Sardar Kaura Khan Qaisrani

Sardar Kaura Khan Qaisrani the heroic chief of the Qaisrani tribe (1812-18**). His sons were Sardar Jahangir Khan, Sardar Muhammad Hayat Khan, Sardar Qadir Bakhsh Khan.

Recounting the story

As Baloch herdsmen lead their sheep and goats across the wild and desolate gorges in search of forage forever scarce, they sing the vars (ballads) of their heroes. One that resounds across the Suleman crags is the story of Kaura Khan of the Qaisrani tribe. Not only is it sung in verse, it is narrated in prose as well — all of its several versions that vary but slightly.

The story

Kaura Khan was a brave Baloch of great physical strength and towering stature who inherited land from a line of illustrious forefathers. Misfortune brought upon him include the overlordship of the Sikhs and the British. Khan resisted them each with all his might. But where the Sikhs failed the British forced their writ, a law alien to the Baloch way of life. Proud and willful, the Qaisrani took it upon themselves to resist the new masters of their land. And so the first angrez ever to venture into this land of turbulent tribes in order to establish his government’s decree was told by Kaura Khan that the new law would be unacceptable to him and his people. An altercation ensued in which the white officer, a man called Giri(real name Lieutenant Grey but famously pronounced as Giri)), threatened the Khan: The man was bound hand and foot and taken into the hills.

For a full month Khan kept Giri in distant, unreachable valleys while his colleagues tried every which way to secure his release. Giri was liberated eventually, but only after British authorities submitted to the will of Khan and agreed that in his domain only his word would do. "The Lord’s will was done," so the ballad ends.

Prose version

A slightly different tal is told in prose. Giri arrived in Tibbi Kaura Khan Qaisrani (now called Tibbi Qaisrani) to investigate a charge of murder against Jehangir, Kaura Khan’s son. A Syed had been shot and killed. Kaura Khan’s family maintained it was an accidental death when Jehangir was out hunting, however enemies of the family reported it to the British as premeditated murder. In the course of his investigations, Giri accused Jehangir of mendacity. Kaura Khan, the Baloch, lost his temper and an argument followed. Giri was then trussed up and spirited off into the hills.

To make a long story short, after much coming and going the dispute was resolved. Giri was recovered unharmed and, so the story goes, Khan Qaisrani restored to his fief. Indeed, so overcome were the British by his sway over his tribe they granted Khan the authority to try minor cases warranting punishment up to five years imprisonment.

The ballads in all their versions celebrate the spirit of Kaura Khan, his prudence and his impartiality alike for the rich and the poor. His courage to stand up to the British when they called his son a liar is celebrated. The story of Khan slapping Giri and sending him reeling is sung. The way in which the officer’s entourage was overawed by Khan for slapping an angrez official protected by an armed escort is celebrated. In these stories Kaura Khan is the archetypal hero.