THE BALUCH IN EAST AFRICA.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

There is an incredible journey in 1891 across Persia and Baluchistan which I can recommend for a background into the country from which these Mercenaries originated.. I cannot imagine a rougher more dangerous land. Please see http://www.travelbooksonline.com/asi...age1_1000.html and in it a description of the weapons usually carried ...Weapons of the Baluch tribal militia or guards in the fiefdoms were usually of the flintlock variety shown and of Indian form in respect of Tulvar swords and other regionally related daggers...in what is often described as "Armed to the Teeth" scenarios.

Below please meet below Khuda Dad Khan of Kalat arguably the most murderous butcher that ever stalked the earth...and who is part of the story in the great journey above ..from about page 50 onwards to about page 60.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Another picture of Baluch warriors...Logically taking to the field of battle with some of the regions Indo Persian selection of weapons... and some locally produced Baluch styles..and as seen at #7 above.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Before I forget ... Baluchistan...The Map.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Returning to the Western Indian Ocean the focus is again on BALUCH mercenaries where I Quote

"Mercenary Groups and Power Politics in
the Western Indian Ocean
Another important item destined to change deeply the hinterland power
balances was represented by firearms: during the first half of the XIXth
Century matchlocks began to appear in the hands of Omani mercenary
troops, who, imported them from the Ottoman Empire and from Europe.
The Shirazi, the Swahili important families, gradually ‘lost’ their power
and were pulled apart by the Al Bu Sahid within the growing trade of
Zanzibar, although they retained control of the northern caravan trade
but the great wealth soon passed into ‘Arabs’ and ‘Indian’ hands. As
the central route was the most controlled by Arabs, Tabora, near the
heart of Unyamwezi, as we have seen above, became an ‘Arab’ town
together with Ujiji. Here Baluch soldiers settled, intermarried, and soon
became influencing figures. The impact of the Al Bu Sahid political power
and of the Baluch military power in Zanzibar on the African hinterland
was therefore destined to influencing the lives of East African men and
women; considerable modifications underwent in traditional elite patterns
of power relationships where client-patronage perspectives never were to
be the same, and where new actors were destined to emerging on the
new western Indian Ocean scenario in its connections with the East
African hinterland. In this regard, the ivory trade became a means of
travel, adventure and wealth offering a way to modifying the status within
the coastal communities. Everybody could share this ambition, but at
the same time new tensions were introduced between Swahili rich families,
struggling to preserve their precarious domination, and the demand
of the ‘parvenus’ on whose support they relied."Unquote.

[motan]

Hi Ibrahiim,

Thank for the good information and pictures, but especially for the travel book from 1891. Great read. Those were the days... though when you think of it, non-Western and especially Near Eastern people did not get a very positive rep in this kind of literature.
Eytan

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by motan

Hi Ibrahiim,

Thank for the good information and pictures, but especially for the travel book from 1891. Great read. Those were the days... though when you think of it, non-Western and especially Near Eastern people did not get a very positive rep in this kind of literature.
Eytan

I could hardly put the book down... One of the best travel writers I have seen... Agreed, the poor old people got a poor old report as in those days peasants had a very rough time. It is against this background that the Baluch Mercenaries emerged, thus, it can be seen that they not only supported themselves but often the entire family back home.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Another atmospheric group picture of Baluchi fighters.

[BANDOOK]

Hi Saalams
don't want to sound Controversial,but Baluchistan belongs to Baluchis,and forcefully occupied by Pakistan Army in 1948 ,during India Pakistan Seperation.High time it gets Independence in near Future and India supports Baluchis.
Regards
Rajesh