Introduction to Baloch culture Photographs of Balochi Arts Craft And Cultural instruments

1.  NAME : SAMEER AHMED
 REG NO : 1567-FSS/BSMC-S21
 SUBJECT : PAKISTANI CULTURE & SOCIETY
 MEDIA & COMMUNICATION STUDIES
 SUBMITTED TO DR. RAZA ULLAH

2. CULTURE OF
BALOCHISTAN
 Introduction To Baloch Culture
 Photographs Of Balochi Arts Craft and Cultural
Instruments

3. IINTRODUCTION TO BALOCH CULTURE
 Baloch culture is opposite to the general perception about it. Though
Balochistan is an area of barren lands, deserts and mountains, the Baloch
culture is full of traditions, arts and crafts. Balochi embroidery is one of the
most popular arts and crafts which are done by the females. Balochistan is
also known for its tribes and festivals. Another distinct feature of Baloch
culture is the storytelling tradition. Poets and story tellers are highly
respected in Baloch culture.

4.  TRIBE
 The people belonging to Baloch tribe speak Balochi language. Balochi language is an
ancient language.
 The tribe has a head known as “Sardar”, the sub divided tribes also have heads known
as “Malik” or “Takari” or “Mir”. These tribe heads are members of districts and local
Jirgas.
• Rind
• Marri
• Qambarani
• Ahmedzai
• Bugti
• Raisani
• Zehri
• Raees
• Mengal
• Nosherwani
• Gichki
• Jamali
• Sanjarani

5.  Dressing
 Like all the other provinces of Pakistan the national dress
shalwar kameez with distinct additions and modifications are
worn in Baloch culture. The people dress up very pleasingly
and in the same way in all the tribes. Turban is the common
headwear of Bloch men along with wide loose shalwar along
with knee-long shirts. Females dress consists of a shirt having
a big pocket and embroidery and embedded round mirror
work in front. A big Dupatta/ Chaddar is taken to cover the
head and shoulders.

6.  Marriage
 Marriages which generally took place after puberty were performed with
ceremonies which included music, dancing and distribution of food.The
girl was usually a few years junior to the boy.Marriage was arranged to a
closely knit family.Expenses of food prepared on either side was borne by
the bridegroom.To meet the expenses and amount of labb, bride price,
relatives of the bridegroom collected bijjari, subscriptions from friends
and relative.Traditionally, everyone who was asked gave according to his
means.Sheeps, cows, goats or camels were also presented
as bijjar.Relatives of the bride also collected bijjar called giwari on the
marriage evening.

7.  The general characteristics of a wedding included negotiations by parents
and other relatives.All details were agreed upon and the wedding was
formalized later on.Labb was fixed before hand.Sangor harbarsindi,
betrothal, was the first step. The expenses, pardach, was incurred by the
bridegroom.Pardach was paid in cash and kind before by the marriage
date.It also included embroidered clothes and other essential articles for
the bride.
 Sang was almost as absolute as the marriage itself.After engagement, the
parents of the girl were bound to give the hand of the lady to the person
to whom she was betrothed.There was no backing-out from either side
save in exceptional circumstances.Only in rare cases, could the man
forego his fiancée, dishtar.

8.  The date of marriage was usually announced well in advance and all the
relatives and friends were duly informed.In former times, the invitation
for participation was sent to the entire clan which then selected the
individuals for taking part in the ceremonies on their behalf.However,
at a much latter stage, the invitations were sent to individuals and
family heads.The persons sent for inviting the people, Lotuki, included
singers and dancers who started singing and dancing before entering a
village.The party would then be feasted by the village headman before
their return.

9.  A few days before the event, a kapar or a large wooden tent was built, a
few yards from the home of the bridegroom.In coastal areas this
temporary tent was called mangeer where more than on marriage
ceremonies were performed.This was built for the occasion by the people
under supervision of the village headman. All ceremonies including
dancing and singing were performed there.This would also serve as a
guest house for visitors from the nearby villages.Among peculiar
customs, korag, was most prominent.The bridegroom was taken a few
furlongs outside the settlement, as the word connotes, most probably to
the riverside, in the evening, where arrangements were made for his
bath and make-up.He would then mount no horseback or camel and was
brought to diwanjah or mangeer amid much singing and dancing.

10. Music And Dance
The Baloch has a rich musical culture.His interest in music was
profound.It is possible that like other civilizations, music among ancient
Baloch had functions connected with religion.However, its ecstatic and
secular possibilities nevetheless had relation with some form of
magic.The Baloch treated persons suffering a type of disease similar to
hysteria or chronic indigestion through music. They were called Gwati.
Ministrels played music on sorouz and tamborag and repeated often one
particular rhythm.When the music reached its climax the gwati started a
relentless movement in a dancing pattern.This would continue for many
hours til late at night.It was believed that music would construe some
magical effect, and that disease which had been caused definitely by
some evil forces would end.

11.  The Balochi sur or raags which could be termed Zaheerag because of their
general characterization of melancholy pattern, could be categorized under
two main heads: Balochi and Kurdi.All others which may be as many as
twenty come under these heads.Under Balochi, comes its various
branches: Ashraf-e-durra and janozam.Kurdi included baskard jalawani
kurdi, sahr kurdi. It may, however, be noted that the entire Balochi musical
structure is based on Zaheerag.Some of the folk-music appears to be
somewhat different from it, but in their formal structure all musical
derivatives have their base in Zaheerag.
 Among the musical instruments nal-sur, tamborag benjo and surooz were
important.

12.  The main dance was do-chapi when men gathered and danced, clapping
hands with the movement of foot, nech and head on rythmical music on
drum, dohl.Any knid of dance apart from do-chapi was not
univesal.Basically it was for the enjoyment of performers and was not a
spectator dance.On many occasions women moved in a circle, clapping
hands but without any body movements such as do-chapi.
 Lewa, hambo and latti were also prevalent mostly through foreign
influence. Lewa is supposed to be of Arabian origin,
while Latti and Hambo were clearly dances of the ancient indigenous
people of Balochistan.

13. PHOTOGRAPHS OF BALOCHI ARTS CRAFT
AND CULTURAL INSTRUMENTS

47. BALOCHI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS