Gandava

Gandava
Town
Gandava Gandava
Coordinates:28°37′N67°29′E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Balochistan
Division	Nasirabad
District	Jhal Magsi
Population (2023)
• Total	24,130
Time zone	UTC+5(PST)

Gandavahis a town that serves as the headquarters ofJhal Magsi DistrictofPakistan'sBalochistanprovince.Located on a small hill in the middle of theKach Gandavaplain, Gandava is inhabited by a mix ofSindhi,Baloch,Pathan,Brahui,andHinducommunities.The town has a long history and several old architectural monuments including the Moti Gohram tomb, locally known as "theTaj Mahalof Baluchistan ".Gandava also faces significant difficulties with needs like water, electricity, gas, healthcare, and education.As of the2017 Census of Pakistan,Gandava Municipal Corporation has a population of 7,825 people, in 1,256 households,rising to 24,130 in2023.Gandawa was one of the provincial headquarters of the Bhil dynasty of India

Name

The oldest name associated with the city is Qandabil, which appears in medieval Arabic sources.Supposedly the name derives from the sweetness of its drinking water.The present name Gandava first appears in classical Balochi poetry of the 15th century and has been widely used since the 18th century.A third name, Ganjaba, first appears in sources from the 16th century.It refers to "an abundance of water".

History

According to legend, Qandabil was founded byBahman Ardashirto mark the boundary between the Indians and the Turks.Muslim armies first reached Qandabil in 644, but soon withdrew after hearing of the caliphUmar's death that same year.Qandabil was then controlled by theBrahmin dynasty of Sindhand became a refuge for Arabs fleeing from theUmayyadgovernment.In 688, theKharijiterebelAtiyya ibn al-Aswad al-Hanafifled to Qandabil pursued by a section ofal-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra's army and they killed him here.Six years later, members of the 'Ilafitribe killedSa'id ibn Aslam,the Muslim commander ofMakran,at Qandabil.Al-Hajjaj ibn YusufsentMujja'a ibn Si'rto punish the 'Ilafis in 904; they fled before he could reach them but he was able to subjugate "the tribes of Qandabil" who had probably been aligned with the 'Ilafis.From 704 to 711, Qandabil was held byRaja Dahir,who appointed his nephew Dhol as governor of Budhiya.

In 711, the Muslims underMuhammad ibn al-Qasimdecisively gained control of Qandabil, which became part of Muslim-ruledSindh.In 720, al-Muhallab's rebelling sons fled to Qandabil, expecting to be given refuge, but their ally Wada' shut the gates and refused them entry and they were killed fighting against their pursuer Hilal ibn Ahwaz al-Tamimi.In 754 Arab tribes occupied Qandabil but they were driven out by the governor of Sindh, Hisham ibn 'Amr.Later, in 837, Qandabil was taken by Muhammad ibn Khalil, but 'Imran, governor of Sindh, recaptured the city and restored order.

Medieval Qandabil was the capital of the district called Budha or Budhiya (which was named not because its inhabitants wereBuddhistsbut rather because they belonged to theBudhethnic group) and had the town of Kizkanan or Kikan, possibly the same as present-dayKalat,as one of its dependencies.The 9th-century writeral-Baladhuridescribed Qandabil as being on an elevated site in the middle of the plain, which matches the present-day description of Gandava.A century later,Ibn Hawqaldescribed Qandabil as a large city standing alone on a plain where no date palms grew.Also in the 10th century,al-Istakhridescribed Qandabil as "the central market-place of the Budha hinterland, where 'the Budh people' sold their produce and obtained their supplies".By the late 10th century, palm trees had been planted in the area around Qandabil – the anonymous author of theHudud al-'Alamwrote that it was "a big city, prosperous and pleasant, producing large quantities of dates."

In the second half of the 15th century, Gandava (as it was now called) became the capital of theLashariBaloch confederation under alliance with theSamma dynasty.In 1518,Shah Beg Arghunoccupied Gandava while on his way to conquer Sindh.The city later came underMughallrule in 1574 and formed part of themahalofFathpurand was administered fromBukkur.

Gandava was later ruled by theKalhora dynasty.The city walls were repaired in the early 1700s by a Kalhora officer named Murad and were still standing in the 19th century but are now in ruins.In 1740,Nader Shahconquered the Kalhoras and transferred Gandava to theKhans of Kalat.It remained under their control until 1955 and served as their winter residence.