Bulfati
Encyclopedia
The Bulfati, also known as the Burfat or Bulfat is a Baloch
tribe living in different areas of Pakistan
and Iran
.
and Karachi
the principal inhabitants are the Numrias or Burfats, of whom it is generally said that they are descendants of the Samma (tribe), as apparently are the Jokhias who occupy the skirts of the hills to the south of them, towards Malir and Thatta
. Both these tribes were at one time associated more closely with Las Bela than with Sind, the Numrias having for a short period in the seventeenth century supplied the ruling dynasty of the country. The Baloch derivation of these tribes is demonstrated by the style of the carved stone tombs which are such a prominent feature of the country in which they are predominant, from Jherrak as far north as Hinidan on the right bank of Hab
river.
The tribe of Bulfat originated in Lasbela
in Balochistan
. The first female ruler of this part of Balochistan in 16th century was "The Great Mai Chagli. She became ruler of the state after the death of her father. There is a cultural prejudice among the Baloch against accepting a female ruler, and soon after her father's death, she faced a challenge from the rival Brohi
tribes, who had settled surrounding areas of Khuzdar
, Wadh
, and Kalat
.
She was defeated and killed by rival forces, and the rest of the Bulfat tribe migrated from Lasbela towards today's Iran
, and are now found scattered in Iranian Balochistan, Sindh
and Pakistan
i Balochistan. The chief of the Bulfat tribe is called "Malik", and the current chief is Malik Asad Sikandar Khan.
, they are found in Bahu
, Dashtyari and Chahbar, while in Pakistan
, they are found in the mountains of Khirthar in Sindh
and also to Punjab
. The Bulfati have also emigrated to Zanzibar
, Oman
, and Mombasa
in East Africa
. In the Iranian province Sistan and Balochistan, people call these refuges Jadgal
. Jadgal
means "the different language speaker", even though Lasbela residents today speak the lasi language.
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribe living in different areas of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
History and origin
In the large block of hill country between the Pakistani cities of Sehwan, KotriKotri
Kotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
and Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
the principal inhabitants are the Numrias or Burfats, of whom it is generally said that they are descendants of the Samma (tribe), as apparently are the Jokhias who occupy the skirts of the hills to the south of them, towards Malir and Thatta
Thatta
Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...
. Both these tribes were at one time associated more closely with Las Bela than with Sind, the Numrias having for a short period in the seventeenth century supplied the ruling dynasty of the country. The Baloch derivation of these tribes is demonstrated by the style of the carved stone tombs which are such a prominent feature of the country in which they are predominant, from Jherrak as far north as Hinidan on the right bank of Hab
Hab
Hab is a khum of Koas Krala District in Battambang Province in north-western Cambodia.-Villages:* Hab* Chambak* Sambour* Sameakki* Trapeang Dang Tuek* Kouk Trom* Klaeng Chuor...
river.
The tribe of Bulfat originated in Lasbela
Lasbela District
Lasbela is a coastal district of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It became a separate district in Kalat Division on 30 June 1954. The name is derived from the words Las which in Sanskrit signifies a settlement or lived in or lively and Bela which means "A Sea's Shore" in Sanskrit and is also the...
in Balochistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
. The first female ruler of this part of Balochistan in 16th century was "The Great Mai Chagli. She became ruler of the state after the death of her father. There is a cultural prejudice among the Baloch against accepting a female ruler, and soon after her father's death, she faced a challenge from the rival Brohi
Brahui people
The Brahui or Brohi are ethnic Baloch group of about 2.2 million people with the majority found in Kalat, Baluchistan, Pakistan, but they are also found in smaller numbers in neighboring Afghanistan and Iran. The Brahuis are almost entirely Sunni Muslims.-Origins:The ethnonym "Brahui" is a very...
tribes, who had settled surrounding areas of Khuzdar
Khuzdar
Khuzdar or Khozdar is a town located in Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar District, which was created on 1 March 1974...
, Wadh
Wadh
Wadh is a town in the Khuzdar District of Balochistan, Pakistan. The population of the town was 48.950 according to the 1998 census. Most of the inhabitants of the sub-district belong to the Mengal tribe...
, and Kalat
Kalat
Kalat or Qalat is a historical town located in Kalat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Kalat is the capital of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-i-Baloch and Kalat-i-Sewa....
.
She was defeated and killed by rival forces, and the rest of the Bulfat tribe migrated from Lasbela towards today's Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and are now found scattered in Iranian Balochistan, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i Balochistan. The chief of the Bulfat tribe is called "Malik", and the current chief is Malik Asad Sikandar Khan.
Distribution
In IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, they are found in Bahu
Bahu
Bahu or Bahuka was a king of the Ikshvaku dynasty or the Suryavamsha . According to the Puranas, he was son of Vrika. But the Ramayana mentions him as Asita, son of Bharata. According to this text, he had two queens, one of them was Kalindi...
, Dashtyari and Chahbar, while in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, they are found in the mountains of Khirthar in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and also to Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
. The Bulfati have also emigrated to Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, and Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. In the Iranian province Sistan and Balochistan, people call these refuges Jadgal
Jadgal
The Jadgal الزدجالي, جدجال is an Arab tribe origin, who are settled throughout the Sindh, Balochistan region of Pakistan, and Iran in the Sistan and Baluchistan region. They are also found in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Iraq...
. Jadgal
Jadgal
The Jadgal الزدجالي, جدجال is an Arab tribe origin, who are settled throughout the Sindh, Balochistan region of Pakistan, and Iran in the Sistan and Baluchistan region. They are also found in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Iraq...
means "the different language speaker", even though Lasbela residents today speak the lasi language.