Friday 27 July 2012

Nawab of Baluchistan


This is the photograph of Nawab of Baluchistan Ahmed Yar Khan.  Daughter of Nawab of Baluchistan (Bellow is the photo of one of the daughter of Nawab of Bauchistan playing with her siblings)  was present at the birthday celebration of Shri Nathji on June 23, 1945 at Shadi Bhavan. That day dark clouds gathered in the sky and begen an ominous rumbling and people were filled with fear. Some were contemplating returning to there homes before the downpour. Shri Nathji said stay do not be afraid of the clouds! After all, we are gathered together here to take the name of God. The clouds are rumbling in obedience to the laws of nature, which work at the behest of God. Indirectly, the clouds are doing God’s work without fear of anyone. “Why then, should we be afraid to do God’s work for fear of the clouds? And He who controls all of creation, can surely control the rain.
Not a single person left. And though the clouds rumbled the entire evening, there was not a single drop of rain. The daughter of the Nawab returned home, went to her parents and burst out crying:
“Abba Jaan, Ammee Jaan! I had one of the strangest experience of life today. I went to the darbar of Shri Nathji. The light of God appeared to come from him – Khudaa Kaa noor! He commanded the clouds and not a single drop of rain fell. It was a miracle. The girl wept continuously as she spoke to her parents, who were also greatly moved.
Since the wife of the Nawab could not move out of the house, they prayed to Shri Nathji to come to their home and give a glimpse of his divine personality. Thus Shri Nathji arrived at the house of the Nawab of Baluchistan. The very sight of Shri Nathji filled the hearts of the nawab and his begam with untold blis. Shri Nathji spoke to them in chaste Urdu and Persian, while they listened to His words with great reverence, spell bound. Shri Nathji’s metting with the Nawab of Baluchistan and his family is mentioned in the Mahagranth - God Incarnate on page 552 – 553 where we can read the details.
In my extensive research to find the Nawab of Baluchistan, I concluded that he can be no other then Ahmad Yar Khan who was the Khan of Kalat from 10 Sep 1933 - 14 Oct 1955. Now Baluchistan in the days of the British was composed of 4 princely states namely Kalat, Makran, Les Bela and Kalan. Of this Kalat was the most importent of them all and also Other Baluch states Makran, Les Bela and Kalan were vessels of Kalat. Kalat was the traditional capital of Baluchistan. The rulers of Kalat held the title of Khan. In 1783, the Khan of Kalat sold Gwadar port to Taimur Sultan of Oman and in 1883, they sold the Quetta district and adjoining territories to the British government for an annual grant of Rs. 25000. Thus the Khan of Kalat were identified as rulers of entire Baluchistan. Thus outside Baluchistan he may be referred as the Nawab of Baluchistan.
Ahmad Yar Khan (b. 1904 - d. 1979) is remembered as a leader who gave Baluchistan to Jinnah. Some believe that he signed on the death warrants of millions of Baloch despite the fact that the both Baloch upper and lower houses voted unanimously to stay free and independent even though he later started the war of independence for Baluchistan. The legal status of Kalat was different from that of other princely states in the Indian subcontinent. The 560 odd princely states belonged to Category A under the political department. States like Kalat, together with Bhutan; Sikkim etc. were under the External Affairs Department of the Government of India and were in Category B. The 1876 treaty with the British provided for the independence of Kalat in internal jurisdiction and non-interference in domestic affairs. It was on this basis that the Khan never joined the Chamber of Princes in Delhi and always maintained that they were on a separate footing and not part of Britain’s Indian empire.
It was decided that Kalat State would become independent on August 5, 1947. Subsequently, the rulers of other three states of Baluchistan were informed by the British that control of their regions had been transferred to Kalat State and the Marri and Bugti tribal regions which were under the British control were also returned into the Kalat fold, thereby bringing the whole of Baluchistan under the suzerainty of the Khan of Kalat .
He had Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his payrolls as the legal advisor to the Kalat state, resorted to the legal position that with the end of the British empire, leased out territories around Quetta would return to Kalat. Ironically, Jinnah, as the legal adviser to the Khan had prepared the case in favor of independence of the Kalat state. Later But when Jinnah become the Governor General of Pakistan he did everything in his power to make Baluchistan part of Pakistan. He considered invading Kalat amids reports that the Baluchis have asked military help from India. But he still had all the reasons to remain independent, he suddenly on his own impulse told Jinnah that he wished to join Pakistan. Later in 1955 the Baluchi people revolted and demanded independence from Pakistan, a stuggle which still continues
Once he was asked, Why did you (an independent State) joined Pakistan?
“I saw Prophet Muhamamd Sallallahu Alieh Wassalam in my dream, he ordered me to join Pakistan,” Khan of Kalat replied.

But when I was reading the Mahagranth I noticed that the heading of the paragraph starts as “The Daughter of the Nawab of Baluchistan” but in the next line it is written - “The daughter of a Nawab from Baluchistan” . This means that he was a nawab from Baluchistan and not necessarily Nawab of Baluchistan. So that made me study the lives of all the contemporary leaders of Baluchistan who used the little of Nawab. In that case the second most likely candidate is Nawab Bahadur Mir Mohammad Azam Jan Khan. He was the Nawab of Makran state which was a vassal of Kalat

 From 1922 – 1948. Also He was the first ruler of all the four provinces of Baluchistan to use the title of Nawab, The former rulers of Makaran used the title of Nazem. The rulers of Kalat used the title Wali. The rulers of Las Bela used the title Jam Saheb and others tribal chiefs mostly used Khan of Sardar Bahadur. So Azam Jan Khan was the first Baluch ruler to use the title of Nawab so there is a strong possibility that this could also be him.

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