History of the Ancient Baloch

Copyright 2022 Naseer Dashti.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-6987-1054-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-1056-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-1055-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021924514

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to the memories of persecutions and sufferings faced by the Baloch in ancient times

Key to Balochi words in Roman Script

Alphabets

B-b– bey

C-c – chey

D-d – dāl

Ɔ- ɔ - dhaal

F-f– fey

G-g– gaap

ǵ - ǵ - gaein

H-h– hey

J-j- jimm

K- k – kaap

L-l – laam

M-m – mimm

N-n – nunn

P-p – pey

Q-q – qaaf

R-r – rey

S-s – sinn

Ś- ś – shinn

T-t- tey

Ť-ť – Thay

W-w – waa

X-x – xey

Y-y – yaa

Z-z – zaal

Ź-ź –zey

Short Vowels

A-a – bar / par / gar

E-a – ger / per / mer

U-u – pur / sur / cur

Long Vowels

Ā- ā – baar / caar / waar ā

I-i – mir / sir / dir

O-o – kor / sor / tor

Ó- ó – Zoom

Diphthongs

Ai – dain / gair

Au – kaur

Ei – mein / zein / cein

Helping Verb

Ay –ay

Ey- ey

CONTENTS

Foreword

Prologue

Chapter 1 The Baloch Origin

Introduction

Race and kinship in context

Aryan phenomenon

Determining the Baloch racial affiliations

The ancient Baloch as part of Aryan tribes

Balāscik as the Baloch

Koch as Brahui

The journey of the Balochi language

Conclusion

Chapter 2 Original Abode of The Ancient Baloch

Introduction

Balāśagān as the homeland of the ancient Baloch

The neighboring people of the Baloch in Balāśagān

Kurds and the Baloch

Conclusion

Chapter 3 Dispersion of The Ancient Baloch from Balāśkān/Balāśagān

Introduction

The Persians

The Achaemenids

The Sassanid Empire

The Seleucid Empire

The Parthians (Aśkāni)

The Sakas

The Hephthalites

The Romans

Out of Balāśagān

Voluntary Migrations

Deportations and resettlements

The Baloch deportations and wanderings: An overview

Conclusion

Chapter 4 The Baloch Relations with The Arabs

Introduction

Arabs in context

Advent of Islam

Causes of the collapse of the Sassanid Empire

Expansion of the Arab Empire

The Baloch defection to the Arabs

The Baloch in the Arab Empire

The Arab civil wars and the Baloch

Banu Ummaya-Banu Hashim conflict and the Baloch

Hajjaj bin Yusuf and the Baloch

The Kharijite phenomenon and the Baloch

The conflict between northern and southern Arabs and the Baloch

Umayyads-Abbasid’s conflict and the Baloch

Conclusion

Chapter 5 Regional Dynasties of Iran and The Baloch

Introduction

The Baloch and regional dynasties

The Saffarids

Ziyarids, Buyids and the Baloch

The Samanid Empire

The Ghaznavids and the Baloch

The empire of Sindh and the Baloch

Conclusion

Chapter 6 Socio-Cultural Traditions of The Ancient Baloch

Introduction

The political structure of the ancient Baloch

The economic system of the ancient Baloch

The military structure of ancient Baloch society

Battle tactics

The judicial system in the ancient Baloch society

Dispute resolution by meid o marakah

Social and cultural practices of the ancient Baloch

Dress and Costumes

Birth rites of ancient Baloch

Marriage rites

Burial rites

Entertainment activities

Food and drinks

Ways of socialization

Social security system

Slavery

Lódi and doamb

Status of the woman

Inheritance

The tradition of hospitality

Sanctity of home

Keeping the vows

Protection of bāhoat

The tradition of revenge (Beirgiri)

