Baluchestan A Persian View |
I cannot exactly recall when I first heard the name of "Baluchestan"; a vast province located to the south east of this country, dry and water thirsty; A remote corner which serves as a gate to the magical world of India; a forgotten border in which all is melancholic and ethereal. I was once thrown into a dream from that remote edge of the world, wandering back into history and the Indian subcontinent. It could have been the odor of a hot spice lingering on my memory, or a pretty pattern on a dress, or a piece of pottery with magical designs made by women; or the story narrated by a delicate, colored class-mate whose wide dark eyes were filled with the mysterious sorrow of the mountains and the vast plains of Baluchestan. Traveling to this province, one covers hundreds of kilometers of endless desert road through dust and sand storms where an eternal cloud of dust stands over the mountains and valleys overlooked by a sun covered in haze; an agitated atmosphere heavy with the presence of ever-existing dreadful, unexpected events. Should it not be for the wind-swept tamarisk bushes by the road, and the occasional tents set up here and there among the dust, or the shaky passer-by on the way, or the bell sounding on a goat from afar, the man's absence is so strongly felt that one feels like walking on an empty, forgotten planet in the burning heat of its blazing sand deserts and the illusive waves of the
ever existing mirages, haunted by all the devils and wicked ghosts of all time.
The barren land of Iranian Baluchestan, situated on the south east of the country, is a part of "Great
Baluchestan" with the other half located in Pakistan. It consists of an area equal to
273661 km2 with a population of 2,388,000 (1970) which is bounded on the north to
"Sistan" and "Kerman" provinces, on the south to the "Oman Sea", on the east to
"Kalat", and on the west to "Roudbar-e-Bashagard".
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The wastes of creation
Whether according to the above proverb god has created this land out of the wastes of the universe or not, "Baluch" had been residing in some other land in the past, migrating to this land in search of a shelter. It has been cited in historical books that the first invasion giving rise to the great migration of Baluch people was the invasion of white "Huns" in early fifth century driving them to the western part of "Jeihoun" river, leading the way for the mass migration of the inhabitants of Central Asia towards Europe. Whoever invaded their land forced them to leave their green pastures and watersheds, and move in tribes riding on the back of camels and mules and carrying their hard, yet light accommodation on the saddle and leading the cattle towards this remote corner of the world, in search of a refuge. Baluch's name in history is accompanied by the description of massacres and invasions. It has first been mentioned in inscriptions and petrographs attributed to Darius the Great in Persepolis and Bistoun as the fourteenth province of the Achaemanian Empire. This is the place where Alexander turned to after his Indian conquest, in sandy deserts of which half of his weary soldiers died. During the golden days of Islam, Arabs invaded and looted this land many times. It has been quoted from the Caliph's commander expressing his concern over being sent to Baluchestan as this; "You send me to a land where her water is hidden under the ground, her dates are eaten up, and her warriors are brave. If the soldiers are few, they will be defeated, otherwise, they shall starve to death." After Arabs, there came the "Turkmen" , "Ghuzz", "Mongols" and "Timurids" who in turn invaded1 this land right until the "Qajar" dynasty came into power in Iran in 19th century in which period violation and oppression reach such climax that the word "Qajar" is still synonymous to stranger and invader. Late in the 19th century, the British government of India penetrated inside the Iranian territory, following its domination over "Sind" region, under the pretext of extending telegraph lines from India to "Oman Sea" and guarding the area. They finally succeeded to separate a part of Baluchestan from Iran, later known as Pakistan's Baluchestan, in 1871. Local "Khans" and commanders rebelling against the central government were thoroughly suppressed during the "Pahlavi" reign in the present century, putting an end to tribal autonomy and local rules. The primitive life style in which nature plays a decisive role, together with the background of historical invasions and confrontations with other tribes and the tax-gathering, forceful central government has called for a militant-tribal structure to defend themselves against the invaders and bring the tribes into harmony with each other and their surroundings. Leaders and men of power attach themselves to fictional ancestors to prove their superiority and thus win the challenge of power. Common people take refuge in the closed, internally consistent communities where their predetermined, ascribed socio-economic status is guarded. Difference among the various classes in this caste-like, tribal system are based on race and heritage, justifying one's rank and status in the society. Every one belongs to a "Zat" in this system. In whatever "Zat" one is born, he will grow into maturity and is bound to its limitations as long as he lives. This prevailing social system constitutes the official, political, kinship and economical units which in turn determine the socially relation production line, and