Kalat

Gate of Kalat Fort

The town of Kalat is said to have been founded by and named Kalat-e Sewa, after Sewa, a legendary hero of the Brahui people.The origins of the Brahui speaking tribes are uncertain, but their language indicates they are a Northern Dravidian people whose language has been modified by residence in the proximity of largely Iranian peoples, most notably the Baloch with whom the Brahui have been greatly mixed. The Brahui people had already long been resident in the Kalat area when the Balochi speaking tribes arrived from the west. The Balochis established a large kingdom in the 15th century, but it soon declined and the region fell to Afghan and Iranian invaders. The Brahui Khans of Kalat were dominant from the 16th century onwards until the arrival of the British in the 19th century. A treaty was signed in 1876 to make Kalat part of the British Empire. In 1947, Kalat became part of Pakistan when the British withdrew. The last Khan of Kalat was formally removed from power in 1955, but the title is still claimed by his descendents. The current Khan of Kalat is Mir Suleman Dawood Khan
Kalat or Qalat is also a district in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is one of 26 in that province, and encompasses an area of 6,621 km². The population of the district is estimated to be over 400,00 in 2005. The district is governed from the city of Kalat.Kalat was notified as a district on February 3, 1954. At that time Khuzdar and Mastung districts were sub-divisions of Kalat (which then also included Bolan, Jhal Magsi and Nasirabad (Dera Murad Jamali); these were separated in 1965 as Kachhi District). Khuzdar became a separate district by notification of 1 March 1974, while Mastung was announced to be separate district on 18 February 1992. The district draws its name from the ancient city of Kalat. The old name of the district headquarters was Kahan. The current district consists of two sub-divisions, i.e. Kalat and Surab, five tehsils: Kalat Mangochar, Johan, Gazgz, and Surab, 81 patwar circles and 614 mauza (villages).The climate is arid, hot in summer and cold in winter, with most rainfall occurring in the winter. The terrain is mountainous with several valleys and one main river, the Moro. The main economic activities are agriculture and livestock farming.Population:According to the census of 1995, 89% of the population speak the Brahui language and 10% the Balochi language; presumably, this refers to the proportions of the population that name the said language as their native tongue. Over 98% of the population is Muslim. There is a small Zikri minority. The major Baloch tribes of the district are Dehwar, Mengal and Zehri.