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Baloch Nationalism

Introduction

The question of ethnic nation divided by colonially shaped international boundaries poses one of the potentially most explosive problems facing the multi-national developing states. It involves two conflicting forcing moving in opposing directions. On the one hand, there is the state nationalism that is the drive by each multi-ethnic state to integrate its diver’s ethnic nationalities into its state structure. On other hand, there is the nationalist drive of ethnic nations to preserve their national and cultural identity by pursuing the quest for self-determination /self-rule in there national homelands. Hence, the issue, involves a conflict between states and nations or between state nationalism, which in the case of heterogeneous state is generally a manifestation of the case nationalism of dominant nationality, and the nationalism of subordinate nationalities, to underscore the significance of the nationalities issues here it is sufficient to mention that of 132 sates studied, only 12 or 9.1 percent were homogeneous, while the remaining 120 or 90.9 percent were heterogeneous consisting  of two or more ethnic groups.(1)

In the Middle East, Iran is very good example of such multinational states. Covering an area of 627,000 square miles and situated strategically on the crossroad between the Arab Middle East, southwest Asia, and the former soviet Union, it is a heterogeneous developing country comprised of six distinct nationalities including Persians, Kurds, Arabs, Turks, Turkmen’s, and Baluchis, as well as other linguistic and tribal  groupings such as lure, Gilaks, Qashquais, etc.

Although there are no accurate date as to the population of Iran’s various national groups, the recent scholarly literature, tends to agree that Persians are a slight minority comprising about 45 percent of Iran’s 60 Million populations. Nevertheless, they are the largest national group, thus being the dominant nationality or the dominate minority, while the other five national groups – Turks (12 to 16 million), Kurds (6-8 million), Arabs (2 to 3 million), (2) Turkmen (1-2 Million), and Baluchis (3-4 million) (3) constitute the subordinate nationalities or national minorities. There five nationalities have one other important feature in common, as well; they live along the state’s international borders, which cut across their lingo-ethnic homelands, hence dividing them between two or three state. Therefore, they can be categorized as divided nationalities as well.

Having underscored the significance of the nationalities problem in Iran, this study is an afford to examine the case of the Baluch nationalism that is the Baluch national movement toward political, economic, and cultural self-rule-in western Baluchistan ever since its incorporation into Iran In 1928. Divided among Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, Baluchistan, with an area of more than 240,000 squire miles which is nearly five times larger than England, is of great geo-strategic significance by virtue of its command of nearly one thousand miles of coastline on the Arabian sea, including the eastern shore of the straits of Hormus, it’s situation on the overland and Maritimes line of communication between the Middle East and southwest Asia, it’s proximity to the central Asian frontiers, and it’s rich potential in mineral resources.

This study serves several purposes; first it fills a gap in knowledge about the baloch (Baluch) nationalism I Iran in the sense that it constitutes the most comprehensive and systematic study of the case over undertaken. And in so doing, it enhances our knowledge and understanding about one of the major potential focal points of conflict in southwest Asia as well. In addition, the study of subordinate nationalities in Iran is important because together they constitute a slight majority of the population in that country. In this regard, the case of baloch nationalism also helps shed some light on the nationalism of other Iranian subordinate nationalities as well. Moreover, since the case of baluch nationalism in Iran cannot be isolated and separated, neither theoretically nor be isolated and separated neither in Pakistan and Afghanistan, it’s study also contributes, thought by way of comparison, to a better understanding of the national movements of others subordinate nationalities in those two countries. It also hopes to demonstrate how nationalism operates in multi-national states such as Iran.

The borders objective of this study is to furnish a case study of nationalities in the third world. So far, the study of ethnic nationalism has been dominated overwhelmingly by cases dealing with either the ethic nationalities in the former Soviet Union or those in the west such as Basques, French Quebec, and others, even thought all these combined are very few as compared with those in third world. Hence, a similar case study of the third world ethnic nations is an essential step for developing a comprehensive theory of nationalism. Therefore, the present case study is one small step in that direction, hoping to shed some light, along with other case studies on the phenomenon of contemporary nationalism.

The approach to this study is historical, describing and analyzing the foundations, evaluation, dynamics, and implications of Baloch nationalism. Dealing primarily with historical political materials, the study also treats issues and events discussed chronologically using both primary and secondary sources, whether published or unpublished. Hence, it can be described best as political history of baloch nationalism. Whatever approach one may take any substantive treatment if Baluch nationalism will require a systematic examination of at least three sets of interrelated factors. The first relates to its self self-cohesive bases-i.e, history, languages, etc-its socio-economic and class structure, its politics and political organization, and so on. The second set of factors deals with the relations between that nationality and the Persian-dominated multi-national state of which it is a component. This is to show how the pattern of relationship between the two sides affects the issues of baloch nationalism.

The third set of factors is concerned with the regional and international implications of the issues.

This study is organized in to chapters, which are preceded by the present introduction. The starting point is a description of the bases or foundation of the baloch nationalism in chapter I. This is to gain an insight into the cohesive elements which give nationalism its receptivity, thus dealing with its history, territory, culture and religion, language, and ethnic origin. In this regard, the historical base of the Baluch nationalism has been the subject of a broader treatment in other to put the question in its historical perspective as well.  The second chapter enters the subject of our discussion covering the era of British colonial supremacy in, and division of Balochistan in 1872; the Anglo-Perso-Baluch relations; and the events which led to the incorporation of western Balochistan in to Iran by Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1928.

Chapter III underlines the policies pursured by the central government toward Baluch and Baluchistan during the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. This chapter is expected to shed some light on how those policies affected the Baloch and to what extend they contributed to the government’s state-building strategies for integrating the Baluch into the Iranian state structure. Chapter IV is an analysis of the social, economic, and class structure of Baloch nationalism; while chapters V and VI in order, deal with the Baloch national movement, its political organization, and personalities under the monarchical and clerical regimes, respectively, both of these chapters serve to underline the interaction between the central government and the baloch.

This study will treat in the seventh chapter the Baloch national movement in Iran in its relations with the stronger and more established Baluchi movement in Pakistan. The regional and international implications of the question will be examined in chapters VIII and IX, respectively. In the former, the influence of the regional states, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Arab states of the gulf, and India on the question under discussion will be analyzed; while the superpowers’ rivalry in the region and its implication for the issue will be the subject of the latter chapter. Finally, the last chapter will contain the concluding remarks of this case study and its likely theoretical implications. 

(1)  abdul aziz said and Luiz R, eds, Ethnicity in an International context(New Brunswick,NJ, Transaction, 1976) , P. 10

(2)  Nikki R. kiddies, The Minorities Question in Iran, in the Iran –Iraq war, Taher-kheli and shahen ayubi (New york, Praeger publishers, 1983) ,PP. 91-92

(3)  For an analysis of baluch population, see chapter III