Baloch (Gujarat)
Encyclopedia
The Baloch
are a Muslim
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
. They are descended from Baluch
tribesmen who settled in this region of Gujarat in the late Middle Ages. The community use the surname khan
. In Gujarat, the tem Baloch is restricted to the Sulaymani Baloch, while Makrani Baloch
now form a distinct community.
claim a mixed ancestry, asserting that they are descended, on the one hand, from Amir Hamza, an uncle of Muhammad
, and on the other, from the Kurds living in the area of Aleppo
, Syria
from which they were expelled in A. D. 580 by the Sasanian Persian
King Chosroes I Anoshervan. Their migration took them first to the area of Alborz Mountains and Qazvin
to Kerman
, then Sistan
, and finally into Makran
. In time, most of the territory of Makran has come to be known as Balochistan ("Land of the Baloch" in the Persian
language). In the 13th century, some of the Baloch moved into Sindh
(where they are known as the Sindhi Baloch
) and also into Punjab
.
Mir Jalal Khan was one of the Baloch historical rulers, and from his four sons—Rind
, Lashar
, Hot
and Korai
—spring the four main Baloch tribes. The Jatoi
are the children of Jatoi, Jalal Khan's daughter. These main sections are now divided into innumerable septs. Historically, in Gujarat, the term Baloch denoted any Muslim camel-man. The word has come to be associated with the care of camel
s, because the Baloch settlers of the Western plains took to the grazing and breeding of camels rather than to husbandry. This has often led to confusion between them and the Jath
, another Muslim
community who are associated with camel breeding.
About the beginning of the 16th century, the Balochis were driven out of the Kalat
valley by the Brahui
s and Turks
. Yielding to pressure, they moved eastward into the Sulaiman Mountains
, drove out the Pashtun
s, and settled along the banks of the Indus. Three Baloch adventurers Ismail Khan, Fatteh Khan, and Ghazi Khan, founded the three Dehras (encampments) 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
, and in 1555 a large body of Balochis, under their great leader Mir Chakar, accompanied the Emperor Humayun
into India
. A small number of Baloch began to immigrated from Multan
and Sindh into Gujarat from the at least the 14th century.
The earliest Baloch settlers of Gujarat came with Fateh Khan Baloch, who was given the jagir
of Radhanpur
and Sami by Sultan Ahmad Shah II of Gujarat. Another Fateh Khan was given the jagir of Khadia in Junagadh
by the Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb
. In the 18th century, the Gohil
Rajput
rulers of Bhavnagar
invited a number of Baloch to serve as their bodyguards. They were granted the jagir in Sehor.
, Khadia, Keshod
, Veraval
, Mangrol
, and Bhavnagar
. Important Baloch villages include Budhana & pingali in Bhavnagar District
, Kundhada village in Junagadh District
and Baspa and Kerwada in Radhanpur
. They tend to live in their own villages, or have distinct quarters in the towns they reside in. The community is split inti six clans, or ataks as they are known in Gujarati
. Their main clans are the Gabol
, Lashari
, Birri, Gopang
, Sukhe, Hooth
and Korai
. A small number of Gabol
have immigrated to Pakistan
, and are now found in Karachi
. The community speak standard Gujarati
, while those in Kutch speak Sindhi
. Most Baloch also have knowledge of Urdu
.
The Baloch are strictly endogamous, although there are some cases of inter-marriage with the Pathan
s and Muslim Rajput communities such as the Malik, Miyana
and Molesalam
. They prefer marrying close kins, and practice both parallel cousin and cross counsin marriages.
The Baloch are now mainly marginal farmers, with many also employed as agricultural labourers. Land reform has led to the breakup of the larger jagir
s, and many jagirdars have emigrated to cities like Ahmadabad
and Mumbai
. There villages now have electricity, and many now use electric pumps. Many Baloch are also employed as truck drivers, with a small number owning their trucks. Their general economic circumstances are poor. Like other Gujarati Muslim
s, they have a caste
association, the Baloch Jamat. This acts as a welfare association, as well as an instrument of social control. Most Baluch are Sunni, but members of the Sukhe clan are Shia.
