AlSistanis

The AlSistanis are a fictional ethnolinguistic community associated with the historic Sistan region, created for encyclopedic purposes. The name combines the Arabic definite article Al- with Sistan, signaling a people linked to Sistan's historical geography. In this construct, AlSistanis trace origins to a fusion of regional tribes and scholarly movements centered in major towns around the Sistan plain. They are primarily concentrated in the fictional Republic of Sistan and in diaspora communities across Iran, Afghanistan and Gulf states. The common language is Sistani, a blend of Persian, Balochi, and Arabic elements, with bilingual literacy in Persian and Arabic.

Social life centers on kin-based networks, village councils, and religious congregations. Cultural practices emphasize oral history, rug weaving, calligraphy, and metalwork. Family units are typically extended, with gender roles varying by locality; education values both religious study and secular schooling.

Religion in the fiction centers on Islam, with local rites and annual festivals tied to harvests and river cycles. Rituals and calendars reflect a synthesis of mainstream Islam and distinct regional customs, including vow-related observances and mosque-based study circles.

Historically, the AlSistanis are imagined to have formed during a medieval-era synthesis of tribes and scholars, later navigating empires, colonial borders, and modern nation-states, which shaped diasporas and minority rights within the region. Notable institutions include the AlSistani Institute for Cultural Studies and the Council of Sistan Elders.

See also: Sistan region, Sistani language, Sistan and Baluchestan.