Full Description
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.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Editors' Foreword
William B. Trousdale and Mitchell Allen
Note on Translation and Transliteration
William B. Trousdale
About the Author
Babrak Amiri
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 and Native Ethnography
Mitchell Allen
Appendix A: Tribes of the Lower Helmand Valley
Appendix B: Climate Data from Zaranj and Deshu Meteorological Station
Appendix C: Monthly Water Flows at Charburjak Station
Glossary
References
Index
