Gabol

According to a narrative گبول بچھ دیزک, found among the Gabols of Kirthar (کير ٿر جبل), the word Gabol means "castellated".[2] M.K. Pikolin translated it as "valiant" or "strong".[3] If we explore the etymology of this word, it belongs to the Aramaic language, meaning "big" or "mighty".[4]

In this context, Edward Lipinski, an authority on Arameans, writes:[5]

"There is no reason why 'Gambulu' (a powerful Aramean tribe at Iran-Iraq border), which shows either dissimilation bb>mb in 'Gabbol' or simply epenthetic(طُفیلی) 'm' appearing before 'b'."

Similarly, Dr. Mir Alam Khan Raqib states:[6]

"The letter 'm' in word 'Gambol' seems redundant and hard. So, due to its hardness the letter 'm' obsoleted and the word transformed to Gabol, still a well-known Baloch tribe."

According to the Bible, Gabol was the great-grandchild of Ibrahim (Abraham). Gabol's descendants lived in the land of Babylon.[7]

The Bible first mentioned Gabol during 1600 BC, being a great-grandchild of Ibrahim by his third wife Keturah, daughter of Yaqtan the Canaanite. Madyan was a son of Ibrahim by Keturah mentioned in the Quran and other historical sources.[8] Madyan had five sons, Ephah (عیفا), Epher (عفر), Hanoch (حنوک), Abida (عبیداع ), and Eldaah (الدّعا).[9] Gabol was one of the four sons of Eldaah.[10] He and his people migrated to Babylonia.

The tablets of the Assyrian antiquities in the British Museum mention Gabol continuously, from 745 BC (Tiglath-Pileser III تگلیتھ پلیسرسوم) to 562 BC (Nebuchadnezzar II بخت نصر), as an anti-Assyrian rebellious tribe.[11] Assyrian sources call them a powerful Aramean tribe.[12] "Aram" has been an alternative name for Syria (especially the region between the Euphrates and Balikh rivers). This region is also known as Aram-Naharaim. The Gabol tribe migrated from this part of Syria to southern Mesopotamia, and for this particular reason, Assyrians affirm them as Arameans (people from Aram Naharaim). The second largest migration of Arameans into Mesopotamia is entitled as Chaldeans. The autonomous state of Gaboli was one of the six states of Chaldea.[13] It was the headquarters of the Gabol tribe residing near the border of Elam and the Persian Gulf. The fortified city Shapi'bal was the capital of Gaboli.[14] The forefront troops of Mardukh-Baladan were composed of Gabols. They fought the Assyrians from 745 BC to 626 BC, leading to the formation of the Medean Empire along with other allies.

Sennacherib (703-681 BC) accounts the Gabol tribe as:[15]

"Pastoral Nomad tribes who dwell on the bank of Tigris, the Garmu, the Ubulu, the Damunu, the Gabol, the Khindaru, the Ruh'ua, the Bugati or Bugutu who dwell on the bank of Karkh, the Hamaran, the Hagaran, the Nabatu, the Li,tau. Arameans who were not submissive, who take no heed of death. Chaldean, Aramean, Mannai (Medians) who had not been submissive to my yoke, I tore away from their lands."

The third important source of information regarding the Gabol tribe is the research of Muslim historians. Historians support Assyrian archaeological sources maintaining their Aramaic origin. The remains of Assyria's specified autonomous state of Gaboli were present until 1833 A.D. These archaeological sites were gradually demolished by flash floods of the river Tigris. What is common in the analysis of all three sources is that the Gabol are an Aramean tribe of Arab Bedouins.

It has often been said in the history of the Baloch people that they belong to the lineage of Arameans who lived in Aleppo and Babylonia, and that the Kurds and Baloch are groups of one split nation. Firdousi in the Shahnameh and Ibn e Hauqal in Surat Al Ardh (Arabic: صورۃ الارض) maintain these claims. Wadi Al Baloos was the first homeland of the Baloch people as claimed by various Baloch researchers. The Gabol tribe has been living in this specific territorial region through centuries at Gabol Village (Persian: روستائی گبول) near Lake Al Gabol (Arabic: Sabkhat al-Jabbul). They are included in the Bedouin tribes of Syria. Those who migrated to Kurdistan (Iraqi and Turkish) are included as Kurds, while other who moved to Iran (Persia, Sistan) are found as Baloch people. In Assyrian archaeological accounts, almost 40 Kaldo-Aramaic tribes are mentioned, but there are four specific tribes recorded in each rebellious activity, namely: Gabol, Bugti, Kalmati and Marri. The most important and populous tribes were the Gabol and Bugti. The location of the Bugti tribe was bordering the North of the autonomous state of Gaboli. Both Gabol and Bugti have been recorded as inhabited tribes in the outskirts of Urfa at the bank of the Tigris, in Assyrian letters. Until today, one of the dwellings of these tribes is Urfa in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kalmati have been residing in Raqqa.