defines the desired economic role. The individual's status in the power pyramid is determined through his connections with various inter-caste strata. There is no social mobility among the castes, and even the most distinguished individual characteristics cannot transcend the caste restrictions. Lower castes are deprived of some social rights compared to upper castes; they hold certain jobs since their birth which identify their race and is justified by their ties with the lower race. The power pyramid among the farmers living in villages is resulted from the land ownership and is summarized as follows; "Sardars", "Mirs", "Maleks", "Bashandehs", and "Molavis" who own extensive areas, after which come "Raisis", "Arbabis", "Kadkhodas" and "Hoods" or well-off land owners to whom smaller lands belong. Craftsman (Ostands), hold the third rank. Then, there come "Darzdehs" (Peasants and hired men) and "Zaims", "Nokaris", "Chakeris" and "Khoshneshins" who occupy the lowest part of the pyramid. These social strata have existed among the tribes too with slight differences as follows; "Huts", "Kavankeshes", "Baluchis", "Jats" (camel holders), "Tiehs" or slaves. A social organization composed of related families living a pastoral life and grazing their herd in a common pasture watched by a single shepherd, who act in harmony in migration and settlement, is under the leadership of a head "Halk" called "Master". The herd of cattle (ordinarily between 300 to 500) determine the number of "Halk" families. The rural "Halk" was formed after the tribes settled down and were absorbed in the agricultural activities. Its formation was not based on the needs of the cattle, but to form a circle of relatives living in the same location; in this case the main activity within the "Halk" is agricultural or labour connected. Ways of subsistence Adaptation has become a necessity through generations since Baluches live in a land of scarce water, unfavourable winds, untimely rains ending in floods, and a dry, barren soil. The situation makes cattle-raising more profitable than farming, and migrating more suitable than settling. However, variations allow for oscillations between farming and cattle-raising at every spot of this province. The major economic activity in the area is based on farming and cattle raising. However, due to unfavourable climate, migrations to other provinces and the Persian Gulf Sheikhdoms can be accounted for a supplementary source of income, together with drug smuggling and illegal imports. Agricultural products in most regions suitable for the purpose are as follows; Date palms are planted in the areas with a minimal access to water. Paddy fields and non-irrigated wheat fields with a small yield can be seen by the rivers, while tobacco, corn and broad bean are cultivated in the plains, very small quantity of citrus products and tropical fruit are planted in areas with abundant water. Although farming in Baluchestan is an ancient practice, it has never developed much due to water shortage, bad soil, lack of investment in the area to level up the steep hills located by the rivers where the soil is more suitable for agriculture, and also the primitive tools and the absence of advanced technology to counteract the floods and droughts. The problem of water shortage is replaced by the lack of agricultural land along the rivers. Where good soil is found, there is no water and vice versa. Water scarcity, however, poses the main problem. In general, agriculture is a more reliable source of income compared with cattle-raising in droughts and years of famine, despite the problems such as fights and plunders and very high taxations levied by the government until the beginning of the present century. Production factors in agriculture, namely the soil, water, labour, and tools in this area can thus be summarized; In most areas the land is shared in common and its potential value cannot be estimated. Land ownership is accompanied with water right, and each person's right to land where cultivating is possible is determined by his share in providing the water pumps or digging the "Canals", etc. this case mainly applies to the tribes who formerly lived on animal husbandry, but then changed into settled farmers. The land in this case belongs to the whole tribe and the "Hasham". In an inherited water-well realm, land is neither divided nor has a particular value in itself. It is only in the harvest time that one's share of water is observed. The land reform of 1961 absorbed many of the heads of the tribes into the central government and thus strengthened their power. So the farmers working on their land who had a right to the land were deprived of their ownership in favour of these tribal heads who supported the government. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, removal of "Sardars" and the heads of the tribes introduced some minor changes in land ownership. A few of the lower class people, i. e. "Chakeris' and "Darzadehs" who had migrated to the Gulf States because of the droughts, came back home and bought the lands belonging to the distinguished men of the tribe with the money they had earned in the Gulf. Purchase of these properties, accompanied by the governmental units held in undivided shares, changed the face of ownership in the region to some extent. In the rural society of Baluchestan, as in the other parts of Iran, there is a combination of different methods of production alongside each other, characterized by historical variations of life reflecting a transitional period.
