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The Brahui of Pakistan
The 2.3 million Brahui of Pakistan reside in Kelat. This area of some 30,000 square miles is divided into the highlands of Sarawan and the lowland plain of Kacci. The zones are separated by the Sulaiman and Kirthar mountain ranges and by the 80-mile-long area known as the Bolan Pass. Smaller groups of Brahui can also be found in southern Afghanistan and in Iran.
The Brahui overthrew a dynasty of Hindu kings to rise to power in the1600's. Under Nasir Khan in the 1700's, the confederacy reached its peak. Today, the Brahui are made up a group of 29 tribes. Eight of those tribes form what is believed to the original Brahui nucleus.
Brahui can be distinguished from their Pushtun and Baluchi neighbors by their Dravidian language, called Brahuidi. Linguists have not been able to discover the link between the Brahui and other speakers of Dravidian languages who live 1000 miles away in southern India
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What Are Their Lives Like?
For years, most Brahui were nomadic shepherds who traveled between the highlands and the lowlands in search of proper temperatures, rainfall, and pasture for their flocks. During the cold and icy winter months, the Brahui lived in the plains. They returned to the hills only after the lambs were born in February or March.
The number of Brahui nomads has consistently declined over the past hundred years, and today there are many fully-settled villages dependent on underground water irrigation to raise the numerous cash crops. There are a number of towns that serve as administrative and commercial centers, although relatively few Brahui live in town year round.
The Brahui shepherds have organized themselves into groups of cooperating households known as khalks. Each khalk combines its herds into one flock under the care of a professional resident shepherd. The resident shepherd controls up to 500 sheep. This procedure benefits the Brahui economically because it allows the men and their adult sons to work on local village farms in exchange for wheat. Having one resident shepherd also enables the men to take their herds to market for sale and to exchange information with other Brahui about the locations of various camps and flocks.
Through the use of khalks, Brahui have become expert shepherds. They have learned the optimum number of sheep that can be grazed together. They also have discovered that sheep are not happy in very small groups, that they spread and wander under such conditions. When the herds increase to more than 500 animals, leaders "multiply" the group, shifting the tents to form a new khalk.
Marriages are arranged within families. Fathers prefer their sons to marry a cousin on the father's side, although, occasionally, families will consider the wishes of the couple. Men may take multiple wives, but the expenses incurred tend to limit this practice. Divorce is rare among the Brahui. The ideal family consists of married sons who live with their parents. After the father's death, brothers continue to live together with a united family estate under the leadership of the eldest son.
The tribe is the basic political unit of the Brahui. Tribes base their membership on patrilineal descent (common male ancestors) and political allegiance.
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What Are Their Beliefs?
Most Brahui are Sunni Muslims. They are deeply rooted in their faith and adhere to the five essential duties of Islam: praying, fasting, giving to the poor, affirming that "Allah is the only god and that Mohammed is his prophet," and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
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What Are Their Needs
At present, there are two missions agencies targeting the Brahui of Iran; however, very few Christian resources are available to them in their language. They need much intercession, additional evangelical materials, and added laborers who will work with them and be willing adapt to their harsh nomadic lifestyle
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Brahui language
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The Brahui language is mainly spoken in Balochistan, Pakistan, although also in Afghanistan and Iran. It reputedly [1] (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=BRH) has about 2,000,000 speakers in Pakistan (1998), or 2,210,000 in the world. In Pakistan it is mainly spoken in the Kalat region of Balochistan.
Although it is a Dravidian language, it has been heavily influenced by other languages spoken in the area and shares few words with the Dravidian languages spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka.
It is sometimes speculated that the use of the Brahui language in Pakistan is a legacy of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and that its separation from the other Dravidian languages indicates they were formerly much more widely spread. This relates to the controversial Aryan invasion theory of ancient Indian history.
The Brahui language is mainly spoken in Balochistan, Pakistan, although also in Afghanistan and Iran. It reputedly [1] (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=BRH) has about 2,000,000 speakers in Pakistan (1998), or 2,210,000 in the world. In Pakistan it is mainly spoken in the Kalat region of Balochistan.
Although it is a Dravidian language, it has been heavily influenced by other languages spoken in the area and shares few words with the Dravidian languages spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka.
It is sometimes speculated that the use of the Brahui language in Pakistan is a legacy of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and that its separation from the other Dravidian languages indicates they were formerly much more widely spread. This relates to the controversial Aryan invasion theory of ancient Indian history.
Brahui language is mainly spoken in Balochistan, Pakistan, although also in Afghanistan and Iran. According to a survey it has about 2,000,000 speakers in Pakistan (1998), or 2,210,000 in the world. In Pakistan it is mainly spoken in the Kalat region of Balochistan. Brahui has its own alphabets, it can easily be read and written. In Pakistan for doing BA(bachelor of Arts) program Brahui Language can be taken as a compulsory subject. Basically it is a Dravidian language, it has been heavily influenced by other languages spoken in the area and shares few words with the Dravidian languages spoken in southern India and Sri Lanka. It is sometimes speculated that the use of the Brahui language in Pakistan is a legacy of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and that its separation from the other Dravidian languages indicates they were formerly much more widely spread. This relates to the controversial Aryan invasion theory of ancient Indian history.
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Statistics
Latest estimates from the World Evangelization Research Center.
THE PEOPLE
People name: Brahui
Country: Pakistan
Their language: Brahuidi
Population:
(1990) 2,057,600
(1995) 2,370,900
(2000) 2,730,900
Largest religion:
Muslim (Sunni) 99.8%
Christians: <1%
Church members: 4,742
Scriptures in their own language: Portions
Jesus Film in their own language: Available
Christian broadcasts in their own language: None
Mission agencies working among this people: 2
Persons who have heard the Gospel: 621,200 (27%)
Those evangelized by local Christians: 123,300 (6%)
Those evangelized from the outside: 497,900 (21%)
Persons who have never heard the Gospel: 1,749,700 (73%)
THEIR COUNTRY
Country: Pakistan
Population:
(1990) 121,933,300
(1995) 140,496,700
(2000) 161,827,400
Major peoples in size order:
Western Punjabi 42.5%
Sindhi 11.6%
Southern Punjabi 9.8%
Eastern Pathan 7.9%
Urdu 7.4%
Major religions:
Muslim 96.7%
Christian 1.8%
Hindu 1.5%
Number of denominations: 37
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