Khanate of Kalat | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1666–1955 | |||||||||||||||
 Flag | |||||||||||||||
 Balochistan in the year 1789, including the Khanate of Kalat and states that are under its suzerainty. | |||||||||||||||
 Khanate of Kalat (dark green) inBaluchistan Agency (1931) | |||||||||||||||
| Status | Khanate | ||||||||||||||
| Capital | Kalat | ||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Brahui,Balochi,Persian (administration),[1]Jatki,Dehwari | ||||||||||||||
| Religion | (official) | ||||||||||||||
| Government | Hereditary monarchy | ||||||||||||||
• Khan | Ahmad Yar Khan | ||||||||||||||
| Historical era | Early Modern Period | ||||||||||||||
• Established | 1666 | ||||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1955 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||||
| 1835 | 560,000 km2 (220,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| 1940 | 139,850 km2 (54,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Today part of | Pakistan Iran[2] Afghanistan[2] | ||||||||||||||
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| This article is part of the series |
| Former administrative units of Pakistan |
|---|
One-unit provinces |
TheKhanate of Kalat, which emerged from theBrahui Confederacy,[3][2] was aBaloch tribalKhanate that originated in the modern-dayKalat region ofPakistan. The Brahui Confederacy itself was a union of Baloch tribes and part of the broader Baloch tribal structure—not a separate ethnic entity.[4]
Formed in 1666 due to the threat ofMughal expansion in the region,[5][6] it controlled the widerBalochistan at its greatest extent in the mid-18th century,[2] extending fromKerman in the west toSindh in the east and fromHelmand River in the north to theArabian Sea in the south.[7]
The Khanate of Kalat lost considerable area toQajar Iran and theEmirate of Afghanistan in the early 19th century,[2] and the city of Kalat was itself sacked by theBritish in 1839. Kalat became a self-governing state in asubsidiary alliance withBritish India after the signature of theTreaty of Kalat by the Khan of Kalat and the Brahui Sardars in 1875, and the supervision of Kalat became a task of theBaluchistan Agency.[8]
Kalat was briefly independent from 12 August 1947 until 27 March 1948, when its rulerAhmad Yar Khan acceded to Pakistan, making it one of thePrincely states of Pakistan.
The Khanate of Kalat was the first unified polity to emerge in thehistory of Balochistan.[2] It took birth from the confederacy of nomadicBaloch and Brahui tribes[9] in 1666 which underMir Ahmad Khan I declared independence from the Mughal suzerainty[2] and slowly absorbed theBaloch principalities in the region.
According to Brahui and Baloch traditions, Kalat was ruled by a Hindu ruler named Sewa when they first conquered it.[10][11] Historically, the regions surrounding Kalat were part of theMughal province ofKandahar during 17th century. During the reign ofShah Jahan, Mughal expansion reached its high point, and caused the emergence for the first time a strong, unified "Baloch and Brahui Confederacy" or the Khanate of Kalat.[12][2]
The first ruler of the Baloch and Brahui Confederacy was Mir Ahmad Khan I (r.1666–1695).[13] He was strong enough to captureQuetta,Mastung, andPishin from the Mughal governor at Kandahar.[2] He spent his life fighting the Afghans andKalhoras of Sindh, and became an ally of Mughal emperorAurangzeb.[14] During the reign of his successor, Mir Samandar Khan (r.1697–1714), He expanded the state tillKarachi and Placed Mir Noor Muhammad Kalhoro on The Throne under his hand, He Plundered Districts of Zhob which were the country of Pashtuns, aSafavid army under Tahmasb Beg invaded western Balochistan. Safavids were defeated, and Tahmasb was killed. Samandar Khan was rewarded by Mughals with the gift of port ofKarachi.[14][15]
UnderMir Abdullah Khan (r.1716–31), the state expanded from Upper Sindh and Kandahar to Persia till the port ofBandar Abbas.[14][2] He was laterkilled while fighting against allied army ofHussain Hotak ofHotak dynasty and Kalhoras in 1734. His son and successor, Mir Mehrab Khan (r.1734–1749), was given the region ofKacchi, then under Kalhoras, byNader Shah as blood compensation of his father.[14]
