Kachhi or Kacchi (Balochi: کچّی دمگ, Sindhi: ڪڇي ضلو Urdu: ضلع کچّھی), previously known until 2008 as Bolan District,[2] is a district located in the central part of the Balochistan province in Pakistan.[3] The Bolan area remained under one district Kacchi until 31 December 1991. The Deputy Commissioner's office started functioning on 17 May 1992, and Bolan became one of the four districts of Naseerabad Division, until the abolition of Divisions in 2000.
Kachhi District
ضلع کچّھی | |
|---|---|
 .jpg) Top: Ruins of Mehrgarh Bottom: Seasonal river in Kachhi district | |
 Map of Balochistan with Kacchi District highlighted | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Balochistan |
| Division | Nasirabad |
| Established | December 1991 |
| Headquarters | Dhadar |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • Deputy Commissioner | N/A |
| • District Police Officer | N/A |
| • District Health Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
| • District of Balochistan | 5,682 km2 (2,194 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
| • District of Balochistan | 442,674 |
| • Density | 78/km2 (200/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 80,452 |
| • Rural | 362,222 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Website | Official website |
In 2013, it was announced that the tehsil of Bhag would split off to form part of the new Lehri District.[4]
History
editThe Kachhi Plains are the home of the archeological site of Mehrgarh. One of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology, lies on what is now the Kachhi Plain of today's Balochistan, Pakistan. It is one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming (wheat and barley) and herding (cattle, sheep and goats) in South Asia.[5]
Until the end of the 15th century Mehargarh was ruled by Meena tribe.[6] Around 1500, it was taken by Shah Beg of the Arghun dynasty from the Samma dynasty of the Sultans of Sindh. The territory was conquered by the Kalhora Amirs of Sindh,[7][8] who were themselves displaced by Nadir Shah of Persia. Shah gave the territory to Kalat Khanate in 1740.[9][10] Kachhi was notified as a district in February 1965. At that time Naseerabad, Jhal Magsi and Jafarabad districts were included; these were separated in 1987.
Administrative divisions
editThe district is administratively subdivided into the following Tehsils:[3]
The Union councils of Kachhi District are:
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | N/A | — |
| 1961 | N/A | — |
| 1972 | N/A | — |
| 1981 | N/A | — |
| 1998 | 255,480 | — |
| 2017 | 309,932 | +1.02% |
| 2023 | 442,674 | +6.12% |
| Sources:[11] | ||
Population
editAccording to 2023 census, the district had a population of 442,674[12].
Religion
editIn the 2023 census, Islam was the predominant religion with 98.62%, while Hindus were 0.89% of the population.[14]
| Religious group |
2017[citation needed] | 2023[citation needed] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam 
|
306,306 | 98.83% | 436,547 | 98.62% |
Hinduism 
|
3,223 | 1.04% | 3,956 | 0.89% |
Christianity 
|
403 | 0.13% | 2,034 | 0.46% |
Sikhism 
|
— | — | 54 | 0.01% |
| Others | — | — | 83 | 0.02% |
| Total Population | 309,932 | 100% | 442,674 | 100% |
| Religious group |
1901[15] | 1911[16] | 1921[17] | 1931[18] | 1941[19] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Islam
|
1,199 | 61.93% | 1,422 | 67.84% | 2,459 | 67.97% | 3,229 | 68.88% | 4,812 | 80.08% |
| Hinduism
|
582 | 30.06% | 540 | 25.76% | 969 | 26.78% | 1,165 | 24.85% | 950 | 15.81% |
| Sikhism
|
124 | 6.4% | 107 | 5.1% | 118 | 3.26% | 173 | 3.69% | 184 | 3.06% |
| Christianity
|
22 | 1.14% | 26 | 1.24% | 69 | 1.91% | 91 | 1.94% | 55 | 0.92% |
Jainism 
|
8 | 0.41% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Zoroastrianism 
|
1 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.08% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Judaism 
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 8 | 0.13% |
Buddhism .svg){kind=small}
|
— | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Total population | 1,936 | 100% | 2,096 | 100% | 3,618 | 100% | 4,688 | 100% | 6,009 | 100% |
| Note: British Baluchistan era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. | ||||||||||
| Religious group |
1911[16] | 1921[17] | 1931[18] | 1941[19] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||
| Islam
|
84,389 | 90.98% | 68,144 | 90.67% | 98,852 | 93.36% | 79,016 | 91.76% | ||
| Hinduism
|
7,176 | 7.74% | 7,009 | 9.33% | 7,019 | 6.63% | 7,095 | 8.24% | ||
| Sikhism
|
1,188 | 1.28% | 0 | 0% | 12 | 0.01% | 1 | 0% | ||
| Christianity
|
6 | 0.01% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Zoroastrianism
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Judaism
