The Balochi Doura is distinguished by three main characteristics. In the first place, for the most part of this period, Balochistan maintained its independence from the surrounding empires. This was the case not only when it was united under the first Balochi tribal confederacy established by Rinds in fifteenth century and under the Khanate of Kalat (1666-1948), but also when it was divide among several indepenednt fuedal states (Khanates or Hokmates). Only the most powerful Iranian Kings such as Shah Abbas Safavid and Nadir Shah were able to extend their sway over some parts of the country for very short periods in the begining of the seventeenth century and the second quarter of the eighteenth century, respectively. As soon as their militry expeditions or tax collectors left the country, the Baloch reasserted their independence once again. As will be elaborated in the next chapter, there was no permanent Iranian administrative rule over the whole country(western Balochistan) during this period. Describing the state of affairs in the western-most parts of Balochistan in the frist half of the nineteenth century,Lord Curzon states that "there was no sign of Persian authority at the sea ports, and the chjiefs of Geh, Bahu and Sarbaz were all independent."(33) So was the condition of the rest of the country during the entire Balochi Doura. Therefore, the term signifies Balochi political independence and the absence of foregin political and administrative rule.

Second, the period is characterized by the predominace of Balochi socio-political and cultural institutions in Balochistan. The Baloch were ruled by set of laws, traditions and socio-political institutions of their own; and the Balochi language and culture werte spoken and practiced exclusively. Of course, there prevailed a feudal-tribal order throughout this period. The Feudel order was, and still is rooted in Makkuran where the settled population was mostly engaged in agriculture in scattered towns and villages. Each fiefdom or principality called hakomat consisted of a cluster of villages ruled by a feudal lord known as hakom or khan. He was seated in the central fort called Kalat-e-Miri located usually in the larger town or village. The most important hakomats were those of Kej, Dizak, Bampur, Panjgur, Kaserkand, Sarbaz, Magas, Geh and Bahu, which were major feudal centers each surrounded by several agricultural towns and villages with as many forts. Each village with its fort was headed by lesser hakom who collected a tithe(dah yek) of the corps as taxes for maintaining the irrigation system and law and order. Part of the tax was sent to the chief hakom as well.

The tribal system prevailed in the scattered pasturelands of northern Balochistan. Each tribe was, and still is, headed by a chieftain known as the sardar, selected more often from the male lineage og the ruling clan in each tribe. It is divided into many clans and subclans with each having its own lesser chieften. The tribal pasturelands were owned collectively but each tribesman was to pay one-tenth of his animlas to the sardar on order to enable him ti discharge both intra-tribal relations of the tribe. The Balochi tribes and fiefdoms were linked economically through trade and exchange of agricultural corps and animal products. They interacted socially, cooperated politically and united militarily when ever faced with common external threat.Although both were dependent on a subsistence economy, the were from time to time able to pool their limited resources together and produce the kind of surpluses which were necessary for the formation of larger tribal confederacies discussed below. Because of these features, Balochi Doura is sometimes connected with the Hokomi or Sardari era, meaning the era of hakoms or sardars.

Third and most important, it was during this period that the Baloch formed two independent tribal confederacies that united Balochi tribes and incorporated all the Baloch territories under central rule. The first tribal confederacy was established by Rinds in late fifteenth century, while the second one constituted the Khanate of Kalat established in 1666 A.D, This was the independent Balochi State that survived British Colonial Rule under the name of Kalat State until 1948.Therefore, they are the focus of nationalist claims for thr reunification of Balochistan.

