Wadh
Encyclopedia
Wadh is a town in the Khuzdar District
of Balochistan
, Pakistan. The population of the town was 48.950 according to the 1998 census. Most of the inhabitants of the sub-district belong to the Mengal
tribe. The majority of the people in the area are Muslims, with a small Hindu
minority.
.
The climate is semi-arid, although occasionally subject to flooding, with warm summers and mild winters. Agriculture is a major economic activity, followed by livestock farming.
The area of Wadh is rich in mineral resources, with large deposits of barite
, chromite
, magnesite
, manganite
. The region where the town lies is also said to be rich in oil
and gas
, although the tense political situation has inhibited exploitation.
Wadh was in Jhalawan
state until 1 March 1974, when Wadh was re-defined as a sub-district within the Khuzdar
district.
The Mengal
people of Khuzdar speak Brahui, a Dravidian language
, although most of their neighbors speak Iranian languages
. They have retained their distinctive identity while being periodically subjugated to the Arab empire
, Balochistan
, India, Persia or Afghanistan
. The British
took control starting in 1839. In 1948 Balochistan became part of Pakistan.
The Menghal people continue to clash with the Pakistani government, seeking greater autonomy. A major battle took place at Wadh on October 10, 1958. The Baloch were led by Nowroz Khan
, the 90-year-old chief of the Zehri
tribe. Finally, Nowroz Khan agreed to lay down arms in return for the withdrawal of the One Unit plan, safe conduct and amnesty. However, Nowroz was arrested, and five of his men were hanged in July 1960, on charges of treason.
-Lasbela
-Khuzdar
-Wadh-Kalat-Mastung
-Quetta
-Chaman
and further onto Iran and Afghanistan. The highway also runs down to recent connection to Gwadar
. The highway further connects to many towns in Balochistan and the highway to Multan
, Islamabad
in Punjab
and Peshawar
in the North-West Frontier Province
.
Over 150 commercial vans and coaches move between the port city of Karachi and Quetta. It is a key route to and through Balochistan. The RCD Highway was constructed under a treaty between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey and was first constructed during the regime of Sardar Attaullah Mengal as Chief Minister
of Balochistan. The town of Wadh is some 380 km south of Quetta
, the capital city of Balochistan.
Khuzdar District
Khuzdar district is located in the centre of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar district. Khuzdar was created as a separate district on 1 March 1974. Previously, it was part of Kalat District....
of 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. The population of the town was 48.950 according to the 1998 census. Most of the inhabitants of the sub-district belong to the Mengal
Mengal
Mengal is a Brahui / Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan- Demographics :The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi...
tribe. The majority of the people in the area are Muslims, with a small Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
minority.
Geography
Wadh is in the mountainous region between the Kalat plateau and the plains of SindhSindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.
The climate is semi-arid, although occasionally subject to flooding, with warm summers and mild winters. Agriculture is a major economic activity, followed by livestock farming.
The area of Wadh is rich in mineral resources, with large deposits of barite
Barite
Baryte, or barite, is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. The baryte group consists of baryte, celestine, anglesite and anhydrite. Baryte itself is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of barium...
, chromite
Chromite
Chromite is an iron chromium oxide: FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. Magnesium can substitute for iron in variable amounts as it forms a solid solution with magnesiochromite ; substitution of aluminium occurs leading to hercynite .-Occurrence:Chromite is found in...
, magnesite
Magnesite
Magnesite is magnesium carbonate, MgCO3. Iron substitutes for magnesium with a complete solution series with siderite, FeCO3. Calcium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may also occur in small amounts...
, manganite
Manganite
Manganite is a mineral. Its composition is manganese oxide-hydroxide, MnO, crystallizing in the monoclinic system . Crystals of manganite are prismatic and deeply striated parallel to their length; they are often grouped together in bundles. The color is dark steel-grey to iron-black, and the...
. The region where the town lies is also said to be rich in oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
, although the tense political situation has inhibited exploitation.
Wadh was in 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,...
state until 1 March 1974, when Wadh was re-defined as a sub-district within the Khuzdar
Khuzdar
Khuzdar or Khozdar is a town located in Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar District, which was created on 1 March 1974...
district.
History
The mountainous area of Khuzdar and particularly Wadh has a turbulent history from earliest times, which continues today.The Mengal
Mengal
Mengal is a Brahui / Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan- Demographics :The Mengal tribe is one of the largest Baloch tribe. Mengal people speak Brahui, a Dravidian language that has been heavily influenced by other Iranian languages spoken in the area, especially Balochi...
people of Khuzdar speak Brahui, a Dravidian language
Dravidian languages
The Dravidian language family includes approximately 85 genetically related languages, spoken by about 217 million people. They are mainly spoken in southern India and parts of eastern and central India as well as in northeastern Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, and...
, although most of their neighbors speak Iranian languages
Iranian languages
The Iranian languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages which in turn is a subgroup of Indo-European language family. They have been and are spoken by Iranian peoples....
. They have retained their distinctive identity while being periodically subjugated to the Arab empire
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
, Balochistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
, India, Persia or Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
took control starting in 1839. In 1948 Balochistan became part of Pakistan.
The Menghal people continue to clash with the Pakistani government, seeking greater autonomy. A major battle took place at Wadh on October 10, 1958. The Baloch were led by Nowroz Khan
Nawab Nowroz Khan
Nawab Nauroz Khan, , respectfully known by Balochis as Babu Nowroz, was the head of the Zarakzai , a Brahui people subject to the Khan of Kalat in Balochistan, Pakistan...
, the 90-year-old chief of the 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...
tribe. Finally, Nowroz Khan agreed to lay down arms in return for the withdrawal of the One Unit plan, safe conduct and amnesty. However, Nowroz was arrested, and five of his men were hanged in July 1960, on charges of treason.
RCD Highway
The RCD Highway, which connects Balochistan with all the provinces and their cities and especially Pakistan-Iran-Turkey, passes through the town of Wadh and continues through the Mengal dominated area. The Highway is 813 km long and stretches from KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
-Lasbela
Lasbela District
Lasbela is a coastal district of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It became a separate district in Kalat Division on 30 June 1954. The name is derived from the words Las which in Sanskrit signifies a settlement or lived in or lively and Bela which means "A Sea's Shore" in Sanskrit and is also the...
-Khuzdar
Khuzdar
Khuzdar or Khozdar is a town located in Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar District, which was created on 1 March 1974...
-Wadh-Kalat-Mastung
Mastung
Mastung may refer to:* Mastung District* Mastung Valley* Mastung, Pakistan...
-Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
-Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is the capital of Qilla Abdullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is situated just south of the border with Afghanistan. Across the border in Afghanistan is the neighbouring town of Spin Boldak, in Kandahar Province...
and further onto Iran and Afghanistan. The highway also runs down to recent connection to Gwadar
Gwadar
Gwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the...
. The highway further connects to many towns in Balochistan and the highway to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
in Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
and Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
in the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
.
Over 150 commercial vans and coaches move between the port city of Karachi and Quetta. It is a key route to and through Balochistan. The RCD Highway was constructed under a treaty between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey and was first constructed during the regime of Sardar Attaullah Mengal as Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of Balochistan. The town of Wadh is some 380 km south of Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, the capital city of Balochistan.