Archaeological Sites in Sibi

This prehistoric process continued up to the Safi Pirak mound which dates 3000 years B.C. and even after that as we will see in the narrative which follows.

Safi Pirak Mound

Dawn Karachi of 11^th March 1969 reported as follows under the heading ‘Ancient Mound Found Near Safi Pirak village Sibi ‘.

A new site has been put on the archaeological map of the world with the discovery of a mound at Safi Pirak, 10 miles South of Sibi, which has a faint resemblance to the Quetta Culture.

Safi Pirak is a mound about eight meters high covering a surface of 12 acres, twenty kilometres south of Sibi on the road to Jacobabad 1.60 Kilometre east of the Nari river.

Prof. JM. Casal, leader of the French Archaeological Mission said at the National Museum that the unique type of pottery discovered at the mound is the only type of its kind found in Pakistan. Just why and how it is there is still a mystery.

Safi Pirak he said was first noticed by a British hydrologist Mr. R.L Raikes, in late fifties when he was working for WAPDA in Baluchistan region.

Prof. Casal and six other Frenchmen were the first to conduct full scale excavations in January last year. Beside the Pottery he said he also found iron, bronze and copper, black pottery charcoal and flint blades.

The French Archaeologist said the upper levels of the site are of the period of first millennium B.C.

The wood charcoal found there will be subjected to radio carbon dating in a special laboratory outside Pakistan to determine the exact period of its origin.

Prof. Casal was introduced by Mr. Justice Ghulam ali the Director of Archaeologist Dr.F.A Khan also made brief reference to the work done by French mission in Pakistan.

Luni Mound

This site measuring about 400 by 200 feet with a height of about 30 feet, is situated near Luni village on Usmani land about 8 miles north-east of Sibi. It has been much disturbed. Unauthorized digging by the villagers for Gold and silver coins has been going on for ages and there are deeply eroded gullies made by rains on all sides. Potsherds collected from the site represent mostly plain pottery with heavy well fired red fabric.

Decoration consists of stamped and relief designs Large handled jars and vases and spouted vessels of Sassanian type are quite common. Some polished red slipped sherds were also observed.

A silver coin of the Indo-Greek period was collected. A stone sculpture with Kharoshti or Brahmi inscription was reported to have been dug out by the villagers from the site but could not be traced. The settlement is assigned to the Buddhist period attribution consistent with the collected objects dateable from the Indo-Greek to Sassanian periods but though the villagers reported the recovery of gold and silver relics no building was traceable on the surface.

Sibi Mela

Sibi Mela (Horse Show )

The first of these fairs was held in January 1885, when a sum of Rs. 2,000 contributed from local funds in the Agency, was disbursed in prizes. This fair was an experiment intended to open out the large market for horses afforded by Baluchistan. It was attended by Mr. Crainger, then officiating as Superintendent of Horse-breeding operations in Bombay and pronounced by him to be a great success.

The second fair was held in February 1886 and to the expenses of this fair the Sibi and Quetta Municipalities contributed respectively Rs 2000 and 700.

Five hundred and ninety-four (594) horses competed for prizes in the various classes and the total amount disbursed on this account was Rs 1465. Sixty-seven (67) remounts were purchased for military purposes but their prices were not recorded.

The Government of Bombay in their Resolution N0.4794, dated 6^th July 1886 in Revenue Department declared the results of this second horse show to be very satisfactory and observed that the horse show promised to become in future a good market for remounts.

In consequence of the continued success of this fair the Government of India was asked to sanction an annual money grant towards its expenses in future and though no grant could be made for the year under review a provisional sanction to the allotment of Rs. 1000 has been given for the fair of 1888.

The Fair of 1887 began on the 19^th January continued till the 25^th of the same month.

Brigadier General Luck C.B commanding in Sindh was President of the Judging Committee and Mr. Hellen, general Superintendent Horse Breeding Operations in India one of members.

The total number of horses brought to the show was computed to be 1400 of which no less than 1022 competed for prizes as against 594 in previous year.

The expenses of the fair were met by the same contributions from local funds as before Rs. 2000 from the Sibi and Rs. 700 from the Quetta Municipality. The total of sales effected at this s how was over 40, the Punjab Remount Committee purchasing 15 horses at an average price of Rs. 199 and the Bombay cavalry 19 at an average price of Rs. 177. One donkey stallion was purchased by the General Superintendent Horse-breeding Operations for stud purposes at Rs. 110.

Notwithstanding that the prizes at the present and previous shows were expressly arranged with a view to encourage the exhibition of geldings very few appeared this year. This is mainly accounted for by there having been no Government salutri available for castration operations in the year preceding the show but a competent salutri has since been entertained and it is hoped that next year there will be a considerable number of geldings for show and sale.

The breeders appear to have no objection to the castration of their colts and now that a large number of Government stallions are available at various places in the Agency, it is very desirable to prevent haphazard breeding. With this in view it is in contemplation to offer as many as twenty-five (25) prizes, amounting to Rs. 410 at the next show for geldings from 1 to 4 years of age.

There is no longer any doubt that Baluchistan affords a large and good the Agency will certainly produce a number of Horses admirably suited for native cavalry requirements.

The number of Government stallions in the Agency is now as follows: –

English Thorough breeds . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. 8

English Norfolk Trotters . . . . . .. . . .. . .. . . . . . . 2

Arabs . . . . . . …………………. . ………………………… . . . 9

Donkeys . . . . . . .. . .. .. …… … . . . . . . .. . . . . . 4

The Jubilee

Her Majesty’s Jubilee was observed throughout the Agency on the 16^th February at Sibi the Officiating Agent to the Governor- General held a Darbar at which a number of chiefs were present and at Quetta a Darbar was presided over by the Political Agent. At both a number of prisoners were released. His Highness the Khan celebrated the occasion at his winter capital of Bhag, where he founded a school in commemoration of the day. The Towns of Sibi, Quetta and Bhag were illuminated at night.