Animal Husbandry 1. The rural mode in which each family keeps a limited number of herd in a corner of their living area, apart from their farming activities. The beasts roam in a restricted area during the day time and are taken back home at night. 2. The tribal mode in which the cattle move to the warmer regions with the tribe during the cold months and return to the cooler mountainous places during the summer months. They depend on the forage provided in the grasslands for grazing, but during the hard drought periods are fed with barley after the infliction of heavy losses.
There is also another prevalent migration style in which families who own 100 to 200 head of cattle move together in groups holding 300 to 500 head among themselves, moving towards the pastures where they spend a few days for the beasts to graze on the few existing bushes, and plants. Afterwards, they set off towards new grasslands.
In the past, dairy products such as milk, cooking oil, butter, cheese, dried whey, sour milk,
yogurt, as well as wool and animals' hair were mainly
consumed within the tribes. After a transition from a natural, self-sufficient economy to a producing one, however, these products are also exchanged in the market place.
The tribes would gain access to land, water, and pastures in the past by giving a share of their crop to the "Khan". This payment usually included the government taxation too. The labour force among the tribes is based on the family and the wage earning shepherd, which is manipulated and maintained in a primitive order. The groups organizing and exploiting the pastures are called "Halks". Labour division among the tribes depends on age, sex (naturally divided tasks) and class, women have a slight role in production and daily tasks in the upper classes. The lower class women, on the other hand, play a vital role in family's economy and are less restricted in their social lives. Handicrafts Natural economy based on hand made articles ruled before the land reform of 1961. Most products were consumed within the tribe, and the raw material and the primitive tools were produced in the area. Animals' skin, wool, hair, hide, horns, and the leaves of the trees would mainly provide the raw materials needed for tools used in farming, cattle-raising, and keeping the living requirements of the settled tribes who formerly lived a migratory life. Tools needed to produce the handicrafts were either improved by the members of the family and relatives, or were made by skilled craftsmen (the "Davoudis") who belonged to the craftsmen caste to order. In the latter case, agricultural and dairy products would pay for the tools in return. The primitive tools were not exchanged, nor were they rented among the producing families, production organization was limited to one family, or related families within a "Halk" or village. Labour division was natural and accompanied by a social division based on the individual's status in an assumed kinship system and a real one (Zat). Both products and the producing tools were for inside use and would not find their way into the market. Few changes were introduced regarding the rules governing the production, distribution, and exchange after the land reform, resulting in a greater production level for sale on the market. Handicrafts were divided in two groups since then - the first one mainly related to goods produced for inside consumption such as black tents (Geddam), and the second one concerned with the products sent to the market. The raw materials required for some of the goods produced in the second group (or occasionally the first group) were supplied from the outside.
Women sew coins and buttons on a piece of cloth to decorate their houses and make a kind of well-known needle work to adorn the sleeves and the front part of the women's clothing with. This type of embroidery work has been common among these tribes since the old time and are both used in the family and sent to the market for sale.
Gathering Plunder and Smuggling The land is so infertile, and the cultivation close to impossible that despite the palm plantations and the cattle-raising mode of life, and the recent development of irrigated farming, extra sources of income seem necessary. During the time when Baluch people were relatively independent and autonomous, they used to earn this income by invading the farmers residing in nearby villages or robbing the caravans on their way to or back from India. The extra income is supplied by smuggling and illegal imports, and also selling their labour force in or out of the country, since the tribal military organization is abolished and they no longer disobey the law of the land. Baluch justifies his plunder as this; "We only take possession of what is not the right of the others, and the unclean properties." Since the early days, plunder has always been considered as a means to escape the economic difficulties. When times were hard, Some Baluchis took his rifle to invade the neighbours and the caravans to compensate for the nature's plunder. Today, this supplement to the cattle-raising, insufficient farming economy has given way to drug smuggling and illegal imports, of which he thinks as positively as of the past plunders. Looting brings honour to the tribal society, showing manliness, bravery, and merit, and thus uniting the tribe. Smuggling plays the same role now, and is organized as in the past plunders by warlike, militant, self-sacrificing men. This brings honour and solidarity to the tribe (because of the different steps involved which need an accurate planning and cooperation). Migration