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
are a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are descended from Baluch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribesmen who settled in this region of Gujarat in the late Middle Ages. The community use the surname khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
. In Gujarat, the tem Baloch is restricted to the Sulaymani Baloch, while Makrani Baloch
Makrani (caste)
- History and origin :The Makrani of Gujarat are descendents of Baluch who were brought to Saurashtra as mercenaries. They are still distributed in the former princely states of Kathiawar. These Baluch soldiers came from the Makran region of Baluchistan. They now speak Gujarati, while some Makrani...
now form a distinct community.
History and origin
The BalochBaloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
claim a mixed ancestry, asserting that they are descended, on the one hand, from Amir Hamza, an uncle of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, and on the other, from the Kurds living in the area of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
from which they were expelled in A. D. 580 by the Sasanian Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
King Chosroes I Anoshervan. Their migration took them first to the area of Alborz Mountains and Qazvin
Qazvin
Qazvin is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 349,821, in 96,420 families....
to Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
, then Sistan
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
, and finally into Makran
Makran
The present day Makran is a semi-desert coastal strip in the south of Sindh, Balochistan, in Iran and Pakistan, along the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The present day Makran derived its name from Maka, a satrap of Achaemenid Empire....
. In time, most of the territory of Makran has come to be known as Balochistan ("Land of the Baloch" in the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
language). In the 13th century, some of the Baloch moved into Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
(where they are known as the Sindhi Baloch
Sindhi Baloch
Sindhi-Baloch are Baloch tribes living in Sindh province of Pakistan. The term Sindhi Baloch refers to the Baloch people that migrated from Balochistan to Sindh and have assimilated with Sindhis. These tribes came originally from Iran and Balochistan, and settled in Sindh from the 16th century...
) and also into Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
.
Mir Jalal Khan was one of the Baloch historical rulers, and from his four sons—Rind
Rind (tribe)
Rind are a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan province of Iran, and the Balochistan Province of Pakistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan....
, Lashar
Lashari
Lashari is the name of a Baloch tribe in Pakistan and Iran. The Lasharis have migrated and settled in the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Indonesia, USA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, England, and many other countries of the world...
, Hot
Hooth
The Hooth are a Baloch tribe of Iran and Pakistan. They are mainly settled in areas of Pakistan including Turbat, Gwadar, Tump, Zhob and Dasht.There are Khosa, Kalmati, Khushk, Chandio from Hooth....
and Korai
Korai
The Korai are a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan province of Iran, Balochistan Province of Pakistan; Sindh; Punjab provinces of Pakistan; and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharastra, Haryana, and Indian Punjab....
—spring the four main Baloch tribes. The Jatoi
Jatoi
Jatoi is the name of a Baloch tribe in Sindh, Pakistan. The Jatoi originated from Balochistan.sub clans of jatoi baloch are bullo,misrani,nacharani,shar,kharoos...
are the children of Jatoi, Jalal Khan's daughter. These main sections are now divided into innumerable septs. Historically, in Gujarat, the term Baloch denoted any Muslim camel-man. The word has come to be associated with the care of camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s, because the Baloch settlers of the Western plains took to the grazing and breeding of camels rather than to husbandry. This has often led to confusion between them and the Jath
Jats of Kutch
The Jats of Kutch are a cattle breeding nomadic Muslim community, found in the Kutch region of Gujarat in India. They are one of a number of communities of Maldhari pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.- History and origin :...
, another Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community who are associated with camel breeding.
About the beginning of the 16th century, the Balochis were driven out of the Kalat
Kalat
Kalat or Qalat is a historical town located in Kalat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Kalat is the capital of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-i-Baloch and Kalat-i-Sewa....
valley by the Brahui
Brahui
The name Brahui may refer to:*The Brahui language*The Brahui people...
s and Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
. Yielding to pressure, they moved eastward into the Sulaiman Mountains
Sulaiman Mountains
The Sulaiman Mountains are a major geological feature of southeastern Afghanistan and northern Balochistan province of Pakistan. In Pakistan, it forms the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau where the Indus River separates it from the Asian Subcontient...