Śegān

The principle of Lajj o Mayār

Status of clergy

Conclusion

Chapter 7 Religious Beliefs of The Ancient Baloch

Introduction

Religion in context

Ancient religions around the Iranian Plateau

Manicheanism

Mazdakism

Christianity in ancient Iran

Religious beliefs of the ancient Baloch

Ancestor and hero-worship among the ancient Baloch

Priesthood among the ancient Baloch

Superstitious beliefs among the ancient Baloch

Finding a religion for the ancient Baloch

Conclusion

Epilogue

References and Bibliography

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: A model of Aryan Migration

Figure 2: Map of Sassanid Empire locating Balāśagān

Figure 3: Map of Achaemenid Empire

Figure 4: Alexander’s Empire

Figure 5: Map of Seleucid Empire

Figure 6: Map of Parthian Empire

Figure 7: Map of Saka-dominated areas (first century BC)

Figure 8: Map of Sassanid Empire

Figure 9: The Hephthalites Empire

Figure 10: Map of the Roman Empire

Figure 11: Map of the state of Medina and its invasion of Iran from AD 632 to 750

Figure 12: Map of the Arab Empire during Ummayad rule

Figure 13: Map of the Abbasid Empire

Figure 14: The map of the Saffarid dynasty

Figure 15: Map of Buyids Dynasty

Figure 16: Map of Samanid Dynasty

Figure 17: Map of the Ghaznavids Empire

Figure 18: The Empire of Sindh

FOREWORD

This work is a thorough review of relevant aspects of historical accounts to find answers to some of the pertinent questions regarding Baloch history in ancient times. This is an effort to correlate various events of the past to find logical answers to questions concerning the tortuous historical journey of the ancient Baloch from the beginning to the 11th century. These questions include, first, who are the Baloch? Second, where was the original location of the Baloch in the Iranian Plateau? Third, what was the relationship between the Baloch and the ancient Iranian empires? Fourth, what happened to the Baloch after the Arab invasion of Iran in the seventh century AD? Fifth, how the Baloch were persecuted by regional powers after the collapse of Arab rule in Iran in premediaeval times?

Research materials were obtained from the British Library, the London Library, the library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, the library of the University College London, and from the various publications of the Balochi Academy Quetta. This work on the history of a nation, about which the ancient accounts are rare, cannot be termed, altogether, satisfactory. The mention of the Baloch can be found in documents written by Armenians, Turks, and Arabs in medieval times but the absence of skills in Armenian, Turkish, and Arabic languages was among the main problems for me in retrieving original data from the historical narratives in these languages. Nevertheless, from the translations, the available and relevant accounts mentioned in these documents are fundamental in locating the Baloch in the period when they were living in the north-western Caspian region. But depending only on translations sometimes causes many misunderstandings and the explanations of certain terminologies become difficult.

Due to the unavailability of documented evidence, which could have been used to fit the Baloch in the larger schema of ancient national entities and languages in the Iranian Plateau, it has not been an easy task to present a clear picture of the Baloch origin. It was a daunting task to go through the pages of ancient history, find passing references to the history of a people whose footprints have been lost in the dust of history. In this context, the only tools left for establishing the Baloch origin were their linguistic and cultural connections with other national entities of the region.

Ancient and medieval Persian and Arab writers like Firdausi, Maqaddesi, Tabari, Baladhuri, Masudi, Meskawiah, and Istakhri dealt sketchily with the ancient and medieval history of the Baloch. These were biased and mostly one-sided historical accounts but were excellent sources for critical reading and finding conclusions between the lines. On language and cultural aspects of the Baloch, the works of MacKenzie, Gershevitch, and Jahani are of fundamental importance. On ascertaining the religious and cultural traditions of the ancient Baloch, works of Wājā Jān Mahmaɔ Ɔaśťi were of much help in ascertaining the origin of the Baloch.

I hope that researchers on Baloch history will find the description and analysis of some aspects of this work as sources for drawing comparison and contrasts. As it will be established in the work that the Baloch are the ancient Balāścik and their ancient homeland was Balāśagān or Balāśkān, it will help determine the exact locations of the wandering Baloch tribes after their descent from Balāśagān. It will also be helpful in the analysis of the extraordinary resilience of the Baloch in preserving their national and linguistic identity against tremendous odds.

