'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME IV.' [‎92v] (189/652)

176
DIZ—DIZ
Of the history of Dlzak we know little more than of other portions of
Western Baluchistan. It was reduced in 1734 by Nadir Shah, and with
the rest of Baluchistan formed part of the possessions of that conqueror.
When in the zenith of his power Nadir Shah bestowed Dizak on an ancestor
of the present chief. On the death of Nadir Shah in 1747, Nr‘dr Khan
of Kalat became the independent ruler of all Baluchistan. He appears to
have confirmed Nadir Shah’s grant, bestowing Dizak on Niamatullah,
whose name seems to be still well known in the country. Nasir Khan died
in 1795, so that the Niamatullah, who was- chief at the time of Pottmger’s
visit in 1810, may have been the same as he who received the sanad from
Nasir Khan.’ Haji ’Abdul Nabi visited Dizak in 1839, and relates that at
that time the chief was Mir Gajian, who was very popular in the district.
His retainers were Damani Baluch {q.v.), a tribe which appears
numerous in the whole tract south of Sarhad, from Dizak to Magas. Mir
Gajian claimed descent from Shah Niamatullah-i-Yali, a famous saiyid, to
whom a shrine is dedicated at Mahun. In the meantime the Persians had
again been asserting a right to Dizak (with the rest of Western Baluchis
tan), and during the reign of Path ’Ali Shah (1797 to 1834) the country
was invaded by the Yazir Mirza ’Abdul Qasim, and a great part of it was
temporarily annexed to the Persian dominions. The effect on Dizak was
the levy of a tax of Rs. 5 on every hangam, or full water right.
Nasir Khan II of Kalat (1841 to 1857) made vigorous and by no
means unsuccessful efforts to reassert authority over the territory adjacent
to Persia, which had fallen away during the feeble rule of his pre
decessor. p ,,
Whether he ever got much hold on Dizak is uncertain ; but as uold-
smid says, “ these petty Baluch states, instead of uniting under one recog
nized head, had no common bond of interest to keep them together, and
became the prey of their most powerful neighbour for the time being
whether Persia, Afghanistan, or a Baluch Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. of superior power an
^Prom the time of the annexation of Bampiir in 1844-45, Persia was
in a position to enforce her pretensions to Dizak and the neighbouring
country, although her only solid title was the right of the strongest Gold-
smid about 1863 reported Dizak to be m Persian possession, althoug ,
according to St. John, it was not brought thoroughly under subjection until
1865-66, when Ibrahim Khan, the Governor of Bampur, reduced the
chiefs to submission, freeing them at the same time from the attacks of
their enemies, the Kharan Naushirvanis.” Goldsmid says that the chief was
Alim Khan, who had been to Tehran and there received his grant of the
district in due form. The same authority says that ^ Khan was
a grandson of Niamatullah, from which it would appear that the D^ak
chiefs had enjoyed unusual longevity for three generation^ But most
probably Goldsmid’s informant only meant that Ahm K 1 , wa
ecendant of Niamatullah. In 1872 Dizak was visited by Major Oliver
her a day or a night m each week.