Kharan (princely state)

Kharan خاران
Princely State of British India
← 1697–1955 →
Flag
Map of Pakistan with Kharan highlighted
Capital		Kharan
History
•	Established	1697
•	Annexation by Pakistan	14 October 1955
Area
•	1697	48,051 km2 (18,553 sq mi)
Today part of		Balochistan, Pakistan
Government of Balochistan

Map of the Baluchistan Agency.

This article is part of the series
Former administrative units of Pakistan
Original provinces Baluchistan East Bengal Federal Capital Territory Federally Administered Tribal Areas North-West Frontier Province Sind West Punjab
Princely states Amb Bahawalpur Chitral Dir Hunza Kalat Khairpur Kharan Las Bela Makran Nagar Phulra Swat
One-unit provinces East Pakistan West Pakistan
Other subdivisions Gilgit Agency Trans-Karakoram Tract

The State of Kharan (Urdu: ریاست خاران) was an autonomous princely state in a subsidiary alliance with British India, until the departure of the British from the subcontinent in August 1947. it was fully independent, until March 1948, when its ruler signed an Instrument of Accession to Pakistan, retaining the state's internal self-government. In 1955 Kharan was incorporated into Pakistan.

The territory once covered by Kharan is today part of the province of Balochistan, in the southwest of Pakistan.

History

The state of Kharan was established in about 1697 CE as a vassal state of Kalat, which remained until 1940. It became independent of Kalat in 1940. On 17 March 1948, Kharan acceded to Pakistan and on 3 October 1952 it joined the Baluchistan States Union. Mir Habibullah Nousherwani acceded to Pakistan stating: Haran was conquered by Nasir Khan in the late 18th century, but his power there was not fixed.

The ruler of Kharan, Abbas Khan Nushervani, gave the Khan of Kalat part of his income (by the way, extremely irregular), but he ruled his country on his own.

The rulers of Haran achieved relative independence not only from Kalat, but also from Kabul and Tehran, thanks to the remoteness of their possessions. In order to safeguard the trade routes from Iran to India, the Afghan emirs (and before them the Iranian shahs), although they considered the Khans of Kharan their vassals, did not take tribute from them, but rather provided them with regular monetary and other support.^[1]

The state was dissolved on 14 October 1955 when most regions of the western wing of Pakistan were merged to form the province of West Pakistan. When that province was dissolved in 1970, the territory of the former state of Kharan was organised as Kharan District of the province of Baluchistan (later Balochistan).

Demographics

Nausherwani (نوشیروانی) are considered Nawabs of Kharan and Washuk. Most respected family in Balochistan, Nausherwanis are divided into two sub tribes:first the Nawabs of Kharan, and second the sardars of Makran.The population of the state was mainly Baloch tribes, with some Brahui scattered across the area..

Government

The hereditary rulers of Kharan held the title of Mir 1680-1850, Khan 1850-1909, Khan Sahib 1909-1911, Sardar 1911-1919, Sardar Bahadur 1919-1921 and Nawab from post 1921 onwards.

See also

• Kharan District
• Balochistan Province
• Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)
• Makran
• Las Bela
• Khanate of Kalat
• Baluchistan States Union
• List of Indian Princely States

References

External links

• Government of Balochistan