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The Baloch ( ) or Baluch ( ; , plural بلۏچانٚ) are a nomadic, Pastoralism, ethnic group which speaks the Western Iranian Balochi language and is native to the Balochistan region of South Asia and Western Asia, occupying parts of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. There are also Baloch diaspora communities in neighbouring regions, including in Central Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula.
The majority of the Baloch reside within Pakistan. About 50% of the total Baloch population live in the Pakistani province of Balochistan,Blood, Peter, ed. "Baloch". Pakistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1995. while 40% are settled in Sindh and a significant albeit smaller number reside in the Pakistani Punjab. They make up 3.6% of Pakistan's total population, and around 2% of the populations of both Iran and Afghanistan and the largest non-Arab community in Omani Baloch.
Some other writers suggest a derivation from Sanskrit words bal, meaning strength, and och meaning high or magnificent.
Regardless of its possible roots in ancient era, the ethnonym Baloch might be derived from a term cockscomb or crest used in Middle Persian that refer to the Baloch in Median kingdom and Kayanian dynasty who were part of the army of Astyages or Kay Khosrow troops. In ancient time, the Baloch wore distinctive helmets decorated with a cock's comb. It is presumably indicated to Turban that known as the "Paag" in Balochi language. The Baloch traditionally wear various styles of the turban, wrapped around the head.
Ernst Herzfeld believes that the word Baloch is derived from the Median language term "brza -vačiya" meaning "loud shouting".Iran in the Ancient East: Archaeological Studies Presented in the Lowell Lectures at Boston Hardcover by Ernst Emil Herzfeld – 1988.
An earliest Sanskrit reference to the Baloch might be the Gwalior inscription of the Gurjara-Pratihara ruler Mihira Bhoja (r. 836–885), which says that the dynasty's founder Nagabhata I repelled a powerful army of Valacha Mlecchas, translated as "Baluch foreigners" by D. R. Bhandarkar. The army in question is that of the Umayyad Caliphate after the conquest of Sindh.
Uppsala University offers a course titled Balochi A, which provides basic knowledge of the phonetics and syntax of the Balochi language. Carina Jahani is a prominent Swedish Iranian studies and professor of Iranian languages at Uppsala University, deeply researching in the study and preservation of the Balochi language.
There are a number of characteristic features that Balochi shares to Parthian and Median language and close affinity with them.
The Balochi dialects are classified as:
Koroshi dialect is also classified as Balochi.
Many Baloch are either bilingual or multilingual, speaking the language of their respective nation of origin, such as Urdu, Persian, and Arabic as a second language alongside their native Balochi, while those in diaspora communities often speak three or more languages.
Agha Mir Nasir Khan Ahmadzai the author of Seven-volume book on the history of Baloch and Balochistan, connects Balochs with Medes and considers them descendants of the Medes, the people of ancient Iran. He makes mention of all Baloch tribes are descendants of the Medes, who came to Balochistan and settled in Ancient history.
Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr is a surviving Middle Persian text on Sasanian administrative geography and history, based on the source, Padishkhwārgar (located at the vicinity of Segistan) was a Sasanian province in Late antiquity and People who contributed to building 21 cities in Padishkhwargar were the Kōfyār "mountain dweller" people called Baločān "Balochs".
Mansel Longworth Dames in 1902 stated that "a theory of the origin of the Baloch people, the largest ethnic group in the region, is that they are of Median descent."M. Longworth Dames, Balochi Folklore, Folklore, Vol. 13, No. 3 (29 September 1902), pp. 252–274
The Baloch were among Kay Khosrow allies and formed part of his army headed by General Ashkash. This is depicted in the mythological part of the Shahnameh a prose work written in Middle Persian.
Also in another piece of this pose which is depicted in the same work:
During the Sasanian Empire era, Khosrow I and Ardashir I fought against the Balochs and After initially sustaining a defeat, succeeded in subjugating the Baloch. The Baloch scattered in the Makran(modern-day Balochistan in Iran and Pakistan) and Kerman regions, areas that formed the southeastern frontier of the Sassanid Empire. Periodic uprisings or refusals to pay tribute might have been part of their interactions with the Sassanid kings.