"Let's travel to Dubai together, as it's senseless without you." There are numerous reasons for migration which is so common among the Baluch people. Among these one can mention the migrations to the ports and cities of the region or abroad in search of bread and shelter, and to escape from the law at the cost of losing one's every thing. Or a test of manliness and entering the world, or an escape from military recruitment, and also the tendency to escape the prevailing restricted caste system, or to save some money for marriage and a new life. Youth tend to welcome migration to enter the labour force and fill the income gap; older people, on the other hand rarely migrate unless they no longer possess any thing to guard. Pakistan, locating the other half of the homeland divided by political games never recognized by Baluch people, promises a refuge in that better, kinder part, once the life becomes impossible in the unkindly, semi-ruin. Historical connections together with the racial, lingual, religious, and cultural unities as well as the similar life style and the family ties (each Baluch has some relative in Pakistan), and the economic relation (most Pakistani Baluches have a right to ancestral land and water in Iran and vice versa) are considered to be the main reasons for this migration. Other factors include geographic vicinity and the easy crossing to Pakistan and the low expenses in that country. Most migrations to Pakistan take place with the whole family, whereas the Gulf States draw only the youth and the poor, single men to themselves because of the dangers involved. In the latter case, most migrants are deprived of a legal passport and cross the border through some organized illegal bands who receive lots of money for the task. Health
In this rough land where only the Baluch, the goat, the palm, and the camel can survive the child who is the hardest to die and is satisfied with the least, will survive. The common poverty motivated by the lack of production and the consequent malnutrition accompanied by the consumption of nonessential products such as tea, tobacco, and drugs accelerate the susceptibility to all kinds of diseases among the children and the adults alike. Bread is the main food people subsist on most of the time. Education
The individual is first educated within the family and then inside his "Zat". The education received is mainly automatic and behavioural resulting in socialized stereotypes. In the past, only the male offspring of the upper class people would receive formal education to enable them to write and read the "Koran" and other religious books. The modern education which started under the "Pahlavi" region with the establishment of first schools in towns and cities aiming at training the children to read and write only, did not succeed much due to lack of possibilities to further one's studies at the same place, the limited coverage and facilities such as school building and teacher. Despite the great incentives for education, and the wish to change the destiny of the children and save them from poverty and caste restrictions, and also the occasional governmental aids (food and clothing), and the increased number of primary schools and high schools (there is even a university established in Zahedan, the centre of the province), the highest percentage of literate people are among the city-dwellers and also the male, the statistics related to the literacy in cities shows that the majority of literate people are the children of governmental officials and clerks. Owing to the geographic variations and different styles of life, accommodation in Baluchestan is varied like the other aspects of Baluch's life. Houses in towns and cities have arched roofs and earthen walls. The ones made of cement are either governmental offices, or they accommodate the government officials. Traditional houses made of palm and "Daz" (wild palm) leaves are observed along the desert border. Apart from the old castles whose remnants are still seen in some regions and the two-storey buildings belonging to the "Sardars" which are seldom observed, the accommodation in Baluchestan mainly consists of semi-circles or elliptical spaces made of palm and "Daz" leaves, and are called "Loogs". They have domeshaped roofs which are seen as rectangles from the inside. There is also another type of accommodation called "Sera". Seras are large, earthen rooms with high ceilings, and a fire place showing perfect settlement and the good status of the owner. There are no other facilities such as toilets, bath rooms, store rooms, etc. "Geddam" or "Palas" in another type of accommodation which belongs to the cattle-raising tribes in Baluchestan. It is woven of goat's hair and is easy to set up. A number of sticks are used as frames which are covered with a mat woven of goat's hair by the women of the tribe.
As the smallest social unit, family in Baluchestan is often extended. In cattle-raising life styles, women's labour plays a greater role in economy than it does in towns and villages. In such systems, the women's role in social work division is quite remarkable; they are considered to be men's equals in production. This role does not exist in towns and villages due to the differences in economy between the cattle-raising life style and the sedentary one, and also the existence of new jobs which symbolize the men as the only effective labour force in economic production. Despite the fact that the special caste system in migratory and sedentary tribes prevents them from marriages outside their class, the development of villages and towns, new jobs, formal education, and moving outs in search of money, as well as the reduced power of "Sardarans" (Khans) has introduced some changes in their social classification. This has also caused changes in wealth allocation among the families, leading to new cultural-economic possibilities in Baluch's life. The changes have influenced the inter-caste marriages to some extent. Although, most marriages are still arranged within the castes, polygamy is common among supper castes. In the lower castes, monogamy persists due to the prevailing poverty. Marriages are arranged in the lower castes on the basis of socio-economic reasons, whereas in the upper castes the incentive is to strengthen the political and kinship ties.
