Baloch people in Iran

History

Kerman

Abu 'Ali Muhammad b. Ilyas was member of the Samanid army and was of Sogdian origin. After a rebellion failed he fled south, eventually arriving at Kerman in 932. He managed to extend his control over the northern part of the province, while the southern and eastern mountainous portions remained under the control of the Baloch.

Sarhad

Firuz Shah and Edro Shah were one of the ancestors of Baloch tribe of Tamandani, who ruled the Sarhad until the Safavid dynasty.

Mir Bolan Rigi was a Baloch general who accompanied Nader Shah Afshar in the Battle of Karnal. His assistance to Nader paved the way for the invasion of India. Nader Shah granted Mir Bolan Rigi the region of Mirjaveh in return for Mir Bolan’s assistance in the battle against India. The name Mirjaveh in the Balochi language means "place of the Mir" (residence of the Emir) and refers to this historical event.

World War I & the British campaign in 1916

During the 19th century at time of World War I the British expanded their influence into Balochistan as part of their broader colonial strategy. The Baloch tribes, resisted the influence of British powers. This resistance took the form of tribal rebellions and sporadic attacks in the border region. The Baloch tribes, resisted the influence of the British.

This resistance took the form of tribal rebellions and sporadic attacks in the border region. The three major tribes that performed raids and disturbed the British line were the Yarahmadzais, Gamshadzais, and Ismaelzais. Sardar Jiand Khan Yarahmadzai, Juma Khan the tribal chief of the Ismaelzais and Khalil Khan Gamshadzai fought against Reginald Dyer, in the Battle of Jiand lost his son and the Gamshadzais chief (Khalil Khan) got killed during one of the battles. two of the yarahmadzais lost their lives while the losses for Dyer were devastating.

Qajar-Pahlavi period

Britain and Iran divided Balochistan into many parts, with the British creating the Balochistan Agency in 1877. In the 19th century, nationalists in western Balochistan revolted against the Persian occupation. At the end of the 19th century, when Sardar Hussein Narui Baloch started an uprising against Persia which was crushed by joint Anglo-Persian mission forces. The struggle between the Qajar dynasty, and the British in eastern Balochistan, gave western Balochis a chance to gain control of their territory in western Balochistan. At the beginning of the 20th century. In 1916. Mir Dost Muhammad Khan Baloch, Bahram Khan's nephew, succeeded to the throne, and in 1920, he proclaimed himself Shah-e-Balochistan ("Shah of Balochistan") however in 1928, Reza Shah came into power and Persian forces started operations against Balochi forces with the help of British.

The Baloch were defeated and Mir Dost Muhammad Khan Baloch was captured. In Sarhad, Sardar Said Khan Kurd, who was the chief of Baloch tribes resisted the Qajar attack, but Ebrahim Khan Zahir al-Dawlah, the governor of Bam, defeated him with government forces. However, Ebrahim Khan failed to capture the whole of the Sarhad.

Pahlavi period

During the 1950s, a tribal revolt led by Baloch farmer Mir Daad Shah struck south eastern Iran. He participated in a rebellion and armed insurgency against the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in the 1950s.

Government of the Islamic Republic

On September 30, 2022, the "Bloody Friday" massacre occurred, when in Zahedan a large number of Baloch civilians gathered for Friday prayers at the Grand Makki Mosque, the largest Sunni mosque in Iran. After the prayers, peaceful demonstrations began, demanding justice for the sexual assault case of the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl in June by a commander of the police force in Chabahar. Iranian security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and riot police, surrounded the area and opened fire on the protesters. According to human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Baloch activist groups, at least 96 people were killed on the day of the massacre, and hundreds were injured.

Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi called the incident a "catastrophe" and demanded "trial and punishment for those responsible for those who have killed people", adding that worshipers were shot in head and heart by snipers. From this event, a picture of Khodanur Lojei, a Baloch protester whose hands were tied to a flagpole with a cup of water put out of his reach in front of him, became a symbol during the 2022–2023 Iranian protests.