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Yousaf Aziz Magsi

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Nawab Mir Yousaf Aziz Magsi (born 1908 in Jhal Magsi, Pakistan-May 31, 1935) was a prominent Baloch leader from the present-day Balochistan province of Pakistan. He hailed from the Magsi tribe headquartered in Jhal Magsi, the ancestral home of the Magsi. His title was Nawab, which means "ruling prince" or "tribal chief". His father, Kaiser Khan Magsi, was the Nawab of the Magsi tribe.

Education

Mir Yousaf Khan obtained his education at home. He was able to master Arabic, Persian and Urdu within a few years. Then he was taught English by a private tutor for two years.

Exile

In 1922, because of some family problems Yousaf Magsi's father Nawab Kaiser Khan and Yousaf himself had to go into exile in Multan. Yousaf Khan stayed in exile in Multan until 1929.

Balochistan's Lament

Mir Yousaf Ali Khan was impressed by the revolutionary atmosphere of Punjab and was drawn toward the Indian National Congress' struggle for independence from British rule. He was filled with a desire to launch a similar struggle in Balochistan. His first step in this regard was an article he wrote, titled "Balochistan Kee Faryaad" or "Balochistan's Lament", which was published in a weekly newspaper, Hamdard, on November 17, 1929. As a result of this article, a special Jirga held in Kalat on July 17, 1930 sentenced Mir Yousaf Ali Khan to one year of solitary confinement in Zehri and an 11,000-rupee fine. Magsi also published the pamphlet Baluchistan Kee Awaz (Voice of Baluchistan), which was sent to the British parliament to raise awareness of his cause.[1]

Anjuman-i-Ithihaad i Balochaan

During the proceedings of the above-mentioned Jirga, Mir Yousaf Ali Khan was held in Mastung Jail. While he was in jail, members of a clandestine political party (Anjuman-i-Ithihaad i Balochaan), who were also deeply impressed by the struggle of the Indian National Congress, contacted Yousaf Ali Khan. They helped him during his solitary confinement. In 1931, after completing his sentence, Mir Yousaf Ali Khan came to Quetta where, along with Mir Abdul Aziz Kurd, Nawabzada Mir Abdul Rehman Bugti, Mohammad Hussain Unqa, Malik Faiz Mohammad Yousafzai and others, he officially announced the Anjuman-i-Ithihaad i Balochaan as a political party. Mir Abdul Aziz Kurd was elected as the General Secretary of the party while Mir Yousaf Ali Khan became its President. The Prime Minister of Kalat issued orders to arrest Yousaf Ali Khan once again but Yousaf somehow learned about the plan to arrest him beforehand, so he went and took refuge in Jacobabad, where he started his famous Magsi Agitation.

Controversy over Khan of Kalat

After the death of the Khan of Kalat, Mir Mehmood Khan II, Prime Minister Sir Shams Shah lobbied Mir Mehmood Khan II's son Mir Mohammad Anwar Khan to the throne while on the other side, Mehmood Khan's brother Mir Azam Khan claimed to be the rightful heir to the throne of Kalat. Anjuman-i-Ithihaad i Balochaan announced their support for Mir Azam Khan and successfully launched a struggle to appoint him as the Khan of Kalat. After Mir Azam Khan became the Khan, Sir Shams Shah was fired from his position as the Prime Minister of Kalat.

Nawab Yousaf Ali Khan Magsi

In 1932, Mir Yousal Ali Khan's elder brother Sardar Gul Mohammad Khan Magsi (who had become the Nawab of the Magsi tribe after Kaiser Khan) was impeached, and in his place Yousaf Ali Khan was elected as the chief of the tribe.

Return from Europe

In 1934 Nawab Yousaf Ali Khan went to Europe and stayed there for eight or nine months. On his return to Balochistan on January 31, 1935, he resumed his struggle with great vigour and zeal.

1935 earthquake and death

See also: 1935 Quetta earthquake

On May 31, 1935, Quetta was hit with a devastating earthquake which claimed thousands of lives. Among the casualties was Nawab Yousaf Aziz Khan Magsi.

In 2011 a one-day seminar on Magsi was held at the National Language Authority in Islamabad.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Quddus, Syed Abdul (1990) The Tribal Baluchistan, Ferozsons, ISBN 978-9690100474, p. 120
  2. ^ "One-day seminar on ‘Yousaf Aziz Magsi’", Pakistan Observer, 16 October 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2014
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