Mengal
Encyclopedia
Mengal is a Brahui
/ Baloch
tribe in Balochistan
, Pakistan
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian languages
spoken in the area, especially Balochi
. The Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people
, with whom they have substantially intermingled and whose cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided in two major branches:
Zagar Mengal
and Shahizai Mengal.
in the North to Lasbela District
in the south, and bordering on the province of Sindh
to the east.
government. The Pakistani government and the Mengals have been clashing for the past four decades, for various reasons. Large-scale military operations were carried out in the area of Khuzdar
in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, the Pakistani government headed by the former Prime Minister Late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, with support of the Shah of Iran
, carried out one of the bloodiest military operations in the history of Balochistan against the Mengal and Marri
tribes which lasted for 5 years, during which around 35,000 Baloch fighters and 6000 army soldiers were killed.
Brahui people
The Brahui or Brohi are ethnic Baloch group of about 2.2 million people with the majority found in Kalat, Baluchistan, Pakistan, but they are also found in smaller numbers in neighboring Afghanistan and Iran. The Brahuis are almost entirely Sunni Muslims.-Origins:The ethnonym "Brahui" is a very...
/ Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribe in Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Demographics
The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a DravidianDravidian languages
The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...
language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian languages
Iranian languages
The Iranian languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages which in turn is a subgroup of Indo-European language family. They have been and are spoken by Iranian peoples....
spoken in the area, especially Balochi
Balochi language
Balochi is a Northwestern Iranian language. It is the principal language of the Baloch of Balochistan, Pakistan, eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. It is also spoken as a second language by some Brahui. It is designated as one of nine official languages of Pakistan.-Vowels:The Balochi vowel...
. The Mengal are now closely linked to the Baloch people
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
, with whom they have substantially intermingled and whose cultural traits they have absorbed. The tribe can be divided in two major branches:
Zagar Mengal
Zagar Mengal
Zagar is one of the two main branches of the Mengal tribe. Zagar Mengals inhabit the northwest and central parts of Balochistan, Pakistan—mainly Nushki, Chagai, and Kalat,Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan...
and Shahizai Mengal.
Tribal area
The Mengal tribal area is around 70000 square miles (181,299.2 km²), stretching from the Helmand RiverHelmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
in the North to Lasbela District
Lasbela District
Lasbela is a coastal district of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It became a separate district in Kalat Division on 30 June 1954. The name is derived from the words Las which in Sanskrit signifies a settlement or lived in or lively and Bela which means "A Sea's Shore" in Sanskrit and is also the...
in the south, and bordering on the province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
to the east.
Politics
For many years the Mengal tribe has been seeking greater autonomy from the PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
government. The Pakistani government and the Mengals have been clashing for the past four decades, for various reasons. Large-scale military operations were carried out in the area of Khuzdar
Khuzdar
Khuzdar or Khozdar is a town located in Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar District, which was created on 1 March 1974...
in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, the Pakistani government headed by the former Prime Minister Late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, with support of the Shah of Iran
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
, carried out one of the bloodiest military operations in the history of Balochistan against the Mengal and Marri
Marri
Marri ) is one of the largest ethnic Baloch tribes in Balochistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. Marri was considered to be a clan of the Rind tribe in the early history of Baloch and Balochistan...
tribes which lasted for 5 years, during which around 35,000 Baloch fighters and 6000 army soldiers were killed.
Prominent People
- Ataullah MengalAtaullah MengalSardar Ataullah Khan Mengal , popularly known as Sardar Ataullah Mengal, is a well-known political and feudal figure of Pakistan hailing from Balochistan. He has been campaigning a nationalist and separatist movement in Pakistan for over four decades. He is the head of the Shahizai Mangal tribe...
is a former Chief Minister of BalochistanChief Minister of BalochistanThe Chief Minister of Balochistan is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Balochistan to serve as the head of the provincial government in Balochistan, Pakistan. The current Chief Minister is Aslam Raisani of the Pakistan Peoples Party...
. - Akhtar MengalAkhtar MengalSardar Akhtar Mengal is a former Chief Minister of the province of Balochistan in Pakistan. He is the president of the Baloch political party in the province, the Balochistan National Party , and the son of prominent politician, Sardar Ataullah Mengal....
is a former Chief Minister of BalochistanChief Minister of BalochistanThe Chief Minister of Balochistan is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Balochistan to serve as the head of the provincial government in Balochistan, Pakistan. The current Chief Minister is Aslam Raisani of the Pakistan Peoples Party...
. - Mir Gul Khan NaseerMir Gul Khan NaseerMir Gul Khan Nasir, also widely regarded as Malek o-Sho'arā Balochistan was a prominent politician, poet, historian, and journalist of Balochistan, Pakistan. Born on 14 May 1914 in Noshki, Gul Khan Nasir was at the forefront of the Baloch Nationalist Movement and was most active between 1935 to 1980...
was a renowned poet, historian and politician and the First Education Minister Of BalochistanEducation ministerAn education minister is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters.-Country-related articles and lists:Minister of Education may refer to:...
. - Amir-ul-Mulk MengalAmir-ul-Mulk MengalJustice Amir-ul-Mulk Mengal is a former Governor of Balochistan.He got his early education from Government High School Noshki. Later he did his M.A in Political Science from University of Karachi and L.L.B from Islamia Law College Karachi, in 1968. He joined as Advocate of Subordinate Courts in 1969...
was GovernorGovernor of BalochistanThe Governor of Balochistan is the appointed Head of State of the provincial government in Balochistan, Pakistan. The governor is designated by the Prime Minister and is normally regarded a ceremonial post...
and Chief Justice of Balochistan. - Mir Muhammad Naseer Mengal served as acting Chief Minister of BalochistanChief Minister of BalochistanThe Chief Minister of Balochistan is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Balochistan to serve as the head of the provincial government in Balochistan, Pakistan. The current Chief Minister is Aslam Raisani of the Pakistan Peoples Party...
and as Pakistan's acting Minister of StateMinister of StateMinister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for PetroleumPetroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and Natural ResourcesNatural ResourcesNatural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
. - Mir Nooruddin MengalMir Nooruddin MengalMir Noor-ud-din Mengal was a senior Baloch Politician who was active in Balochistan's political scene for nearly four decades, from 1970 to 2010. He belonged to the famed Zagar Mengal tribe and was the nephew of the Baloch National Poet Mir Gul Khan Nasir...
was a prominent politician of BalochistanBalochistanBalochistan or Baluchistan is a region which covers parts of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. It can also refer to one of several modern and historical territories within that region:...
. He was assassinated on 13th October 2010. - Mir Lawang Khan Mengal was a famous politician and tribal leader.