THE ROLE OF THE BRITISH VIS-À-VIS THE KALAT CONFEDERACY AND THE PAKISTANI FEDERATION: AN OVERVIEW OF HISTORICAL EVENTS.

This paper aims to critically investigate the role of the British in the state of Kalat (Kalat Confederacy) and the merger of the later into the Pakistani federation. The paper has three sections. Firstly, it examines the establishment of Kalat Confederacy. Secondly, it investigates the arrival of the British to Kalat and its relationship with it (Kalat) until 1947. Thirdly, it critically discusses the fall of Kalat and its integration into the Pakistani federation. The merger of Kalat to Pakistan is interpreted differently by several historians and researchers. However, none of them examine the role of the British and the Baloch tribal chiefs vis-à-vis the merger of Kalat into the state of Pakistan. Therefore, this research is an attempt to investigate the role of the British in Kalat’s affairs and its final merger into the Pakistani federation. The paper argues that the clandestine role played by the Baloch sardars and the members of the ruling family is responsible for giving space to the British and its eventual fall and amalgamation into the Pakistani federation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]