Kalmati

Kalmati is a Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan. The tribe's name comes from the small city of Kalmat, situated between Iran and Pakistan. The tribe belongs to Mir Hoath, a son of Mir Jalal Khan. When the Hooths were ruling on Kech Makran, a few members of the tribe settled in Kalmat Bandar (Kalmat Port), situated near the Port of Pasni, the coastal area of Balochistan. In about the 12th century, the Kalmati had spread their identity from Tehs Bandar (western portion of Balochistan) to Shah Bandar Sindh. The Kalmati tribes live in Chah Bahar, Dasht, Palliree, Jiwani, Baho, Dashtiyari, Gwadar, Pasni, Hub as well as Sindh provinces such as Malir, Gadap Town and Lyari (Karachi), Matyari, Tando Adam, Hyderabad and Thatta.

The Kalmati tribe in Karachi has developed a strong identity, as they have gradually built a good living and better education than other tribes. Kalmatis mostly work in cultivation and business. The famous graveyard called Chokandi,^[1] situated in Gadap, Bin Qasim, Karachi, Hub (Balochistan) and District Thatta (Sindh), is associated with this tribe.

History

On 2 February 1839, when two British military ships (Hina and Wales) boarded Karachi Port (Manora). In Manora the British Army called the tribe to evacuate the port and surrender arms. The tribe's commander refused the surrender call. According to legend, he replied, "I am a Baloch and would prefer to be a martyr than to surrender."

Historical conflicts

The Portuguese

In the 15th century, the Portuguese captured many parts of India and Oman, and they planned to proceed with annexation to coastal area of Makran. The Portuguese attacked Makran under the leadership of Vasco de Gama, but under the supervision of Commander Mir Ismaheel, the Portuguese were defeated by the Baloch. A few times the Portuguese looted and set the coastal villages on fire, but they failed to capture the coastal area of Makran. Cannons of the Portuguese army were found lying^[2] near the Central Jail of Gwadar, heirless. The grave of Mir Ismaheel is situated near the Mountain of Batal Gwadar, constructed by Mir Ismaheel himself during life. He died in 873 Hijri.

After Mir Ismaheel's regime, his nephew Mir Hammal Khan, son of Mir Jihand Khan Kalmati, became the ruler of Makran. In the regime of Mir Hammal Khan, the Portuguese repelled a number of attacks under the command of Lowess Dee Almia, but they were defeated on each attempt. After many such defeats, Lowess Dee Almia made a pact with Mir Hammal Khan, and one of the clauses of the pact was that "Lowess Dee Almia" will not attack the Makran coastal area. However, the Portuguese broke the pact and attacked Mir Hammal Khan when he was with some friends at sea. After the attack, the Portuguese kidnapped Mir Hammal Khan and took him to an unidentified place. The "Statue" of Mir Hammal Khan is lying in an island museum Goha in India, which was constructed by the Portuguese. Mr. R. Huges Buller has written in his book Makran Kalmatis that the fort and a well are still situated near to Gwadar, called Gazdan. The snatched weapons from the Portuguese have also been seen in 1904 in the Pasni Port Balochistan.

The Portuguese not only attacked Gwadar, they also attacked Tehs Bandar (Tehs Port). At that time, Mir Kareem Dad lateeg was the Chief of Tehs Port. Mir Kareem Dad Kalmati was killed with his 44 soldiers.

Resistance in Sindh

In the Mughal Empire, the Kalmati tribe were in full power from Hub to Keti Bandar (Sindh). When the Mughals defeated the Portuguese from Ran Kach, they felt like they were in danger from the Kalmati tribe. First of all, they planned to break their power, and they ordered local Sardars (Chiefs) to be rulers of them as both were Baloch that is why the plan of Akbar did not succeed. Secondly, the Kalmati tribe consisted of around 20,000, troops. When King Akbar failed in his plans, he gifted agricultural land in Chachkan (Sindh) in 1654, and when King Orangzaib failed and sensed that the Kalmati were going to be rebels he gifted agricultural land in Sakro (Thatta), which exist also today. In the same time, the Kalmati tribe made alliances with other Baloch tribes, from Shah Bandar (Sindh) to Hub (Balochistan). They made a Baloch confederacy, and it was very powerful, as they ruled the mountains and the sea. The traders used roads and sea routes in Hindustan, and the Kalmati Sardar charged Rs. 9,600 per year as taxes from the Mughal rulers.

There was still resistance in Sindh. Such stories have been quoted in a book called (Jang Namo) written by Dr. Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, a renowned history writer from Sindh.

