Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: April 06, 2021 | 
| 中文
The Pond of Pir Chattal (Photo Credits to Kashif Kamal)
Surrounded by the Khuzdar, Bolan, Naseerabad, and Jaffarabad districts of Balochistan, and Larkana district of Sindh province to the south, is the cordate-shaped Jhal Magsi district – often referred to as the heart of Balochistan. This is not only due to its shape but also because of its historic importance. Given the status of a district in 1992, Jhal Magsi is a geographical area of about 3,500 square kilometers that was previously part of the Kachhi and Bolan districts.
Named after the principal town of ‘Jhal’ (water), this is also the seat of the Baloch Magsi tribe. According to the census of 2017, the estimated population is 149,225 comprising mainly of Baloch and Jamot people who mostly speak Balochi, Brahvi, Sindhi, and Seraiki languages.
Children Feeding Camels (Photo Credits to Kashif Kamal)
An ancient Sardar system of tribal hierarchy remains in the area, and each tribe is further sub-divided into various branches headed by Nawabs, Maliks, or Mirs. A sub-division of Jhal Magsi, Gandawah traces its history to the times of Greeks, Scythians and Kushans. According to travel writer Salman Rashid, “Achaemenid-Persian King Cyrus the Great visited the eastern provinces’ territories through Mula Pass (East of Jhal Magsi) in the sixth century BC. In 325 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered Musicanus, Oxycanus and Porticanus principalities in Upper Sindh. He dispatched his most trusted lieutenant Krateros with 10,000 army and elephants to return to Persia through Khuzdar.”
The recorded history of Gandawah begins with the expedition of Chach, the first ruler of the Brahman Dynasty. He marched from Makran and subdued Lasbela, Khuzdar and Qandabil (modern day Gandawah) in 641 AD. According to his written account called ‘Chachnama’, Arab armies reached the Qandabil region as early as 644 AD. When the Arabs first came to Gandawah, they saw a stream flowing from the mountains to the city. Thirsty, they started drinking from the stream and said to one another, “Haza Qandabil! – here is a bowl of sugar”. In Arabic, ‘Qand’ means ‘sugar’ and ‘bil’ means ‘bowl’. Qandabil was renamed ‘Ganjaba’ (abundance of water) during the 15th century.
A Brief Look into Village (Life Photo Credits to Kashif Kamal)/p>
In the 17th century, Jhal Magsi was under the dominion of the Kalhoras of Sindh. It remained part of the Kalhora kingdom from 1700 to 1739 after which it was given to the Khan of Kalat by Nader Shah of Iran. During the British Raj, the region remained part of Kalat State. Predominantly nomadic, a multitude of influences have shaped the cultural identity of the population of Jhal Magsi. Inherently independent and valorous in temperament, people of Jhal Magsi have remained unaffected by the changing modern times.
With a dry and hot summer, a pleasant winter and scanty rainfall, Jhal Magsi is a cluster of small towns and strewn settlements. Livestock and agriculture is the mainstay of its economy, with crops of wheat, barley, mustard, vegetables, fodder, sunflower, beans, melons, and dates. One gets to witness the breathtakingly rugged vistas long uninhabited stretches while travelling through sparsely populated Balochistan. Those who dare to take the route less-travelled, are sure to be left stunned by the natural, archeological, and historical richness of the otherwise unassuming Jhal Magsi.
Grain Storage Silos (Photo Credits to Kashif Kamal)
Here, one finds the cemetery of Kalhora warriors at Khanpur and Gandawah, the graveyard of Moti-Gohram locally known as the Taj Mahal of Balochistan, and the octagonal tomb of Muhammad Shah Alatzai located by the Mula River. Bahltoor and Kotra (known as Pingar Mari) named after Dalorai Dumb (a former Hindu King), and Bhootani tombs are some of the many important archeological sites here. The shrines of Muhammad Ayub Shah Bukhari, Baba Katwara’s Ashram, Saeen Rakhil Shah and Pir Chattal Shah are frequented by devotees from far and wide.
Pir Chattal Shah’s shrine is particularly awe-inspiring, as an oasis in the middle of a dry and parched terrain. Adjacent to the shrine is a pond filled with fresh water and sparkling fish. Legend has it that this was the resting place for the Saint Chattal, and the fish were his companions. It is believed that anyone who ever tried to catch, eat or harm the fish has faced a dreadful death. The fish have remained unharmed for centuries and are in fact so accustomed to being fed by the visitors, that they gather around whenever anyone stands by the pond.
The Entrance to the Shrine (Photo Credits to Kashif Kamal)
At a mere walking distance from Jhal Magsi, is another vast necropolis. Scattered all around in this expanse are the graves of Magsi and Chandio chieftains and warriors, who were killed in the Battle of Bungah during the 18th century while fighting alongside Sardar Ahmed Khan Magsi. The bloody battle fought between Magsi and Jamali tribes, and the gallantry of Magsi men, is a subject of great mythology today.
The daunting tomb of Sardar Ahmed Khan Magsi is the most astounding feature in an otherwise flat landscape. Believed to have been built by the Sardar during his lifetime, the tomb is a square plan, protruding into an octagonal vertical drum, topped with an onion-shaped dome. Vertical panels stretch on each side of the façade that were once embellished, but have now been eroded by winds. The tomb also had corner kiosks but they are all demolished, while the wall enclosure marking the premises of the tomb, is long gone. With all surrounding structures destroyed, the main structure of the ochre tomb with its magnificent dome stands exposed from afar, and casts an almost surreal spell.
The Tomb of Sardar Ahmed Khan Magsi (Photo Credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
For the last fifteen years, Jhal Magsi has been gaining attention with the annual Jhal Magsi Desert Race, one of the five off-road car-rally challenges in Pakistan (the others are Hub Rally, Cholistan Rally, Sarfaraga Rally, and Gwadar Rally). Jhal Magsi Desert Car Rally is considered the most challenging rally, offering sandy stretches, muddy terrains and gravel waterbeds. Every year, the world's most expensive big cars, jeeps and SUVs are brought to Jhal Magsi to race in the winters, including Ford Raptor that featured in 2020. Important international rally-drivers like Abdo Feghali of Lebanon and Turkish driver Burcu Cetinkaya have participated as well, giving Jhal Magsi a reputation of being one of the best racing tracks.
From the Jhal Magsi Desert Race 2020
Perhaps it is time for Jhal Magsi, the heart of Balochistan, to once again claim a spot in the annals of history as a place of historic and cultural significance, as well as that of burgeoning sport activity.
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