Here's Everything You Didn't Know About Balochistan And The Baloch Culture

By Faiza Marri | 26 Feb, 2016

Balochistan and the Baloch people in particular are facing lots of troubles these days, which is indeed sad. But you can help improve that situation. How you ask? By learning about the Baloch people and the Baloch culture.

Being a Baloch who got the opportunity to visit different countries and many areas of Pakistan, wherever I met another Baloch, I realized there are some striking similarities in our behavior that emerge from our culture and traditions.

Here are some of those:

 

You’ll find the Baloch everywhere in the world

Sindh, Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baloch people are settled almost everywhere in Pakistan, not only in Balochistan. Baloch people also have settlements in Iran, Turkmenistan, India, Afghanistan, Oman and some other Middle Eastern countries. Iran has an entire region named Balochistan while 7 percent of Oman’s population is Baloch.

 

In all colors, shapes and sizes

May it be sanwali saloni si mehbooba or gorey rung ka zamana. All songs on skin color work for us, because we’re THAT pretty.

We are fairer than the fairest and darker than the darkest. Most Baloch settled in the South of Balochistan are dark skinned and history shows that they are descendants of African Tribes. While those from Western Balochistan are fair in color and trace their lineage to Iranian and Arab tribes.

source: Answers in genesis

 

The Baloch don’t need spices to flavor the food

Contrary to what most of the foreigners believe, not all Pakistani food is spicy. Balochi cuisine mainly consists of meat cooked with very less spices or sometimes just salt and black pepper. Yes, we are the real Gosht khor. We are sajji and khadda kabab lovers.

source: Pinterest

 

The Baloch are a historically warrior community

Sorry, We can’t help it! War and Nationalism is in our blood!

Though many Baloch have different view of how they should fight for their rights but you will find none giving in to what treatment they are being meted out in the present conditions of the Baloch nation.

 

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A post shared by sArDar TehzEeb Khan Baloch (@rind512)

 

The beard is a matter of pride for a Baloch just like your naak is for you

Yes, we are very touchy about them. It might be an old concept but even today ‘honor’ and ‘pride’ is everything for us. Keeping a beard, mustache and wearing a turban gives an impression that you are proud of your roots, which is very important in the Baloch community.

Source: The Nahmias Cipher report

 

When you meet a Baloch don’t let your first question be about the halaat please.

Can we drop that question for today?

We don’t always like to answer your questions about Balochistan’s conditions. Because it needs a rather long description with lots of historical details and we’re not always in the mood to dive into that. We like to take life easy sometimes, too.

Source: Keepcalm-o-matic

 

The Baloch style of dance is something you have to see

Balochi music has lots of energy. It’s very different from what we generally listen to in Pakistan. Women sing wedding songs for weeks on end.  While ‘chaap’, the dance with clapping and other hand and foot movements, makes our weddings fun. ‘Lewa’ the African-style dance is performed in the southern parts of Balochistan and watching it is an experience not to be missed.

 

The Baloch are a fashion forward bunch

We are totally in love with our outfits and our wardrobes are full of beautiful cultural dresses. May it be a wedding, a graduation ceremony or a party, you will find Baloch women flaunting their pashks and men wearing baggy shalwars . Also the Balochi turbans and pashks(the dress women wear) are seen as a sign of dignity in Baloch community.

Source: Tribune

 

It hurts when you are ignorant about the largest province of your country

We feel really hurt when people from rest of the places in Pakistan ask us very naive questions; like “is Quetta in KPK? Does Balochistan share a border with India?”

Seriously? Go get enrolled in fourth grade again!

 

 

The gas that powers your stove? It comes from Balochistan

Balochistan is said to be the richest province of Pakistan in terms of natural resources while it is the poorest when it comes to general living standard of the people. However, It is important for people from rest of Pakistan to know that Balochistan has:

  • One of the South Asia’s largest reserves of Gold and Copper in Saindak and Reko diq,
  • The largest deep sea port of the World in Gwadar,
  • One of the oldest ruins of a civilization ever discovered in Mehrgarh and
  • Pakistan’s largest gas field in Sui
Reko Diq – World’s Fifth largest Gold Mine
Source: University of British Columbia

For a people who’ve provided the country with such an abundance of natural resources, Balochistan deserves at least something in return. Just a little respect would be enough.

 

The Baloch are die hard romantics

You’ve probably heard of the famous story of Punhu who rode his camel all the way through Balochistan’s desert to meet Sassi in Bhambore, Sindh. That is just one of the many Baloch folk tales about how this group of people are loving, romantic and very, very cultured.

Shehmureed Hani,  Shehdad Mehnaaz, Mastawakali and Beebarg’s stories are a few of them. We hear stories about the struggle to find the one true love all our lives but the concept of “love marriage” is virtually unknown among the Baloch.

 

Baloch women are true heroes

Mehnaaz, the mythical heroine, almost made her husband fall head over heels for having a doubt on her and Hani never allowed her husband – who was one of the greatest chieftains – to even come close to him, physically. There are many personalities in Baloch history and folklore that portray Baloch women as very strong characters, who can stand their ground.

Even today women from rural areas can be seen earning bread and butter for their family. Names like Zubeda Jalal, Khalida Brohi, Mahnoor Baloch, Sanam Baloch,  Shazia Marri, Farzana Majeed, Naila Qadri are a few examples of women who have achieved success in their relative fields.

Source: uncharted.org

Many Baloch believe that the Baloch nation has never been defeated. So now it has become a part of our attitude that we don’t accept others as authority. We usually don’t like to be told what to do. Well, maybe for this reason, we’ve been an unconquered nation…..which some believe even today we are..Ahem! But politics aside, the everyday Baloch people are just like everyone else; loving, kind, full of stories to tell and as much a rightful owner of their land and Pakistan as anyone else.

 


Cover image via: tbaloch.tripod.com

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