The real particulars of the treaty between Nasir Khan (ruler of Kalat) and Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1758

Treaty of Kalat 1758 with fake details

No treaty on those terms in the following screenshot was signed between Mir Naseer Khan of Kalat and Ahmad Shah Durrani. The treaty with those particulars in the screenshot, is forgery by Baloch nationalists. An attempt has been made by them to pass off Kalat as a sovereign state, with no subservience to Ahmad Shah Durrani. However all historical facts point towards the truth that Kalat was a vassal state of Durrani empire in second half of 18th century. The 'Khan' of Kalat did not assume the royal title of 'Shah'. He neither struck coins in his name nor the Friday khutbas in Kalat were read in his name.

 

The real particulars of the the treaty of Kalat in 1758

Naseer Khan did try to get independence from Durrani empire in 1758 but he failed in his endeavour. So he entered into the vassalage of Ahmad Shah Abdali by concluding a treaty with the following terms : 

1- "The Brahui chiefs are not to interfere in the internal feud of the Saddozais, and are to be subservient to the reigning king. 

2- Should an Ahmadzai Brahui take refuge in the Durrani country, the Saddozais are not to support him against the Ahmadzai chief of Kalat; they are either to give him up to the latter or employ him about their persons.

3- The Saddozais are not to pursue any of their tribe who take refuge in the Brahui country." 

The above three clauses of the treaty are not from an Afghan source. It is from a Persian manuscript recorded by Mian Sibghatullah (a resident of the Kalat town) in 1838, translated into English by Robert Leech of East India Company. 

Naseer Khan was exempted from the tribute payment but as a vassal he was obliged to furnish his quota of troops in the campaigns of the Saddozai emperors. Note that other vassals of Ahmad Shah Durrani (rulers of Khurasan, Patiala, Jammu etc.) and many Pashtun tribes also enjoyed independence in their internal matters. 

Note that Afghan sources do not mention any such treaty occurring between Kalat and Kandahar.

Early career of Haji Khan Kakar

Taj Muhammad Khan, alias Haji Khan Kakar of Toba Kakari (hereafter Haji Khan Kakar), belonged to the Ahmadkhel section of the Targhara section of the Kakar tribe [1]. Though originally a person of no consequence, he rose to prominence and gained the attention of the local 'Khans' and chiefs. Later, he played a conspicuous part in the First Anglo-Afghan War. For the first time he is mentioned in 1809, when Mir Mustafa Khan Brahui, son of Mir Naseer Khan the 'Khan of Kalat', raised a contingent of 500 Afghan mercenaries and named it ‘The Afghan Horse’. He appointed Haji Khan Kakar commander of this contingent. Since he gained the favours of the local chiefs through intrigue and deceit, he is always mentioned by writers as the ‘notorious Haji Khan Kakar ‘. The above-mentioned ‘Afghan Horse’ in 1810, led by Mir Mustafa Brahui and assisted by Haji Khan, raided the Pashtuns of the Ziarat and Harnai valleys where Haji Khan took active part against his own kith and kin. He destroyed the Harnai Fort and took the local Pashtun chiefs' prisoner; Mir Mustafa calls them the ‘robbers of Harnai’. With the murder of Mir Mustafa Khan in 1812 by his brother, Haji Khan moved first to Kandahar and later to Kabul to seek his fortune in the infighting of the Barakzi Sardars. In 1822, he was in the service of Abdullah Khan Achakzai. About 1825 he left him to serve the Kandahar Sardars. The same year, with the connivance and blessings of Purdil Khan Barakzai of Kandahar, Haji Khan Kakar, bribed by the Khajiaks, became instrumental in the murder of Habib Khan Baruzai‘, the chief of the Pannis of Sibi. On behalf of his masters in 1828, he attacked the decaying Afghan Panni Confederacy of Sibi and devastated the Afghan settlements [2]. Captain John Jacob writes: -

 “Adjoining the [Sibi] town is large and substantial fortress, which is still a place of great strength even in its present decayed condition. Both fortress and town are now wholly deserted, having been plundered and burnt by the notorious Hajee Khan Kakur in 1828, when he was governor of the province on behalf of the Candahar Chiefs.” [1]

Discerning political acumen and leadership qualities in Dost Muhammad Khan he abandoned his masters, the Kandahar Sardars, and probably in 1830, joined Dost Muhammad Khan.

References:

1- "Notes on Afghanistan", H.G.Raverty, p-637-8
2- "Afghans of the Frontier Passes", by A.Aziz.Luni, Vol-II, p-118
3- Memoirs on Sind, Volume 1, 1855, p-127

Hajee Khan Kauker, the renowned Nusireoodoulah, by J. Atkinson, Sketches in Afghaunistan, lithographed by Louis and Charles Haghe, 1842

Hajee Khan Kauker the renowned Nusireoodoulah. Source

Prison of Haji Khan Kakar in Kabul, 1839. Lithograph by W Taylor after Lieutenant T Wingate. Source

The conquest of Baluchistan by Shah Hussain Hotak

In 1733 the ruler of Kalat encroached upon the Pashtun territories and succeeded in capturing the fort of Quetta. When the news of the invasion reached the ears of Shah Hussain Hotok (king of Kandahar), he set out from Kandahar with an army to dislodge Balochs from Shal and reduce them to submission. His force was composed of Pashtun and Hazara levies. He first crossed the Khojak Pass and reached Pishin. He put the fort at Pishin into an efficient state of defence and left a garrison there to hold it. Then he crossed Kotal-I-Gaz into Shal (the present-day Quetta district). Balochs sallied out from the fort of Quetta under their leader Salar Khan and clashed with Hotak army but were defeated. After few days, they made another sally which was also unsuccessful. After some days Balochs evacuated the place under the cover of night and made for Mastung and Kalat. Shah Hussain Hotak left a force of 500 jezailchis and a body of 200 cavalry under the command of Sherdil Khan Babuzai and then pushed on to Mustang.

