southern Baluchistan and Seistan from a very early date, and finally
spread through the Sind valley, where they remained till the 12th century,
their genealogical records have become much obscured and it is probable
that there is not [v.03 p.0293] now a pure Arab in the country. It is as
builders or engineers that they have established their most permanent
records, Makran being full of the relics of their irrigation works
constructed in times when the climatic conditions of Baluchistan must have
been very different from what they are now. Lower Sind also contains a
great wealth of architectural remains, which may be found to the west of
the Indus as well as in the delta. One particular tribe (the Kalmats), who
left their name on the Makran coast and subsequently dominated Bela and
Sind, west of the Indus, for a considerable period, exhibit great power of
artistic design in their sepulchral monuments. The Dravidian races
(Brahuis), who are chiefly represented by the Kambaranis and Mingals or
Mongals (the latter are doubtless of Tatar origin), spread through southern
Baluchistan as well as the eastern hills, and are scattered irregularly
through the mountain tracts south of Kharan. The ancient Oreitae mentioned
by Arrian are probably represented by the tribe of Hot, who, as original
masters of the soil, are exempt from taxation. The name Brahui is
(according to Bellew) but a corruption of Ba-rohi (or "hillmen") in a
language derived from Sanskrit which would represent the same term by
Parva-ka. So that the [Greek: Parikanioi] (Herod, iii. 92) may be
recognized as surviving in the Brahui, and in the name (Parkan) of a
mountain-bred stream which is a tributary of the Hingol. Amongst other
aboriginal tribes to whom reference is made by very early writers are the
Boledi, who give their name to the Bolida valley, a tributary of the Kej.
The Boledi were once the ruling race of southern Baluchistan, which was
originally called Boledistan, and it seems possible that this may be the
real origin of the much-disputed name of the country generally. Bola was an
Assyrian term for Bael or Bel, the god of the Phoenicians and Druids. The
Boledi ruling family were in 1906 represented by but one living member, a
lady, who was a government pensioner. The fast-diminishing Sajidis
(Sajittae) and Saka (Sacae) are others of the more ancient races of
Baluchistan easily recognizable in classical geography. Most recent of all
are the Gitchkis. The Git