Naseer Dashti

London: 12/11/2021

PROLOGUE

Nearly three thousand years ago, a multitude of tribes left their abodes in Central Asia and moved toward west, south, and southeast directions. These people spoke a variety of Indo-European languages and were called Aryans. A section among them became known as Indo-Iranian tribes. Some of the Indo-Iranian tribes settled in the north-western Iranian region of Balāśkān/Balāśagān and became known as the Balāścik. Their language was called Balāściki or Balāścuki. However, after a few centuries, circumstances forced these pastoralist nomadic tribes to migrate en masse and abandon their abodes in Balāśkān. This was the beginning of many centuries of wandering and sufferings before they ultimately settled in the south and eastern fringes of the Iranian Plateau. Here they changed from being the Balāścik to becoming the Baloch, and the name of the region they finally settled in became known as Balochistan the country of the Baloch. Their language Balāściki transformed to become Balochi. This book is about the history of these people from the beginning to the 11th century AD.

Historical chronicles have never been impartial as they were written mostly from the perspective of dominant or victorious powers. The Baloch in ancient times were involved in conflicts of various kinds with Persian empires and Islamic rulers in Iran. In this context, the accounts about them written by the Persian and Arab writers may have been infected by the Persian-centric, and Islam-centric viruses. The descriptions of the ancient Baloch in these historical accounts display many discrepancies. In their accounts, written during the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries, on many occasions, the Baloch have been termed as barbarians; while in ancient Persian historical accounts, the Baloch had been described as warriors in the armies of Median, Achaemenid, and Sassanid emperors. On many other occasions, they were branded as brigands and unruly tribes. In their accounts, one can also hear the loud claims of some emperors of annihilating the Baloch. It can be deduced that as mostly the writers of these powers were preoccupied with writing about the glorious deeds of their own ethnic or national entities, they did not care much about the actual happenings regarding their barbarian neighbors like the Baloch, whom they considered beyond the pale.

The ancient Baloch were pastoralists, herding sheep and goats, like other nomadic pastoralists of the region. They were highly mobile and lived in tribal communities. The powerful empires of that era, dominated by settled populations, considered pastoralists and nomadic people as political non-entities. This perception caused a definite gulf between them and the settled communities, sometimes misgivings were inevitable where the nomadic people were blamed for their harassment of settled entities. The relationship between nomadic, seminomadic, and sedentary peoples within different Persian empires has always been characterized by shifting hegemony, rivalry, wars, and alliances on various pretexts. These changing relationships played important roles in the sufferings of the Baloch tribes, but they also helped in the shaping of the Baloch cultural and religious traditions. In a way, the efforts of the superior forces augmented the endeavors of the Baloch for identity formation as a distinct ethnic entity.

Persian authors of medieval times in their historical accounts proudly mentioned the genocide and massacre of the Baloch by various emperors of ancient Iran. However, the claims of their emperors of wiping out the Baloch from the face of the earth during the last decades of the Sassanid era were exaggerations as the Baloch regrouped as a distinct national entity and showed their presence and political importance in different regions of the Sassanid Empire such as Deylam, Gilan, Kerman, and Sistan before the Arab invasion of Iran in the 7th century.

The miseries of the Baloch did not end with the fall of Sassanid power in Iran. Beginning from the invasion of Iran by the Arab tribes in the seventh century, the history of the Baloch is a history of persecution, deportation, and migration. Although some of the Baloch tribes defected from the Sassanid side and initially sided with the Arabs; however, soon, the Arabs began to persecute them on various pretexts. Even the weakening of Arab power in Iran did not provide any relief for the Baloch. With the collapse of Arab power, Iran was ruled by powerful local dynasties for many centuries. The Baloch also faced some of the worst treatments during this period. Saffarids, Buyids, Samanids, and Ghaznavids dynasties were among the major political powers of the ancient era that have committed their share of atrocities on the Baloch. These atrocities included extreme genocidal acts that finally pushed the Baloch from Kerman and northern regions of Sistan toward further east and south into southern Sistan, Makuran, and Turan.

