History of Quetta

Quetta (the word derives from kwatta, Pashto for fort) is a natural fort, surrounded as it is by imposing hills on all sides. The encircling hills have the resounding names of Chiltan, Takatoo, Mordar and Zarghun. Quetta was first mentioned in the 11th century when it was captured by Mahmood of Ghazni on one of his invasions of the subcontinent. In 1543 the Mughal emperor Humayun rested here on his retreat to Persia, leaving his one-year-old son Akbar until he returned two years later. The Mughal ruled Quetta until 1556, when it was taken by the Persians, only to be retaken by Akbar in 1595.the Ghilzai power in Kandahar at the beginning of the eighteenth century, simultaneously with that of the Baloch in Kalat, Quetta and Pishin became the battle-ground between Afghan and Baloch, Ahmed Shah Durrani Finally handed Quetta over to the Khan of Kalat Mir Noori Naseer Khan Baloch for helping him with his Baloch Army against Persians in iran in 1751 against Marathas in Battle of Panipat (1761) and against Sikh in 1765 .

Etymology of Quetta

The people of Quetta and the Baloch people once referred to their land as Moka or Maka, a word which later became Makran. Balochistan is referred to in Pashto as Gwadar or Godar (also Godar-khwa, i.e., the land by water). The Greeks, who derived the names of Iranian lands from the Bactrian language, Hellenised it to Gedrosia. It thus appears that the name Balochistan is of relatively recent origin.

History

Quetta was known in ancient times as one of the most diverse cities, it was linked to old Asian cities and modern Islamic regimes. It was part from the mighty states Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires. Zoroastrianism was practised in this state for centuries. It is said that creator Ahura Mazda placed this part of Quetta under his empire. But other leaders like Darius I and Artaxerxes II made Quetta once their ancient capital together with Balochistan.

Ancient empires
The Afghan Empire of Ahmad Shah Durrani at its peak

The earliest evidence of human occupation in what is now Quetta and Balochistan is dated to the Paleolithic era, represented by hunting camps and lithic scatters (chipped and flaked stone tools). The earliest settled villages in the region date to the ceramic Neolithic (c. 7000–6000 BCE), and included the site of Mehrgarh (located in the Kachi Plain). These villages expanded in size during the subsequent Chalcolithic, when interaction was amplified. This involved the movement of finished goods and raw materials, including chank shell, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and ceramics. By 2500 BCE (the Bronze Age), the region now known as Balochistan had become part of the Harappan cultural orbit, providing key resources to the expansive settlements of the Indus river basin to the east.

Quetta also was part of the ancient Hellenistic kingdom Gedrosia with many Greek and Persian leaders who have been merchant and using this province as a port. The capital Quetta before called Gedrosia had very good ties with the Persians merchants and with the Saudi Arabian ports. When shipment came Quetta had to declare the good of gold, silver, jewelry, food and decide whether to give the shipment to the Persian regimes or Asian regimes. Quetta city had two nationalities.

The powerful Khans of Kalat held the fort from 1730. In 1828 the first westerner to visit Quetta described it as a mud-walled fort surrounded by 300 mud houses. Although occupied briefly by the British during the First Afghan War in 1839, it was not until 1876 that Quetta came under permanent British control and Robert Sandeman was made political agent in Baluchistan. By the formation of political party of Muslims (Muslim league) Balochistan paid its contribution for the freedom of Pakistan. Qazi Muhammad Essa was the first man introduced Muslims political party in Balochistan, his father was Pashtun and mother was hazara, this struggle persisted until 1947. After the freedom, Balochistan was badly deprived of its legal rights resulting in Balochistan being the most backward province of Pakistan. Quetta especially, was pushed into fire of sectarianism after the dictatorships of Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia ul Haq.

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