From ruled to seized Balochistan
Author: Shaad Baloch
Balochistan has always been sandwiched between the great Persian and Indian empires to its west and east and the Afghan neighbors to the north.
Balochistan is an arid region, which is fragmented almost evenly between Pakistani’s Balochistan province and Iran’s Sistan Balochistan province and a small portion of the southern parts of Afghanistan’s Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces are as well the parts of Balochistan.
During 1500s, it was divided into fragmented zones controlled apparently by the Safavid Persian and Mughal Empire. Under the influences of Mughal’s empire, the Khanate of Kalat in 1666 ruled over the vassals of the states of Las Bela, Kharan and Makuran.
The Western and Eastern division of Balochistan lapsed during the 18th century as the Safavid, Mughal and Empire of Nadir Shah collapsed. At the time it degenerated into a collection of principalities, where some of the areas then fell under the control of Afghanistan but most remained independent. Kalat was one of the most important principalities but conversely the Qajar dynasty of Persia and the British India had squeezed the Baloch again.
1n 1939, the British attacked Kalat and advanceعد to it as a part of the invasion of Afghanistan. General Wilshire from the British army was dispatched with 1050 men to assault Kalat. According to global security organization’s site, above 400 Balochs were killed, among them Mehrab Khan, the ruler of Kalat state. 2000 others were taken as prisoners.
Following the invasion, in 1854, Kalat became an associated state of the British and later in 1886 the British adopted the Balochistan Agency in order to deal with the princely states. Meanwhile, the Persian state reconquered the western part of Balochistan, which has remained a portion of Iran ever since. The British and Persia demarcated the boundaries later. This demarcation is an arbitrary division, that assisted in parting away the Baloch nation in two.
The territory of Balochistan was demarcated in 1871 to 1872, and with a minor change, 1895 to 1896 by the British and Persia.
Imperialistic Britian had gone through various agreements with Khanates of Kalat to have a way out from Balochistan to Afghanistan. After British invasion a political agent had been appointed to notice the matters and have a close familiarity the with State affairs. But the colonialist British reduced the confederacy status of the Khan of Kalat in 1920.
The Kalat State National Party or National party was formed in 1920, heavily influenced by the Bolshevik revolution. It remained underground and operated secretly for almost ten years before surfacing in 1931 in Kalat. It was obviously the British Imperialistic Raj, therefore, National Party functioned as a group that opposed every move taken by the British.
Despite of the most appalling series of treatment, Baloch nation still tried to regain its position as an independent state but the divisions and aggression somehow kept the entire Nation fragmented. After a very long period of Raj, when British withdrew from the subcontinent it left Balochistan divided between three states and declared The Kalat state as independent on 11 August 1947.
The news of the independent status of Kalat was published in New York Times. Balochistan got its independent status before Pakistan and India, however, the newly formed so-called Islamic state of Pakistan seized Balochistan at gun point.
The forceful invasion of Pakistan collapsed the Khanate system of Kalat, and it was turned into a colony. Now Balochistan is a part of Pakistan, however, this was a forceful annexation.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.