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History
Isolated remains of Homo Erectus in has
been found indicating
that Pakistan might
have been inhabited
since atleast the
Middle Pleistocene
era. The precise
date of these remains
is unclear, and
archaeologists put
it anywhere between
200,000 to 500,000
BCE. The fossils
are the earliest
human remains found
in South Asia. More
than 60% of Pakistanis
have their mtDNA
maternal roots in
South Asian specific
branches of haplogroup
'M'. Because of
its great time depth
and virtual absence
in western Eurasians,
it has been suggested
that haplogroup
M was brought to
Asia after their
evolution
in Africa, along
the southern route,
by the earliest
migration wave of
anatomically modern
humans, Homo Sapiens,
nearly 60,000 years
ago
The original inhabitants of Pakistan
may have been the
tribals speaking
languages related
to Munda family
of languages. Pakistan
was the site of
the world's oldest
8,000 year old civilisation
at Mehrgarh
in the Balochistan
province. The Mehrgarh
declined about the
same time as the
Indus
Valley Civilization
only 200 Kilometers
south east was developing.
It has been surmised
that the Mehrgarh
residents moved
to fertile Indus
River valley as
Balochistan became
arid over time.
Shahi Tump in the
valley of Kej in
Mekran was also
settled during Indus
Valley Civilization
era. Balochistan
was invaded by various
Eurasian groups
including the Aryans,
Persians, Greeks,
Kushans, Arabs,
Turks, Mongols,
Mughals, Afghans,
and the British.
Aryan invasions
appear to have led
to the eventual
demise of the Elamo-Dravidians
with the exception
of the Brahui who
may have arrived
much later as did
the Balochis themselves.
The Balochis began
to arrive from their
homeland in northern
Iran and appear
to be an offshoot
of the Kurdish tribes
from Kurdistan that
would mainly populate
the western end
of the Iranian plateau.
The Balochi tribes
eventually became
a sizable group
rivalled only by
another Iranian
group, the Pakhtuns,
while the Brahuis
increasingly came
under the cultural
influence of the
Balochis. Umayyad
Muslim Arab army
led by Muhammad
bin Qasim conquered
annexed the region
and conversion to
Islam
was coupled with
the Balochi assimilation
of Arab culture
as well. Today,
many Balochis believe
that their origins
are Semitic and
not Iranian contrary
to linguistic and
historical evidence.
Balochi tradition
holds that they
left their Aleppo
homeland in Syria
at some point during
the 1st millennium
CE and moved to
Balochistan, but
it appears more
likely that the
Balochis are an
Iranian group who
have absorbed some
Arab ancestry and
cultural traits
instead. Balochistan
subsequently was
dominated by empires
based in Iran and
Afghanistan as well
as the Mughal
empire based in
South Asia. Ahmad
Shah Durrani annexed
the region as part
of a greater Afghanistan.
The area would eventually
revert to local
Balochi control,
while parts of the
northern regions
would continue to
be dominated by
Pakhtun tribes.
The Muslim technocrats,
bureaucrats, soldiers,
traders, scientists,
architects, teachers,
theologians and
sufis flocked from
the rest of the
Muslim world to
Islamic Sultanate
in South Asia and
many settled in
Balochistan. During
the period of the
British rule, there
were four Princely
States in Balochistan:
Makran, Kharan,
Las Bela and Kalat,
the largest and
most powerful. At
independence in
1947, Balochistan
became part of Pakistan.
Parts of Balochistan
were held by Oman
as late as the 1950s,
but they were eventually
turned over to Pakistan.
Included in these
areas is the coastal
city of Gwadar.
Geography
Balochistan is located at the eastern
edge of the Iranian plateau
and in the difficult to define
border region between Southwest,
Central, and South Asia. It
is geographically the largest
of the four provinces at 347,190
km² and composes 42%
of the total land area of
Pakistan.
Balochistan province borders
Sarhad
and Afghanistan in the north,
Punjab
and Sindh
in the east, Iran in the west
and Arabian Sea in the South.
The population density is
very low due to the mountainous
terrain and scarcity of water.
The southern region is known
as Makran. A region in the
centre of the province is
known as Kalat. The Sulaiman
Mountains dominate the northeast
corner and the Bolan Pass
is a natural route into Afghanistan
towards Kandahar. Much of
the province south of the
Quetta region is sparse desert
terrain with pockets of inhabitable
towns mostly near rivers and
streams. The capital city
is Quetta, located in the
most densely populated district
in the northeast of the province.
Quetta is situated in a river
valley near the border with
Afghanistan, with a road to
Kandahar in the northwest.
At Gwadar on the coast the
Pakistani government is currently
undertaking a large project
with Chinese help to build
a large port. This is being
done partially to provide
the Pakistan Navy with another
base, and to reduce Pakistan's
reliance on Karachi and Port
Muhammad Bin Qasim, which
currently are the only major
ports.
Demographics and Society
Balochistan has a population of around
10 million inhabitants. The
Baloch numerically dominate
the south of the province,
while the Pakhtuns are the
majority in and around Quetta
and the north. Near the Kalat
region and other parts of
the region the Brahui are
a significant presence, while
along the coast various Makrani
peoples of mixed origins can
be found such as the Meds
and small groups of descendents
of African known as the Habshi,
from Hubsh which means Ethiopia
in Arabic, can also be found.
Persian-speaking Dehwars also
live in the Kalat region and
further west towards the border
with Iran. The major Baloch
tribes are: Bugti, Mengal,
Marri, Bizenjo, Jamali, etc.
In addition, nearly one million
Afghan refugees can be found
in the province including
Pakhtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras.
Sindhi farmers have also moved
to the more arable lands in
the east especially in Las
Bela district. Over 99% of
the population is Muslim with
Sunni
majority and a Shia
minority. There are also small
Zikri,
Hindu and Christian minorities.
Economy
The economy of the province is largely
based upon the production of natural
gas, coal and minerals. The province's
natural resources significantly help
to meet the energy needs of Pakistan
as a whole, but mainly benefit Pakhtun
mine workers than the more nomadic
Baloch. Infrastructure outside of
Quetta is still in development as
is the province as a whole. Tourism
remains limited but has increased
due to the exotic appeal of the province.
Limited farming in the east as well
as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline
are other forms of income and sustenance
for the local populations. Due to
the tribal lifestyle of many Baloch
and Brahui, animal husbandry is important
as are trading bazaars found throughout
the province.Though the province remains
underdeveloped, changes are coming
as plans for pipelines running from
Iran and as well Central Asian pipelines
are all envisioned to be built in
Balochistan.
Districts
Awaran
Barkhan
Bolan
Chagai
Dera Bugti
Gwadar
Jafarabad
Jhal Magsi
Kalat
Kharan
Kohlu
Khuzdar
Qilla Abdullah
Qilla Saifullah
Lasbela
Loralai
Mastung
Musakhel
Nasirabad
Panjgur
Pishin
Quetta
Sibi
Turbat or Kech
Zhob
Ziarat
Page last updated:
Sunday, February 12, 2006 10:28:01 -0500
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