سبی میلہ کا تاریخی جائزہ
سبی میلہ مویشیاں کا آغاز 1885 ء میں 2000 روپے لوکل فنڈز سے ہوا تھا ۔ دوسرا سبی میلہ 1886 میں 2700 روپے فنڈز سےہوا تھا ۔ اس طرح تمام سبی میلہ مویشیاںو اسپاں کا سرکاری ریکارڈ بلوچستان انتظامی رپورٹس میں درج ہے ۔
سبی میلہ مویشیاں و اسپاں 1895 میں کل 1437 جانور لائے گے فنڈ ز 3279 روپے تھا ۔ 1896 میں 1262 جانور 3655 روپے تھا ۔
سبی ڈسٹرکٹ گزیٹیر سےتفصیلات لی گئی ہیں ۔

The second fair was held in February 1886 and to the expenses of this fair the Sibi and Quetta Municipalities contributed respectively RS. 2,000 and Rs. 700.
Five hundred and ninety-four horses competed for prizes in the various classes and the total amount disbursed on this account was Rs. 1,465. Sixty seven remounts were purchased for military purposes.

Reference : Administrative Report of Balochistan agency 1886-87

**Nawab Ghous Bakhash barozai and Governor Balochistan in Sibi mela**

Sibi City

Sibi District Public works

The following are the principal buildings in the District.

Work	Year when Completed	Approximate cost.
Political Agent’s house (Sibi)——— Post Office (Sibi)————————- Telegraph Office (Sibi)—————— Tahsil and Thana (Sibi)—————– Civil Hospital (Sibi)———————- Thana (Harnai)—————————- Tahsil and Thana (Shahrig)———— Agent to the Governor-General Circuit house (Sibi)———————- Jail (Sibi)———————————— Police Lines (Sibi)———————— Political Agent’s house (Ziarat)—— Agent to the Governor General House (Ziarat) ————————— Levy post and Police Line (Shahrig)- Political Agent’s Office (Sibi)——— Levy Lines (Sibi)————————– Political Agent’s Office (Ziarat)—— Victoria Memorial Hall (Sibi)——— Agent to Governor General’s Office (Ziarat)—————————–	1878 1878-80 1878-80 1881-82 1881 1883 1883 1884 1886 1887 1891 1891-92 1893 1895 1895 1896 1903 1902-3	Rs. 5275 5047 7914 34607 7067 6300 12573 38373 20114 15373 16689 39012 8001 8056 4558 15007 38800 6292

Sibi City of province Baluchistan, Pakistan.

Sibi District Map

Sibi Army Post 1880

If it is winters elsewhere in Pakistan and you happen to be visiting Sibi in Balochistan province of Pakistan, beware then as you will be entering the “hot spot” of Pakistan where temperature crosses 50 degrees Celsius in summer and may not be better even during winters. The Jigra Hall is now converted into a museum. It has a collection of pieces found at the archaeological sites of Mehrgarh, Nasshero and Safi Pirak.

Governor House Sibi

Western Tourists Wait At Bus Stand In Sibi Balochistan 1975

Sibi City

Sibi district channel model

Sibi District Tehsils

Sibi Mela

Sibi city buildings

Model high school Sibi

Sibi district circles

Settlement Report Sibi 1904

Until the end of the 15th century the district had been a dependency of Multan and had been part of Ghaznavid Empire ruled by petty chief named Nasiruddin Kubacha Around 1500 it was taken by Shah Beg of the Arghun Dynasty and so came under the control of Kandahar. However during the period of Mughal rule the territory was once again ruled from Multan. In 1714 the territory was conquered by the Kalhoras of Sindh, but they were then displaced by the Durranis. During the rule of the Durranis the local governors were generally selected from the Barozai clan of the Panni Afghans.[2] In the 19th century it fell under Marris and Bugtis hand. To finish rebellion in the area, the British signed the Treaty of Gandamak (considered one of the most humiliating ever signed by an Afghan ruler making the Afghan Amir virtually a feudatory of the British Crown ) in 1879.

Jirga Hall Auditorium

The district of Sibi was established in 1903 during British Rule its area was larger than the current district lying south of Loralai District, north of the Upper Sind Frontier District, west of Dera Ghazi Khan District and east of Kachhi, Bolan Pass and Quetta- Pishin. The total area of the district was 11,281 square miles (29,220 km2), but this included Marri Bugti county (7,129 square miles) which not directly administered by the British, leaving 4,152 square miles (10,750 km2) that were directly administered by the British. 1n 1974 the district was subdivided to create Naseerabad and Kohlu districts, in 1983 Dera Bugti District, and in 1986 Ziarat District. Until 2000, except for Naseerabad, these new districts were part of Sibi Division of Pakistan. In 2000 the third-tier “divisions” structure of government was dissolved. Today Sibi district has two sub-divisions, Sibi and Harnai, which are further organized into tehsils and sub-tehsils: Sibi, Harnai, Kutmandi and Sangan. The population of Sibi district is estimated to be over 250,000 in 2005. Over 99% of its inhabitants are Muslims. The major tribes of Sibi are Marri, Barozai and Khajjak.

Sibi is on the western edge of Pakistan and is well connected with the country by a wide network of roads, railways and airways. Sibi Railway Station is junction railway station. The railway track was lined in 1890s during the British era to link Sibi with rest of the country. The routes are Sibi from linked with Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Rohri, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Adu, Gujrat, Jacobabad, Gujranwala, Khanewal, Nawabshah, Attock, Jhelum, and Nowshera.