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Kalat
Subdivision Khanate within the Mughal Empire and Durrani Empire, Princely state of the British Raj and of Pakistan
1666–14 October 1955
Flag
Map of Pakistan with Kalat highlighted
Capital	Kalat
Area
•	91,909 km (35,486 sq mi)
History
• Established	1666
• Disestablished	14 October 1955
Today part of	Balochistan, Pakistan
Government of Balochistan

This article is part of the series
Former administrative units of Pakistan
Original provinces Baluchistan East Bengal Federal Capital Territory Federally Administered Tribal Areas North-West Frontier Province Sind West Punjab
Princely states Amb Bahawalpur Chitral Dir Hunza Kalat Khairpur Kharan Las Bela Makran Nagar Phulra Swat
One-unit provinces East Pakistan West Pakistan
Other subdivisions Gilgit Agency Trans-Karakoram Tract
v t e

The Khanate of Kalat (Template:Lang-bal) was a princely state that existed from 1666 to 1955 in the centre of the modern-day province of Balochistan, Pakistan. Prior to that they were subjects of Mughal emperor Akbar. Ahmedzai Brahui Khan ruled the state independently until 1839, when it became a self-governing state in a subsidiary alliance with British India. After the signature of the Treaty of Mastung by the Khan of Kalat and the Baloch Sardars in 1876, Kalat became part of the Baluchistan Agency. It was briefly independent from August 1947 till March 1948, when its Khan acceded his state to the new Dominion of Pakistan. It remained a princely state of Pakistan until 1955, when it was incorporated into the country.

Geography

The Khanate of Kalat occupied the central part of the territory of modern-day Balochistan province in Pakistan. To the north was Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province).

The principal mountains are the Central Baloch, Kirthar, Pab, Siahan, Central Makran and Makran Coast Ranges, which descend in elevation from about 10,000 to 1,200 feet (370 m). The drainage of the country is almost all carried off to the south by the Nari, Mula, Hab, Porali, Hingol and Dasht rivers. The only large river draining northwards is the Rakhshan. The coast line includes Gawadar, Pasni, Sonmiani and Geewani, modern-day Pakistani Balochistan.

Subdivisions

The Khanate of Kalat included the Makran A makrani speaking area of gichkis and zikris, Jhalawan A Brahui speaking area, Kacchi A Sindhi speaking area, Sarawan A Brahui speaking area administrative divisions, as well as the two feudatory states of Las Bela A Sindhi speaking state and Kharan A rakhshani speaking state

History

The Khanate of Kalat was founded in 1666 by Mir Ahmad Khan Qambrani Baloch. The Khanate reached at its peak during the period of Khan of Kalat Mir Naseer Khan Noori Ahmadzai a Brahui speaking khan I in 1758, who unified Kalat region under his flag. The territories controlled by the state fluctuated over the centuries but eventually were established by treaties with the British Agent Robert Sandeman in the late 19th century. Parts of the state to the north and northeast were leased or ceded to form the province of British Baluchistan which later gained the status of a Chief Commissioners province.

From 15 August 1947 to 27 March 1948, the region was de facto independent before acceding to Pakistan on 27 March 1948. The Baluchistan States Union was formed on 3 October 1952 with three neighbouring states. The Khanate of Kalat ceased to exist on 14 October 1955 when the province of West Pakistan was formed.

The khanate of Kelat had a flag green over red. In the center occupying the red part and a little part of the green, a large white crescent pointed upwards and a white star (the star exactly in the center of the two stripes). Within the star and crescent an Islamic inscription. On the star there is a maxim: "Allah is Great" and on the crescent moon the inscription says: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet". All of this is placed on the horizontal bicolor of green over red. These are colors to which Muslim Baluch assign great significance.

Rulers of Kalat

The rulers of Kalat held the title of Wali originally but in 1739 also took the title (Begler Begi) Khan usually shortened to Khan. The last Khan of Kalat (Template:Lang-bal) had the privilege of being the President of the Council of Rulers for the Baluchistan States Union.

See also

• Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)
• Makran
• Las Bela (princely state)
• Kharan (princely state)
• Kalat State National Party
• Balochistan region
• List of Indian Princely States

References

1. ^ Treaty of Kalat between Balochistan and Afghanistan in 1758
2. ^ "Baluchistan" Imperial Gazetteer of India Vol. 6, p. 277, from the Digital South Asia Library, accessed 15 January 2009
3. http://thebaluch.com/documents/Nasir%20Khan%20Noori.pdf
4. Balochistan Archives - Records of the Agent to the Governor General in Balochistan
5. ^ Naseer Dashti (8 October 2012). The Baloch and Balochistan: A Historical Account from the Beginning to the Fall of the Baloch State. Trafford Publishing. p. 280. ISBN 978-1-4669-5897-5. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
6. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/in-kalat.html
7. Siddiqi, Farhan Hanif (2012), The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan: The Baloch, Sindhi and Mohajir Ethnic Movements, Routledge, p. 62, ISBN 978-0-415-68614-3

Further reading

• Siddiqi, Farhan Hanif (2012), The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan: The Baloch, Sindhi and Mohajir Ethnic Movements, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-68614-3

External links

• Swidler, N. (1972) "The Development of the Kalat Khanate" Journal of Asian and African Studies 7: pp. 115–21
• Swidler, N. (1992). Kalat: The Political Economy of a Tribal Chiefdom. American Ethnologist, 19(3), 553-570
• Kalat District - Planning and Development Department of Balochistan Government
• Genealogy of the Khans of Kalat

29°01′33″N 66°35′24″E / 29.02583°N 66.59000°E / 29.02583; 66.59000

• States and territories established in 1666
• Khanate of Kalat
• States and territories disestablished in 1955
• 1666 establishments in Asia