Historians have described the Gabol tribe. Their observations are investigative while Western historians benefited from the archaeological excavation documents. Both groups agree that Gabol belongs to the Chaldo-Aramean association of Arab nomads. They are first mentioned in the twelfth century BC. The tablets of Assyrian archaeology describe their mettle and bravery. The ancient autonomous state of Gaboli[16] and the Gabol region[17] near Aleppo have been recorded by Qudama Bin Ja'far (قدامہ بن جعفر), Ibn E Rusta (ابنِ رُستہ), Soomer (سُومر), Yaqoubi (یعقوبی), Ibn E Haukal (ابن حوقل), Majeed Zada (مجید زادہ،), Ibn E Abdul Munim Hameri (ابن عبدالمنعم حمیری), Al Kindi (الکندی), Ibn E Wasil (ابنِ واصل), Muqaddasi (مقدسی), Al Balazri (البلازری) Gazi (غزی), Sadir (صادر), Yaqout (یاقوت) and others in their writings.

Gabol migrating with Mir Chakar Khan Dombki to southern Punjab had no elders. They were dispersed in southern Punjab particularly in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Ali Pur. Some of them joined Mir Chakar till Montgomery, then migrated to Bhakar and Khushab districts. The majority of Gabols, however, travelled to Sindh and resided in the Kirthar Mountains. This unit was blessed with capable leadership who kept the whole tribe unified. After residing in the Kirthar Mountains, they were known as the Gabols of Kirthar. According to historical clues, the Kalmati Gabol were not involved in the Rind and Lashari civil war. They had already settled in their contemporary locations. In this context, Gul Hassan Kalmati writes: "Before Arghons, during Samma rule, all the powerful tribes in Sindh were against Arghons. Sindhi had considerable importance at that time. Even commander Darya Khan allotted the Baloch tribes in Thatta and its outskirts of whom Kalmati, Gabol & Lashari were renowned. They were also welcomed in Jam Nizam ud Din's army."

During Mughal rule, Gabol was a powerful tribe between Hub and Keti Bandar (District Thatta). When the Mughals defeated the Portuguese, they encountered the Kalmati tribe of Thatta. Shahenshah Akbar planned a conspiracy to suppress the Kalmati tribe through other Baloch chiefs but failed. At that time there were more than 20,000 warriors (including the Kalmati Gabol Clan) in the Kalmati tribe. Consequently, he changed his policy to deal with them after trying all other tactics. In 1654 A.D., he allotted them the estate of Chachkin and ceded them the security of coastal areas. Similarly, Aurangzeb Alamgir awarded them the estate of Mirpur Sakro, which is still their dominion. In those days, they established a powerful Baloch Unity between Shah Bandar and Hub along with other Baloch tribes (particularly the Lashari tribe), so that they ruled mountains and sea at the same time. From the Mughals, the Kalmati Chieftains used to hold a tax amounting to 9,600 in return for safe passage of trading convoys along the coastal areas.

During the Talpur rule in Sindh, the Gabol tribe was delegated to secure the coastal area of Karachi, recalled as the "War with Pirates". Corsairs used to loot ships near Karachi Port; once they invaded the port itself. Gabols are also mentioned in the 10th century A.D. in the outskirts of Karachi as fighting Arghons and Mongols. Nabi Bux Khan Baloch described the following wars and tribal disputes of the Gabol tribe in his books.[18]

• Gandba Mandani Attacks Burfats
• War Between Jakhars & Gabols
• War Between Kalmati Gabols & Kalhoras
• War Between Kalmati Gabols & Jokhyas
• War Between Gabols & Gadro
• First War Between Gabols & Burfats at Kirthar Mountains
• First War Between Kalmati Gabols & Jokhyas at Makli
• Second War Between Kalmati Gabols & Jokhyas at Makli
• War at Qadman
• War at Gha'ghi
• Tribal Dispute Between Gabols & Burras
• War Between Magsi & Rind Clans
• Second War Between Gabols & Burfats at Kirthar Mountains
• War Between Gabols & Jokhyas With Bludgeon at Sukhan
• War Between Gabols & Corsair (Pirates) at Karachi Port
• War with Jamoots[19]
• War Between Gabol & Mahar[20] Tribe
• Tribal Dispute Between Gabol & Banglani[21]
• Tribal Dispute Between Gabol & Bozdar Tribe[22]

• Gabol; A Kurdish Clan of Ottoman Empire
• Gabol; A Kurdish Clan of Kurdistan