With the paucity of authentic historical documents and the deliberate blackout of any description of the Baloch by the ancient historians, it is not easy to trace their history. It is this scarcity of detailed accounts that makes guesswork the ethnic origin of the Baloch and the exact location of their original homeland in the Iranian Plateau. However, with some passing references in some of the ancient accounts of Iranian history and the rock inscriptions of Sassanid times one can visualize a murky picture of the ancient Baloch. We can find a place Balāśkān or Balāśagān and a description of an ethnic group Balāścik from some ancient Greek and Armenian historical accounts. It appears that Balāśagān was the original homeland of the ancient Baloch, and the term Baloch is the transformation of Balāścik of Balāśagān.

While determining the racial kinship of a people, an objective study on scientific lines is required of the physical traits or biological growth; structure of their languages; folklore and literature; religion and mythologies; social and political institutions and cultural affinity with other peoples, keeping in view the general characteristics of all tribal and feudal societies of a given period in the past. Several other points including geography and environmental changes have also to be considered. While judging the racial kinship, the inseparable elements of language and culture, save certain genuine exceptions, must always be kept in view. Culture is always depicted through language which is one of the guiding factors in classifying human groups. During the colonial era, an unscientific approach has been followed by European writers on Baloch history (these writers were mostly British military intelligence officers of British India), perhaps purposely. A judicious and scientific study of Balochi language and culture, religion, and mythologies which are the pre-requisites were never attempted; nor the Baloch political and socio-economic institutions were analyzed to find out any similarities or dissimilarities with any culture of regions and neighboring people.

Chapter one is an exploration into the origin of the ancient Baloch. It was imperative to discuss the descent of the Indo-Iranian tribes from Central Asia into the Iranian Plateau that is known as the Aryan phenomenon. Due to the unavailability of documented evidence, which could have been used in tracing the footprints of ancient Baloch; linguistic and cultural connections of the Baloch with other national entities of the period remain the only tools. The chapter is a logical discussion on the history of the region to find the origin of the Baloch among the linguistically and culturally closely affiliated or related ethnic groups in the Iranian Plateau. On the origin of the Baloch in ancient times, it was established that the thread running through is the migrations of a group of tribes speaking Indo-European languages from Central Asia that included the Balāścik or the Baloch of later ages. After they migrated from Central Asia, these people initially settled in the Balāśagān region in northwest Iran near the Caspian Sea (This was the region where other speakers of northwestern Iranian languages were also living) and represented Balāściki (Balochi) speakers which was a branch of Indo-Iranian languages. Their presence has been noted in some of the chronicles and rock inscriptions of Persian emperors of the Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties (From the rock inscriptions of Emperor Darius and Shahpur, it was established that an ethnic group called Balāścik was living in a region called Balāśagān which was somewhere between the Caspian Sea and Lake Van). Their linguistic and cultural affinity with Persians and Kurds gives much credibility to the theory that they belong to those Indo-Iranian groups of tribes who migrated from central Asia some three thousand years ago. Balochi which was the continuation of the Balāścuki/ Balāściki became the symbol of the Baloch national entity belongs to the family of north-western Iranian languages closely related to Kurdish and Persian.

It can be observed that ancient Baloch were pastoralist nomads, herding sheep, and goats and living in tribal communities. As the footprints of these ancient agro-pastoralists have been lost in the dust of history, it can only be postulated that the migrating Balāsciks tribes among the Indo-Iranian tribes originally settled in the Balāśkān/Balāśagān region of the Sassanid Empire. Chapter two is an effort to locate the original homeland of the Balāscik people in the Iranian Plateau.