The Khanate reached its peak during the reign ofMir Nasir Khan I (r.1749–94), who had unified the Kalat region and conquered cities ofKhash,Bampur,Qasr-e Qand andZahedan in the Iranian Balochistan.[2][7] Since 1748, Kalat was a vassal state ofDurrani Empire, and assisted in the campaigns of Ahmad Shah such as in theDurrani Campaign to Khorasan. However, in 1758 Mir Nasir Khan I revolted againstAhmad 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, the exact agreements are disputed. Some sources state that the Khanate of Kalat became a sovereign state.[16][17][18] According to some other accounts, Mir Nasir Khan had recognized suzerainty of Ahmad Shah, who guaranteed non-interference in the matters of Kalat.[19][14][20][21][22] Nevertheless, Kalat did not pay any tribute to Durrani Empire thereafter, and provided military contingents in exchange of money only.[14] Following the collapse of the Durranis, any trace of Afghan influence over Kalat ended after the death of Sher Dil Khan, the ruler of thePrincipality of Qandahar, in 1826.[23][24][25]
Mir Nasir Khan, known to the Baloch "The Great",[26][27][28][29][30][6] undertook 25 military campaigns during his reign, and forced theTalpur dynasty of Sindh to pay tribute.[14] He was the first Khan of Kalat to establish a centralized bureaucracy and issue own currency.[31] He established the office ofGrand Vizier to look after the affairs of the state, as well as a standing army. He had also established diplomatic relations withOttoman Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan andSultanate of Oman.[32] 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.[14] Due to his achievements, he is considered a central figure and hero among Brahuis as well as Balochs.[31][6]
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The Khanate of Kalat declined in the early 19th century, losing much of its territory toQajar Iran andEmirate of Afghanistan.[2] The internal weakness of the state forced Khan of Kalat to sign theTreaty of Kalat (1876) with theBritish AgentRobert Sandeman in the late 19th century.[2] Parts of the state to the north and northeast were leased or ceded to form the province ofBritish Baluchistan, which later gained the status of a Chief Commissioners province. TheIran–Kalat Border was demarcated in 1896, and the former territories of Kalat Khanate now form part of Iranian province ofSistan and Balochistan.[2]
Balochi language was one of the court languages during the rule of the Kalat Khanate. Writers in the era of the Baloch khanate of Kalat have enriched the Balochi language and literature by writing several books of prose.[3] Jām Durrak, the court poet ofNasir khan composed love poems, some of it has been collected and published.[33]The political centralization of the Khanate of Kalat failed to survive through the colonial era and did not lead to the standardization of theBaloch language.[34] However, with the withdrawal of the British from theIndian subcontinent in 1947, theIndian Independence Act provided that the princely states which had existed alongside but outsideBritish India were released from all theirsubsidiary alliances and other treaty obligations. The rulers were left to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent states ofIndia or Pakistan (both formed initially from theBritish possessions) or to remain independent outside both.[35] As stated bySardar Patel, "On the lapse of Paramountcy every Indian State became a separate independent entity."[36]
TheInstruments 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 the Quetta Municipality, according toPervaiz Iqbal Cheema, stated their wish to join Pakistan on 29 June 1947;[37] however, according to the political scientist Rafi Sheikh, the Shahi Jirga was stripped of its members from the Kalat State prior to the vote.[38]
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 the last of the rulers to do so.[39] Show elections were held during this period and abicameral parliament was established.[40][41] 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.[42] 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.[42]
Dushka H. Saiyid emphasizes that Yar Khan lost all of his bargaining chips with the accession ofKharan,Las Bela, andMakran, leaving Kalat as an island.[42] 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.[38]: 80
On 3 October 1952, the state of Kalat entered into theBaluchistan States Union with three neighbouring states, Kharan, Las Bela, and Makran, with Yar Khan of Kalat at 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.[39]
The Khanate of Kalat covered the area of 139,850 km2 (53,995 sq mi).[43] 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 ofSistan and Balochistan, parts of Sindh andAfghan Balochistan as far as theHelmand 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 theBaluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province), part ofBritish India.