, drove out the Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s, and settled along the banks of the Indus. Three Baloch adventurers Ismail Khan, Fatteh Khan, and Ghazi Khan, founded the three Dehras (encampments) that bear their names, and established themselves as independent rulers of the Lower Derajat
Derajat
Derajat meaning, 'Land of the Jats' or "Jat Land'. Derajat is a cultural region of central Pakistan, located in the region where the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab meet. Derajat is bound by the Indus River to the east and the mountains to the west...
and Muzaffargarh
Muzaffargarh District
Muzaffargarh is a district in the south of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Saraiki Waseb. It is spread over an area of 8,249 km². Muzaffargarh District lies in the strip between the rivers Chenab and Indus, which pass along the Eastern and Western boundaries respectively of...
, which they and their descendants held for nearly 300 years. The three brothers founded the settlements of Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....
, Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
and Darya Khan
Darya khan
Darya Khan is a town of Bhakkar District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The town is the headquarters of Darya Khan Tehsil. The town of Darya Khan is itself subdivided into two Union councils. During British rule the railway station at Darya Khan was built as part of the North-Western Railway...
. Thence the southern Balochis gradually spread into the valleys of the Indus, Chenab, and Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
, and in 1555 a large body of Balochis, under their great leader Mir Chakar, accompanied the Emperor Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
into India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. A small number of Baloch began to immigrated from Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
and Sindh into Gujarat from the at least the 14th century.
The earliest Baloch settlers of Gujarat came with Fateh Khan Baloch, who was given the jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
of Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
and Sami by Sultan Ahmad Shah II of Gujarat. Another Fateh Khan was given the jagir of Khadia in Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
by the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
. In the 18th century, the Gohil
Gohil
Gohils are Suryavanshi Rajputs who have descended from the Guhilots of Mewar. As per the Sikarwar Khyat, Prince Shiladitya was born on Jesth Sudhi Chaturdashi of V.S 543 . He was the son of Emperor Aditya Sen and Queen Subhaga Devi. Though born at Chitor he was educated at Vallabhi...
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
rulers of Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar
-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...
invited a number of Baloch to serve as their bodyguards. They were granted the jagir in Sehor.
Present circumstances
The Baloch are distributed in Rajkot, JunagadhJunagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, Khadia, Keshod
Keshod
Keshod is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Infrastructure:Development of this city is very fast in terms of population, art, infrastructures, education and cultural change. The Nawab of Junagadh had built one mahal in Keshod for passing winter in to...
, Veraval
Veraval
Veraval is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 6 km from Somnath.- History :...
, Mangrol
Mangrol
Mangrol is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Mangrol is located at . It has an average elevation of 18 metres .-Demographics:...
, and Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar
-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...
. Important Baloch villages include Budhana & pingali in Bhavnagar District
Bhavnagar district
Bhavnagar is a peninsular district of South-Eastern Gujarat. Bhavnagar city is the administrative headquarters of the district. It had a population of 2,469,630 of which 37.86% were urban as of 2001. It covers an area of over 9940 km²...
, Kundhada village in Junagadh District
Junagadh district
Junagadh District is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh.-Geography:The district is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat. It is surrounded by Rajkot District , Porbandar District , Amreli District...
and Baspa and Kerwada in Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
. They tend to live in their own villages, or have distinct quarters in the towns they reside in. The community is split inti six clans, or ataks as they are known in Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. Their main clans are the Gabol
Gabol
Gabol is a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Gabols are of Rind origin and are mostly settled in Tikko Baran surrounding the Kirthar Mountains Range, Karachi, Ghotki, Alipur, Sibi, and Jacobabad. This tribe is also considered to be present in Iran...
, Lashari
Lashari
Lashari is the name of a Baloch tribe in Pakistan and Iran. The Lasharis have migrated and settled in the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Indonesia, USA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, England, and many other countries of the world...