The Balochi Doura is best identified with Rind hegemony and particularly with reign of Mir Chahkar Rind (approximately 1487-1511 A.D.) who established the largest Balochi ribal confederacies stretching from Kirman in the west to the Indus river valley in the east, thus for the first time uniting eatern and western Balochistan in the late fifteenth century. This confederacy was centered mainly around the two most powerfal tribes of Rinds and Lashris, each in turn constituting a loosely organized federation of several lesser tribes. In the nationalist's accounts Mir Chakar is credited with organizing the fueding Balochi tribes into a formidable fighting force that swept eastern Makkuran, Kalat highlands, Sibi and fertile plains of kachi in southern Balochistan. It was approximately after 1487 A.D. that Chakar transfered his capital to Sibi in eastern Balochistan leaving behind the traditional centers of Balochi power in Bampur and Kej in western Balochistan. Thereafter, Balochi power shifted from west to east and it has remained there ever since. Having consolidated the eastern territories of Balochistan, he advanced into Punjab, taking Multan and the southern parts of Punjab in early sixteenth century. This success resulted in large-scale Balochi migration into Sind and Punjab that has profoundly affected the demographic features and political scenes of the region ever since. There is still as large a Balochi papulation in sind and punjab as there is in Balochistan proper.(34)

Today, the Balochi nationalists hail Amir Chakar as the first Balochi nation builder to be credited with the political and territoral unification of Balochistan. Sardar Khan in "The Great Baloch" equates the chakarian rule with the "Golden Age" of Baloch and Balochistan, thus entitling him "The Great Baloch". In thr popular historical perception of the Baloch he remains to this day the personification of the Balochi code of honor and the symbol of Balochi martial virtues. A a Dames noted "He is still looked as the ideal Baloch chiefs and his exploits are magnified by modern legends into something miraculous but in the ballads [of his own time] there is no mixture of the supernatural".(35)

Furthermore, the times of Mir Chakar are characterized as the classical era of Balochi epic or heroic ballads and romantic poetry in Balochi literary history. Apparently most of the Baloch ballads are rooted in this period, describing the events, expolitations, personalities and the names of tribes and localities which collaborate with the Balochi history of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.(36) Parallel to the expansion of Rinds hegemony in the country, Balochi language and oral literature also blossomed thus strenthening and spreading a relatively homogeneous Balochi culture and value system throught the country. In this respact, Chakar's contributions and achievements proved to be more enduring than his political and military gains.

However, Chakar's tribal confederacy was disrupted by a prolonged civil war, known as the thirty years war, which took pace between Rinds and Lasharis in the the early years of sixteenth century. it happened shortly after the Baloch had firmly consolidated their power in eastern territories and had begun to spread into Punjab and Sindh. Thw war engulfed the entire territory of Sibi, Daddar and Kachi; polarized the whole society into two warring camps of Rinds and Lasharis, each camp seeking help from neighboring powers in Khorasan and Sindh, respectively; and eventually his capitall in Sibi to Punjab, Where he died around 1551 A.D. He is buried there at Satgarah.

Most of the nationalist accounts arttribute the civil war to Chakar's failure to establish an administrative structure capable of superseding the divisive tribal-feudal institutions on which he had based his power. Sardar Khan has described the rule of Chakar as the rule of "sowrd and saddle" and contends that under him Rinds had alienated other Balochi tribes by monopolizing political power in their hands, thus causing the civil war which "brought the edifice of Baloch sovereignty crashing down in ruin before the foundation was laid down".(37) Mir Gul Khan Nasir and Marri have expressed mor or less the same view, even though most Balochi historians view the Balochi tribes of the sixteenth century as democratic institutions which required sardars to consult the Jirga (tribal council).(38) However, this first confederacy constituted a milltary alliance of Balochi tribes for securing the eastern territories of Balochistan. As soon as this objective was accomplished, then the question of division of powers between Rinds and Lasharis and distribution of the spoils of new conquest became a divisive issue that fueled the traditional inter-tribal feuds once again, thus together leading to the civil war.

The demise of Rind power unleashed the centrifugal tendencies among feudal lords and tribal sardars once again, and the ensuing state of chaos and anarchy led to the disintegration of Balochistan into several independent feudal states and chieftainates known as khanate or hokomate in eatern and western Balochistan, respectively. Relations among these states were characterized by constant wars and animosities that not only prevented a semblance of political unity, but also weakend them and exposed them to foreign invasion. It was under such circumstances that the powerful Safavid King Shah Abbas sent an expedition under the then governor of Kirman Ganj Ali Khan to attack western Balochistan in 1613 A.D. Subsequently, the local Saffar ruler of Bampur was defeated, but regained his independence upon submitting a large tribute to the Shah.(39)