The stay of the Baloch or Balāscik was not smooth in Balāśkān/Balāśagān. The region of their original abode was the meeting point of great powers of that era. The people living there were facing the consequences of a protracted war of attrition between the Greek, Romans, and the Persian empires. The thirst for expansion and domination by these powers caused turmoil in the region and the people faced the consequences of long-drawn conflicts. The mention of Balāścik as an ethnic group in the north-western Caspian region and Balāśagān itself seized to exist in ancient historical chronicles during the 7th century. What happened to the people called Balāścik and what happened to the region named Balāśagān? It appears that historical events or climatic situations caused the ouster of the Balāścik from the region and that might become a factor in the renaming of the region as Mugan during the Arab period. One can deduct from the accounts of Persian writers that the powerful empires of the Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties were in a hate and love relationship with the Baloch. Sometimes the Baloch faced their genocide acts while on many occasions they were reported to be participating in the war efforts of these empires. Chapter three is a discussion to find out logical answers to the question of the disappearance of the whole Balāścik community from Balāśagān during the last decades of Sassanid power in Iran. The chapter also briefly describes various powers in that time and their relations with the Balāścik other than the Persian empires. These powers included the Greeks, Romans, Hephthalites, Sakas, and others.

The collapse of the mighty Sassanid Empire was one of the most important but unexpected events in the history of the Iranian Plateau. Armed with the new religious doctrine of Islam, presented by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the 7th century in the township of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula, the divided Arab tribes united for the conquer of the world to convert humanity into Islam. Within a short period of twenty-five years, the complete occupation of Iran by a little-known group of tribes was one of the fascinating events in world history. The Arab conquest of Iran affected not only the Iranian world but also the whole of Central Asia. The collapse of the Persian Empire, the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion, and the replacement of Almighty Ahura Mazda with Almighty Allah as the all-powerful god in the Iranian Plateau changed the dynamics of politics and religion in the whole region. From the very beginning, the Baloch became a part of the conflict between the Sassanid and the invading Arab forces. The protracted conflict between these powers caused divisions among various Baloch tribes. Some of them defected to the Arabs while many others remained with the Sassanid forces defending Iran against the invasion. During the Ummayad period, the Baloch tribes who defected to the Arabs in the initial phase of the Arab invasion came into bloody conflict with the forces of the powerful Arab Empire. They faced massacre and genocide and were exiled to Syria where they remained in the Aleppo region until the fall of the Ummayad dynasty. During the Arab rule in Iran, the Baloch living in the Iranian Plateau became also involved in various civil wars among the Arab tribes which started soon after their occupation of Iran. Although few Baloch tribes that penetrated Makuran and Turan at that time were not in a position of any significant political and social existence, nevertheless, in the long campaigns of the Arabs to occupy regions of present-day Balochistan and Sindh, they also suffered along with the indigenous people. Chapter four is a detailed description of the Arab advent in Iran and the relationship between the Arabs and the Baloch.

The effective Arab rule in Iran lasted for nearly 150 years. Being inexperienced in the matters of state administration and diplomacy, the Arabs rulers were soon forced to rely on the experience of former Sassanid chieftains and the ruling elite. The physical and administrative control of a vast region like the Iranian Plateau was not possible for the small numbers of Arab forces and a few learned persons among them. They never controlled completely or permanently some regions, such as Gilan, Sistan, Tabaristan, Gur, Zabolestan, and regions comprising the present-day Balochistan. After the collapse of the Persian empire, most of the Sassanid commanders and local notables defected to Arabs and converted to Islam. These were given different administrative positions by various Arab regimes. Some of these notables were allowed to rule locally on the condition that they pay the agreed tribute. With the weakening of Arab grip on power during the last decades of Abbasid Caliphs, some of the local elite increased their power and prestige remarkably and Iran was practically ruled by different dynasties of Iranian and Turkish origin enjoying various forms of autonomy. Many local families such as Saffarids, Buyids,