Marri (tribe)

The Marri are a Balochi-speaking tribe of the Baloch people, who inhabit a large arid region in northeastern Balochistan, Pakistan. The Marri area is bounded to the west by the plains of Sibi. To the north are the Kakar and Loni tribes of the Pashtuns; to the east lie the lands of the Khetrans, speakers of an Indo-Aryan language, Khetrani; to the south the Bugti tribe.[1]

Traditionally, the Marri people, like other Baloch tribes, were nomads and earned their livelihood from grazing animals.[2] Today, the Marri tribe is modernized, and only a few groups are left with a distinct cultural identity. Many of them hold key high positions in Pakistan both in Provincial and Federal levels of Government.

Early history

The early history of the Marri centers around the Mir Chakar Khan, the folk hero of many Baloch romances and leader of the Rind tribe. After his quarrels with the Lasharies, and after he had been driven out of Sibi, Mir Chakar went to what is now the present Marri country near the Manjara River.


The particular spot where Bijar Khan parted ranks from Mir Chakar is known as Bijar Wad into the present day. [3]

Constituent groups

The Marri tribe consists of the following sections (as of 1940):[4]

Bijarani :From the Puzh Rind .The first Sardars and founder of the Marri. (with subsections Kalandrani, Kaisrani, Rahmkani, Piradani-Marri, Salarani, Somrani, Kalwani, Shaheja, Powadhi and Kungrani)

  • Ghazeni :Current Sardar(3rd line of sardar) of the Marri .

(which in turn is made up of the Bahawalanzai, Nozbandagani, Murgiani, Samwani, Lodhiani, Aliani(2nd line of sardar of Marri after Bijarani), Ispani and Langhani, mazarani possibly others)

  • Loharani (with the three subsections of the eponymous Loharani, Mohamadani and Sherani).

See also

References
  1. Pehrson & Barth 1966, pp. 1–2.
  2. "Lifestyle of a Nomad", An Element of Luck, The Radcliffe Press, 1993, ISBN 978-1-85043-739-0, retrieved 2021-07-10
  3. D’Accone, Frank A. (2001), "Marri, Ascanio", Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press, retrieved 2021-07-10
  4. Pehrson & Barth 1966, pp. 110–13.

Further reading
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