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39-525: The Khanate of Kalat was a Brahui Khanate that originated in the modern-day Kalat region of Pakistan . Formed in 1666 due to the threat of Mughal expansion in the region, it controlled the wider Balochistan at its greatest extent in the mid-18th century, extending from Kerman in the west to Sindh in the east and from Helmand River in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south. The Khanate of Kalat lost considerable area to Qajar Iran and

78-502: A common stage before migrating along different directions. Additionally, both Kurukhs and Maltos speak of an eastward migration from Karnataka in their lore, and Brahuis' self-identification as migrants from Syria can be interpreted as an Islamized version of the same event. However, the Brahuis do not have any significant Dravidian genetic component and are largely indistinguishable from surrounding Indo-European populaces; this suggests

117-582: A confederacy, the Khanate of Kalat — appears to have been a response to the increasing penetration of Mughal governance, especially under Shah Jahan , into their traditional grazing lands and migratory routes. The Khanate was established by Ahmad Khan I, a Brahui chieftain, in the 1660s and derived its power from a complex system of inter-tribal alliances with the Balochs and Dehwaris ; notwithstanding nominal suzerainties to Persia and Afghanistan at times,

156-459: A court poet of Nasir Khan I. The Perso-Arabic script currently in use was developed c.  1900 out of the efforts of Mulla Nabo-Jan and Maulana Fazl Mohammed Khan Darkhani for spreading Islamic revivalist ideas. Literacy rates among Brahuis remained very low as the late as 1990s. The Brahuis predominantly inhabit a narrow belt in Pakistan, also known as Brahuistan , from Quetta in

195-529: Is an underestimate. Elfenbein, referencing estimations from 1996, speculates that there are c.  700,000 Brahui tribesmen. The 2023 Census of Pakistan enumerated 2.78 million Brahui-speakers across Pakistan. Principality of Qandahar The Principality of Kandahar ( Persian : شاهزاده قندهار ) was a state that existed in Kandahar from 1818 to 1855. It was ruled by the Dil brothers, members of

234-579: Is considered a central figure and hero among Brahuis as well as Balochs. The Khanate of Kalat declined in the early 19th century, losing much of its territory to Qajar Iran and Emirate of Afghanistan . The internal weakness of the state forced Khan of Kalat to sign the Treaty of Kalat (1876) 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

273-682: The Baloch language . However, with the withdrawal of the British from the Indian subcontinent in 1947, the Indian Independence Act provided that the princely states which had existed alongside but outside British India were released from all their subsidiary alliances and other treaty obligations. The rulers were left to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent states of India or Pakistan (both formed initially from

312-645: The Barakzai dynasty , as a confederation. In 1855 the principality was conquered by the Kabul -based half-brother of the Kandahari Dil brothers, Dost Mohammad Khan . In 1818, the Dil brothers seized Kandahar and its surroundings and declared independence. Sher Dil Khan was in charge of the military in the principality. The rule of the four brothers was very unpopular. Sher Dil Khan was supposed to be in charge of Kandahar's walls but after his death in 1826,

351-537: The Durrani Campaign to Khorasan . However, in 1758 Mir Nasir Khan I revolted against Ahmad Shah . The Afghans were dispatched under Shah Wali Khan to Kalat, but were defeated. As a result, Ahmad Shah marched himself with an army and defeated the Baluch armies in battle. Ahmad Shah laid siege to Kalat for over 40 days, and attempted to storm it, however it was unsuccessful. In the ensuing 1758 treaty of Kalat,

390-807: The Emirate of Afghanistan in the early 19th century, and the city of Kalat was itself sacked by the British in 1839 . Kalat became a self-governing state in a subsidiary alliance with British India after the signature of the Treaty of Kalat by the Khan of Kalat and the Brahui Sardars in 1875, and the supervision of Kalat became a task of the Baluchistan Agency . Kalat was briefly independent from 12 August 1947 until 27 March 1948, when its ruler Ahmad Yar Khan acceded to Pakistan, making it one of

429-527: The Helmand river . Significantly reduced in the late 19th century, the princely state of Kalat occupied the central part of the territory of modern-day Balochistan province in Pakistan. To the north was the Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province) , part of British India . Kalat state was divided into following sub-divisions: The rulers of Kalat at first held the title of Wali but in 1739 also took

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468-513: The Princely states of Pakistan . The Khanate of Kalat was the first unified polity to emerge in the history of Balochistan . It took birth from the confederacy of nomadic Brahui tribes native to Brahuistan in 1666 which under Mir Ahmad Khan I declared independence from the Mughal suzerainty and slowly absorbed the Baloch principalities in the region. According to Brahui traditions, Kalat

507-513: The 1820s and 1830s, the territories under the control of the Principality consisted of Zamindawar , Deh Rawood , Garmsir , Shorawak , Pishin , and Sibi . The Hazaras of Uruzgan paid tribute to the principality. Sindh and Balochistan were also dependent on the principality, but were able to break away in August 1826. The territory of the principality seems to have been split among

