Gurchani or Gorshani, is a sub-branch of Baloch Dodai tribe in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan.
| Languages | |
|---|---|
| Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sindhi people, Saraiki people, Baloch people |
Legend
In the 10th century, Soomras ruled the Sindh region with Pattan as their capital. They were deposed by the Sammas. This branch of the Sumras is said to have joined the Baloch. Thus formed Gurchani section is settled at Harrand in the Dera Ghazi Khan District.[1][2]
The 19th century text, Tārikh-ī-Murād, recounts the legend. The Sumra ruled region was split up into petty principalities quite independent of and often at war with one another. The chief of Phul Wadda, (now Naushahra or Rahimyar Khan) was one Lakha Phulani, who was famous for his generosity to the Charanas. Lakha gifted some horses to a Charan called Swami. These were stolen at Pattan, where the Charan had halted on his way home, by some Sumra youths. The Charan knowing that the theft was committed with the connivance of the Sumra chief, composed a quatrain which spread far and wide in the country. The lines were:-[2]
| Sindhi | English translation |
|---|---|
| Dhari Dhura Rae jainh Charan sankhya, Pattan patijo thio Sej Watayo sah, Hamira pura raj na kanda sumra. | Cursed be Dhula Rae who robbed a Charan, may Pattan fall down and the Sej change its course. May Hamira Sumra not be spared to reign to a full old age. |
The dishonour caused by the theft was said to be so unbearable that these Sumras were either expelled or left Pattan. This incident is said to have scandalized the Soomras as a community and degraded them. Additionally, prior to their downfall, the Soomra youth, deprived of land due to changes in the Indus river, succumbed to frustration and resorted to theft and robbery. Their actions violated the moral code of the Soomras.[2]
History
Historically, conflicts were common among Baloch tribes over the control of land and water resources. Alliances and battles were frequent among Leghari, Khosa, Lund, Marri, Bugti, and other tribes.[3]
It is recorded that during the time of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the Gurchani chiefs were offered the right to collect the government share of the produce (masul) in kind on several villages on the plains and to collect a tax on camels coming into the plains in return for the safety of the Hurrund and Dajil frontier.[3]
In one of the most dramatic frontier encounters of the early British era, the Gurchanis and Tibbi Lund tribes, in January 1867, killed Ghulam Husain and almost three hundred of his men at Hurrund. This alliance was formed by British officer Sandeman among Bugti, Gurchanis and Lund, in Jampur, ahead of the large raid planned by Ghulam Husian into Rajanpur tahsil.[3]
The history of Baloch tribes is captured in the ballads which narrate the conflicts and wars fought by various clans, celebrating the valor of tribal chiefs and heroes who fought over territory, water, and grazing grounds. These ballads indicate their tribal identification with both pastoral and agricultural resources: "Thronging forth like a herd of cattle, . . . the heroes of the Lunds and Gurchanis came together [for battle] as the water of a torrent comes against an embankment."[3]
Baloch tribes including Gurchani were fond of poetry. The popular "Elegy on the Death of Nawab Jamal Khan" was composed by Panju Bangulani (a member of the Lashari clan of the Gurchanis). When Jamal Khan died while returning from the hajj, the assembled chiefs offered a prize for the best elegy which was won by Panju Bangulani.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ The Pakistan Gazetteer. Cosmo Publications. 2000. ISBN 978-81-7020-887-7.
- 1 2 3 Sumra, Mahar Abdul Haq (1992). The Soomras. Beacon Books.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gilmartin, David (2020-04-14). Blood and Water: The Indus River Basin in Modern History. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-35553-8.