Marri-Bugti Country

Marri-Bugti Country (Marri and Bugti Country) was a tribal region during the British occupation of Baluchistan. Marris and Bugtis are the strongest Baloch tribes in the Balochistan. The Marris occupied 3,268 square miles (8,460 km²) in the north, while the Bugtis occupied 3,861 square miles (10,000 km²) in the south. Today, the region is divided into three districts: Kohlu, Dera Bugti and Sibi.

History

The Marris and Bugtis first met the British when a Major Billamore entered their territory during the First Anglo-Afghan War. In April 1840, Captain Lewis Brown was sent to occupy Kahan but surrendered to Marri Chief Doda Khan five months later. Meanwhile, the Bugtis had to contend with Sir Charles Napier and General John Jacob.

A treaty signed in 1845 shows that both tribes were financially supported by Khan of Kalat. In 1877, the British established the Baluchistan Agency.

Population

By 1901, the total population of the Country was around 39,000, of which 19,000 or so were Marri, 18,500 Bugti, and 415 Hindu. Most inhabitants were nomadic.

The Marris were divided into three sub-clans: the Bahawalanzai from the Ghazini clan and the Sherzai and Bijarani from the Loharani clan. The Bugti clans were Pairozani Nothani, Durragh Nothani, Kalpar, Mondrani, Shambhani and Rahija.

See also

• Marri
• Bugti

Further reading

• Report of the Indian Statutory Commission ... By Great Britain Indian Statutory Commission, John Allsebrook Simon Simon
• Balochistan Through the Ages: Selection from Government Record. By Baluchistan (Pakistan)
• Matheson, Sylvia A. The Tigers of Baluchistan. London: Arthure Barker Limited (1967). Reprint: Oxford University Press, Karachi (1998), ISBN 0-19-577763-8.