Based on an analysis of the linguistic connections of the Balochi language, which is one of the Western Iranian languages, the original homeland of the Baloch tribes was likely to the east or southeast of the central Caspian Sea region. The Baloch began migrating towards the east in the late Sasanian period. The cause of the migration is unknown but may have been as a result of the generally unstable conditions in the Caspian area. The migrations occurred over several centuries.
By the 9th century, Arab people writers Istakhri, Yaqut al-Hamawi and Al-Maqdisi refer to the Baloch as a distinct ethnical group living in the area between Kerman, Greater Khorasan, Sistan, and Makran. Ibn Khordadbeh, in Kitab al-Masalik wal-Mamalik, describes the geography of Makran, and mentions the Baloch as They are powerful, numerous, and engaged in animal husbandry, their houses are made of wood. Al-Muqaddasī documented that Panjgur District was the capital of Makran and that it was populated by people called Baloch.
The 12th century Seljuk invasion of Kerman seemed to have stimulated the further eastwards emigration of the Baloch, towards what is now the Balochistan province of Pakistan, although some remained behind and there are still Baloch in the eastern parts of the Iranian Sistan-Baluchestan and Kerman province provinces. By the 13th–14th centuries, waves of Baloch were moving into Sindh, and by the 15th century into the Punjab.
Dayaram Gidumal writes that a Baloch legend is backed up by the medieval Qarmatians. The fact that the were ethnic Baluchis is also confirmed by the Persian historian in the 16th century Muhammad Qasim Ferishta.
Traditionally, Jalal Khan was the ruler and founder of the first Baloch confederacy in 12th century. (He may be the same as Jalal al-Din Mangburni the last ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire.) Jalal Khan left four sons – Rind Khan, Lashar Khan, Hoth Khan, Korai Khan and a daughter, Bibi Jato, who married his nephew Murad. Since 12th century Baloch chieftains ruled over most of Balochistan. Jalal Khan and Mir Chakar after the establishment of the Baloch Confederation, They extended their dominance on outside the borders of Balochistan, Mir Chakar seized control over Punjab and captured Multan. The great Baloch kingdom was based on tribal confederationn, Punjab and Balochistan remained under his rule for a period of time .
According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch, professor at University of Karachi, the Baloch migrated from Balochistan during the Little Ice Age and settled in Sindh and Punjab. The Little Ice Age is conventionally defined as a period extending from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, (noted in Grove 2004:4). or alternatively, from about 1300Miller et al. 2012. "Abrupt onset of the Little Ice Age triggered by volcanism and sustained by sea-ice/ocean feedbacks" Geophysical Research Letters 39, 31 January: abstract (formerly on AGU website) (accessed via wayback machine 11 July 2015); see press release on AGU website (accessed 11 July 2015). to about 1850.Grove, J. M., Little Ice Ages: Ancient and Modern, Routledge, London (2 volumes) 2004.Matthews, J. A. and Briffa, K. R., "The 'Little Ice Age': re-evaluation of an evolving concept", Geogr. Ann., 87, A (1), pp. 17–36 (2005). Retrieved 17 July 2015.
The area where the Baloch tribes settled was disputed between the Persian people Safavids and the Mughal emperors. Although the Mughals managed to establish some control over the eastern parts of the area, by the 17th century, a tribal Brahui people leader named Mir Hasan established himself as the first "Khan of the Baloch". In 1666, he was succeeded by Mir Aḥmad Khan Qambarani who established the Khanate of Kalat under the Ahmadzai dynasty. Originally in alliance with the Mughals, the Khanate lost its autonomy in 1839 with the signing of a treaty with the British Raj and the region effectively became part of the British Raj.
During the Safavid dynasty sought to incorporate the Baloch regions into its administrative structure, the Baloch tribes maintained their autonomy through resistance, strategic alliances. In the reign of Soltan Hoseyn, a number of Baloch chiefs, ruling Balochistan and neighbouring areas.
Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai the sixth ruler of kalat was one of the most prominent and influential rulers of the Khanate of Kalat. He played a crucial role in consolidating Baloch power, unifying the Baloch tribes, and shaping the political and administrative structure of the Khanate. The border of Balochestan in the reign of Nasir khan stretched from across modern-day Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Northern Border in areas such as Helmand Province and parts of Kandahar (Balochistan, Afghanistan). In the East stretched as far as Punjab including Dera Ghazi Khan, in the south Makran coast along the Arabian Sea from Karachi to Bandar Abbas, in the western included Persian Balochistan (modern-day Sistan and Baluchestan Province in Iran), Kerman province and Bandar abbas.
The Khanate of Kalat declined in the early 19th century, losing much of its territory to Qajar Iran, Emirate of Afghanistan and British Balochistan.
The Talpur ruled the Sindh until British conquest of Sindh in 1843. The Talpur Baloch were a prominent Baloch tribe that rose to power in Sindh during the late 18th century and established their rule. The Battle of Miani (1843), took place near Hyderabad, Baloch forces under the last Talpur ruler Amir Nasir Khan Talpur defeated by the East India Company led by Charles Napier.
Baloch nationalism in its modern form began in the form of the Anjuman-e-Ittehad-e-Balochan-wa-Balochistan based in Mastung in 1929, led by Yousaf Aziz Magsi, Abdul Aziz Kurd and others. In Pakistan's Balochistan province, insurgencies by Baloch nationalists have been fought in 1948–50, 1958–60, 1962–63 and 1973–1977, with an ongoing low-level insurgency beginning in 2003. The Baloch population in Pakistan has endured grave violations of human rights, which include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture. These actions are purportedly perpetrated by state security forces and their associates.
The First Balochistan Conflict started when three of the princely states of Kalat acceded to Pakistan in 1947 after independence.
During the Second Balochistan conflict The Baloch nationalist leader Nauroz Khan led an armed rebellion against the central government, demanding greater autonomy. This triggered a major armed conflict, with over 50,000 Baloch fighters resisting the Pakistani military.
The Third Balochistan conflict began and engaging in guerrilla warfare against the Pakistani military. Sher Muhammad Bijrani Marri led militants into guerrilla warfare from 1963 to 1969 by creating their own insurgent bases. This insurgency ended in 1969, with the Baloch separatists agreeing to a ceasefire granting general amnesty to the separatists as well as freeing the separatists.
In 2008, there were 180,000 Bugti based in Dera Bugti District. They are divided between the Rahija Bugti, Masori Bugti, Kalpar Bugti, Marehta Bugti and other sub-tribes. led the Bugti as Tumandar until his death in 2006. Talal Akbar Bugti was the tribal leader and President of the Jamhoori Watan Party from 2006 until his death in 2015.
There are 98,000 Marri based in Kohlo district in 2008, who further divide themselves into Gazni Marri, Bejarani Marri, and Zarkon Marri.
As of 2008 it was estimated that there were between eight and nine million Baloch people living in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. They were subdivided between over 130 tribes. Some estimates put the figure at over 150 tribes, though estimates vary depending on how subtribes are counted. The tribes, known as taman, are led by a tribal chief, the tumandar. Subtribes, known as paras, are led by a muqaddam.
The Baloch holds a significant place in the history of Sindh. The Talpur, originally a Baloch tribe, ruled Sindh from 1783 to 1843. A significant population in sindh have Baloch root according unofficial estimates at about 4 million.Mansoor Bin Tahnoon, Jamal, Asad ul Al Nahyan, Hussain, Ghafoor (2025). 9781527534391, Cambridge Scholars Publishing. . ISBN 9781527534391
During the 1950s, tribal revolt led by a Baloch farmer Dad Shah struck south eastern Iran. Elements of Baloch nationalism were present in this movement, he participated in a rebellion and armed insurgency against the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in the 1950s.