Balochs abandoned Mastung and fled towards Ganjaba-Kachhi area and Kalat. Shah Hussain Hotak occupied Mastung and issued orders to pursue Balochs. A body of the Baloch fugitives was overtaken by the Afghans on the boundary of the Kalat district. Baloch men took to the hills and left their families, cattle, flocks and other property in the hands of the Afghan force under Asadullah Khan Ishakzai Hotak. The latter left the women and children unmolested but took possession of the cattle and flocks.

When a body of Baloch fugitives reached Kalat, Mehrab Khan (the Khan of Kalat) expecting that the next movement of Afghans would be against the Kalat, tendered his submission and sent offerings of horses and other presents to Shah Hussain Hotak. Sher Khan Baloch (the ruler of Nauhski) and Mohabat Khan (chief of Ganjaba) also submitted and tendered their allegiance to the Hotak king. The Khan of Kalat agreed to restore the cattle he had carried off from Pishin and Shorawak and to make the losses sustained by the people of Shal. He also had to furnish a contingent of 5,000 men whenever the sovereign of Kandahar required troops; and to give up some chiefs as hostages for the performance of these terms. This ratified, Shah Hussain Hotak returned to Kandahar, taking five chiefs along with him as hostages. 

Quetta fort, 1839. Source

An imaginary portrait of Shah Hussain Hotak

Ruins of Kalat fort

References

1- Raverty, "Notes on Afghanistan and Balochistan:
2- Haroon Rashid, "History of the Pathans, Vol-III

Mir Nasir Khan Brahui of Kalat and Ahmad Shah Abdali

In 1737, the Baloch came in contact with Nadir Shah Afshar as the stories of the success of Nadir Shah Afshar spread, the Brahui Khans of Kalat abandoned the Afghans and went over to the side of the Persian despot. Major H.G. Raverty on page 613 of his Notes writes that on 22nd April 1737 AD, the sons of Mir Abdullah Khan of Kalat, namely, Mir Mohabat Khan, Mir Iltaz and Mir Nasir Khan visited Nadir Shah at Kandahar. According to Nadir Nama the latter confirmed Mohabat Khan as ruler of Kalat. The younger two brothers with their stepmother named Bibi Mariam remained behind with Nadir Shah who granted them the revenue of Shal/Quetta district, which belonged to the Kasi Afghans. Subsequently he cancelled this grant as Mir Nasir had killed his brother Mir Iltaz. However, subsequently Nadir Shah further allotted a portion of Kachh-Gandawah tract that also belonged to the Panni Afghans.

On assassination of Nadir Shah Afshar, Ahmad Khan Abdali and Mir Nasir Khan of Kalat returned to their respective homelands. They had become acquainted with each other during the long period of their service with Nadir Shah. The assassination of Nadir Shah was a landmark in the process of the commencement and evaluation of Afghan as well as Baloch nationalism. Mir Nasir Khan of Kalat did not stay at Kalat any longer and soon went over to Kandahar. He was present at the time of the coronation ceremony of Ahmad Shah Abdali. However, the latter confirmed Mohabat Khan as ruler of Kalat. According to G.P. Tate, in Appendices to his Memoirs On Kalat, Mohabat Khan killed Muhammad Talib Kansi on whom Ahmad Shah had conferred the office of Arbab. The King replaced him with Mir Nasir Khan.

Sir Olaf Caroe (The Pathans, p-372) writes:-Ahmad Shah, on setting up his new kingdom in that city in 1747, enforced the submission of the Brahuis, and regarded his empire as extending almost to the sea. If any doubt were held to exist upon the point, it would be resolved by the fact that, in order, to fix his new dependent's loyalty, Ahmad Shah proceeded to the unprecedented lengths of bestowing upon him an Afghan district, the valley of Shal, in which Quetta is situated. The settlement of Brahuis in the villages just south of Quetta, dates from that time.

Qazi Nur Muhammad in Jang Nama 1764 AD says that Shal was granted to Mir Nasir Khan by Ahmad Shah as a reward for his jihad against the Sikhs. However, Akhund does not make mention of this grant while Pottinger (Travels in Balochistan and Sindh) says that Shal was given to Nasir Khan for his bravery in the battle of Mashhad.

S. Fida Yunas, a knowledgeable scholar on the Afghanistan affairs, in Afghanistan, A Political History Vol-I, on page 105, states, With a difficult situation for the Afghans in India (1758 AD), Nasir Khan, a formally loyal Brahui Chieftain, also availed of the opportunity and declared his independence. A Brahui Baloch confederation, centered in Kalat state, threatened Ahmad Shah Abdali, Nasir Khan was defeated but was allowed to rule locally in return for the right to ask for troops to serve in time of War. Nasir Khan gave a cousin in marriage to Ahmad Shah, with Quetta and Mastung as wedding gifts. Ahmad Shah in this venture wanted to save his strength for the Mahrattas threat in India.

Soon after in 1759 AD, Ahmad Shah, joined by Nasir Khan Brahui of Kalat, reached Punjab via Balochistan with a view to stem the westward expansion of the Mahrattas. Throughout his stay in Hind the Brahui Chief remained his most trusted aide. The latter was also present with Ahmad Shah in January 1764-65 AD to fight against the Sikhs who had wrought devastation in the Punjab. After routing the Sikhs, Ahmad Shah offered the territories of Chenab, Jhang, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan to Nasir Khan as a parting gift. However, the latter declined to accept the control over the areas offered.

(Extract from a letter of Brig (r) Haroon Rashid)