Sindh region civilisationally a part of India.: History /Disputes

Why in News ? Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while speaking at an event, said the Sindh region, now in Pakistan, may not be part of India today but it will always be civilisationally a part of India.

History of sindh:

1010 AD – 1351 AD 

The Soomro dynasty ruled for 300 years, initially as the vassals of the Caliph of Baghdad, later as independent rulers. The Soomras were one of the first indigenous Muslim dynasties of the Sindh. The dynasty derives its name from the two Parmar Rajput Hindu brothers, Soomro and Vegho, who were appointed to rule the region. Vegho remained a Hindu, while Soomro converted to Islam. The Parmar Rajputs are found even today in Sindh, Rajasthan, and Kutch. The Soomros were the first Muslims to translate the Quran into Sindhi. By then, the entire region from the Arabian Sea to the Hindu Kush was referred to as Sindh by the historians and travellers.

The Arab culture and language as well as the Soomra syncretic traditions had a lasting influence on the Sindhi identity. Sufism, the phenomenon of mysticism in Islam, became prevalent during this period.

The religion Jainism was at its peak in Sindh between the 12th and 15th centuries AD. Parkar in Tharparkar district was the cradle of Jainism in Sindh. A collection of abandoned Jain temples with exquisite architecture exist even today in the Nagarparkar region of Sindh.

1351 AD – 1524 AD

Jam Unar, in 1339, founded a Sindhi Muslim Rajput Samma Dynasty which reached its peak in the 15th century. During this period, Sindh became famous for its art, architecture, music, and culture. Thatta became the capital of Sindh.

Makli Necropolis, one of the largest cemeteries in the world, spread over an area of 10 km near Thatta, has over 1 million tombs built over 400 years. This site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has several elaborate tombs belonging to Samma royals, saints, and scholars and is a magnificent architectural legacy of the Samma dynasty.

It must have been in this period that Guru Nanak (1469 Ad – 1538 AD), the founder of Sikh religion, visited Shikarpur, Sindh. He travelled up to Karachi and spread his teachings. Many Sindhis were moved by his words and followed Sikhism. A syncretic religion of Hinduism and Sikhism was born.

1524 AD – 1554 AD 

The Arghun dynasty was established in Sindh by Shah Beg, a descendant of Genghis Khan of Mongol. Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire that went on to grow as big as the continent of Africa in size.

1554 AD – 1591 AD

General Mirza Isa Beg found the Tarkhan Dynasty in Sindh (Turks in origin) after the death of Shah Hassan Arghun. In 1555 AD, the Portuguese ransacked Thatta, the bustling metropolis of Sindh.

1587 AD – 1736 AD 

In 1524, Babur defeated the Arghuns and the Tarkhans. Mughal rule was established in Sindh. In 1540, the Mughal Emperor Humayun was forced to withdraw to Sindh by Sher Shah Suri. Akbar was born in Umerkot in Sindh in 1542.

During the reign of Akbar, Sindh gave birth to many scholars and poets who went on to contribute richly to Sindhi literature. This period is known as the golden period of Sindhi literature. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is one of the prominent poets of Sindh of this period.

Akbar was known for his religious tolerance and in his reign allowed Hindu temples to be built.

1700 AD-1783 AD 

In 1700, the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb appointed the Kalhora Nawabs belonging to a Sunni Muslim dynasty to rule Sindh. They brought stability to the region by defeating the Marathas and the Rao of Kutch. Their capital was Khudabad. Later they shifted their capital to Hyderabad. Their entire army consisted of soldiers from Balochi tribes, who were known for their military prowess.

1783 AD -1843 AD

The Kalhoras were succeeded by the Talpurs, who were ethnically Baloch and Shia by faith. Under the rule of Mir Fateh Ali, four branches of the Talpur dynasty were established: one ruled lower Sindh from the city of Hyderabad, another ruled over upper Sindh from the city of Khairpur, a third ruled around the eastern city of Mirpur Khas, and a fourth was based in Tando Muhammad Khan.These were looked after by Fateh Ali and his three brothers from their seat of the rule, Hyderabad, forming a unique consortium called ‘The Chauyari’ – the Four Friends. They spoke Sindhi and were among the last royals of Sindh.

Sachal Sarmast, Sami, and Khalifo Nabi Bux are renowned poets of this period.

1843 AD 

The Talpur rulers of Sindh and Balochistan were defeated by the British under Sir Charles Napier. However, the Khairpur branch of the Talpur dynasty continued to maintain some autonomy during the British rule as the princely state of Khairpur. It was fully amalgamated in West Pakistan in 1955.

The British divided Sindh into districts and later made it part of British India’s Bombay Presidency. During this period, the British introduced railways, printing presses, and bridges.

1847 AD

Sindh was made part of the Bombay Presidency.

1851 AD

Sindhi was declared the official language of Sindh.

1853 AD

The final version of the Sindhi script was adopted by the British throughout Sindh and Bombay, which still exists today.

1937 AD 

Sindh was separated from Bombay and made an independent province.

June 26th, 1947

Sindh became the first province to vote for joining Pakistan.

August 14th, 1947

The Indian subcontinent was divided into two countries and three parts: India, East Pakistan, and West Pakistan. Sindh was lost entirely to West Pakistan.

Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who had no previous knowledge of the Indian subcontinent, was given the task of dividing India. This act decided the fate of millions of people from both sides of the newly drawn border as they were forced to leave their homeland behind – the Hindus from Sindh to India and the Muslims from India to Pakistan. Communal hatred tore the two countries apart and around a million people died due to the ensuing violence or by starvation and poverty. Many Sindhi Hindus who were once prosperous in Sindh were treated as refugees in India, their own country, and were put up in refugee camps where they lived under harsh conditions. Despite the untold difficulties and miseries, the Hindu Sindhis with their hard work and perseverance went on to form a prosperous and philanthropic community in India.