Kachhi, Baluchistan
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
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Kachhi, Baluchistan
Physical aspects
Division of the Kalt State, Baluchistan, lying between 2 7° 53' and 29 degree 35' N. and 67 degree 11' and 68° 28' E. It consists of a flat triangular plain, 5,310 square miles in area, with its base on the Upper Sind Frontier District of Sind, and is enclosed by the Marri and Bugti hills on the east, and by the Klrthar and Central Brahui ranges of the Jhalawan country on the west. On the north-east side of its apex lies the British tahsil of Sibi. The only hills, other than the skirts of the surrounding mountains, consist of the low aspects range called Bannh, separating Dadhar on the north from the Bolan lands on the south. The principal rivers are the Nari, the Bol£n, the Sukleji, and the Mula. Among the hill-torrents are the Dhoriri, formed by the junction of the Sain and Karu from the Jhalawin country, the Lahri, and the Chhatr. On entering Kachhi, all these rivers are dissipated into numberless natural channels, spreading over the great alluvial stretches of which the country is composed.
The geological structure of the country is uniform, consisting of a level bed of clay burnt by the rays of the sun and probably of great depth. The outskirts of the surrounding hills are of the Siwalik forma- tion. Except along the foot of the hills, the general aspect of the country is desolate and bare. The flora is thorny and scant, consist- ing of a stunted scrub. Among the trees occur Prosopis spia'gera, Sahadora oleoidcs, Capparis aphylla, and two kinds of Tamarix. Common plants are Calotropis procera and many saltworts, such as Haloxylon salicornicum. Wild animals are scarce ; a few * ravine deer ' (gazelle) and other small deer occur, and flocks of sand-grouse visit the cultivated areas in winter.
Situated in close proximity to Sind, Kachhi is one of the hottest areas in India. Scorching winds blow in the summer, and at times the deadly simoom (luk) prevails. Mosquitoes are so numerous that, at Gajan, a special portion of the crop has been assigned to a saint for his protection against them. From November to February the climatic conditions are pleasant, the air being crisp and cool. The annual rainfall averages about three inches, and usually occurs in July and August.
History
The history of Kachhi is intimately connected with that of Sind. In the seventh century Rai Chach took its capital Kandabll, probably Gandava. To the Arabs the country was known as NGdha or Bildha, and Kandabll was despoiled by them on several occasions. It afterwards passed into the hands of the Sumras and Sammas of Sind. The fifteenth century saw the arrival of the Baloch and the conflicts between their two leaders, Mir Chakar, the Rind, and Gwahram Lashari. The Arghuns next took possession, and from them the country passed to the Mughals, and on the decline of the latter to the Kalhoras. In 1740 Nadir Shah handed it over to the Brfthuis in compensation for the death of Mir Abdullah, the Ahmadzai Khan of Kalat, at the hands of the Kalhoras in the fierce battle of jandrlhar near Sanni.
From 1839 to 1842, during the first
Afghan War, Kachhi was held and administered by the British on their
lines of communication, and was the scene of much raiding and of two
fights with the insurgent Brahuis in 1840. After the war General John
Jacob's cavalry was employed in checking the raiding propensities of
the Kachhi tribesmen, especially the Jakranis, who were subsequently
removed to Sind. In the time of Mir Khudadad Khan of Kalat it
was long a scene of anarchy and raiding, and at Bhag in 1893 this
ruler committed the crime in consequence of which he subsequently
abdicated.
Buddhist remains have been discovered at Chhalgari and Tambu, and many of the mounds scattered through the country would probably repay excavation.
Population
The number of villages is 606. The population (1901) is 82,909, the majority being Jats. Among important Baloch tribes are the Rinds, Magassis, and Lasharis ; and among minor tribes, Buledis, Dombkis, Kaheris, and Umranis. Roughly speaking the Magassis and Rinds occupy the west, and the Dombkis, Kaheris, and Umranis the east; the Jats are found every- where as cultivators. A few Brahuis, such as the Raisanis and Garrani Bangulzais, have permanently settled in the north of the country, and in the cold season it is visited by many other Brahuis from the high- lands. The occupation of nearly all the people is agriculture. Hindu traders are found in all important villages ; the lower castes include potters, sweepers, blacksmiths, and weavers. The most common language is Sindl, but Western Punjabi and Baluchi are also spoken. Except the Hindu traders, all the people are Sunni Musalmans. A sect called Taib ('penitents') has made some progress since 1890.
