Culture of Balochistan

Overview of the culture of Balochistan (Pakistan)

The culture of Balochistan (Urdu: بلوچ ثقافت, Balochi: بلۏچی دۏد), or simply Baloch culture, is defined in terms of religious values, Balochi and Brahui language, literature and traditional values of mutual respect. It has its roots in the Balochi, Brahui, Sindhi,[1] and Pashto.[2] Folk music, Balochi handicrafts, drama and Balochi cinema play a significant role in Baloch culture.[3][4][5] Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, has several historical monuments such as Pirak, the Chaukhandi tombs and the Quaid-e-Azam Residency.[6]

On 2 March,[7] Balochistan celebrates its culture day every year, where people from different villages gather together to organise various cultural programs. It marks its historical significance across the provincial state.[8] The events include folk music, dance, craft exhibition and other activities.[9]

## Beliefs

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Like other people around the world, Balochistan people are known for believing in supernatural powers such as the wind and sea. They believe that crossing the boundaries of supernatural powers like "nazzar" (the evil eye) and jinn can affect or curse a human life.[10]

## Background

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One of the most important parts of the cultural identity of the Baloch people is the Pashtu and Saraiki languages, the "99th most spoken language in the world". This language is spoken only by native people as it is one of the toughest languages. Besides language, Baloch dressing has been greatly influenced by the entire country. Their nomadic life style is completely different than other provincial states of the country.[11]

Despite celebrating several colourful festivals peacefully and traditionally,[12] there is also an unlawful tradition or settlement practice called Baad. Baad (dispute resolution) is an "unlawful marriage custom" found in its Harnai district that is used to make settlements between two enemies. To be more specific, a girl is given in compensation to a victim whose brother or any family member has been killed/murdered by the girl's very close relatives such as brother or father. All the decisions related to this custom are made by a single individual called jirga, who heads the tribal court. The young woman is then given to the deceased's family "without her consent".[13][14]

## Food

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Main article: Baloch cuisine

Sajji cooked dish of Balochistan

Baloch cuisine is noted for its traditional and unique food culture. Dalag is among the prominent dishes regarded by the Baloch people as a core element of their culture and identity. Sajji is familiar in other parts of the country.[15][16]

## Festivals

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Main article: List of festivals in Pakistan

Balochistan is the only state in Pakistan where the "Jashn-e-Kalat" festival is celebrated. This festival includes circus performances, rifle shooting and other cultural programs and shows. It was named after an emperor who ruled this region. The festival is celebrated to honour the diversified culture of Balochistan.[17][18]

## See also

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* Baloch folklore
* Balochi Culture

## References

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1. ^ "Culture and Heritage". balochistan.gov.pk.
2. ^ Shah, Syed Ali (9 January 2014). "Regional languages to be included in Balochistan curriculum". Dawn. Pakistan.
3. ^ "Baloch Culture Day". The Nation. 12 March 2019.
4. ^ "Baloch culture day celebrated with zeal, colourful events". The News International.
5. ^ "The rich culture of Balochistan". Daily Times. 21 February 2019.
6. ^ "Glorious tombs of Balochistan". thefridaytimes.com. 27 April 2018.
7. ^ "Baloch Culture Day". The Nation. Pakistan. 12 March 2019.
8. ^ "Baloch Cultural Day celebrated with colourful functions, gatherings". Pakistan Today.
9. ^ "Baloch Culture Day festivities observed across the Balochistan". radio.gov.pk.
10. ^ Sultana, Farhat (1 May 2013). "Ethnicity and Healing Rituals in Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan". The Journal of the Middle East and Africa. 4 (2): 169–185\. doi:10.1080/21520844.2013.831020.
11. ^ "Song and dance — the rich culture of Balochistan". Daily Times. 10 April 2019.
12. ^ "Balochistan celebrates cultural day". The Express Tribune. 3 March 2018.
13. ^ "Baad: A Cruel Tradition in Balochistan". thediplomat.com.
14. ^ "Pak girls to be married off to settle tribal dispute". Deccan Herald. 9 October 2012.
15. ^ "Dalag — a popular Baloch dish". Daily Times. 23 May 2019.
16. ^ "Baloch dishes gaining popularity in twin cities". The Nation. 3 March 2018.
17. ^ "Balochistan gears up for Jashn-e-Kalat". Samaa TV.
18. ^ "Here's Everything You Need to Know About Jashan-e-Kalat!". Zameen Blog. 10 October 2019.

## Further reading

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* Jānmahmad (1982). The Baloch Cultural Heritage. Royal Book Company.
* Elfenbein, Josef (2010). "Balochi Literature". In Philip G. Kreyenbroek; Ulrich Marzolph (eds.). Oral literature of Iranian languages: Kurdish, Pashto, Balochi, Ossetic, Persian and Tajik. London; New York: I.B. Tauris. pp. 167–198.

Folktale compilations of tales from Balochistan

* Lewis, Arthur (1885). Bilochi Stories as Spoken by the Nomad Tribes of the Sulaiman Hills (in Baluchi and English). Allahabad Mission Press.
* Longworth Dames, Mansel (1922) [1891]. A Text Book of the Balochi language: consisting of miscellaneous stories, legends, poems and Balochi-English vocabulary. Lahore: Printed at the Punjab Government Press.
* M.L. Dames, ed. (1913). Text-book of the Baluchi language. Translated by R.S. Diwan Jamiat Rai; Munshi Dur Muhammad. Lahore: Printed at the Punjab Govt., Press.
* Zarubin, Ivan [in Russian] (1932). Белуджские сказки, собранные И.И. Зарубиным [Balochi Tales collected by Ivan Zarubin] (in Russian). Leningrad: Изд-во АН СССР.
* Порожняков, Александр Ефремович (1989). Сказки, басни и легенды белуджей [Fairy Tales, Fables and legends from Balochi] (in Russian). Moskva: Наука. ISBN 9785020166462.
* Nourzaei, M., Jahani, C., Anonby, E., and Ahangar, A. A. (2015). Koroshi. A Corpus-based Grammatical Description. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Studia Iranica Upsaliensia 13. ISBN 978-91-554-9267-0.
* Nourzaei, M. 2017. Participant Reference in Three Balochi Dialects. Male and Female Narrations of Folktales and Biographical Tales. Studia Iranica Upsaliensia 31. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-554-9808-5.

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