Nawab Nauroz (Nowroz) Khan (1874?–1965), also known by
Balochs
The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian people who live mainly in the Balochistan region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the Iranian plateau, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. There a ...
as
Babu Nowroz, was the head of the Zarakzai (Zehri), a subject to the Khan of
Kalat in
Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. After his unsuccessful insurgency against the government of that time he was imprisoned in Kohlu jail where he died in 1965.
Early years
Little is known about Nowroz Khan's early years. He was born some time in the 1870s or 1880s (sources disagree on the date) at a time when Kalat was a
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
within the framework of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. By 1887 the British had reached a settlement with Kalat agreeing on limited autonomy in exchange for British authority in military affairs and external relationships, but the country remained instable, with periodic fighting against the authorities or between tribal groups.
Nauroz Khan became Nawab and leader of the Zehri tribe in the
Jhalawan
Jhalawan ( Brahui: جھالاوان) was an administrative division of the Khanate of Kalat, a princely state of Brahui that acceded to Pakistan in 1947. It was established in the 17th century and its boundary was fixed with Sindh in 1853. ...
area of Kalat at a time before the introduction of electricity or motor vehicles, head of a largely nomadic people in a harsh mountain / desert environment, but with a rich tradition of Baluchi, Persian and Muslim culture.
Background to insurgency
In 1955 the various states of Balochistan were dissolved and merged into the province of
West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
under the "
One Unit
The One Unit Scheme ( ur, ; bn, এক ইউনিট ব্যবস্থা) was a geopolitical programme launched by the Government of Pakistan led by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra on 22 November 1954 and passed on 30 September 1955 ...
" policy. In 1948, Ahmad Yar Khan, the Khan of Kalat, which was the largest former
Baloch princely state, agreed to join Pakistan. The signing of the Instrument of Accession by Ahmad Yar Khan, led his brother, Prince Abdul Karim, to revolt against his brother's decision in July 1948. He along with few of his followers moved to Afghanistan to seek Afghan government support to form an independent Balochistan state. However, Afghan government wanted to annex Balochistan as it was in desperate need of a sea port. Prince Karim, ultimately surrender to Pakistan after period of one year. Prince Karim failed to get any support from Afghan government and also the local Baloch who were not interested in rebelling against the government of Pakistan.
Insurgency and imprisonment
Nowroz Khan's band of fighters, was involved in several sharp skirmishes with forces led by Lt. Col.
Tikka Khan
General Tikka Khan ( ur, ٹکا خان; 10 February 1915 – 28 March 2002) was a Pakistan Army general who was the first chief of army staff from 3 March 1972 until retiring on 1 March 1976. Along with Yahya Khan, he is considered a chief ar ...
. Nowroz agreed to surrender on May 15, 1959 in exchange for amnesty. However, when Nowroz Khan came down from the hills, he and about 150 of his followers, including his sons and nephews, were arrested for insurgency against the state.
In July 15, 1960 seven of the leaders were executed by hanging in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
Jail.
Nowroz was spared execution on account of his age, but died in
Kohlu
Kohlu (Urdu and bal, ) is the capital of Kohlu District in Pakistan's Balochistan province.In· May 1892 a sub-tahsil was established at Kohlu, the income being treated as a part of the Zhob
Zhob (; ) or Zhobak (), formerly known as Appozai ...
Jail in 1964.
The Khan of Kalat was subsequently forgiven and freed.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Nawab Nowroz
Baloch nationalists
Baloch people
People of the insurgency in Balochistan
Nawabs of Balochistan, Pakistan
1870s births
1964 deaths
Nawabs of Pakistan