Glorious tombs of Balochistan


Much like other districts of Balochistan, the landscapes of Jhal Magsi and Lasbela districts are dotted with historic tombs. Historically, Jhal Magsi was under the dominion of the Kalhoras of Sindh. It remained part of the Kalhora kingdom from 1700 to 1739 when it was given to the Khan of Kalat by Nader Shah of Iran. There are many historical tombs dating back to the Kalhora period and that of the Magsi tribe – who later on ruled the region and Jhal Magsi became their state. The Kalhora period tombs are located at Khanpur, Fatehpur and Gandava. These monuments lie in a crumbling condition.
Khanpur is a historical site of crucial significance, where the battle was fought between the troops of the Kalhoras during the reign of Mian Noor Muhammad (1719-1753) and the Khan of Kalat, Mir Abdullah. In this battle, Mir Abdullah was killed. The Kalhora troops also suffered heavy losses. In order to commemorate them, tombs were erected over their graves which lie near Khanpur. The other Kalhora tombs were located in Gandava and belonged to Shah Bohar and Murad Kaleri who was nazim of Sibi and Gandava during the reign of Mian Noor Muhammad Kalhoro. These tombs were later razed to the ground on the orders of the Khan of Kalat when Sibi and Dhaddar, of which Jhal Magsi was part, were given to the Khan of Kalat by Nader Shah.

Apart from Kalhora tombs, there are some tombs which belong to the Magsi tribe. These are located at Jhal Magsi town, in the graveyard of Moti-Gohram and the cemetery of Ahmed Khan Boro (the Obstinate). Of all these, the most impressive is the tomb of Moti-Gohram. It is an octagonal tomb with tapering towers. Architecturally speaking, this tomb has no parallel in the whole of Balochistan. Even the tombs of the Raisanis at Mithri, Sibi, from where the influence has come, do not match with this imposing tomb of the Magsis. The Nausherwani tombs in the district Kharan also pale in comparison to the tomb of Moti-Gohram.
Besides the tombs of Kalhora soldiers, some tombs of Syeds at Fatehpur and of Magsis and several monuments from the Khanate of Kalat also exist in Gandava. The three domed mosque and tomb of Abdul Qadir Junejo (a soldier of Mir Nasir Khan Noori (1749-1817), Khan of Kalat, are located in Gandava town. The octagonal tomb of Muhammad Shah Alatzai located near the Mula river is a magnificent one – erected probably much before the era of the Kalhoras and the Khan of Kalat. The tombs of Moti-Gohram and Muhammad Shah Altazai are veritable jewels of Jhal Magsi.

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