Baloch diaspora

Baloch
دَرمُلکی بلۏچ / دَرانڈݔھی بلۏچ
Languages
	Balochi, Brahui
Religion
	Predominately: Islam

The Baloch diaspora (Balochi: دَرمُلکی بلۏچ or دَرانڈݔھی بلۏچ, romanized: Darmolki Balòc) refers to Baloch people, and their descendants, who have immigrated to places outside the Balochistan region of South-West Asia – a region stretching from southwestern Pakistan to southeastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. The Baloch diaspora is found throughout the Middle East, South Asia, Turkmenistan, East Africa, Europe, North America and in other parts of the world.

Pakistan

Within Pakistan, there are significant numbers of Baloch tribes that have migrated partially or totally and settled in regions outside of Balochistan, mostly into Sindh. Some have also migrated into southern Punjab, especially in the Saraiki speaking regions as well as southeast Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Many have become entirely assimilated into their host cultures. The Zardari tribe Jatoi tribe and Chandio and Magsi tribes for example are now culturally Sindhi Baloch. The Talpur dynasty is a Baloch tribe that ruled over Sindh. Meanwhile, the Legharis of Sindh and Southern Punjab speak both Sindhi and Saraiki.

Worldwide populations

Europe

There are also significant populations in Norway, Sweden, and other European countries.

Khorasan

There is a population of Baloch in Khorasan mainly in Birjand, Sabzevar, quchan, Neishabur, Sarakhs and other cities of Khorasan.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Turkmenistan

There is a population of Baloch in Turkmenistan who migrated there in the early 20th century, estimated in 1997 to number between 38,000 and 40,000.^[4]^[5]

East Africa

There is also a small but historic Baloch community in East Africa, left over from when the Sultanate of Muscat ruled over Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast.^[6]^[7] These migrants were largely from Makran and southern Balochistan. A majority of them still have ties to their families back in Makran.one of the most famous Baluchi people in Tanzania is Rostam Aziz. In Uganda one Balochi called Jalalkhan finally settled at Kaberamaido in eastern Uganda and also Kamuli district at Nduria village. He planted many mango trees and other fruits in both places and they are famous places for mangoes to this day.

India

There are also a number of settlements of Baloch in India, mainly in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. They now speak either Balochi Urdu, Gujarati and Kutchi, depending on their location.

North America

Smaller but sizeable Baloch communities are found throughout various states in the United States and Canada. Baloch immigrants in North America have formed their own cultural associations and tend to keep the community active through social occasions.

Persian Gulf Countries

Hind Al-Baluchi - Kuwaiti Actress

The Baluch people have a notable presence in the GCC-Arabic speaking Persian Gulf countries, many of which are in Oman, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain.^[8]

References

^ "KHORASAN i. ETHNIC GROUPS". Encyclopædia Iranica.
^ "The Balochi Language Project". Uppsala University.
^ Sir Charles Yate, 1st Baronet. "A travelogue of Khorasan and Sistan". Sharif University of Technology. Iran. Retrieved 19 January 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Moshkalo, Vyacheslav V. 2000: "Language and Culture of the Baloch in Turkmenistan Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine". In: Carina JAHANI (ed.): Language in Society – Eight Sociolinguistic Essays on Balochi [Studia Iranica Upsaliensia 3]. Uppsala: Uppsala University, pp. 97–103
^ Languages of Turkmenistan, Ethnologue.com
^ Lodhi, Abdulaziz Y. 2000. A note on the Baloch in East Africa. In: Language in society: eight sociolinguistic essays on Balochi, Studia iranica upsaliensia, no 3, pp 91–95. Edited by Carina Jahani. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis
^ Baluchis from East Africa: In Search of Our Roots, Retrieved 27 June 2010
^ Potter, Lawrence G. (2013). Sectarian Politics in the Persian Gulf (PDF). Oxford University Press. pp. 229–244. Retrieved 4 September 2024.