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Jainism
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Buddhism
|
0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Tribal | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Total population | 92,759 | 100% | 75,153 | 100% | 105,886 | 100% | 86,112 | 100% | ||
| Note: British Baluchistan era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. | ||||||||||
Language
editAt the time of 2023 census, 58.88% of the population spoke Balochi, 17% Sindhi, 12.29% Saraiki and 10.25% Brahui as their first language.[20]
Education
editAccording to the Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, district Kachhi is ranked at number 109 out of 141 ranked districts in Pakistan on the education score index. This index considers learning, gender parity and retention in the district.
Literacy rate in 2014–15 of population of 10 years and older in the district stood at 43% whereas for females it was only 23%.[21]
Post primary access is a major issue in the district with 86% schools being at primary level. Whereas with high schools it constitutes only 6% of government schools in the district. This is also reflected in the enrolment figures for academic year 2016–17 with 12,688 students enrolled in class 1 to 5 and only 261 students enrolled in class 9 and 10.
Gender disparity in education is another issue in the district. Only 28% schools in the district are girls’ schools. Access to education for girls is a major issue in the district and is also reflected in the low literacy rates of females.
Moreover, the schools in the district lack basic facilities. According to Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, the district is ranked at number 139 out of the 155 districts of Pakistan for primary school infrastructure. At the middle school level, it is ranked at number 129 out of the 155 districts.
These rankings take into account the basic facilities available in schools including drinking water, working toilet, availability of electricity, existence of a boundary wall and general building condition. More than half of the government schools in the district do not have the provision of electricity, toilet and a boundary wall. 213 out of 465 schools do not have clean drinking water.
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/balochistan/dcr/table_1.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ District Bolan renamed Kachhi
- ^ a b Tehsils & Unions in the District of Bolan - Government of Pakistan
- ^ New district in Balochistan, dawn.com
- ^ Hirst, K. Kris. 2005. Mehrgarh, Pakistan - Life in the Indus Valley Before Harappa. Thought Co.
- ^ "Sibi". Visitorsheaven.com. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- ^ "Cities of Pakistan (Sibi)". PakistanPaedia. 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- ^ "Being private in public". DAWN Magazine. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
- ^ Sibi District - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 22, p. 338.
- ^ "Ghulam Shah Kalhora and Relations With Kutch". Panhwar.com. 2002-11-02. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Population by Sex, Religion and Rural/Urban, Census - 2023" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/balochistan/dcr/table_9.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Pakistan Census 2023" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Census of India 1901. Vol. 5A, Baluchistan. Pt. 2, Imperial tables". 1901. p. 5. JSTOR saoa.crl.25352844. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Census of India 1911. Vol. 4, Baluchistan : pt. 1, Report; pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 11. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393764. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Census of India 1921. Vol. 4, Baluchistan : part I, Report; part II, Tables". 1921. p. 165. JSTOR saoa.crl.25394124. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Census of India 1931. Vol. 4, Baluchistan. Pts. 1 & 2, Report [and] Imperial and provincial tables". 1931. p. 390. JSTOR saoa.crl.25797115. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 14, Baluchistan". 1941. p. 17. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215993. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Pakistan Census 2023" (PDF).
- ^ Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2016). "Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2014-15" (PDF). Islamabad: Government of Pakistan. p. 111. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
External links
edit
Bibliography
edit- 1998 District census report of Kachhi (Bolan). Census publication. Vol. 105. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 2000.