Las Bela (princely state) explained

Common Name:Las Bela
Conventional Long Name:Las Bela
Native Name:Baluchi: {{nq|لاس بیلہ (Balochi)
لسبيله (Lasi)
Subdivision:Princely state
Nation:Pakistan
Image Map Caption:Las Bela in Pakistan 1955 (in red)
Image Map2:Las Bela (princely state) in British India 1940.png
Image Map2 Caption:Las Bela in British India 1940 (in red)
Capital:Bela
Stat Area1:18254
Year Start:1742
Date End:14 October
Year End:1955
Today:Balochistan, Pakistan

Las Bela was a princely state in a subsidiary alliance with British India (later a princely state of Pakistan) which existed until 1955. The state occupied an area of 18254km2 in the extreme southeast of the Balochistan region, with an extensive coastline on the Arabian Sea to the south. Las Bela was bordered by the princely states of Kalat and Makran to the north and west. To the east lay the province of Sind and to the southeast lay the Federal Capital Territory around the city of Karachi.

History

The State of Las Bela was founded in 1742 by Jam Ali Khan I, who was from Rajput Jamote clan.[1] [2] His descendants ruled Las Bela until 1955 when the state became part of West Pakistan. The statement of Ghulam Qadir Khan, the last Jam of Las Bela on signing the accession was: For a period of three years between 3 October 1952 and 14 October 1955, Las Bela was part of the Baluchistan States Union but retained internal autonomy. In 1955, Las Bela was incorporated into the new province of West Pakistan and became part of Kalat division. In 1960, the area of Las Bela was detached from Kalat division and merged with the former Federal Capital Territory to form the division of Karachi-Bela. When the provincial system was changed in 1970, Las Bela became part of the new province of Balochistan.

Demographics

The main ethnic group in Las Bela state was Sindhi (Lasi, Khoja, Med, Gurjar and Hindu).[3] [4] But there were few nomadic baloch and brahui people as well. The population was mainly Muslims but there was a small population of Hindus.

Geography and climate

Las Bela has a hot, dry tropical desert climate. It is only a few degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. The sea breezes though make the weather less extreme than inland Balochistan, where temperatures can reach 50°C in the summer.

Rulers

The hereditary rulers of Las Bela were styled as Jam Sahib. The Jams of Lasbela are believed to have claimed their ancestry from the Samma of Sindh[5] who also used the title of Jam.

TenureJams of Las Bela[6]
1742-1765Jam Ali Khan I (surnamed Koreja)
1765-1776Jam Ghulam Shah
1776-1818Jam Mir Khan I
1818-1830Jam Ali Khan II
1830-1869Jam Mir Khan II (CIE, KCIE) (1st time)
1869-1886Jam Sir Ali Khan III (KCIE) (1st time)
1886-1888Sir Mir Khan II (KCIE) (2nd time)
1888-1896Jam Sir Ali Khan III (CIE) (2nd time)
1896-1921Jam Kamal Khan I (CIE)
1921-1937Jam Ghulam Mohammad Khan (GCIE)
1937-1955Jam Ghulam Qadir Khan (CIE)
14 October 1955State of Las Bela dissolved
1955-1988Jam Ghulam Qadir Khan (CIE)
1988-2013Jam Mohammad Yousaf
2013-to dateJam Kamal Khan II

Prominent members of the family after the end of the princely state included:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Quddus, Syed Abdul . The Tribal Baluchistan . 1990 . Ferozsons . 978-969-0-10047-4 . en. 63. The former rulers of Makran and Lasbela, Gichki and Jamots respectively, are Rajputs..
  2. Book: The Encyclopaedia of Islām: A Dictionary of the Geography, Ethnography and Biography of the Muhammadan Peoples . 1970 . E. J. Brill . 632 . en. The leading tribes, which are probably of Rājpūt origin are the Djāmot, to which the Djām or ruler of Lasbela belongs....
  3. Book: Boivin, Michel . Devotion, Religious Authority, and Social Structures in Sindh: Khojas, Vanyos, and Faqirs . 2024-03-18 . BRILL . 978-90-04-69529-0 . 28 . en.
  4. Book: Organization (Pakistan), Census . Census of Pakistan, 1951 . 1954 . Manager of Publications, Government of Pakistan . en.
  5. News: Necropolis: City of silence . DAWN.COM . 11 April 2010 . en . The Jams of Lasbela are belived to have claimed their ancestry from Samma of Sindh who ruled over Sindh from 1351 to 1524. One of their ancestors Jam Araddin migrated from Sindh and settled in Kanrach during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1569-1627)..
  6. Web site: Pakistan Princely States. Ben Cahoon, WorldStatesmen.org. 2007-10-03.