There are even many legacies of history among us. These legacies are a constant reminder to us of what the world once was and what we were, socially, politically and economically. One such case is the prevalent rule of tribal law above the federal law in the province of Baluchistan. Whereas this issue in itself demands a separate piece devoted to it and it would be worth the effort much more to delve into the rich history of these tribes in the region. It is evident from historical documents as well as a number of excavation projects carried out here, the tribes occupying Baluchistan went under the indistinguishable circumstances to maintain their stronghold within the region for centuries. Living at the intersection of Central Asia had one incredible disservice, and this included the repeated and serial invasions by the foreigners. Most of these invasions were originated from the west. To counter the invasions from the north and the west by Greeks and Europeans, the Baloch warriors used to leave behind their internal rivalries and get united against the external forces.
The Baloch tribes migrated from the west. Based on analysis of their cultural connections, they likely began migrating from the region of Aleppo, Syria, while researchers examining similar etymology recommend their source in an area originating from the Caspian Sea. In any case, the Baluch tribes were present in Baluchistan in 1000 A.D. Baloch are described in Firdausi’s book, Shahnamah (the Book of Kings) as being aggressive and courageous warriors.
When Baloch become a weaker by the civil war, they came under the rule of Brahui tribe who were once ruled by them in past. To understand the Baloch, one needs to understand the role played by the ethnic Brahui who were in control of Kalat and were ruling the Baloch by dividing and weakening them. The northern areas of Zhob, Qutta, Pishin, Lorlai , Sibi as well as takht-e-Sulaimani were occupied by the ethnic Pashtuns including Kakar, Tareen and Sherani tribes. The presence of these Pashtun tribes in north, combined with their allies in Afghanistan, effectively blocked the Baloch from a northward expansion while the Khan of Kalat (Brahui tribe) kept them weaken by dividing them. It is believed, at this point, the Baloch’s decided to curtail their armed expansion and focus more on their cultural growth, investing time and resources into literature, poetry and art. Most of the record that we have today comes from these cultural expansions or the collaborations of these tribes with visiting scholars of that era.
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