Paper short abstract:

The paper deals with certain aspects of transformation of "tribalism" - a phenomenon that has long formed and featured the social and political structures in Balochistan, accentuating specifically the role and significance of the genealogies of the Balochi tribes.

Paper long abstract:

The paper deals with certain aspects of transformation of "tribalism" - a phenomenon that has long formed and featured the social and political structures in Balochistan, accentuating specifically the role and significance of the genealogies of the Balochi tribes. In the Islamic environment of Balochistan, the traditional aspects of tribalism currently undergo major transformations - in some aspects completely vanishing - thus, creating a space for developing new manifestations of Baloch identity. Genealogies of the Balochi tribes appear as an important tool for maintaining the affiliation with both the religious and political figures of the past. Without a solid "shajaranamah" - genealogical tree - the members of tribe become vulnerable in facing the challenges of the above-mentioned transformations. Certain Balochi tribes possess century old genealogical trees attested and preserved in handwritten forms, meanwhile many other tribes under the competing circumstances over social and political statuses and authority feel free to "craft" fresh genealogies that present prominent religious figures, mainly from Sufi tradition, as ancestors.

The paper is based on materials of ethnographic fieldwork in Iranian Balochistan during 2018-2019.