PRE-PARTITION KARACHI, BALOCH AND BALOCHI LITERATURE. A TRANSFORMATIONAL SHIFT

This study identifies the transformational shift of religiously influenced Balochi literature into socio-political literature in colonial Karachi. This research reviews this transformation by utilizing relevant data from primary and secondary sources. The study finds that this shift occurred under the influence of newly emerged Baloch nationalist politics in Balochistan in the 1920s. Initially, Baloch activists published newspapers and magazines to propagate their political views and raise their voices against the socio-political exploitation of Baloch in the 1929-30 period. The political situation influenced rise of nationalistic poetry in the Balochi language. In the 1920’s, Baloch clergy men produced religious literature in a meagre quantity which slowly gave way to socio-political themes. Karachi has historically remained a permanent part of Sindh since 1795, however, Baloch natives considered Balochistan their cultural capital and, as a result, identified themselves with the emerging socio-political movement in Balochistan.