Marriage
Wives are selected from among the young girls
belonging to the same caste as the mother of the boy to be married, by the boy's mother. The fathers are then informed. (In the past, girls and boys of the same clan would be engaged for each other at birth.) The father informs the family and the old respectable men of this decision, and upon approval, they go to visit the girl's family. After a few visits, the girl's father declares his consent to the boy's family or the elder man who acts as a mediator.
The relatives take part in the ceremony by presenting what they can afford in cash or as gifts. In the past, a few days and nights were spent in dancing, singing and reciting the Baluch epic poems, and listening to the "Pahlavan's" (the poet, and the music player) poems until daybreak.
After the wedding is over, the groom is taken to the bride's house in a brand new Toyota, replacing the adorned camel of the past. A new "Loog" is set up beside the house of the bride's father, all made by the groom himself. A woman carrying a "Koran", collyrium and perfumed oil welcomes the groom at his arrival.
Baluch is enslaved. He is the slave of the nature, traditions, and his certain destiny. He is a stranger in his familiar land and an ever migrant. He carries the burden of thousands of fears and illusions in a thousand-featured land. All primitive religions are reflected in his beliefs in living phenomena and its philosophy, despite his present Sonnite, Hanafi faith.
It is almost impossible to understand Baluch culture, unless one knows of the history of Baluchestan, and is acquainted with its nature, has once been caught in its named and nameless "winds", and has tolerated its sand storms, droughts and famine under unbearable conditions.
He is confronted with strange unknowns in every assumed moment in a land where all nature is against him. The grass dries up before growth, the child grows old before youth, and the man dies before he gets old. The little happy bride of yesterday is now a perplexed widow in her eternal wait for a migrant who will never return. Baluch's world oscillates between the two poles of life and death, being and not being.
He only adapts -himself to his surrounding nature, of which he has never been a part. The nature which has never been his friend or a part of his tribe. He celebrates no feasts in its name; he is away from it, despicable to its will which both gives and takes away. The nature which resembles the forcible, revengeful god who gives or takes at his will. All can be over in a moment; all can disappear. The smile on the face of his beloved child dies out in a night, here has been a village one day which no longer exists. Here has been life going on for a long time, which can no more be felt. There is place in written geography with a sandy hill resting at its tomb. There are some people some where whose existence is not recorded in any book. The desert, showing the lost caravan ways once trodden, now reveals a semi-constructed, winding road covered with tar. This is how the Baluchi is possessed by "winds"; something penetrates his soul without leaving a trace behind; something like a poisonous breath which will hopefully be turned into a blessed one. Ghosts are mixed up with Baluch's life _ he has no escape from them. How can he bear a life this hard, if he does not believe in the souls returning after one's death into another body to live a better life? Who knows, he might change from a "Darzadeh" into a "Sardar" one day.
When the "Bad"1 (wind) comes, the "Zar"2 comes (who is a man or a woman and often greedy and a pagan), and asks for sacrifices. It comes with its gift of disaster. It lurks in deserts, by the brook, beside the palm plantation, and in the ruins. When it gets into one's body, death is almost certain, and Zar's "Mama" and "Baba"3 are called for. They hold a feast for him and play some music and smoke some material, and make the sick person dance to some special spells and thus take the "Zar" out of his body after receiving gifts and money.
They take down the "Zar", as it rides on the sick preson's back. 1. Bads ("Bad" is the Persian equivalent for "wind") are also mysterious, invisible creatures with human characteristics who are closer to man. They are on better terms with the man than Zars are, and some of them are Moslem. Gatherings similar to those held for Zars are set up for Bads with slight differences in ceremonies and the musical instruments, gifts and sacrifices. Bads, like Zars, are the sources of human diseases but are less dangerous. 2. Zars are invisible, mysterious creatures not of human origin who possess human characteristics. Some of them are male and some female, and they all have some relatives. Zars are wicked and pagan and against man. They are the source or human diseases. Giants and devils also belong to the wicked beings in which the Baluch believes. They are either Moslems or pagans, and some of them are in love with the man (like the "Paris"), but others are harmful. Verses are recited from the Koran by the local Mullahs to remedy the haunted persons. 3. The medicine men and women and the healers of the sickness who themselves had got the disease many times, are called the "Mamas" and "Babas" of the Zar. |
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