The Mazari tribe is one of the oldest Baloch tribe

Baloch (tribe)

Baloch is also the name of a Baloch tribe in Balochistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan.Baloch is a common family name in Balochistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan....

s in 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...

. Mazari means "lion" in Balochi

Balochi language

Balochi is a Northwestern Iranian language. It is the principal language of the Baloch of Balochistan, Pakistan, eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. It is also spoken as a second language by some Brahui. It is designated as one of nine official languages of Pakistan.-Vowels:The Balochi vowel...

. Rojhan-Mazari, a town in the Rajanpur District

Rajanpur District

Rajanpur District is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 1,103,618 of which 14.27% were urban. Its administrative centre is the town of Rajanpur.-History & geography:...

 of the Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

 near the inter-provincial borders of Balochistan

Balochistan (Pakistan)

Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...

, 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...

 and Punjab, is the stronghold of the Mazari tribe.

History

The Mazari tribe is one of the oldest tribes of the Baloch. They are famous for their bravery. Old Balochi folklore shows this tribe at various places in history. According to historians like Firdousi and Mr. Longworth Dames, the Mazari's migrated from Iran along with 44 other tribes. They settled in the Bhambore hills before heading east towards the plains of the Sulaiman range at the invitation of Nahar's. The Mazari's managed to wrest control from the Nahar's and hence became the dominant tribe in the area. The Mazari Chief holds the title of Mir and also goes by the styles Tumandar and Sardar. The current chief Is Mir Balakh Sher Khan Mazari who is a former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari is a prominent politician and the former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.Sardar Rahimyar Khan was given the title of Khan Bahadur in the tribe. The Mazari's are one of the biggest landlords of Pakistan rough estimations state that they hold 1500000 acres of land.

The Mazari tribe commands a great deal of respect amongst the Baloch community of Pakistan as well as other ethnic groups of the region such as Sindhis and Pushtuns. There is a great deal of dignity and respect for women in this tribe.

The area the Mazari's conquered is still known as Tuman Mazari, it encompassed an area that included most of the district of Kashmore in Sindh and all of Tehsil Rojhan in Punjab. The arrival of the British saw the golden era for the Mazari tribe, the Chief ruled an area from the town of Bhong all the way to the Sulaiman mountain range and from Kashmore to Giamul. This is estimated to be an area of at least 2000 km sq. The Mazari's continuously defeated Nahar's Machi's, Chandia's and the Bugti's and fought many battles the Sikh's of Punjab who were the dominant power before the arrival of the British.

Wars With the Sikh Empire

In 1836, Mithankot, by then a strong Sikh garrison fortress, was attacked by the Mazari tribal forces under the command of Sardar Karam Khan, the younger brother of the Mazari Chief Sardar Mir Bahram Khan. The attack came as retaliation to Raja Kharak Singh’s constant threats to the Mazari StrogHold of Rojhan Mazari. Many lives were lost and the garrison along with the city was completely burnt down. All the prisoners taken by the Mazari tribesman were later skinned alive and burnt near the city. A few days later the Sikhs under the command of Raja Kharak Singh retaliated and attacked the Mazari Stronghold of Rojhan and managed to burn it down but the Sikh army was quickly engaged by the forces of Sardar Mir Bahram Khan and driven back towards Mithankot. Despite, suffering a major loss in terms of property, only a handful of Mazaris lost their lives as the news of the attack had reached the court of the Mazari Sardar a few days earlier thereby eliminating the element of surprise. These events led to regular skirmishes between the Mazari and the Sikh forces resulting in loss of life on both sides. Then finally in early 1838, a deal was brokered between Sardar Mir Bahram Khan and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh which led to an armistice that was signed by the Chief’s younger brother Sardar Karam Khan and Diwan Sawan Mal, the Maharaja’s Governor of Multan. Later that year Sardar Mir Bahram Khan along with twelve thousand Mazari Tribesman, court officials and notables visited Lahore on the invitation of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. The Mazari's were well received by the Maharaja at the Lahore Fort and given a royal welcome. The Maharaja had the Mughal era Naulakha Pavilion(saman Burj) inside the Lahore Fort specially renovated for the month long stay of Sardar Mir Bahram Khan Mazari. This meeting between the two leaders officially brought an end to the long war between the Sikh Maharaja and the Mazari Sardar that started with the attack at Mitankot.

Main towns and villages

Other major cities of Tuman Mazari in Rojhan Tehsil include Miranpur, UmerKot, Shahwali, Karimabad, Badli Mazari, Kin, Kot Kehwali, Kashmor, Guddu, Sonmiani, Razi Kucha, Dera Dildar, Nabi Shah and Bungla Iccha.

See also

• Rojhan Mazari
• Miran Pur
  Miran Pur
  Miranpur is a well known Union Council of Teh. Rojhan , RajanPur District in Province of Punjab. This UC is the Capital Seat and headquarters of the Mistaghani Mazari Baloch tribe who have held this territory since 1632...
  
  
• Sherbaz Khan Mazari
• Baloch people
  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....
  
  
• Shireen Mazari
• Sardar Sher Ali Khan Mazari
  Sardar Sher Ali Khan Mazari
  Sardar Sher Ali Khan Mazari is a prominent figure in the politics of Balochistan.He gained recognition as a negotiator between the Government of Pakistan and his maternal uncle Akbar Bugti...
  
  
• Balakh Sher Mazari
  Balakh Sher Mazari
  Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari is the Chieftain and the Paramount Sardar of the Mazari tribe, which is situated on the tri-border area of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. As the Chief of Mazaris he holds the title of Mir and also goes by the styles of Tumandar and Sardar. Mir...