According to the Baloch historian Naseer Dashti (2012), the name of the ethnic group derives from 'Balaschik' living in Balasagan, between the Caspian Sea and Lake Van in present-day Turkey and Azerbaijan, who are believed to have migrated to Balochistan during the Sasanian times.

[30] Ernst Emil Herzfeld believes that the word Baloch is derived from the Median term "brza -vačiya" meaning "loud shouting".

[31][32] An earliest Sanskrit reference to the Baloch might be the Gwalior inscription of the Gurjara-Pratihara ruler Mihira Bhoja (r. 836–885), which says that the dynasty's founder Nagabhata I repelled a powerful army of Valacha Mlecchas, translated as "Baluch foreigners" by D. R. Bhandarkar.

In addition, there are speakers in Oman, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Turkmenistan, East Africa and in diaspora communities in other parts of the world.

[50] Mansel Longworth Dames in 1902 stated that "a theory of the origin of the Baloch people, the largest ethnic group in the region, is that they are of Median descent.

The Baloch scattered in the Makran(modern-day Balochistan in Iran and Pakistan) and Kerman regions, areas that formed the southeastern frontier of the Sassanid Empire.

[59] By the 9th century, Arab writers Istakhri, Yaqut al-Hamawi and Al-Muqaddasī refer to the Baloch as a distinct ethnical group living in the area between Kerman, Khorasan, Sistan, and Makran.

[38] Ibn Khordadbeh, in Kitab al-Masalik wal-Mamalik, describes the geography of Makran, and mentions the Baloch as They are powerful, numerous, and engaged in animal husbandry, their houses are made of wood.

[67][55] According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch, professor at University of Karachi, the Balochis migrated from Balochistan during the Little Ice Age and settled in Sindh and Punjab.

[83] The Khanate of Kalat founded in the 16th century by Mir Altaz Sani Khan Qambrani and played an important part of Baloch history.

[88] The Khanate of Kalat declined in the early 19th century, losing much of its territory to Qajar Iran, Emirate of Afghanistan and British Balochistan.

[97] The Baloch population in Pakistan has endured grave violations of human rights, which include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture.

[99] During the Second Balochistan conflict The Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Nauroz Khan led an armed rebellion against the central government, demanding greater autonomy.

Elements of Baloch nationalism were present in this movement, he participated in a rebellion and armed insurgency against the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in the 1950s.

After the prayers, peaceful demonstrations began, demanding justice for the sexual assault case of the alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baloch girl in June that by a commander of the police force in Chabahar.

Iranian security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and riot police, surrounded the area and opened fire on the protesters.

[115][116] According to human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Baloch activist groups, at least 96 people were killed on the day of the massacre, and hundreds were injured.

[116] Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi called the incident a "catastrophe" and demanded "trial and punishment for those responsible for those who have killed people", adding that worshipers were shot in head and heart by snipers.

[126] They immigrated into the Merv and the Murghab River inland delta from the areas west and north of Herat, Afghanistan, Chakhansur District in the province of Nimruz and Iran in the mid 19th century.

[137] There is also a small but historic Baloch community in East Africa, left over from when the Sultanate of Muscat ruled over Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast.

They usually wear a gold brooch (tasni) that is made by local jewellers in different shapes and sizes and is used to fasten the two parts of the dress together over the chest.

She is particularly outspoken about the challenges faced by women in Balochistan region, advocating for gender equity and justice amidst widespread human rights abuses.

[153] Her inclusion in the BBC 100 list as a Baloch woman was repeated in 2024 when the Iranian Zhina Modares Gorji bookseller was also named for her struggle for freedom of speech.

[156] The history of Baloch tribes is captured in the ballads which narrate the conflicts and wars fought by various clans, celebrating the valor of tribal chiefs and heroes.

[158] Widely varying in purpose and style, among the Balochi folklore one will find stories about nature, anthropomorphic animals, love, heroes and villains, mythological creatures and everyday life.

[34] In ancient times, especially during the pre-Islamic era, it was common for Baloch women to perform dances and sing folk songs at different events.

They are often made by women artisans and serve both functional and decorative purposes, playing a significant role in the economy and identity of the Baloch community.

[172][173] The Baloch are predominantly Muslim, with the vast majority belonging to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, but there is also tiny proportion of Shia in Balochistan.

[174][175] In the case of Pakistan, breakdown by religious movements or sub-groups among the ethnic Baloch in the country as a whole is as following: 64.78% are Sunni-Deobandis, 33.38% are Sunni-Barelvis and 1.25% are Sunni-Ahl-i Hadith; Shia's are 0.59%.

Inside Pakistan's Balochistan province more specifically, the religious affiliation among the Baloch is: 68.75% Sunni-Deobandi, 30.38% Sunni-Barelvis, 0.79% Sunni-Ahl-i Hadith and 0.07% Shi'as.