546-607: The Brahui tribesmen are primary speakers of the Brahui language ; only two nuclear tribes speak Brahui as a primary language. Half of the rest may be secondary speakers of Brahui with Balochi as the primary language, while the other half are estimated to speak no Brahui "at all". The language belongs to the Dravidian language family and is, hence, a geographical isolate. It has extensively borrowed from Balochi and other languages of

585-401: The Brahuis are a relict population of Dravidians remaining from a time when Dravidians were more widespread or they migrated to Baluchistan from South India sometime in the last two millennia. Noting extensive phonological similarities with Malto and Kurukh , Dravidian languages spoken as geographical isolates across Eastern India, most linguists speculate the three groups to have shared

624-520: The Brahuis remain unclear. Brahui lore, which speaks of a migration from Syria to Kalat followed by the overthrow of one Sewa dynasty, is a piecemeal borrowing from Baloch traditions; historical ballads, etc., are nonexistent in the language. Thus, says Elfenbein, reconstructions of Brahui pre-history can only depend on linguistics and genetics. The fact that other Dravidian languages only exist further south in India has led to two hypotheses — either

663-402: The British possessions) or to remain independent outside both. As stated by Sardar Patel , "On the lapse of Paramountcy every Indian State became a separate independent entity." The Instruments of Accession made available for the rulers to sign transferred only limited powers, namely external relations, defence, and communications. The Shahi Jirga of Baluchistan and the non-official members of

702-607: The Quetta Municipality, according to Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema , stated their wish to join Pakistan on 29 June 1947; however, according to the political scientist Rafi Sheikh, the Shahi Jirga was stripped of its members from the Kalat State prior to the vote. Kalat remained fully independent from 15 August 1947 until 27 March 1948, when its ruler, Ahmad Yar Khan (1904–1979), finally acceded to Pakistan, becoming

741-529: The accession of Kharan , Las Bela , and Makran , leaving Kalat as an island. Salman Rafi Sheikh largely concurs with Saiyid's assessment: multiple other Kalat sardars were preparing to accede to Pakistan and Yar Khan would have hardly any territory left, if he did not accede. On 3 October 1952, the state of Kalat entered into the Baluchistan States Union with three neighbouring states, Kharan, Las Bela, and Makran, with Yar Khan of Kalat at

780-518: The area; linguist David W. McAlpin characterised it as an "etymological nightmare". There are three dialects with no significant variation: Sarawani (spoken in the north), Jhalawani (spoken in the southeast), and Chaghi (spoken in the northwest and west). No significant corpus of Brahui literature exists; the earliest extant work is Tuḥfat al-aja īb (lit. Gift of Wonders), a translation from Persian by Malikdad Gharsin Qalati, c.  1759–1760 ,

819-622: The brothers fought each other and allowed the city's walls to fall into decay. In 1842 Kohan Dil Khan, Mehr Dil Khan, and Rahim Dil Khan left their exile in Kerman and set out towards Kandahar. They occupied Kandahar and re-established the principality. In the aftermath of the First Anglo-Afghan War, Kohan Dil Khan aimed to expand his influence into Sistan, which had fractured into a number of tribal fiefdoms. As part of this move, Kohan Dil Khan expanded his sphere of influence up to

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858-454: The centuries. At the time of Nasir Khan I, when the Khanate of Kalat was at its zenith, the Brahuis had eight nuclear tribes and seven peripheral tribes; by the time of the last Khan, twelve peripheral tribes had been added. The 1911 census was the only attempt to enumerate the Brahui as an ethnic group. However, since most Brahui describe themselves as Baloch to outsiders, the recorded count

897-603: The collapse of the Durranis, any trace of Afghan influence over Kalat ended after the death of Sher Dil Khan, the ruler of the Principality of Qandahar , in 1826. Mir Nasir Khan, known to the Brahuis as "The Great", undertook 25 military campaigns during his reign, and forced the Talpur dynasty of Sindh to pay tribute. He was the first Khan of Kalat to establish a centralized bureaucracy and issue own currency. He established

936-500: The district of Rudbar , controlled by the Sanjarani Baluch. Herat under Yar Mohammad Khan Alakozai also claimed Sistan as part of his domain, and this would cause clashes between both powers. in 1855, Kohan Dil Khan died, sparking a succession crisis between Rahim Dil Khan, and the sons of Kohan Dil. Dost Mohammad Khan capitalized off of this period of anarchy and conquered the Principality in 1855 . Initially, in

975-400: The exact agreements are disputed. Some sources state that the Khanate of Kalat attained a sovereign status. According to some other accounts, Mir Nasir Khan had recognized suzerainty of Ahmad Shah, who guaranteed non-interference in the matters of Kalat. Nevertheless, Kalat did not pay any tribute to Durrani Empire thereafter, and provided military contingents in exchange of money only. Following

1014-574: The head of the Union with the title of Khan-e-Azam. The Khanate came to an end on 14 October 1955, when it was incorporated into West Pakistan. The Khanate of Kalat covered the area of 139,850 km (53,995 sq mi). The territories of the Khanate of Kalat flactuated throughout its history. At the time of death of Mir Nasir Khan I in 1794, it comprised the Iranian province of Sistan and Balochistan , parts of Sindh and Afghan Balochistan as far as

