Barshore, (Pashto: برښور), (Urdu: برشور), is a tehsil (sub-divisions) of Karezat District in Balochistan, Pakistan.[1] Previously a part of Pashin district, Karezat and Barshore tehsils were separated from Pishin in 2022 to form the newly created Karezat District. Covering an area of over 1,700 square kilometres, the sub-division is predominantly mountainous, with long, narrow valleys intersecting the terrain. At the northern end of the sub-division, the great plateau of Toba Kakar Range drains northward to the Kadanai river in Afghanistan.[2] [3]
There are various speculations about the origin of the name 'Barshore.' The most popular theory suggests that it originated in the early 13th century when the town, once densely populated, was completely abandoned due to drought and severe famine. The original name, Baar-shaar (Pashto بار ښار), meaning "once abandoned town," gradually evolved over time into its current form, Barshore.
The most recent drought, which spanned nearly six years from 1998 to 2004, is regarded as one of the worst in the recorded history of Pishin. Barshore tehsil was severely impacted by this drought, while Pishin tehsil experienced moderate effects.[4]
The Kakar tribe is the largest tribe in the Quetta and Pishin districts. When Quetta-Pishin was a single district, the 1901 census recorded 35,452 Kakars, making up 53% of the Afghan population and 42% of the total indigenous population.[5] The Targhara clan is numerically the strongest in these districts. Apart from a few residents in Quetta, most Kakars live in Pishin District, particularly in the Barshore valley, Toba Kakari and Karezat.
In 1901, Barshore Tehsil had a population of around 13,000, with the Barakzai Kakars being the largest group at 6,643, followed by the Ahmadkhail Kakars at 3,077, and the Sulemankhail Kakars at 3,055.[6] According to the 1998 census, Barshore's population had grown to 95,132.[7]