Kalat, Pakistan

Kalāt or Qalāt ( Brahui/ Balochi: قلات), historically known as Qīqān, is a historic town located in Kalat District, in Balochistan (Pakistan). The town of Kalat is the headquarter of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-e-Brahui and Kalat-e-Sewa.

Qalat, formerly Qilat, is located roughly in the center of the Balochistan province, It was the capital of the Kalat Khanate. The Khan of Kalat is presently a ceremonial title held by Mir Suleman Dawood Jan, and the Pakistan government has made efforts to reconcile with him; his son, Prince Mohammed, who is next in line to be the Khan of Kalat, is pro-Pakistan.

History

The town of Kalat is said to have been founded by and named Qalat-e Sewa (Sewa's Fort), after Sewa, a legendary hero of the then-Hindu Brahui people.

Six battles of Kikan (Six battles of Kikanan/Kizkanan): The legendary battles of Kinan parallel the battle of Thermopylae, where a small contingent of pastoral Jat warriors defeated a massive Muslim army. Despite facing a vastly superior Muslim military in numbers, training, and weaponry, Jats inflicted a crushing defeat on Arabic invaders, a humiliation so profound it was taken personally by the Muslim Caliph. Chach Nama reports that during the Arab Muslim invasion of Sindh, the mountain-dwelling brave and agile Jats of Kikan or Kikanan or Kizkanan, likely present-day Kalat, near Bolan Pass in Balochistan summarily defeated invading Arabic Muslim forces of Haras and killed Haras in 662 CE, only a small portion of Muslim forces returned to Umayyad Caliphate. The impact of Muslim defeat was so significant that for next 20 years each successive caliph made Kikan a special target for attack and sent 6 expeditions of which 5 "failed miserably" and "failed to make any permanent impression" in Sindh.

The Brahui Speaking tribes arrived from east in the Qalat area way before the arrival of Balochi speaking tribes from the west. The Brohis established a large kingdom in the 15th century, but it soon declined and the region fell to Mughals for a short period. The brahui speaking Khans of Qalat were dominant from the 17th century onwards until the arrival of the British in the 19th century. A treaty was signed in 1876 to make Qalat part of the British Empire.

In 1947, the Khan of Kalat reportedly acceded to the dominion of Pakistan.
In 1948, Qalat became part of Pakistan when the British withdrew. The last Khan of Qalat was formally removed from power in 1955, but the title is still claimed by his descendants. The current Khan of Qalat is Mir Suleman Dawood Khan Ahmadzai.

Climate

Kalat features a cold desert climate (''BWk'') under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Kalat is , while the annual precipitation averages . June is the driest month with of rainfall, while January, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of .

July is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of . The coldest month January has an average temperature of . The all-time lowest recorded temperature in Kalat was on 20 January 1978, while the highest temperature ever recorded was on 19 Jun
1977

Demographics

Population

As of the 2023 census, Kalat has population of 44,440.

The population is mostly Muslim (97 percent), with a Hindu population of three percent, out of which many are Hindkowan merchants who regard Kalat as their homeland.

Kalat Kali Temple

There is a Hindu temple devoted to Kali. On 21 December 2010, the 82 year old chief-priest was abducted in what was reported as part of increasingly routine targeting of minority Hindus in the province. The Kali Temple of Kalat is located at the foot of the ancient city fort of Kalat state. This temple was built before the arrival of Islam in South Asia.

References

{{reflist
Kalat district - The Planning and Development Department of the Government of Balochistan

External links

Populated places in Kalat District
Khanate of Kalat

sv:Kalat