Kohat
city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Kohat (Urdu and Hindko: کوہاٹ; Pashto: کوهاټ) is a city in Pakistan that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. With a population of over 220,000 people, the city is the fourth most populous in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the 35th most populous in Pakistan. Kohat's immediate environs were the site of frequent armed skirmishes between British colonial forces and local tribesmen in the mid to late 19th century. The city is centred on a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. Pashto and the Kohati dialect of Hindko are the main languages spoken in Kohat.
The city of Kohat is also the namesake of and largest city in the Kohat Division, being over four times larger than the second-largest city in the division, Karak.
History
Early history
Little is known of Kohat's early history. According to local lore, Kohat was founded by an ancient Buddhist king by the name of Raja Kohat. Another Buddhist Raja named Adh is believed to have established his domain on the north side of the city. Archaeological surveys have identified evidence of pre-Islamic settlement in the Kohat region.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Kohat” is city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Kohat, city and Khyber, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1195983. Authority coordinates are 33.590, 71.440. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kohat”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kohat primary sources, Kohat archive and Kohat research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kohat”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kohat” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.