Agriculture
It is usual to speak of Kachhi as a desert, but this is a mistake. The soil is extremely fertile wherever it can be irrigated. Its quality . depends on the admixture of sand. The best is a light loam mixed with a moderate proportion of sand (matt). Except a fringe of ' wet-crop ' area on the west, most of the land entirely depends for cultivation on floods brought down by the rivers from the surrounding hills, the water of which is raised to the surface by a system of large dams constructed in the beds of the rivers by the co-operation of the cultivators. A description of this interesting system is given in the paragraphs on Agriculture in the article on Baluchistan. The floods generally occur in July and August, but occasionally also in spring. Three crops are harvested during the year : sdnwanri, sarav, and arhari.
The first is the principal crop, and
is sown in July and August and reaped in the autumn. It consists of
'owdr, with a little mung, moth, and bdjra. The second, or spring crop,
comprises wheat, barley, mustard, and rape; the third, jotvdr for
fodder, cotton, and water-melons. Kachhi jowdr is renowned for its
excellence, and is usually cultivated on a soil known as khauri. Indigo
is grown in Dadhar. The cultivation of the sarav crop is uncertain,
depending on late floods in August. Dadhar, Sanni, Shoran, Gajan,
Kunara, part of Gandava, and Jhal are the only places where irrigation
from permanent sources exists.
Bullocks from Nari in Kachhi are famous for their shape and strength, and many are purchased by dealers from the Punjab. Camels are bred in some numbers. The breed of horses is excellent. Branded mares number 604, and one stallion was located in the country in April, 1904. The best breeders are the Magassis, Dombkis, and Rinds. The indigenous sheep do not possess fat tails, but rnany of the fat-tailed variety, known as Khorasani, are brought from the high- lands in winter. Of goats, the barbari breed is most prized.
No 'reserved’ forests exist, but protective measures are adopted by the tribal chiefs. The. western side of the country contains some well- wooded tracts. A sulphur mine at Sanni was worked in pre-British days by the Amirs of Afghanistan. Ferrous sulphate (zagh) is found in the mountains near Kotra and Sanni. Earth-salt is manufactured by the lixiviation of salt-bearing earth at Gajan and Shoran. Saltpetre is produced in small quantities, and the manufacture of carbonate of soda (khar) from the numerous saltworts is increasing.
Trade and communication
The principal industry is the weaving of coarse cotton cloth. Double coloured cotton sheets (kkes) of good quality are produced here and there, while at Lahri and a few other places a fine kind of embroidered leather-work is manufactured. Country rifles, swords, and saddles are made at Bh5g and Dadhar.
Most of the trading class come from Shikarpur in Sind. The centres of trade are Dadhar, Lahri, Haji, Bhag, Shoran, Gajan, Kotra, Gandava, and Jhal. Piece-goods, rice, sugar, and country carts are imported from Sind ; dates, ghi, wool, and medicinal drugs from the highlands for re-export. Exports to the highlands include cotton cloth, mustard oil, salt, and silk; the articles supplied to Sind consist chiefly of carbonate of soda, grain, and oilseeds. The North-Western Railway passes through the centre of Kachhi. No metalled roads have been made, but the country is easily traversed in all directions except after heavy floods.
The principal routes run from Jacobabad to Sibi via Lahri on the east; through Shori and Bhag in the centre; and via Gandava and Shoran to Dadhar on the west. The route through the Mula Pass from the Jhalawan country debouches at Gandava.
Famine
The insignificant rainfall, the dependence of the country on flood- irrigation, and the absence of proper means of distributing the flood- water render Kachhi extremely liable to scarcity and even to famine. Under existing conditions enormous quantities of water run to waste in the Nari in ordinary years, and the introduction of a good irrigation and distribution scheme would doubt- less afford a large measure of protection. The proximity of Sind and the free migratory habits of the population have hitherto prevented the necessity of actual famine relief. Advances amounting to about Rs. 29,000 were made to the Khan of Kalat's cultivators in 1900, when the drought, which had begun in 1897, culminated. They were recovered at the succeeding harvests.