Attacks of Arghoons

When Mirza Saleh Baig became ruler, he tortured the Kalmati tribe and made false cases against them. When a person named Mureed heard that the Arghoon rulers had killed his relatives, he swore that he would never wear the traditional turban (Pagree) until he killed Mirza Saleh Baig. At that time, Mureed was in Gujrat, and, when he reached Thatta, one day he saw that Mirza Saleh Baig was patrolling in the Thatta City with his protocol staff. Mureed had a hidden knife in a paper, and he said to Mirza Saleh Baig that he was a victim and needed justice. The ruler then stopped his horse and as soon as he got down, Mureed killed him. Mureed was also killed by the protocol staff on the spot. It was a difficult time for all the Baloch tribes, particularly Kalmatis and Lasharis.

War with Kalhoros

In the regime of Mia Yar, Muhammad Kalhoro attacked Malir with 18,000 troops, since all the tribes had paid taxes to the Kalhora government but the Kalmati tribe was the only tribe who refused to pay such taxes. The Kalhora government had asked the Kalmati tribe to handover 30 camels or the cost of same to the Kalhora government in each year. At that time, a camel was worth 10 rupees. The Kalhora government demanded a payment of 50 camels per year, but the Kalmati were not ready to pay for the cost of 50 camels. They walked out of a meeting at around lunchtime, and the Kalmatis left after the ruler sent a messenger for them to take lunch. Someone told the messenger that they were not hungry and that he should feed the ruler. The Kalmatis returned to the Malir area under the leadership of Malik Hyder Kalmati. Mia Yar Muhammad Kalhoro had consulted with his advisers that the Kalmatis has not taken lunch, and that it was an insult so he planned to attack the Kalmati tribe with his 18,000 troops under the command of Mr. Alam Khan Jamali. There in Malir, the Kalmati tribe became aware that the Kalhora government was planning to attack at Malir, so they shifted their cattle, women and children to a place called Lat Koh (Lat Mountain), which was situated between Gadap and Kon Kor. At the battle, the Kalhora government troops were more powerful, and they defeated the Kalmati tribe with the remaining people fleeing to Lat Koh. When Mia Yar Muhammad Kalhoro died, the people who had not migrated from Lat Koh were called the Lati or Lateeg.

War with British soldiers

In the regime of Kalhora when the British entered in Sindh they planning to capture Sindh, then all the Balochs of Sindh became the challenge to British troops the Talpurs as conveyed a message to Kalmati tribe that there is no need to come in Hyderabad, Sindh but be in Karachi and make alliance with other tribes to face the British troops but the other tribes has not make coalition to get rid of British troops.

Chakar bin Nothak

As the British were powerful and were ruling half world, it was impossible to face their troops, that is why the Baloch started making a guerilla war against British troops. After the capturing Karachi, the British troops had built a military cantonment in Ram Bagh. On every Sunday, the British left for Manghopir (situated in the Gadap Town in Karachi) for a picnic. When the British troops went to the Mango Pir stream on that day, the local people were not allowed to visit the stream. One day, Chakar Bin Nothak who belonged to the Kalmati tribe was standing with his some friends and said to the British that, We are the owner of this stream, and, since this is our land, it is better to die that we are not allowed to get water from such stream. He had gathered some other people with him, and they attacked the British troops. In this attack, a British Army Officer named Captain Hound was killed along with other soldiers. The British Army has demanded to the Chief of the Kalmati tribe to handover Chakar to them with a promise that after his arrest he would be given a nominal punishment and then released. Chakar was a refugee in Kalat Balochistan. There he got messages from his relatives that the British Army had promised that they would not kill Chakar, but his family said that they did not believe the British's promise and that it now depended on him. After a long term, the British Army has arrested Chakar, and he was hung in Dalmia, Mujahid Colony Mountain where there was a British Army Camp. When Chakar was asked for his last wish, Chakar told them that he wanted to be hung without any blindfold so that his eyes could see his Mother Land till his last breath. Chakar was hung according to his wishes. The tribunal which sentenced Chakar to death had a judge named Nahoo Mal. It was the first death penalty in Sindh by British Army.

References

• Lashari, Kaleem (1996). A study of stone carved graves. Karachi, Pakistan: Kaleem Lashari for Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society. OCLC: 36891967. 
• Hughes Buller, Ralph. Makran Kalmatis. 
• Baloch, Nabi Bux Khan. Jang Namo. 
• Baig, Mirza Qalich. Qadeem Sindh. 
• Hameeduddin, Dr. History of Islam.