Kalat, Balochistan
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Kalāt or Qalāt (Brahui/Balochi: کلات), historically known as Qīqān,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is the historical capital of Kalat State<ref name="s1" /> in Kalat district, in Balochistan. The town of Kalat is the headquarter of Kalat District and was also known in the past by the historical names Kalat-e-Baloch<ref name="Journal">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Britannica">Template:Cite web</ref> and Kalat-e-Sewa.<ref name="s1">Template:Cite book</ref>
Qalat, formerly Kalat, is located roughly in the center of the Balochistan province, and in the past, the capital of Balochistan<ref name="Journal" /><ref name="Dashti">Template:Cite journal</ref> (in Kalat State<ref name="s1" />). The Khan of Kalat is presently a ceremonial title held by Mir Suleman Dawood Jan, and the Pakistan government has made efforts to reconcile with him; his son, Prince Mohammed, who is next in line to be the Khan of Kalat, is pro-Pakistan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Name
In the Balochi language word Kalat is applied to a fort in general<ref name="Journal" /> and the town became known as Kalat-e Baloch after the formation of the first Baloch rule over Kalat in the 15th century<ref name=Khan>Template:Cite book</ref> to distinguish it from Kalāt-e Ghilzai in Afghanistan, and Kalat-e Sewa after its legendary founder.<ref name="Britannica" /><ref name="s1" /> During the reign of Mir Nasir Khan, the royal castle Miri (Miri meaning, "place of the Mir"), which was a magnificent building in the center of the city and where the Khan resided, was known as Kalat-e-Nasseer, and appellation it at present retains.<ref name="Journal" /><ref name="f1" />
History
Template:Blockquote The town of Kalat is said to have been founded by the Hindu Sewa dynasty(Qalat-e Sewa) before the Brahuis rule in the 15th century.<ref name="Khan" /><ref name="baluchistan1911A" /><ref name="f1">Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Anchor Six battles of Kikan (Six battles of Kikanan/Kizkanan): The legendary battles of Kinan parallel the battle of Thermopylae, where a small contingent of pastoral Jat warriors defeated a massive Muslim army. Despite facing a vastly superior Muslim military in numbers, training, and weaponry, Jats inflicted a crushing defeat on Arabic invaders, a humiliation so profound it was taken personally by the Muslim Caliph. Chach Nama reports that during the Arab Muslim invasion of Sindh, the mountain-dwelling brave and agile Jats of Kikan or Kikanan or Kizkanan,<ref name=invadersinfidel1/> likely present-day Kalat,<ref name="Baloch 1978">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Le Strange 1905">Template:Cite book</ref> near Bolan Pass in Balochistan summarily defeated invading Arabic Muslim forces of Haras and killed Haras in 662 CE, only a small portion of Muslim forces returned to Umayyad Caliphate. The impact of Muslim defeat was so significant that for next 20 years each successive caliph made Kikan a special target for attack and sent 6 expeditions of which 5 "failed miserably" and "failed to make any permanent impression" in Sindh.<ref name=invadersinfidel1/>
In the 15th century Kalat was conquered by the Brahui Balochis (Mirwari) of the Hindu Sewa dynasty and they established a large kingdom,<ref name="Khan" /><ref name="baluchistan1911A" /><ref name="f1" /> but it soon declined and the region fell to Mughals for a short period. The brahui speaking Khans of Qalat were dominant from the 17th century onwards until the arrival of the British in the 19th century. A treaty was signed in 1876 to make Qalat part of the British Empire.
In 1947, the Khan of Kalat reportedly acceded to the dominion of Pakistan. In 1948, Qalat became part of Pakistan when the British withdrew. The last Khan of Qalat was formally removed from power in 1955, but the title is still claimed by his descendants. The current Khan of Qalat is Mir Suleman Dawood Khan Ahmadzai.
Climate
Kalat features a cold desert climate (BWk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Kalat is Template:Cvt, while the annual precipitation averages Template:Cvt. June is the driest month with Template:Cvt of rainfall, while January, the wettest month, has an average precipitation of Template:Cvt.
July is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of Template:Cvt. The coldest month January has an average temperature of Template:Cvt. The all-time lowest recorded temperature in Kalat was Template:Cvt on 20 January 1978,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the highest temperature ever recorded was Template:Cvt on 19 June 1977.
Demographics
Population
Template:Historical populations As of the 2023 census, Kalat has population of 44,440.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Languages
The population is mostly Muslim (97 percent), with a Hindu population of three percent,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> out of which many are Hindkowan merchants who regard Kalat as their homeland.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
| Religious group |
1941<ref name="Census1941">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Rp | 2017<ref name="Census2017B">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Census2017C">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Population|Template:Abbr]] | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | |
Islam 
|
2,049 | Template:Percentage | 35,547 | Template:Percentage |
Hinduism 
|
381 | Template:Percentage | 1,234 | Template:Percentage |
Sikhism 
|
33 | Template:Percentage | Template:N/a | Template:N/a |
| Christianity File:Christian cross.svg | 0 | Template:Percentage | 13 | Template:Percentage |
| Ahmadiyya File:Liwa-e-Ahmadiyya 1-2.svg | Template:N/a | Template:N/a | 2 | Template:Percentage |
| Total population | 2,463 | Template:Percentage | 36,796 | Template:Percentage |
Kalat Kali Temple
There is a Hindu temple devoted to Kali.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 21 December 2010, the 82 year old chief-priest was abducted in what was reported as part of increasingly routine targeting of minority Hindus in the province.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Kali Temple of Kalat is located at the foot of the ancient city fort of Kalat state. This temple was built before the arrival of Islam in South Asia.