On September 30, 2022(Bloody Friday) in Zahedan a large number of Baloch civilians gathered for Friday prayers at the Grand Makki Mosque, the largest Sunni mosque in Iran, located in Zahedan. After the prayers, peaceful demonstrations began, demanding justice for the sexual assault case of the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl in June that by a commander of the police force in Chabahar. Iranian security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and riot police, surrounded the area and opened fire on the protesters. According to human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Baloch activist groups, at least 96 people were killed on the day of the massacre, and hundreds were injured. Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi called the incident a "catastrophe" and demanded "trial and punishment for those responsible for those who have killed people", adding that worshipers were shot in head and heart by snipers. From this event, a picture of Khodanur Lojei, a Baloch protester whose hands were tied to a flagpole, with a cup of water put in front of him (but out of his reach) became a symbol in the ongoing protests.
In the fall of 1978, Balochi was recognized as an official language of Afghanistan, alongside Pashto and Dari. A weekly newspaper in Balochi began publication in September 1978. The Baloch Council of Afghanistan is a Baloch socio-cultural organization that celebrates Baloch Culture Day every year.
The government of Afghanistan(Before the Taliban came to power) has never employed the same level of brutality against its own Baloch like Pakistan, but it has always been implacably opposed to any suggestion of Baloch separatism.
Ghulam Mohammad Lalzad Baloch, Naeem Baloch, are some of the notable Baloch people in Afghanistan.
the Baloch have been well integrated in political life in Oman. the Baloch hold positions in many high-ranking jobs and have played a significant role in the progress and development of Oman.
Most Swedish Baloch live in the capital Stockholm or in Uppsala. A majority of Baloch political refugees and students choose Sweden as their host country and therefore they have a cultural presence in Sweden.Agnes , Carina , Paul Brian Korn, Jahani, Titus (2025). 9783895005916, Reichert Verlag. . ISBN 9783895005916 Uppsala University offers a course titled Balochi A, which provides basic knowledge of the phonetics and syntax of the Balochi language. This course also includes a brief overview of the history of the Baloch people. The course is conducted in English language and is available as a distance learning option, making it accessible to a broader audience interested in learning about the Balochi language.
There is a Baloch community in the United Kingdom, originating from the Balochistan province of southwestern Pakistan and neighbouring and other parts where Baloch populations reside. Estimates suggest that the Baloch community in London numbers in the thousands, though an exact figure is not available. There are many Baloch associations and groups active in the UK, including the Baloch Students and Youth Association (BSYA), Baloch Cultural Society, Baloch Human Rights Council (UK) and others.
Balochi Culture Day is celebrated by the Baloch people annually on 2 March with festivities to celebrate their rich culture and history.
Baloch women have taken the lead in the new wave of Baloch movements and have emerged as leaders and advocates for Baloch rights. In the movement of Baloch Long March two baloch women leading the movement for justice and equality in Baloch society against human rights violations and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch the leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and Voice for Baloch Missing Persons and have been prominent advocate for the rights of Baloch people. In December 2024, Marang Baloch was included on the BBC's 100 Women list. Sammi Baloch has been honored with the Asia Pacific Human Rights Award for 2024, presented by Front Line Defenders. The award ceremony took place in Dublin, Ireland. Fariba Balouch is another Baloch women who works for women's rights and human rights in Balochistan in Iran. She is particularly outspoken about the challenges faced by women in Balochistan region, advocating for gender equity and justice amidst widespread human rights abuses. She received the 2024 International Women of Courage award.
Karima Baloch was a human rights activist and was included in the 100 Women List by the BBC in 2016, where she was identified as a political activist campaigning for the independence for Balochistan from Pakistan. BBC 100 Women 2016: Who is on the list? , BBC, 7 October 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2016. Her inclusion in the BBC 100 list as a Baloch woman was repeated in 2024 when the Iranian Zhina Modares Gorji bookseller was also named for her struggle for freedom of speech.
Baloch Women have played numerous roles, and contributed in many ways, to Baloch society. Historically, tradition maintained. Banadi Shehak the sister of Mir Chakar Rind was a Baloch woman who led the war and participated in the battlefield.
