The Helmand Baluch : A Native Ethnography of the People of Southwest Afghanistan

In the 1970s, in his capacity as government representative from the Afghan Institute of Archaeology, Ghulam Rahman Amiri accompanied a joint Afghan-US archaeological mission to the Sistan region of southwest Afghanistan. The results of his work were published in Farsi as a descriptive ethnographic monograph. __The Helmand Baluch__ is the first English translation of Amiri’s extraordinary encounters. This rich ethnography describes the cultural, political, and economic systems of the Baluch people living in the lower Helmand River Valley of Afghanistan. It is an area that has received little study since the early 20th Century, yet is a region with a remarkable history in one of the most volatile territories in the world.

In the 1970s, in his capacity as government representative fromthe Afghan Institute of Archaeology, Ghulam Rahman Amiriaccompanied a joint Afghan-US archaeological mission to the Sistanregion of southwest Afghanistan. The results of his work werepublished in Farsi as a descriptive ethnographic monograph. TheHelmand Baluch is the first English translation of Amiri'sextraordinary encounters. This rich ethnography describes thecultural, political, and economic systems of the Baluch peopleliving in the lower Helmand River Valley of Afghanistan. It is anarea that has received little study since the early 20th Century,yet is a region with a remarkable history in one of the mostvolatile territories in the world.

Contents Illustrations Editors’ Foreword Notes on Translation and Transliteration About the Author About the Editors Preface Introduction Chapter 1 History of Sistan Chapter 2 Geography of the Helmand Basin Chapter 3 Agricultural and Pastoral Production Chapter 4 Crafts, Trade, and Travel Chapter 5 Labor and Family Relationships Chapter 6 Education, Health, Religion, and Cultural Norms Conclusions Afterword: The Helmand Baluch as Native Ethnography Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Glossary References Index "This rich ethnography describes the cultural, political, and economic systems of the Baluch people living in the lower Helmand River Valley of Afghanistan. It is an area that has received little study since the early 20th Century, yet is a region with a remarkable history in one of the most volatile territories in the world"-- Provided by publisher