Kalat, Balochistan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kalat قلات Qalāt
District Headquarter / City
Outer wall of Kalat city
Kalat Location in Balochistan, Pakistan Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan Kalat Location in Pakistan Show map of Pakistan
Country	Pakistan
Region	Balochistan
District	Kalat
Government
• Type	City
Area
• Total	489 km2 (189 sq mi)
Elevation	2,007 m (6,585 ft)
Population  (2017)
• Total	36,796
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Area code(s)	+92844

Kalāt or Qalāt (Brahui/Balochi: قلات), historically known as Qīqān, is a historic town located in Kalat District, in Pakistan's Balochistan province. The town of Kalat is the headquarter of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-e-Brahui and Kalat-e-Sewa.

Qalat, formerly Qilat, is located roughly in the center of the Balochistan province, It was the capital of the Kalat Khanate. The Khan of Kalat is presently a ceremonial title held by Mir Suleman Dawood Jan, and the Pakistan government has made efforts to reconcile with him; his son, Prince Mohammed, who is next in line to be the Khan of Kalat, is pro-Pakistan.

Climate

Kalat features a cold desert climate (BWk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Kalat is 14.1 °C (57.4 °F), while the annual precipitation averages 163 mm (6.4 in). June is the driest month with 1 mm (0.039 in) of rainfall, while January, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of 36 mm (1.4 in).

July is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of 24.8 °C (76.6 °F). The coldest month January has an average temperature of 3.4 °C (38.1 °F). The all-time lowest recorded temperature in Kalat was −17 °C (1 °F) on 20 January 1978, while the highest temperature ever recorded was 38 °C (100 °F) on 19 June 1977.

Demographics

The population is mostly Muslim (97 percent), with a Hindu population of three percent, out of which many are Hindkowan merchants who regard Kalat as their homeland.

Religious groups in Kalat City (1941 & 2017)

Religious group	1941		2017
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	2,049	83.19%	35,547	96.61%
Hinduism	381	15.47%	1,234	3.35%
Sikhism	33	1.34%	N/A	N/A
Christianity	0	0%	13	0.04%
Ahmadiyya	N/A	N/A	2	0.01%
Total population	2,463	100%	36,796	100%

Kalat Kali Temple

There is a Hindu temple devoted to Kali. On 21 December 2010, the 82 year old chief-priest was abducted in what was reported as part of increasingly routine targeting of minority Hindus in the province.

History

It has been known in earlier times as Kalat-i-Seva (from a legendary Hindu king) and Kalat-i Nichari which connects it with the Brahui Speaking tribes of Nichari, which is generally accepted as belonging to the oldest branch of the indigenous Brahois

The town of Kalat is said to have been founded by and named Qalat-e Sewa (Sewa's Fort), after Sewa, a legendary hero of the Brahui people.

The Brahui Speaking tribes arrived from east in the Qalat area way before the arrival of Balochi speaking tribes from the west. The Brohis established a large kingdom in the 15th century, but it soon declined and the region fell to Mughals for a short period. The brahui speaking Khans of Qalat were dominant from the 17th century onwards until the arrival of the British in the 19th century. A treaty was signed in 1876 to make Qalat part of the British Empire.

In 1947, the Khan of Kalat reportedly acceded to the dominion of Pakistan. In 1948, Qalat became part of Pakistan when the British withdrew. The last Khan of Qalat was formally removed from power in 1955, but the title is still claimed by his descendants. The current Khan of Qalat is Mir Suleman Dawood Khan Ahmadzai.

See also

In Spanish: Kalat para niños