Hani and Sheh Mureed, a Tragedy love story. It tells of the deep love between Hani and Sheh Mureed and the societal pressures that ultimately lead to their separation.
Hammal Jiand is a significant figure in Baloch folklore, Baloch culture and Balochi literature , particularly noted for his role during the conflicts with Portuguese colonial forces in the 16th century. He is celebrated as a heroic leader and is often compared to other notable Baloch leaders like Mir Chakar Rind.
Widely varying in purpose and style, among the Baloch folklore one will find stories about nature, anthropomorphic animals, love, heroes and villains, mythological creatures and everyday life. Baloch mythology often intertwines with their beliefs and geography, featuring the supernatural. A number of these mythological figures can be found in other cultures, like stories of Shahnameh and Iranian Mythology. Ashkash is introduced in several verses in the Shahnameh as the commander of the Baloch army. This work has inspired Baloch heroic tales and has appeared in the works of Baloch writers and Baloch folklore.
Zahirok is one of the musical forms of Baloch and in the beginning, was only sung by two groups of Baloch women.
Suroz and Ghaychak are popular instrument between Balochs such as craftspeople, folk artists, folk musicians and dance groups.
Balochi mirror work embroidery is a type of traditional Balochi embroidery and art that is used to decorate coats, cloth, hat(pag), cushion covers, tablecloths, bags, shoes, vests, local clothing between Baloch of afghanistan and pakistan.
Balochi coin work embroidery is one of the handicrafts of Balochistan that the Baloch generally use to decorate bedspreads or camel necks during weddings, and they often hang them on the walls to decorate rooms. Balochi coin embroidery is very popular among the Baloch people in Iran and has created a large market.
Outside of weaving and clothing, there are many other Baloch needleworks, decorations on Balochi clothing is a tradition in Baloch culture including Balochi cap, jackets, belts, ladies purse, shoulder bags, and many other items.Rehman Khan, F. and Malghani, M. and Ayyaz, S., "Construction of Baloch Ethnic Identity through Ethnolinguistic Awareness and Cultural Dynamics", Clark, pp. 440 (2005). Retrieved 2 January 2024. These crafts are known for their intricate designs, vibrant colors, and high-quality craftsmanship. They are often made by women artisans and serve both functional and decorative purposes, playing a significant role in the economy and identity of the Baloch community. Notable Balochi needlework artisans include Mahtab Norouzi. Farah Pahlavi, the former Shahbanu of Iran, was particularly drawn to Balochi needlework handcrafts and incorporated them into many of her formal dresses.
Among crafts are coin embroidery and cream embroidery that are made with natural materials.
In the case of Pakistan, breakdown by religious movements or sub-groups among the ethnic Baloch in the country as a whole is as following: 64.78% are Sunni-, 33.38% are Sunni- and 1.25% are Sunni-Ahl-i Hadith; Shia's are 0.59%. Inside Pakistan's Balochistan province more specifically, the religious affiliation among the Baloch is: 68.75% Sunni-Deobandi, 30.38% Sunni-Barelvis, 0.79% Sunni-Ahl-i Hadith and 0.07% Shi'as.Fair, C. Christine and Hamza, Ali (2017) "Rethinking Baloch Secularism: What the Data Say," Peace and Conflict Studies: Vol. 24 : No. 1, Article 1, see Table 2 & Table 4.
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A number of Baloch tribes still preserve and adhere to pre-Islamic traditions, including the Nal oath (a type of oath to prove innocence by passing through fire) which is common among the Baloch around Taftan, and they are bilingual, speaking Parsiwani in addition to the Balochi language.
Most of these Hindus or Sikhs are not ethnic Baloch, or not fully; for example, many Marathas were captured following their defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 and were integrated within the Baloch tribal system (taking names like Bugti and more), their history having been covered in the 2023 Marathi cinema movie Baloch.
Likewise, the Bhagnaris are a Hindu community living in India who trace their origin to southern Balochistan but migrated to India during the Partition. Numbering around 2,500 in Mumbai they identify as Sindhis in terms of ethnicity and speak Saraiki language, a language close to Punjabi language.
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