Qalat (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Qalat, Qelat, Kalat, Kalaat, Kelat, (Persian: قلات, one meaning of which is fortified place, may refer to Qalat (fortress)
) is a Baloch
tribe.
in 1845, but they weren't brought under control until Sir Robert Sandeman
ruled Balochistan
. Since the construction of the railway, made possible after a thorough negotiation, conditions have been peaceful.
The region was largely under Iran
ian Royalty control and the autonomous principality of Kalat. The British
wrested control away from the Khan of Kalat
in the early 1840s and it became the staging ground for the various Afghan-British wars (the Great Game) in the later half of 19th century. The 1876 treaty between the Khan of Kalat
and Robert Sandeman
accepted the independence of the Kalat as an allied state with British military outposts in the region. After the 1878 Afghan War
, the British established Baluchistan
as a provincial entity centered around the municipality of Quetta
- Kalat, Makran
, and Lasbela continuing to exist as princely realms. The British
interest in the region was largely to use it as a land-mass bulwark against Central Asia
n encroachments. Besides a train track, the development and settlement of British holdings excluded most of the tribal population. The administrative and legislative reforms of late 19th and early 20th century India overlooked Balochistan.
Around the 1930s, Balochi nationalist parties emerged to contest for freedom from British rule. They took the princely State of Kalat
as the focal point of a free and united Balochistan. Allama Mohammad Iqbal's vision of autonomous federation of Muslim state included Balochistan but the Khan of Kalat
never bought into the nationalist paradigm, arguing that the Kalat had special treaty powers. Baglar Begi Khan declared the independence of Kalat on August 15, 1947. He assured Pakistan that Kalat will participate in the defense and infrastructure but will be autonomous. That didn't go over well at all and the Pakistani army entered the region to occupy the area immediately.
On March 27, 1948, the Khan of Kalat
gave in to the State of Pakistan
and his old attorney Mohammad Ali Jinnah. His brother Prince Abdul Karim Khan refused to surrender and revolted until his arrest in 1950. Balochistan was put under Governor General control and no elective body formed in Balochistan 1973.
Qalat (fortress)
The word qalat is Persian for 'fortified place.' It frequently occurs in place names. Qalats can range from castles like Rumkale to the mud-brick compound common throughout southwest Asia, particularly in tribal areas with pre-modern building practices....
) is a Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribe.
History
An expedition against the Qalat was organized by Sir Charles James NapierCharles James Napier
General Sir Charles James Napier, GCB , was a general of the British Empire and the British Army's Commander-in-Chief in India, notable for conquering the Sindh Province in what is now Pakistan.- His genealogy :...
in 1845, but they weren't brought under control until Sir Robert Sandeman
Robert Sandeman
Robert Sandeman may refer to:*Robert Sandeman , whose teachings became known as Sandemanianism*Robert Groves Sandeman , Indian officer and administrator...
ruled Balochistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
. Since the construction of the railway, made possible after a thorough negotiation, conditions have been peaceful.
The region was largely under Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian Royalty control and the autonomous principality of Kalat. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
wrested control away from the Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat or Khan-e-Qalat is the title of former rulers of State of Kalat. Kalat state is now part of Balochistan, Pakistan. The rulers in Kalat were always subject to the political authority of a larger state, after the Mongol invasion they were subject to the Mughal emperors in Delhi, then...
in the early 1840s and it became the staging ground for the various Afghan-British wars (the Great Game) in the later half of 19th century. The 1876 treaty between the Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat or Khan-e-Qalat is the title of former rulers of State of Kalat. Kalat state is now part of Balochistan, Pakistan. The rulers in Kalat were always subject to the political authority of a larger state, after the Mongol invasion they were subject to the Mughal emperors in Delhi, then...
and Robert Sandeman
Robert Sandeman
Robert Sandeman may refer to:*Robert Sandeman , whose teachings became known as Sandemanianism*Robert Groves Sandeman , Indian officer and administrator...
accepted the independence of the Kalat as an allied state with British military outposts in the region. After the 1878 Afghan War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
, the British established Baluchistan
Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)
The Chief Commissioner's Province of Baluchistan was a province of British India located in the northern parts of the modern Balochistan province.- History :...
as a provincial entity centered around the municipality of Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
- Kalat, Makran
Makran
The present day Makran is a semi-desert coastal strip in the south of Sindh, Balochistan, in Iran and Pakistan, along the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The present day Makran derived its name from Maka, a satrap of Achaemenid Empire....
, and Lasbela continuing to exist as princely realms. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
interest in the region was largely to use it as a land-mass bulwark against Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n encroachments. Besides a train track, the development and settlement of British holdings excluded most of the tribal population. The administrative and legislative reforms of late 19th and early 20th century India overlooked Balochistan.
Around the 1930s, Balochi nationalist parties emerged to contest for freedom from British rule. They took the princely State of Kalat
State of Kalat
Kalat or Qalat was a princely state located in the centre of the modern province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The state capital was the town of Kalat.-Geography:The State of Kalat was located between 25°1′ and...
as the focal point of a free and united Balochistan. Allama Mohammad Iqbal's vision of autonomous federation of Muslim state included Balochistan but the Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat or Khan-e-Qalat is the title of former rulers of State of Kalat. Kalat state is now part of Balochistan, Pakistan. The rulers in Kalat were always subject to the political authority of a larger state, after the Mongol invasion they were subject to the Mughal emperors in Delhi, then...
never bought into the nationalist paradigm, arguing that the Kalat had special treaty powers. Baglar Begi Khan declared the independence of Kalat on August 15, 1947. He assured Pakistan that Kalat will participate in the defense and infrastructure but will be autonomous. That didn't go over well at all and the Pakistani army entered the region to occupy the area immediately.
On March 27, 1948, the Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat
Khan of Kalat or Khan-e-Qalat is the title of former rulers of State of Kalat. Kalat state is now part of Balochistan, Pakistan. The rulers in Kalat were always subject to the political authority of a larger state, after the Mongol invasion they were subject to the Mughal emperors in Delhi, then...
gave in to the State of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and his old attorney Mohammad Ali Jinnah. His brother Prince Abdul Karim Khan refused to surrender and revolted until his arrest in 1950. Balochistan was put under Governor General control and no elective body formed in Balochistan 1973.