Reframing Gender and Agency in Tribal Histories: Baloch Women’s Leadership from Medieval to Modern Times

Abstract

This paper examines the prevailing academic studies that consider Baloch society as patriarchal and ignore the diverse roles of Baloch women in various fields. This research attempts to examine the historical roles of Baloch women, such as the Bandai Baloch, Bibi Ganjan and Banari, and highlights their contributions in conflict resolution. Women’s control over household management is also analyzed to show how they exercised their autonomy by adhering to the norms of honor (izzat) and hospitality (melmastia). Using postcolonial feminist theory, this research examines the roles of Baloch women through primary and secondary sources, which are considered in the context of their families, tribal chieftaincies, nomadic social structures, urbanization and migration. This paper shows that Baloch women have always strategically positioned themselves within patriarchal systems and expands the dual image of the “oppressed tribal woman” and the “liberated modern woman”. This article argues that Baloch women’s participation in leadership, warfare, and mediation are forms of gender agency that have reshaped power relations within the tribal system. This research also examines the changes in traditional authority through education, migration, and political activism from the Middle Ages to the present. It is argued that Baloch women are not simply victims of patriarchy, but active participants in history, creating new power structures for themselves. The findings of this research make an important contribution to gender history and postcolonial studies and offer a case study of agency within honor-based tribal societies that also informs a broader regional understanding of the Middle East and Central Asia.