Nawab Nowroz Khan
Encyclopedia
Nawab Nauroz Khan, (1874?-1964), respectfully known by Balochis as Babu
Nowroz, was the head of the Zarakzai (Zehri
), a Brahui people
subject to the Khan of Kalat in Balochistan
, Pakistan
. After his failed rebellion against the Pakistani central government in 1959, he became a symbol of the Baloch independence movement.
within the framework of the British Raj
. By 1887 the British had reached a settlement with Kalat agreeing on limited autonomy in exchange for British authority in military affairs and external relationships, but the country remained instable, with periodic fighting against the authorities or between tribal groups.
Nauroz Khan became Nawab and leader of the Zehri tribe in the Jhalawan
area of Kalat at a time before the introduction of electricity or motor vehicles, head of a largely nomadic people in a harsh mountain / desert environment, but with a rich tradition of Baluchi, Persian and Muslim culture. The First and Second World Wars were distant events in this world, but the creation of the state of Pakistan in 1947 was disruptive.
under the "One Unit
" policy. In 1958 the Khan of the largest state, Kalat, Ahmad Yar Khan organized a rebellion to secede from West Pakistan. The Pakistan army took control of the Kalat palace and arrested the Khan for sedition on October 6, 1958. The next day, the president Iskandar Mirza declared martial law. This led to disturbances in parts of Balochistan that lasted for about a year. Nawab Nowroz Khan was one of the leaders.
. Nowroz agreed to surrender on May 15, 1959 in exchange for amnesty and settlement of the Baluchi grievances. Tikka Khan was said to have agreed to the terms of the surrender through an oath on the Quran. However, when Nowroz Khan came down from the hills, he and about 150 of his followers, including his sons and nephews, were arrested for armed rebellion against the state. On July 15, 1960 five of the leaders were executed by hanging in Hyderabad
Jail. Nowroz was spared execution on account of his age, but died in Kohlu
Jail in 1964.
The Khan of Kalat was subsequently forgiven and freed.
Babu
Babu may refer to:Place:* Babu District, in Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaTitle* Babu , South Asian term of respect People*Babu , list of people with this name* Babù, Anderson Rodney de Oliveira, Brazilian footballer...
Nowroz, was the head of the Zarakzai (Zehri
Zehri
Zehri is a Brahui speaking Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan.-Distribution:The tribe is spread throughout Sindh and Balochistan and speak Brahui and Balochi as native languages. The Zehri tribe is a Brahui speaking Baloch tribe mainly living in the Jhalawan region of the province of...
), a Brahui people
Brahui people
The Brahui or Brohi are ethnic Baloch group of about 2.2 million people with the majority found in Kalat, Baluchistan, Pakistan, but they are also found in smaller numbers in neighboring Afghanistan and Iran. The Brahuis are almost entirely Sunni Muslims.-Origins:The ethnonym "Brahui" is a very...
subject to the Khan of Kalat in Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. After his failed rebellion against the Pakistani central government in 1959, he became a symbol of the Baloch independence movement.
Early years
Little is known about Nowroz Khan's early years. He was born some time in the 1870s or 1880s (sources disagree on the date) at a time when Kalat was a princely statePrincely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
within the framework of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. By 1887 the British had reached a settlement with Kalat agreeing on limited autonomy in exchange for British authority in military affairs and external relationships, but the country remained instable, with periodic fighting against the authorities or between tribal groups.
Nauroz Khan became Nawab and leader of the Zehri tribe in the Jhalawan
Jhalawan
Jhalawan was established in the 17th century and its boundary was fixed with Sindh in 1853. The country was south of Kalat State, north of the Sarawan, west of the Kachi and Sindh and east of the Kharan and Makran. Jhalawan has important valleys of Baluchistan, such as Kalat, Gidar, Baghwana,...
area of Kalat at a time before the introduction of electricity or motor vehicles, head of a largely nomadic people in a harsh mountain / desert environment, but with a rich tradition of Baluchi, Persian and Muslim culture. The First and Second World Wars were distant events in this world, but the creation of the state of Pakistan in 1947 was disruptive.
Background to revolt
In 1955 the various states of Balochistan were dissolved and merged into the province of West PakistanWest Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
under the "One Unit
One Unit
One-Unit was the title of a scheme launched by the federal government of Pakistan to merge the four provinces of West Pakistan into one homogenous unit, as a counterbalance against the numerical domination of the ethnic Bengalis of East Pakistan...
" policy. In 1958 the Khan of the largest state, Kalat, Ahmad Yar Khan organized a rebellion to secede from West Pakistan. The Pakistan army took control of the Kalat palace and arrested the Khan for sedition on October 6, 1958. The next day, the president Iskandar Mirza declared martial law. This led to disturbances in parts of Balochistan that lasted for about a year. Nawab Nowroz Khan was one of the leaders.
Rebellion and imprisonment
Nowroz Khan's band of fighters, which may have numbered as many as 1,000 at times, was involved in several sharp skirmishes with forces led by Lt. Col. Tikka KhanTikka Khan
General Tikka Khan, HJ, HQA, SPk, was a senior four-star general in the Pakistan Army who served as the first Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from 3 March 1972 to 1 March 1976. Before his four-star assignment, Khan was a Martial Law Administrator of erstwhile East-Pakistan...
. Nowroz agreed to surrender on May 15, 1959 in exchange for amnesty and settlement of the Baluchi grievances. Tikka Khan was said to have agreed to the terms of the surrender through an oath on the Quran. However, when Nowroz Khan came down from the hills, he and about 150 of his followers, including his sons and nephews, were arrested for armed rebellion against the state. On July 15, 1960 five of the leaders were executed by hanging in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sindh
is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
Jail. Nowroz was spared execution on account of his age, but died in Kohlu
Kohlu
Kohlu is the capital of Kohlu District in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located at 29°54'0N 69°15'0E with an altitude of 1183 metres . The Marri tribe is main ethnic group in the city....
Jail in 1964.
The Khan of Kalat was subsequently forgiven and freed.