# Baluchistan Agency

The Baluchistan Agency (also spelt Balochistan Agency) was one of the agencies of British India during the colonial era. It was located in the present-day Balochistan province of Pakistan.

## Geography

The territories of the agency covered an area of 347,064 km$^2$ (134,002 sq mi) and included areas which had been acquired by lease or otherwise brought under direct British control, as well as the princely states.

## History

This political agency was established in 1877, following the 1876 treaty signed in Mastung by Baloch leaders by means of which they accepted the mediation of the British authorities in their disputes.
Colonel Sir Robert Groves Sandeman introduced an innovative system of tribal pacification in Balochistan that was in effect from 1877 to 1947. However the Government of India generally opposed his Methods and refused to allow it to operate in India's North West Frontier. Historians have long debated its scope and effectiveness in the peaceful spread of Imperial influence.

## Demographics
### Religion

Religion in Balochistan Agency (1901−1941) :
| Religious group | 1901$^{:5}$ | 1901$^{:5}$ | 1911$^{:9–13}$ | 1911$^{:9–13}$ | 1921$^{:47–52}$ | 1921$^{:47–52}$ | 1931$^{:149}$ | 1931$^{:149}$ | 1941$^{:13–18}$ | 1941$^{:13–18}$ |
| Religious group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Islam | 765,368 | 94.4% | 782,648 | 93.76% | 733,477 | 91.73% | 798,093 | 91.88% | 785,181 | 91.53% |
| Hinduism | 38,158 | 4.71% | 38,326 | 4.59% | 51,348 | 6.42% | 53,681 | 6.18% | 54,394 | 6.34% |
| Sikhism | 2,972 | 0.37% | 8,390 | 1.01% | 7,741 | 0.97% | 8,425 | 0.97% | 12,044 | 1.4% |
| Christianity | 4,026 | 0.5% | 5,085 | 0.61% | 6,693 | 0.84% | 8,059 | 0.93% | 6,056 | 0.71% |
| Zoroastrianism | 166 | 0.02% | 170 | 0.02% | 165 | 0.02% | 167 | 0.02% | 76 | 0.01% |
| Judaism | 48 | 0.01% | 57 | 0.01% | 19 | 0% | 17 | 0% | 20 | 0% |
| Jainism | 8 | 0% | 10 | 0% | 17 | 0% | 17 | 0% | 7 | 0% |
| Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 16 | 0% | 160 | 0.02% | 68 | 0.01% | 43 | 0.01% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 5 | 0% | 75 | 0.01% | 14 | 0% |
| Total Population | 810,746 | 100% | 834,703 | 100% | 799,625 | 100% | 868,617 | 100% | 857,835 | 100% |

#### Districts

Religion in the Districts of Baluchistan Agency (1941)$^{:18–20}$ :
| District | Islam | Islam | Hinduism | Hinduism | Sikhism | Sikhism | Christianity | Christianity | Others | Others | Total | Total |
| District | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Sibi District | 157,706 | 95.64% | 6,425 | 3.9% | 566 | 0.34% | 200 | 0.12% | 2 | 0% | 164,899 | 100% |
| Administered Areas | 99,875 | 93.53% | 6,144 | 5.75% | 566 | 0.53% | 200 | 0.19% | 2 | 0% | 106,787 | 100% |
| Marri-Bugti Country | 57,831 | 99.52% | 281 | 0.48% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 58,112 | 100% |
| Quetta–Pishin District | 113,288 | 72.49% | 28,629 | 18.32% | 8,787 | 5.62% | 5,441 | 3.48% | 144 | 0.09% | 156,289 | 100% |
| Loralai District | 79,273 | 94.73% | 3,129 | 3.74% | 1,124 | 1.34% | 159 | 0.19% | 0 | 0% | 83,685 | 100% |
| Zhob District | 55,987 | 91.04% | 4,286 | 6.97% | 1,076 | 1.75% | 146 | 0.24% | 4 | 0.01% | 61,499 | 100% |
| Chaghai District | 27,864 | 93.04% | 1,204 | 4.02% | 181 | 0.6% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 29,950 | 100% |
| Bolan District | 4,812 | 80.08% | 950 | 15.81% | 184 | 3.06% | 55 | 0.92% | 8 | 0.13% | 6,009 | 100% |
| Total | 438,980 | 87.51% | 44,623 | 8.9% | 11,918 | 2.38% | 6,002 | 1.2% | 158 | 0.03% | 501,631 | 100% |

#### Princely States

Religion in the Princely States of Baluchistan Agency (1941)$^{:18–20}$ :
| Princely state | Islam | Islam | Hinduism | Hinduism | Sikhism | Sikhism | Christianity | Christianity | Others | Others | Total | Total |
| Princely state | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Kalat State | 245,208 | 96.8% | 7,971 | 3.15% | 79 | 0.03% | 45 | 0.02% | 2 | 0% | 253,305 | 100% |
| Makran Division | 86,406 | 99.72% | 206 | 0.24% | 17 | 0.02% | 20 | 0.02% | 2 | 0% | 86,651 | 100% |
| Kachhi Division | 79,016 | 91.76% | 7,095 | 8.24% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 86,112 | 100% |
| Jhalawan Division | 52,194 | 99.85% | 78 | 0.15% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 52,272 | 100% |
| Sarawan Division | 27,592 | 97.6% | 592 | 2.09% | 61 | 0.22% | 25 | 0.09% | 0 | 0% | 28,270 | 100% |
| Las Bela State | 67,310 | 97.46% | 1,701 | 2.46% | 47 | 0.07% | 9 | 0.01% | 0 | 0% | 69,067 | 100% |
| Kharan State | 33,733 | 99.71% | 99 | 0.29% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 33,832 | 100% |
| Total | 346,251 | 97.21% | 9,771 | 2.74% | 126 | 0.04% | 54 | 0.02% | 2 | 0% | 356,204 | 100% |

