Modern Asian Studies
32
,
3
(
1998
), pp.
657
±
687
.
1998
Cambridge University Press
Printed in the United Kingdom
Honor the Baloch, Buy the Pushtun:
Stereotypes, Social Organization and History
in Western Pakistan
PAUL TITUS
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Frontier Wars are but the surf that marks the edge and the advance of the wave of
civilization.
–Lord Salisbury,
1892
Like the jellyÆsh, the absence of a backbone to be broken was the greatest defense of the
tribes against the waves of state power which beat upon them.
Yapp
1983
:
186
Re: Honor the Baloch, Buy the Pushtun intimidate sindhi and rule punjabi ~ (Paul Titu
Mir Baloch. Appreciate your contribution and looking forward to discuss more about Baloch culture and history with you.
Just a liile request. Please add sayings of different historians / authors about Balochs in one thread. That would be easy for discussion purposes.Thanks.
Re: Honor the Baloch, Buy the Pushtun intimidate sindhi and rule punjabi ~ (Paul Titu
Mir Baloch. Appreciate your contribution and looking forward to discuss more about Baloch culture and history with you.
Just a liile request. Please add sayings of different historians / authors about Balochs in one thread. That would be easy for discussion purposes.Thanks.
Re: Honor the Baloch, Buy the Pushtun intimidate sindhi and rule punjabi ~ (Paul Titu
Respected Cousin
I, as being a half Punjabi, half Baloch, (the son of Rajput father & Lashari mother), let me appreciate your valuable contributions to the forum. I, as being in the Army for more than 28 years, having served in all the provinces plus Kashmir & having a slim interest in history, would like to share something over here. Let me say that the statement quoted by Paul Titus was published in 1998 and was attributed to a Jamali Sardar. Well, I was born in Lahore in 1965 and my maternal family is well a knitted Baloch fraternity having Lasharis, Rinds & Jatois in Lahore, and Korais in Mailsi, Vihari. In fact in 1950s & 60s, the different Baloch Sardars or their representatives used to come to Lahore on an annual get together arranged by my Maternal Grand Father, Mr Allah Bakhsh Lashari & his younger brother Mr Abdul Hakeem Lashari. The reason to give this detail is that I had heard different versions of various so called British policy rules about different races. Let me share a few over here.
1. Give food to Bengalis, fear to Sindhis, land to Punjabis, money to Pathans, respect to Balochis, job to Gurkhas, palaces to Rajputs & education to Hindus.
2. Give titles to Pathan Nawabs, horse lands to Punjabi Nawabs, gun salutes to Baloch Nawabs, jaagirs to Sikh Nawabs and patronage to Hindu Nawabs.
3. Keep a Bengali, hungry; a Sindhi, illiterate; a Pathan, near; a Balochi, away, a Punjabi, busy; a Sikh, pompous and a Hindu, loyal.
4. Never employ a Bengali; Never trust a Pathan, Never empower a Punjabi, Never confront a Balochi, Never educate a Sindhi, Never squabble a Hindu, Never belittle a Rajput, Never trade a Memon.
I don’t know which of these is a fact and which, a fable. All I know is, that British, ruled every body, Punjabis, Balochis, Sikhs, Pathans, Sindhis, Hindus, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Gurkhas, Southerners, Northerners etc. For the British, it was all about;
1. DIVIDE & RULE
2. PREJUDICE AMONG PEOPLE
3. SEGREGATION OF EVERY RACE
4. A DIFFERENT RULE FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE
Although the British left in 1947, we are still beating the old trumpets which might not have been accurate or appropriate even in those days, what to talk of them today. To me, all such statements were merely to prolong the British rule on one pretext or the other.
As being a Muslim, a Pakistani, an Army Officer, a Doctor, let me say that from a Rligious, National, Martial & Psychological point of view,
Every Human needs, Honour, Respect, Food, Education, Job etc.
No Human being should be Bribed, Intimidated, Belittled, Ridiculed, Polarised, etc.
Honour, Respect, Integrity, Chivalry, Bravery etc are Human Traits which are present in every race, culture & ethnicity.
F****anatic, Awful, Terrible, Dreadful & Appalling people are also present in every race, culture & ethnicity.
So in my humble opinion, it is better to avoid generalising good or bad attributes to any specific race etc.
The Best or the Worst of a human being generally depends upon time, circumstances & fate.
Re: Honor the Baloch, Buy the Pushtun intimidate sindhi and rule punjabi ~ (Paul Titu
Stereotypes are made based on trends and those trends are less to do with the people themselves than it is to do with the environment they are in at the time and often the situation at hand may create a false trend. Nonetheless this is what was used by the British and "as a people" (how's that for a stereotype) they continue to stereotype one another and other people.
But stereotyping is also prevalent in our own society - but not by region, those stereotypes are split by family and cast or trade. Some are positive - for example ... some it is common belief that "hairdressers" or the "nai" cast are "good cooks" ...
Sometimes stereotypes of whole nations are made - such as the Saudis calling the Pakistanis miskeen and consider us a "bunch of beggars", because their interaction with us is just that.
Dr Sufi's advice is invaluable ... we need to treat people well and although we may come to each other with preconceptions - from the stereotypes we have formed. We should not let those stereotypes cloud our judgment when we interact with individuals - we should take them as they come ... Perhaps we can privately in our minds commend the people for being unlike their stereotypes in bad things and further commend them for being like their stereotypes in good things ... Being predictable might have some value, but the reverse can also be a pleasant surprise.
My take on stereotypes is therefore not so black and white ... People are made into different races and nations so that we may know one another - that sounds like a sort of stereotyping itself ... But I think it is supposed to be taken as a guide to behave with them rather than a stick to judge them by.
Re: Honor the Baloch, Buy the Pushtun intimidate sindhi and rule punjabi ~ (Paul Titu
Stereotypes are made based on trends and those trends are less to do with the people themselves than it is to do with the environment they are in at the time and often the situation at hand may create a false trend. Nonetheless this is what was used by the British and "as a people" (how's that for a stereotype) they continue to stereotype one another and other people.
But stereotyping is also prevalent in our own society - but not by region, those stereotypes are split by family and cast or trade. Some are positive - for example ... some it is common belief that "hairdressers" or the "nai" cast are "good cooks" ...
Sometimes stereotypes of whole nations are made - such as the **Saudis calling the Pakistanis miskeen and consider us a "bunch of beggars", **because their interaction with us is just that.
Dr Sufi's advice is invaluable ... we need to treat people well and although we may come to each other with preconceptions - from the stereotypes we have formed. We should not let those stereotypes cloud our judgment when we interact with individuals - we should take them as they come ... Perhaps we can privately in our minds commend the people for being unlike their stereotypes in bad things and further commend them for being like their stereotypes in good things ... Being predictable might have some value, but the reverse can also be a pleasant surprise.
My take on stereotypes is therefore not so black and white ... People are made into different races and nations so that we may know one another - that sounds like a sort of stereotyping itself ... But I think it is supposed to be taken as a guide to behave with them rather than a stick to judge them by.
dont you think that you are generalizing Saudis here, another stereotyping ?