1053-457: The kingdom gained in size and reached its zenith under Nasir Khan I in the late eighteenth century. However, British incursion into the subcontinent coupled with territorial losses to Persia compelled Kalat to accept a protectorate status; in the aftermath of the Partition, the Khanate was absorbed into Pakistan notwithstanding popular protests. According to Elfenbein, only about 15% of

1092-580: The last of the rulers to do so. Show elections were held during this period and a bicameral parliament was established. On the night of 27 March, All India Radio carried a story about Yar Khan approaching India with an unsuccessful request for accession in around February. The next morning, Yar Khan put out a public broadcast rejecting its veracity and declaring an immediate accession to Pakistan — all remaining differences were to be placed before Jinnah, whose decision would be binding. Dushka H. Saiyid emphasizes that Yar Khan lost all of his bargaining chips with

1131-521: The north of Sistan ; in 1909, G. P. Tate did come across a few Brahui as far south as Khash , but they appear to have assimilated into the neighbouring Baloch. Some Brahui are also found in Turkmenistan , mainly in the Merv oasis, where their ancestors migrated from British India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in search of employment. The number of Brahui tribes have fluctuated across

1170-549: The north through Mastung , Kalat , and Nushki to Las Bela in the south. Kalat separates the area into a northern part, known as Sarawan , and a southern part, known as Jhalawan . Large numbers of nomadic and semi-nomadic Brahui speakers are found in Afghanistan , primarily in the Shorawak desert, in an area extending west of Nushki along the Helmand river into Iranian Sistan . In Iran, Brahui are restricted to

1209-489: The office of Grand Vizier to look after the affairs of the state, as well as a standing army. He had also established diplomatic relations with Ottoman Turkey , Iran, Afghanistan and Sultanate of Oman . In 1784, he gave refuge to the future Sultan of Oman, Sultan bin Ahmad , and gifted him the port of Gwadar. Gwadar continued to be part of Sultanate of Oman until it was purchased by Pakistan in 1958. Due to his achievements, he

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1248-576: The passage of sufficient time since the admixture event, thereby supporting the relict hypothesis. Asko Parpola states in his book Deciphering the Indus Script that the Brahui people are remnants of the Harappan culture , the language of which he concludes as "likely to have belonged to the Dravidian family". The Brahuis have traditionally been nomads; the state-formation — in the form of

1287-399: The province of British Baluchistan , which later gained the status of a Chief Commissioners province. The Iran–Kalat Border was demarcated in 1896, and the former territories of Kalat Khanate now form part of Iranian province of Sistan and Balochistan . The political centralization of the Khanate of Kalat failed to survive through the colonial era and did not lead to the standardization of

1326-548: The region of Kacchi , then under Kalhoras, by Nader Shah as blood compensation of his father. The Khanate reached its peak during the reign of Mir Nasir Khan I (r.1749–94), who had unified the Kalat region and conquered cities of Khash , Bampur , Qasr-e Qand and Zahedan in the Iranian Balochistan. Since 1748, Kalat was a vassal state of Durrani Empire , and assisted in the campaigns of Ahmad Shah such as in

1365-515: The title of (Begler Begi Khan), usually shortened to Khan. The last Khan of Kalat ( Balochi : خان قلات ) had the privilege of being the President of the Council of Rulers for the Baluchistan States Union . They also had the title of beylerbey . 29°01′33″N 66°35′24″E  /  29.02583°N 66.59000°E  / 29.02583; 66.59000 Brahui people The origin of

1404-526: The word "Brahui" is uncertain. Mikhail Andronov hypothesised a derivation from Dravidian (lit. Northern hillmen). However, Josef Elfenbein found it unconvincing and hypothesised a derivation from Saraiki (Jaṭki) brāhō , referring to the prophet Abraham ; the term perhaps served to distinguish the neo-Muslim nomadic pastoralists — who had migrated into Sindh from the Western Deccan c.  a millennium ago and adopted Islam. The origins of

1443-476: Was Mir Ahmad Khan I (r.1666–1695). He was strong enough to capture Quetta , Mastung , and Pishin from the Mughal governor at Kandahar. He spent his life fighting the Afghans and Kalhoras of Sindh, and became an ally of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb . During the reign of his successor, Mir Samandar Khan (r.1697–1714), a Safavid army under Tahmasb Beg invaded western Balochistan. Safavids were defeated, and Tahmasb

1482-452: Was killed. Samandar Khan was rewarded by Mughals with the gift of port of Karachi . Under Mir Abdullah Khan I (r.1714–34), the state expanded from Upper Sindh and Kandahar to Persia till the port of Bandar Abbas . He was later killed while fighting against allied army of Hussain Hotak of Hotak dynasty and Kalhoras in 1734. His son and successor, Mir Mehrab Khan (r.1734–1749), was given

1521-530: Was ruled by a Hindu ruler named Sewa when they first conquered it. Historically, the regions surrounding Kalat were part of the Mughal province of Kandahar during 17th century. During the reign of Shah Jahan , Mughal expansion reached its high point, and caused the emergence for the first time a strong, unified "Brahui Confederacy" or the Khanate of Kalat. The first ruler of the Brahui Confederacy

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