern cousins.

Last Modified 2012-11-14
Established 2012-11-14