, Birri, Gopang
Gopang
The Gopang are one of six Baloch tribes or clans called ataks'. These ataks function mainly to denote ancestry and members consider themselves to be low in the social hierarchy.They are found in the Rojhan Balochistan, Kamber district of Sindh province...
, Sukhe, Hooth
Hooth
The Hooth are a Baloch tribe of Iran and Pakistan. They are mainly settled in areas of Pakistan including Turbat, Gwadar, Tump, Zhob and Dasht.There are Khosa, Kalmati, Khushk, Chandio from Hooth....
and Korai
Korai
The Korai are a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan province of Iran, Balochistan Province of Pakistan; Sindh; Punjab provinces of Pakistan; and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharastra, Haryana, and Indian Punjab....
. A small number of Gabol
Gabol
Gabol is a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Gabols are of Rind origin and are mostly settled in Tikko Baran surrounding the Kirthar Mountains Range, Karachi, Ghotki, Alipur, Sibi, and Jacobabad. This tribe is also considered to be present in Iran...
have immigrated to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and are now found in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. The community speak standard Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, while those in Kutch speak Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
. Most Baloch also have knowledge of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
.
The Baloch are strictly endogamous, although there are some cases of inter-marriage with the Pathan
Pathans of Gujarat
Gujarati Pathans are a group of Pathans. At various times in history, large number of Pashtuns have settled in the region of Gujarat in western India. They now form a distinct community of Gujarati speaking Muslims...
s and Muslim Rajput communities such as the Malik, Miyana
Miyana
The Miyana are a Muslim Rajput community found in the state of Gujarat in India.- History and origin :The Miyana are Rajputs who were converted to Islam during the rule of Allauddin Khilji in the thirteenth century...
and Molesalam
Molesalam Rajput
The Molesalam are a Muslim Rajput community found in the state of Gujarat in India. They also refer to themselves as Molesalam Thakur and sometimes Molesalam Girasia.-History and origin:...
. They prefer marrying close kins, and practice both parallel cousin and cross counsin marriages.
The Baloch are now mainly marginal farmers, with many also employed as agricultural labourers. Land reform has led to the breakup of the larger jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
s, and many jagirdars have emigrated to cities like Ahmadabad
Ahmadabad
Ahmadabad may refer to:Afghanistan* Ahmad Abad, Afghanistan, a place in AfghanistanAzerbaijan*Əhmədabad, Goranboy, Azerbaijan*Əhmədabad, Sabirabad, Azerbaijan*Əhmədabad, Tovuz, AzerbaijanIndia* Ahmedabad , a major city in India...
and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. There villages now have electricity, and many now use electric pumps. Many Baloch are also employed as truck drivers, with a small number owning their trucks. Their general economic circumstances are poor. Like other Gujarati Muslim
Gujarati Muslim
The term Gujarati Muslims is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the State of Gujarat in west India, who speaks the Gujarati Language as a mother-tongue and follows certain customs different from the rest of Indian Muslims...
s, they have a caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
association, the Baloch Jamat. This acts as a welfare association, as well as an instrument of social control. Most Baluch are Sunni, but members of the Sukhe clan are Shia.
See also
- Baloch diasporaBaloch diasporaThe Baloch diaspora refers to Baloch people, and their descendants, who have emigrated to places outside of the Balochistan region of South-Central Asia — a region stretching from southwestern Pakistan, southern Afghanistan and Southeastern Iran...
- Baluch of North IndiaBaluch (Uttar Pradesh)The Baloch are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are descended from Baluch tribesmen who settled in this region of North India in the late Middle Ages...
- Punjabi BalochPunjabi BalochA significant number of Baloch tribes have over time settled in the Punjab province of Pakistan. These Baloch are often referred to as the Punjabi Baloch.-History and origin:...
- Sindhi BalochSindhi BalochSindhi-Baloch are Baloch tribes living in Sindh province of Pakistan. The term Sindhi Baloch refers to the Baloch people that migrated from Balochistan to Sindh and have assimilated with Sindhis. These tribes came originally from Iran and Balochistan, and settled in Sindh from the 16th century...