Balak (tribe)

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Balak, باڵەک, Balek is an ancient Kurdish tribe

During his travels across Kurdistan in October and November 1836, Major Rawlinson observes that the Mîr of Rawanduz, Muhammad Pasha, brought tribesmen under his sway and conscripted a male from each family into his service as was his usual custom, and that the Balak tribe contingent proved to of great service to him.^[2]

The Name

The name of the Balak tribe came from the area that they inhabit.

Balakan means "Home of the Balaks". The Balaks are also mentioned by the

• Mala Sharaf Landlord and Chief of Balak tribe. 17th Century.^[3]
• Iraqi Army (estimated to be nearly 6,000 soldiers) all under his command working undercover for the Peshmerga, due to continuous support and aid for the KDP and PUK Peshmerga’s through weapons, equipment, money, and medical supplies. He was improvised, imprisoned, and was sentenced to death, but was luckily granted a presidential pardon and ended up serving three years in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. After being released, through his strong connections and relations with the KDP leadership, he rejoined the Peshmerga and regrouped his tribes forces and Peshmerga’s (estimated to be 3,000 soldiers) with which he planned and participated the uprisings against Saddam Hussein’s regime. On 11 March 1991, after fighting numerous heroic battles in Erbil, in which he captured Pirzin and Shaways from the Baathist forces. He died during an ambush on his convoy on the way to the Citadel of Erbil, becoming the first martyr of Erbils Raparin. His legacy still lives on in the Balak tribe, he's often named the charismatic irreplaceable leader and he still hasn't been replaced to this day.^[5]
• Shaikh Muhammad Agha (Died in 1952) Balak's most powerful Leader. Established good relations with both the British Government and the King of Iraq. He became a member of the Iraqi Parliament in 1938.^[6]
• Shemhamad Balak, prominent Peshmerga commander, former Politburo member of PASOK.^[7]
• Hasan Kwestani (1950-1994) Prominent Peshmarga Leader in Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. He was assassinated by the KDP on 17 May 1994.^[8]

Other notables

• Kurdistan Regional Government, Former Director of Education of the Kurdish Capital of Erbil, and the brother of Mustafa Nawpirdani.^[9]
• Nafiz Mustafa Nawpirdani, Member and head of oil and gas commission in the Erbil Provincial Council, high status member in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and the eldest son of the late leader Mustafa Nawpirdani.^[10]
• Sheikh Muhammad Balak, a leader of the Suhrawardiyya Sufi order in the 17th century.^[11]
• Azad Jundiani (1960) Senior Advisor of President Barzani ^[12]
• Hemin Malazade anchorman.^[13] at Rudaw TV and 24/7 Kurdish News Channel^[14]

References