In the annals of history, where tales of valour and conflict intertwine, we find the tale of Hammal-e-Jiand, a warrior hailing from the Hoth tribe. During the Portuguese onslaught on Makran in the 16th-century, Commander in Chief, Luis de Almeyda,
The Portuguese launched their onlaught on the Coast of Markan in the 16th century, the region, looting and burning villages along the coast. In 1581, brutal attacks on Gwadar and Pasni followed. The towns were razed to the ground on the pretext of local support for the Ottoman Empire.
Mir Hammal raised the call for battle and resisted the invasion, and the Portuguese had to retreat. Soon after, a treaty was negotiated, in which the Portuguese agreed not to attack the Coast of Makran again. However, the agreement was not to last.
Legend has it that the tribal chieftain, Mir Hammal Hot of Kalmat, was at sea with some fishermen when four Portuguese ships surrounded his small boat. The Portuguese called out to Hammal, declaring their intention to capture him. Hammal, fearless as always, called on his companions to fight. However, the fishermen, Dashti's, are remembered as cowards. They jumped into the sea and swam away, abandoning him.
Hammal stood his ground for as long as he could, but was eventually overpowered and captured by the Portuguese, who bound him with strong ropes. The Portuguese admired Hammal’s bravery and brought him to their land, hoping to keep him alive.
It is said that many European women wanted to marry Hammal because of his reputation for courage. However, Hammal refused, saying he could not betray his culture or his people.
He criticized the Europeans for their ways, noting that they did not wash their faces or pray to God. He longed for the modesty and grace of the women from his homeland, who wore long tunics and shawls.
Back in Makran, Hammal’s capture was deeply mourned. His family grieved, and his people felt the loss of their protector. Meanwhile, in the mountains, wild animals like deer, goats, and markhors celebrated, knowing that the great hunter who had once kept them in fear was gone.
Some believed Hammal’s fate was sealed by bad omens. He had left for the sea on a Saturday, a day considered unlucky by some, and this was the day he was captured. Till now, on Balochistan's Southern Coast, folklore cautions women from washing their hair on the 16th of every month, lest it bring bad luck to their fathers and their brothers.
The poetry also mentions Hammal's last letter. Before his death, he sent a message to his loved ones, asking them not to prepare special meals or sing songs for him, as he knew he would never return.
The Hoth tribe, a sub-tribe of the Rinds, also famed for their courage, makes another mention in legends of war, in Sindh. On 2nd February, 1839, some two hundred years later, the British ships invaded the coast of Manora, near Karachi, demanding surrender.
Oral history and records otherwise suggest that the port was being managed by the Hoth tribe. The then-chief also decided to battle the British, raising the call "I am a Baloch, and I would prefer martyrdom to surrender."
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