For purposes of administration, Kachhi is divided into two parts : areas subject to the jurisdiction of the Khan of Kalat, and areas under tribal chiefs. Within the areas subject to the Khan, ...
however, tribal units are to be found which occupy a position of practical independence. The political control of the country east of the railway, i.e. the whole of the Lahri nidbat, is vested in the Political Agent of Sibi District, and of the remainder in the Political Agent, Kalat. The area under the Kalat State is divided into five niabats : Dadhar ; Bhag ; Lahri, which includes the area occupied by the Dombki, Kaheri, and Umrani tribes ; Gandava ; and NasMbad. The head-quarters station of each nidbat is located at a village of the same name, except Naslrabad, of which the head-quarters are situated at Mirpur Blblwari. Dadhar, Bhag combined with Lahri, and Gandava with Naslrabad each forms the charge of a mustaufi, who is generally assisted by local officials known as naib and jd-nashin. Dadhar, how- ever, possesses neither a naib nor a jd-nasfiin, and Gandava has no jd-nashin. The principal areas subject to tribal control are Jhal, inhabited by the Magassis ; and Shoran, held by the Rinds.
In Lahri,
the Dombkis, Kaheris, and Umranis have acquired a large measure
of independence. In the niabats, criminal, civil, and revenue cases are
decided by the local officials ; in tribal areas, petty cases are dealt with
by the chief, and important or intertribal cases are referred to jirgas
or local kdzis, who exercise much influence, under the orders of the
Political Agents. In the numerous jdgtrs within the Khan's niabats,
jurisdiction in all petty matters is exercised by the jdgirddrs. The
most common offences are cattle-lifting and theft. Cattle are frequently
stolen from Sind and sent to the Jhalawan country. Much use is made
of trackers in the detection of such crimes, and some of these men are
very skilful. They are paid by results.
The land revenue system presents an interesting survival of ancient native methods. The Khan collects revenue in his niabats, and else- where it is taken by tribal chiefs and jdgirddrs. It consists everywhere of a fixed share of the gross produce, varying from one-third to one- tenth, but generally one-third or one-fifth. The additional cesses (rasum), however, raise the amount paid to one-half.
Irrigated lands
sometimes pay a fixed cash assessment (kalang). Large jdgtrs, origi-
nally granted fpr feudal service, are held by the Sarawan tribesmen in
Bala Nari and the Bolan lands, and by the Jhalawan tribes round
Gandava and at Chhajr-Phuleji. The Dombki headman holds one in
Lahri. Generally the proprietary right in all areas is held by the local
cultivating class, but in the Baloch areas of Jhal and Shoran it has
been transferred in many cases to the chiefs.
Besides the land revenue, contracts are given in the niabats for octroi, excise, and the collection of other minor taxes, the proceeds being included in the total revenue. The amount of land revenue proper varies with the extent and time of the floods in the rivers. Thus, in 1902 the Khan's aggregate revenue from all his niabats amounted to about 1 lakh, and in 1903 to more than z\ lakhs ; but in the latter year a new system of administration had been introduced. The details of the latter sum. are as follows: Dadhar, Rs. 49,200; Bhag, Rs. 32,500 ; Lahri, Rs. 58,100 ; Gand£va, Rs. 55,400 ; Nasirabad, Rs. 56,600.
Tribal levies, paid by the British Government and numbering 50, are stationed at Dandor in Bala Nari, Lahri, Phuleji, and along the railway. Detachments, consisting of 85 of the Khan's infantry and 12 artillerymen, are located at Dadhar, Nasfrabad, and Bhag; but their numbers vary from time to time. The number of the Khan's irregular levies is generally 91. A tribal thana of five men is posted at Gandava. Security is provided by the enlistment of kotwals, who are paid either by the inhabitants or from the Khan's revenues. Tribal chiefs maintain retainers and dependants, who are employed on revenue duties and in securing the general peace.
The same system
is followed in the Khan's mdbats by the local naibs % who distribute
their friends and followers throughout the country at the expense of
the cultivators. The Rind and Magassi chiefs receive allowances from
the Khan of Kalat of Rs. 300 a month each. A jail is now in course
of erection at Dadhar ; criminals have hitherto generally been kept in
the stocks. The country has no schools or dispensaries. Inoculation
takes the place of vaccination, being performed by Saiyids, Pirs, Shehs
(the local name for Shaikhs), and Ababakis from the highlands.