Kalat state was divided into following sub-divisions:
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| Religious group | 1901[45] | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | 1941[49] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||||
Islam | 393,667 | 96.61% | 345,906 | 96.33% | 316,985 | 96.56% | 331,234 | 96.82% | 245,208 | 96.8% | ||||
Hinduism | 13,780 | 3.38% | 10,102 | 2.81% | 11,205 | 3.41% | 10,806 | 3.16% | 7,971 | 3.15% | ||||
Sikhism | 25 | 0.01% | 3,022 | 0.84% | 78 | 0.02% | 42 | 0.01% | 79 | 0.03% | ||||
Christianity | 0 | 0% | 51 | 0.01% | 13 | 0% | 15 | 0% | 45 | 0.02% | ||||
Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 4 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | ||||
Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0% | 1 | 0% | ||||
Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
Buddhism.svg) | — | — | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Total population | 407,472 | 100% | 359,086 | 100% | 328,281 | 100% | 342,101 | 100% | 253,305 | 100% | ||||
| Note: 1901–1931: Including the divisions ofSarawan,Jhalawan,Kachhi,Dombki-Kaheri Country,Makran, andKharan. 1941: Including the divisions ofSarawan,Jhalawan,Kachhi, andMakran. | ||||||||||||||
| Religious group | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | 1941[49] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 62,660 | 98.24% | 53,304 | 98.23% | 27,722 | 97.39% | 27,592 | 97.6% |
| Hinduism | 1,003 | 1.57% | 896 | 1.65% | 729 | 2.56% | 592 | 2.09% |
| Sikhism | 113 | 0.18% | 60 | 0.11% | 10 | 0.04% | 61 | 0.22% |
| Christianity | 5 | 0.01% | 2 | 0% | 3 | 0.01% | 25 | 0.09% |
| Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 63,781 | 100% | 54,262 | 100% | 28,464 | 100% | 28,270 | 100% |
| Religious group | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | 1941[49] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 83,914 | 99.43% | 79,293 | 99.48% | 88,780 | 99.78% | 52,194 | 99.85% |
| Hinduism | 472 | 0.56% | 417 | 0.52% | 197 | 0.22% | 78 | 0.15% |
| Sikhism | 12 | 0.01% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Christianity | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 84,398 | 100% | 79,710 | 100% | 88,978 | 100% | 52,272 | 100% |
| Religious group | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | 1941[49] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 84,389 | 90.98% | 68,144 | 90.67% | 98,852 | 93.36% | 79,016 | 91.76% |
| Hinduism | 7,176 | 7.74% | 7,009 | 9.33% | 7,019 | 6.63% | 7,095 | 8.24% |
| Sikhism | 1,188 | 1.28% | 0 | 0% | 12 | 0.01% | 1 | 0% |
| Christianity | 6 | 0.01% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 92,759 | 100% | 75,153 | 100% | 105,886 | 100% | 86,112 | 100% |
| Religious group | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||||
| Islam | 20,574 | 87.39% | 16,937 | 86.6% | 24,349 | 90.34% | ||||
| Sikhism | 1,707 | 7.25% | 10 | 0.05% | 16 | 0.06% | ||||
| Hinduism | 1,262 | 5.36% | 2,611 | 13.35% | 2,588 | 9.6% | ||||
| Christianity | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Total population | 23,543 | 100% | 19,558 | 100% | 26,953 | 100% | ||||
| Note: Much of the Dombki-Kaheri Country division was transferred to the administered areas of Sibi District between the 1931 and 1941 census. | ||||||||||
| Religious group | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | 1941[49] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 71,758 | 99.74% | 71,625 | 99.67% | 68,213 | 99.64% | 86,406 | 99.72% |
| Hinduism | 137 | 0.19% | 216 | 0.3% | 233 | 0.34% | 206 | 0.24% |
| Christianity | 40 | 0.06% | 11 | 0.02% | 11 | 0.02% | 20 | 0.02% |
| Sikhism | 2 | 0% | 8 | 0.01% | 3 | 0% | 17 | 0.02% |
| Zoroastrianism | 4 | 0.01% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% |
| Buddhism | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0% | 1 | 0% |
| Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 71,942 | 100% | 71,860 | 100% | 68,462 | 100% | 86,651 | 100% |
| Religious group | 1911[46] | 1921[47] | 1931[48] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||||
| Islam | 22,611 | 99.77% | 27,682 | 99.8% | 23,318 | 99.83% | ||||
| Hinduism | 52 | 0.23% | 56 | 0.2% | 40 | 0.17% | ||||
| Sikhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Christianity | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Total population | 22,663 | 100% | 27,738 | 100% | 23,358 | 100% | ||||
| Note: The Kharan division was divided from the Kalat princely state between the 1931 and 1941 censuses to become a separate princely state. | ||||||||||
The rulers of Kalat at first held the title ofWali but in 1739 also took the title of (Begler Begi Khan), usually shortened to Khan. The lastKhan of Kalat (Balochi:خان قلات) had the privilege of being the President of the Council of Rulers for theBaluchistan States Union. They also had the title ofbeylerbey.
