The history of the Makran coast begins, in written records, with Alexander the Great. In 325 BC he led part of his army home through the Gedrosian desert behind this coast while his admiral Nearchus sailed along it, and the Greek accounts of both journeys are the earliest detailed descriptions of the shore between the Indus and the Persian Gulf. Later chapters include the first Arab expeditions in the 640s, the Portuguese raids of the sixteenth century and the modern ports of Pasni, Ormara and Gwadar.
This post is the long view. For the Omani years in Gwadar, we have a separate post on Gwadar history, and we leave that story there.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Ancient name | Gedrosia (Greek); Maka under the Achaemenid Persians |
| Ancient inhabitants | The Ichthyophagoi, "fish-eaters", named by Arrian |
| Alexander's march | 325 BC; about 60 days through the desert |
| Nearchus's fleet | Left the Indus around September or October 325 BC |
| First Islamic conquest | 643 CE, under the Rashidun caliphate |
| Portuguese raids | Most severe in 1581, on Pasni, Gwadar, Tiz and Kalmat |
| Coast in Pakistan | About 750 km of a roughly 1,000 km coastline |
What was the Makran coast in the ancient world?
The Persian Achaemenid empire knew the region as the satrapy of Maka, and the Greeks later called it Gedrosia.
Arrian, writing about Alexander and Nearchus, described the coastal people as Ichthyophagoi, fish-eaters. The label still fits the economy: the coast is dry and mountainous, and fishing is what most people in towns like Pasni and Jiwani still depend on. The Greeks also place a people called the Oreitai in what is now Lasbela, near the Hub River, towards Karachi.
What was the Gedrosian march?
After his army refused to go further east at the Hyphasis river in 326 BC, Alexander turned back. He divided his forces: Nearchus took a fleet down the Indus and along the coast, while Alexander led a large part of the army inland through the Gedrosian desert.
The march lasted about 60 days and went badly. Heat, lack of water and the loss of supplies killed many of the soldiers and the camp followers who travelled with them. Modern summaries often say at least 12,000 soldiers died, but the ancient accounts were written long afterwards and the number is disputed. Historians also disagree on why Alexander chose that route: one explanation is that he was punishing an army that had mutinied, and another is that he wanted to succeed where Cyrus the Great was said to have failed.
The plan was for the fleet to support the land march with supplies, but the fleet left late and contact kept breaking down. Alexander had to move on without them, and that made the desert crossing harder.
What did Nearchus see from the sea?
Nearchus left the Indus delta around September or October 325 BC, and his account (preserved by Arrian and Strabo, though his own work is lost) is the best early description of this shore. On the way he passed near modern Karachi, anchored at a point on the coast where he met part of Alexander's forces, reached the Hingol River region and later put in at Bagisara, which is generally identified with Ormara. Ormara still has a fishing harbour, and our post on Ormara Beach shows the coast he would have recognised: dry hills coming down to the sea.
Ormara also has an old local story, recorded on Wikipedia, that one of Alexander's generals died there and gave the town its name. Treat that as tradition rather than evidence. The Hingol region is now a national park, covered in our Hingol guide.
How did the coast change after Alexander?
After Alexander's death the area passed to Seleucus, then to the Mauryan empire under Chandragupta Maurya, before Indo-Greek incursions.
The first Islamic conquest of Makran took place during the Rashidun caliphate, in 643 CE, followed by a major battle in mid-644 at Rasil, east of Makran near the Indus. Later the Ma'danid dynasty ruled from about the late ninth or tenth century until around the eleventh. Beyond that, the sources we could check are thin, and we will not pretend to a continuous story.
The Portuguese and Hammal Jiand
In the sixteenth century the Portuguese took Hormuz (1507) and tried to control the Arabian Sea trade. Coastal Baloch communities, whom the Portuguese called Nautaques and accused of piracy, fought back.
The best-known name is Mir Hammal Jiand, chief of the Kalmati tribe, who is a folk hero in Balochi tradition. In 1581 a fleet under Dom Luis de Almeida attacked Pasni, Gwadar, Tiz and Kalmat. At Pasni it burned a great many vessels and razed the town. Hammal was reportedly defeated and carried off to Goa or Portugal, where he died in captivity. Dates in the popular accounts of his life are inconsistent, so treat the details as tradition. The same coast is described in our post on Kalmat Khor, his home area.
From Gwadar to the highway
Before 1958 Gwadar was an Omani possession; see Gwadar history. The deep-sea port came much later, and the coast was crossed on dirt tracks until the Makran Coastal Highway, built from 2002 and completed on 14 December 2004. It cut the Karachi to Gwadar journey from at least two days to about six or seven hours. Our guide to the Makran Coastal Highway covers the route.
Is it safe to visit these sites?
Most of the places in this story are in Balochistan, and the UK government advises against all travel to the province. Pakistani visitors still drive the coastal highway, but check local news and current police advice before you set out, avoid night driving and carry your CNIC. Overseas visitors should check their own government's advice, since travelling against it can void insurance. Our post on whether the Makran Coastal Highway is safe has the details.
Which places are worth seeing?
Honestly, almost nothing on this coast is a preserved monument. The history is in the landscape: Ormara's harbour, the Hingol coast, Pasni's fishing port and the headland at Gwadar. Visitors who know the story see more, and our places to visit in Gwadar is the practical companion.
Frequently asked questions
Did Alexander the Great pass through the Makran coast?
Alexander marched through the Gedrosian desert inland of the coast in 325 BC, and his admiral Nearchus sailed along the coast itself. Both are described in Arrian.
Who were the fish-eaters of Makran?
The Ichthyophagoi, the name Arrian gave to the coastal people who lived on fish.
What was Makran called in ancient times?
Maka to the Achaemenid Persians and Gedrosia to the Greeks.
When did Muslims first reach Makran?
The first Islamic conquest took place in 643 CE under the Rashidun caliphate.
Who was Hammal Jiand?
A sixteenth-century chief of the Kalmati Baloch, remembered for resisting the Portuguese, who was reportedly captured after their 1581 raids.
