00:00Namaskar friends. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but perhaps most troublesome province has been
00:16in the news for quite some time due to a strong separatist movement. There are many aspects to
00:22the Balochistan conundrum, the name of my third book, that I will gradually unravel in future
00:28episodes. I am Tilak Divesha and this is The Great Game Reloaded. Let me ask you something. What happens
00:36when a people refuse to bow down and submit to tyranny? What happens when their history is erased,
00:43their borders redrawn and their sovereignty cast aside? This is a story of Balochistan was coerced.
00:51Yes, coerced into becoming part of a country it never wanted to join. The episode is about that
00:58history. About how Balochistan became a chess piece in an imperial game and how the consequences
01:05of that betrayal still shape the region today. As Zanist Russia pushed deeper into Central Asia
01:13in the 19th century, the British feared a direct confrontation on the subcontinent.
01:19Their answer? Create distance, buffer zones, protectorates, layers of control. This was the origin of the
01:28so-called frontier of separation as opposed to the frontier of contact, a zone between the British
01:35Empire and the Russian bear. To implement this, the British devised a unique concept of the threefold frontier.
01:43The first frontier was the directly administered territory of British India, governed by British law,
01:50bureaucracy and British authority, like Sindh. The second frontier was areas like the princely state
01:58of Kalat, technically autonomous but under indirect British control. The third frontier was the outer rim,
02:07no defined borders, but within British influence, forming the empire's final shield against Russian advances.
02:16Balochistan, or as it was then known, the Khanate of Kalat, was slotted into that second frontier.
02:24Unadministered, not fully controlled, but certainly not left alone.
02:29From 1839 to 1876, the British followed a policy of limited interference, a closed border policy.
02:38They spied, they schemed, but they didn't stay. That changed under Captain Robert Sandman.
02:46He brought with him the forward policy, a shift from watching to controlling.
02:52Officially, Britain still respected Kalat's independence. Unofficially, it began shaping its internal affairs,
03:01managing conflicts, establishing a presence and preparing for what would come next.
03:10To secure their empire, the British began slicing Balochistan apart, often with zero regard for its geography,
03:19history or people. In 1871, the Goldsmith Line handed over roughly a quarter of Kalat's territory to Persia.
03:29In 1894, the Durand Line assigned another strip to Afghanistan.
03:34More adjustments followed in 1896 and 1905, each one eroding Balochistan further.
03:43This wasn't just cartography. It was imperial strategy, placating neighbouring regimes to counter Russian pressure.
03:52The Baloch? They were never consulted. They were never considered.
03:56And the betrayal didn't stop in 1947. After Balochistan's forcible accession to Pakistan,
04:03Baloch majority districts like Jakubabad and Deiragazi Khan were stripped away and given to Sindh and Punjab.
04:13Another quiet erasure.
04:17As the British prepared to exit India, a critical question arose. What would become of Kalat?
04:24Kalat wasn't just any princely state. Legally, Kalat was different. Its ties to British India
04:32were based on a unique 1876 treaty, one that explicitly respected its sovereignty.
04:38It wasn't part of the Chamber of Princes. It wasn't governed by India's political department.
04:45In fact, Kalat along with Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim fell under the External Affairs Department.
04:52In other words, it was treated as a separate entity, not part of India.
04:59So when partition became imminent, the Khan of Kalat, Meir Ahmediyar Khan, announced that Kalat would be independent.
05:06At a Delhi Roundtable conference on 4th August 1947, attended by Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah and Kalat's representatives,
05:17this independence was formally acknowledged. The agreement stated, and I quote,
05:22Following this, a standstill agreement was signed between Kalat and Pakistan.
05:39Jinnah and Liagat Ali signed on behalf of Pakistan. Sultan Ahmed signed for Kalat.
05:47The document made it clear that Pakistan recognized Kalat as an independent, sovereign state.
05:55So on 12th August 1947, the Khan formally declared independence, effective 15th August.
06:02A constitution was promulgated. Two houses of parliament were created to decide the state's future.
06:10Kalat had its own flag and even an embassy in Karachi.
06:16What happened next was historic. Both houses of Kalat's parliament rejected accession to Pakistan.
06:23In the lower house, Ghazbaks-Bazinjo, later known as Baba-i Balochistan, delivered a fairy speech.
06:30And I quote, We can survive without Pakistan. We can prosper outside Pakistan.
06:37But what would Pakistan be without us? He added,
06:41If Pakistan wants friendship, we offer it. But if we are forced to submit,
06:46every Baloch's son will rise to defend his freedom. Unquote. Words that have proved prophetic.
06:54Despite the agreement and the declarations, things changed quickly.
07:01Under British influence and prompting, Jinnah reconsidered. By October 1947, he demanded that Kalat
07:09sign the same instrument of accession as other states. When the Khan hesitated, plans for invasion
07:17were drawn up. On 27 March 1948, Pakistan's military entered Kalat. The Khan under pressure signed the
07:26instrument of accession, accepted by Jinnah on 30 March 1948. Kalat's short-lived independence
07:34was snuffed out. There was no consent from the Kalat's legislature. In fact, both houses had explicitly
07:42rejected accession. To this day, many Baloch view the accession as illegal, oppressive and enforced
07:50under duress. And that view is rooted in history and the collective memory of the Baloch.
07:56The annexation of 1948 wasn't just political. It was psychological. It confirmed to the Baloch what
08:06they had feared. That their history, identity and sovereignty would be overwritten by force. Over the
08:14decades that followed, Balochistan experienced marginalization, economic exploitation, human rights abuses,
08:22cultural suppression. That is why the alienation has only deepened. Why slogans like Balochistan is
08:30not Pakistan still reverberate. The Baloch haven't forgotten and they haven't forgiven.
08:38But there's another side to this story. One rooted in dignity, loyalty and honour. It's captured in a
08:46word, Baloch Mayar. The Baloch code of conduct rooted in honour. The honour code is built on three pillars.
08:54Hospitality, refuge, revenge.
08:59Let me leave you with a story. In 1543, Mughal Emperor Humayun defeated and on the run, entered the
09:08territory of the Magsi Baloch. Unknown to him, the Magsi chief had received messages from Humayun's own
09:15brothers, offering a reward to capture and hand over the fleeing emperor. Initially, the chief planned to
09:22attack. But when Humayun chose to camp in his village, everything changed. According to Baloch tradition,
09:29an enemy becomes a guest the moment he enters your home. The Magsi Sardar told Humayun, and I quote,
09:37quote, now I will sacrifice my life and my family's lives for you. Go where you wish. God protect you.
09:45Unquote. If the chief had not upheld that honour code, history might well have turned out very
09:52differently for the Mughals. Thank you for watching. Do comment and share your views. See you again soon
10:00with another topic and another anecdote. Till then, I am Tilak Devesha. Namaskar and Jai Hind.
Comments