| Tenure | Khan of Kalat[7] |
|---|---|
| 1656–1666 | Mir Altaz Sani Khan Qambrani II |
| 1666–1695 | Mir Ahmad I Khan Qambrani III (Changed his Royal family name from Qambrani to Ahmadzai ) |
| 1695–1697 | Mir Mehrab Khan Ahmadzai I |
| 1697–1714 | Mir Samandar Khan Ahmadzai |
| 1714–1716 | Mir Ahmad II Khan Ahmadzai |
| 1716–1731 | Mir Abdullah Khan Ahmadzai |
| 1731–1749 | Mir Muhabbat Khan Ahmadzai |
| 1749–1794 | Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai |
| 1794–1817 | Mir Mahmud Khan I Ahmadzai |
| 1817–1839 | Mir Mehrab Khan Ahmadzai II |
| 1839–1841 | Mir Shah Nawaz Khan Ahmadzai |
| 1841–1857 | Mir Nasir Khan II Ahmadzai |
| 1857–1863 | MirKhudadad Khan Ahmadzai (1st time) |
| 1863–1864 | MirSherdil Khan Ahmadzai (usurped throne) |
| 1864–1893 | MirKhudadad Khan Ahmadzai (2nd time) |
| 1893–1931 | Mir Mahmud Khan II Ahmadzai |
| 1931–1933 | Mir MohammadAzam Jan Khan Ahmadzai |
| 1933–1955 | Ahmad of Kalat (Mir Ahmad Yar Khan Ahmadzai); declared independent on 12 August 1947;acceded to Pakistan on 27 March 1948, while keeping internal self-government |
| 14 October 1955 | State of Kalat merged intoOne Unit of West Pakistan[50] |
| 1955–1979 | Mir Ahmad Yar Khan Ahmadzai (titular) |
| 1979–1998 | Mir Dawood Jan Ahmadzai (titular) |
| 1998–2006 | Mir Agha Sulaiman Jan Ahmadzai (titular) |
| 2006–present | Prince Mir Mohammad Khan Ahmadzai (titular) |
The medium of administration in this state, which became known as the Khanate of Kalat, was Persian, as was customary down to the 19th century throughout south and central Asia and beyond (see Spooner, this volume).
Baloch separatism, for example, can be traced back to 1758, when Nasir Khan of Kalat won sovereign status from the Afghan empire...
Once he had established his army on a solid basis, however, Nasir Khan took on the Afghans militarily, fighting Ahmad Shah Durrani's forces to a standstill in 1758. Thereafter, Kalat enjoyed sovereign status until the arrival of the British...
Following the loss of the Punjab, Nasir Khan, beglar begi of Kalat, convinced that these defeats marked the beginning of the end of Durrani power, declared independence. Sardar Shah Wali Khan was sent to put down the revolt, but when he was defeated Ahmad Shah set out in person to deal with the troublesome governor. He eventually defeated the Baluch army but was unable to take Kalat by storm. Instead, he agreed to allow Nasir Khan to remain as governor of Kalat in return for his resubmission to Durrani sovereignty
The Afghan army besieged the Qalat fort and the siege lasted for forty days. The Afghans failed to capture it. Ultimately through the good offices of the Wazir Shah Wali Khan a peace treaty was concluded. Mir Nasir Khan came to Ahmad Shah and apologized for his misdeeds. According to the treaty Mir Nasir Khan accepted the suzerainty of the Afghan king. Ahmad Shah agreed that Mir Nasir Khan should pay no tribute, but should furnish, when called upon a contingent of troops sending them at his own cost to the royal camp.
Nasir Khan had accompanied Ahmad Shah in three campaigns in India and is said to have performed his duties well and loyally. But in 1758, on hearing the Marathas had conquered Punjab and ousted the Afghans from that province, he declared his independence. In the summer of 1758, Ahmad Shah advanced into Baluchistan. He met considerable resistance. According to a local chronicle, the small fortress of Kalat detained the Shah for 40 days. Ultimately, Nasir Khan was forced to submit. He was allowed his domains on condition he acknowledged the shah's sovereignty and furnished contingents for his campaigns. The Baluch chief was exempted from the annual tax and tribute.
The political convulsions of the last years of the 18th century and the first quarter of the 19th century had led to the empire's dismemberment. A Qajar offensive resulted in the loss of western Khorasan (1209/1795) and a direct threat to Herat, which was besieged in 1249/1833 and in 1253/1837. To the north of the Hindu Kush, various Uzbek principalities entered the orbit of khanate of Bokhara. In the south, the khanate of Kalāt became independent.
Although a Baloch state was established at Kalat (located now in Pakistan) in 1638 (cf. Spooner 1984, 1989), under a dynastic Khan, this political centralization did not survive through the colonial period and did not lead to standardization of the [Baloch] language.
Pakistani leaders summarily rejected this declaration [of independence], touching off a nine-month diplomatic tug of war that came to a climax in the forcible annexation of Kalat... But it is clear that Baluch leaders, including the Khan, were bitterly opposed to what happened... Moreover, the Pakistani version of the accession debate is discredited by a study of the discussion of the Kalat Assembly on the accession issue and by interviews with a variety of Baluch leaders that confirm the authenticity of the official assembly proceedings.
Seven months later, on 27 March 1948, Kalat acceded to Pakistan. Whether it was a willing accession or a coerced one is a disputed matter, with pro-state historians arguing that the Khan willingly made the decision to accede, and nationalist scholars maintaining that Balochistan was annexed. However, what is certain is that it was an unpopular decision, and sparked the first revolt led by the Khan of Kalat's brother (see also the next section in this chapter). The Pakistan Army, which had already been sent in to Kalat, put down the rebellion.
29°01′33″N66°35′24″E / 29.02583°N 66.59000°E /29.02583; 66.59000