#### Cities

Religion in the Cities of Baluchistan Agency (1941)$^{:13–14}$ :
| City/Urban Area | Islam | Islam | Hinduism | Hinduism | Sikhism | Sikhism | Christianity | Christianity | Others | Others | Total | Total |
| City/Urban Area | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Quetta | 27,935 | 43.33% | 24,010 | 37.24% | 7,364 | 11.42% | 5,024 | 7.79% | 143 | 0.22% | 64,476 | 100% |
| Fort Sandeman | 5,232 | 55.94% | 2,992 | 31.99% | 1,004 | 10.73% | 121 | 1.29% | 4 | 0.04% | 9,353 | 100% |
| Sibi | 5,505 | 62.18% | 2,814 | 31.78% | 362 | 4.09% | 171 | 1.93% | 2 | 0.02% | 8,854 | 100% |
| Chaman | 2,812 | 42.29% | 2,898 | 43.58% | 697 | 10.48% | 242 | 3.64% | 1 | 0.02% | 6,650 | 100% |
| Loralai | 2,327 | 45.67% | 1,536 | 30.15% | 1,116 | 21.9% | 116 | 2.28% | 0 | 0% | 5,095 | 100% |
| Bela | 3,389 | 86.79% | 469 | 12.01% | 47 | 1.2% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3,905 | 100% |
| Pasni | 3,547 | 98.09% | 69 | 1.91% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3,616 | 100% |
| Mastung | 2,963 | 94.36% | 124 | 3.95% | 28 | 0.89% | 25 | 0.8% | 0 | 0% | 3,140 | 100% |
| Kalat | 2,049 | 83.19% | 381 | 15.47% | 33 | 1.34% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2,463 | 100% |
| Machh | 1,632 | 73.51% | 421 | 18.96% | 121 | 5.45% | 38 | 1.71% | 8 | 0.36% | 2,220 | 100% |
| Usta | 1,154 | 59.95% | 688 | 35.74% | 77 | 4% | 6 | 0.31% | 0 | 0% | 1,925 | 100% |
| Pishin | 1,245 | 65.87% | 447 | 23.65% | 183 | 9.68% | 15 | 0.79% | 0 | 0% | 1,890 | 100% |
| Panjgur | 416 | 87.95% | 45 | 9.51% | 9 | 1.9% | 3 | 0.63% | 0 | 0% | 473 | 100% |
| Total Urban Population | 60,206 | 52.78% | 36,894 | 32.35% | 11,041 | 9.68% | 5,751 | 5.04% | 158 | 0.14% | 114,060 | 100% |

### Castes and tribes

Castes and Tribes of Baluchistan Agency (1931–1941) :
| Caste or Tribe | 1931$^{:22}$ | 1931$^{:22}$ | 1941$^{:22}$ | 1941$^{:22}$ |
| Caste or Tribe | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Baluch | 227,846 | 26.23% | 237,526 | 27.69% |
| Pathan | 193,025 | 22.22% | 190,074 | 22.16% |
| Brahui | 152,588 | 17.57% | 128,336 | 14.96% |
| Jatt | 77,157 | 8.88% | 67,317 | 7.85% |
| Other Muslims | 60,690 | 6.99% | 68,032 | 7.93% |
| Lasi | 31,812 | 3.66% | 34,066 | 3.97% |
| Sayyid | 21,976 | 2.53% | 23,327 | 2.72% |
| Other Hindus | 16,905 | 1.95% | 12,765 | 1.49% |
| Other Sikhs | 48 | 0.01% | 51 | 0.01% |
| Others | 86,570 | 9.97% | 96,341 | 11.23% |
| Total | 868,617 | 100% | 857,835 | 100% |

## Princely states

The Baluchistan Agency consisted of three princely states:
* Kalat khanate, the premier state and only salute state (Hereditary salute of 19-guns; titles Wali, Khan; from 1739 Wali, Begler Begi, Khan), including its Jhalawan, Kacchi and Sarawan administrative divisions
** while Makran (title Nazem, later Nawwab) is quoted as either another division, a vassal state or autonomous
* and Kalat's two feudatory states :
** Las Bela (title Jam Saheb)
** Kharan (title Mir; from 1921, Sardar Bahador Nawwab).
The Government of India maintained its relations with the states through its political agent in Kalat. The first agent in Balochistan was Robert Groves Sandeman (1835–1892), Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India, who was appointed by Lord Lytton, the Viceroy of India.

## Administrative structure

In addition to the princely states, the north of the agency was administered as the Chief Commissioner's Province. This consisted of the following districts:
* Chagai
* Quetta-Pishin (including Quetta)
* Jhatpat
* Loralai
* Sibi (including Bugti and Marri tribal areas)
* Zhob