Kalat 1826 to 1838

Kalat 1826 to 1838

Charles massion

Feeling at Kalat; Sir Alexander observed that leech had put everything wrong at Kalat. I could not to forbear asking him if I might be allowed to go to Kalat and put everything to right sir Alexander said no.

 Subsequently I saw Sir Alexander at Hohri, and he told me that Mehrab Khan had confiscated the grain collected by Lieutenant.

In process of time, the Bombay division of the army of Indus having retrograded from Kabul to Quetta, a detachment way ordered upon Kalat to carry out long meditated plan of revenge upon Mehrab Khan. the consequences were the capture and plunder of the place, the slaughter of the ruler and number of his dependent chiefs.

The territories of Mehrab Khan were dismembered, the provinces of Saravan and Kach, Gandava, were annexed to the dominion of the new king of Kabul and the resentment of the political authorities was so uncompromising, that, to the exclusion of the son of Mehrab khan  the late Kalat ruler. Shah Nawaz khan a descendant of the elder branch of his family was raised to the Masnad and place over the ruin of the ill-fated country.

While these changes were effected, and no doubt vindicated in elaborated state papers, it had never been thought necessary to explain them to the subjects of the late Khan of kalat. They beheld, indeed, the imposition of a new chief and the dislocation of their country, but could only refer the events they witnessed to the pleasure of the British, alike to them extraordinary.

There was however, but one opinion, that Mehrab khan was guiltless of treachery to the British and therefore been undeservedly scarified. In demanding money from Hindu shop-owner by Mahmad Azam Khan, Mehrab khan further, on hearing of the extortion, addressed a letter of sever rebuke to his brother, and cautioned him against a repetition of his inappropriate conduct.

I cannot forbear mentioning, to the honour of Mehrab khan that in his instruction to his subject in Kachi he expressly enjoyed them. in case of any dispute with a person belonging to British army, on no account to resent it, but to carry a complaint to the general; an order so considered that I wondered he should have thought of it.

Alexander and Mehrab khan and treason act of Mahomed Sherif a Saiyad and Naib Mullah Hassan;

From Quetta Sir Alexander proceeded to Kalat to negotiate a treaty with Mehrab Khan. He was accompanied by Mahomed Sherif, a Saiyad, who had obviously figured in the treason which had disturbed the rule of Mehrab Khan.

Mohomed sherif Saiyad was a subject of Mehrab Khan in the interests of the British Government. Mehrab khan concluded a treaty in conformity to sir Alexander Burn’s wishes and with it Sir Alexander returned to Quetta, leaving his Munshi, Mohan Lall to accompany the khan to the British camp, there to pay his respects to his majesty the Shah and to the envoy and minister.

The treaty had been concluded contrary to the wishes of Saiyad Sherif and his colleague in wickedness Naib Mullah Hassan both of whom had been bought over by the envoy and minister, and who had for common object the ruin of their khan and master.

It consisted with their view to cancel the treaty, which, if carried into effect secured the stability of the khan and entirely frustrated their bad intentions, Naib Mullah Hassan, who remained with the khan persuaded him that the object of sir Alexander was to decoy him to Quetta, when he would be sent to a state prisoner to Calcutta. There was yet another charge I had to prefer against Mehrab khan, which, if it did not imply any great villainy on his part, might prove that he did not estimate lightly the benefits of his alliance.

Khan demand on Karachi;

I had learnt from Alexander, that the khan had demanded the restoration of the port of Karachi by the Amirs of Sind, as the price of his friendship.  I was a little amused at the time, not so much at the demand as at the rage sir Alexander affected, in consequence of it; I could not forget that the modest demand of Dost mohammad khan at Kabul for Peshawer and its territory, which had never belonged to him was very kindly listened to; and I could not but know, that Karachi had once belonged to the Kalat family.

Now however, when pressing this convincing proof of the presumption and crime of Mehrab khan, I was rather ashamed to find my own good sense questioned for noticing it; as it seemed the demand was only diplomatically set forth neither the khan nor any other person supposed that Karachi would be restored.

If such be the case, and I believe there is little reason to doubt it, the inexperience of sir Alexander in oriental diplomacy, conduct to the same errors here as at Kabul; Dost Mohammad lost his authority and Mehrab khan his crown and life, because sir Alexander and the envoy and minister were ignorant that it was the process in eastern negotiation, to start with great and extravagant pretention, and then gradually to diminish them and finally to abandon them altogether.

Attack at kalat;

The Bombay division passed through Mulloh route and therefore to kalat no opposition made.

The forces arrived before kalat on the morning of the 5^th of November, when an attack on the place immediately followed, as its defences were weak to required delay. By the partition of the country which accompanied the elevation of Shah Nawaz khan the northern province of Saravan , with Quetta and it dependent district, and the provinces of Kach, Gandava, with the mountain districts east of it, were annexed to the dominations of the king of Kabul, and by this dismemberment the provinces bordering on the Indus of Harand Dajil, were quietly transferred to Ranjit singh(Punjab).

(Old kalat had three gates. The western gate called Mastung gate. The eastern gate called Dil Dar. The southern gate called Gil Kan)

M.Sarjov