Kohistan

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Kohistan, 1908

The local name of a barren and hilly tract of country in Karachi District, Sind, Bombay, composed of outlying spurs from the Kirthar Range. The southern portion merges into extensive plains, separated by low lines of hills, which afford abundant grazing for herds of cattle after rain. The Kohistan is entirely dependent on rainfall, and cultivation is possible only where the rainfall has been impounded, or on one of the numerous watercourses. Some of these streams, known as tiais, are of considerable size, the chief being the Baran, which flows into the Indus below Kotri.

The Kohistan is a mahal or petty subdivision, with a population (1901) of 12,877. The revenue is Rs. 3,900. The population is nomadic and fluctuating, consisting chiefly of Sindis and Baluchis, formerly given to internal feuds, but now content to earn a frugal living by grazing herds of camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.

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.