Sindh
From Open Encyclopedia
| Sindh | |
| Image:Sindh flag.gif | Image:PakistanSindh.png |
| Capital • Coordinates | Karachi • 24.52° N 67.03° E |
| Population (2003) • Density | 33,038,773 [1] • 234.5/km² |
| Area | 140,914 km² |
| Time zone | PST (UTC +5) |
| Main language(s) | Sindhi Urdu |
| Status | Province |
| • Districts | • 23 |
| • Towns | • 160 |
| • Union Councils | • |
| Established • Governor/Commissioner • Chief Minister • Legislature (seats) | 1st July 1970 • Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan • Dr. Arbab Raheem • Provincial Assembly (168) |
| Website | Govt of Sindh |
Sindh (Sind) سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and is home to the Sindhis, Muhajirs and various other groups. Neighbouring regions are Balochistan to the west and north, Punjab in the north and Rajasthan (India) to the east. To the south are the Arabian Sea and Gujarat (India). The main languages are Sindhi and Urdu. Known by various names in the past, the name Sindh comes from the Indo-Aryans whose legends claimed that the Indus River flowed from the mouth of a lion or Sinh-ka-bab. In Sanskrit, the province was dubbed Sindhu meaning an ocean. The Assyrians (as early as the seventh century BCE) knew the region as Sinda, the Persians Abisind, the Greeks Sinthus, the Romans Sindus, the Chinese Sintow, while the Arabs dubbed it simply Sind, which is what the province is now known as.
Contents |
Geography
Sindh is located at the northeastern corner of South Asia just before the Iranian plateau in the west. It is the third largest province geographically. Its size is about 579 km north-south and 442 km (extreme) or 281 km (average) east-west, with an area of 140,915 km². Sindh is bounded by the Thar Desert to the east, the Kirthar Mountains to the west, and the Arabian Sea in the south. In the center is the fertile plain where the Indus river runs through. Largely irrigated, the Indus' devastating floods are now under control.
Karachi became capital of Sindh in 1930s. Other important cities include Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Thatta, Shahdadpur, Nawabshah, Shikarpur, and Khairpur.
Climate
A subtropical region, Sindh is hot in the summer and cold in winter. Temperatures frequently rise above 46 celsius (115 fahrenheit ) between May and August, and the minimum average temperature of 2 celsius (36 fahrenheit) occurs during December and January. The annual rainfall averages about seven inches, falling mainly during July and August.The southwesterly monsoon wind begins to blow in mid-February and continues until the end of Semptember, whereas the cool northerly wind blows during te winter months from October to January.
Sindh is said to be between the two monsoons - the southwest from the Indian Ocean and the Northeast or the retreating monsoon, deflected towards it by Himalayan mountains - and escapes the influence of both. The average rainfall in Sindh is only 6 to 7 inches per year. But what is lost by the region during the two seasons is, however, regained for it by the Indus, in the form of inundation, caused twice a year, by the spring and summer melting of Himalyan snow and by rainfall in the monsoon season. It should be noted that these natural patterns have since been somewhat changed due to man-made dams and barrages that have been constructed on Sindhu Darya.
Climatically, Sindh is divided in three sections - Siro (Upper section centered at Jacobabad), Wicholo (Middle section centered at Hyderabad), and Lar (Lower section centered at Karachi). In Upper Sindh, the thermal equator passes through Sindh. The highest temperature recorded was 127 degrees fahrenheit in 1919. The air is generally very dry. In winter frost is common.
In Middle Sindh, average monsoon wind speed is 11 miles/hour in June. Temperature is lower than Upper Sindh but higher than the Lower Sindh. Dry hot days and cool nights are summer characteristics. Maximum temperature reaches 110-112 degree fahrenheit The Lower Sindh is effected by the coastline and is damper, humid, Soth-western winds in summer and North Eastern winds in winter and generally the climate is maritime with rainfall little less than the middle Sindh. The maximum temperature reaches 95-100 degrees fahrenheit. In the Kirthar range at 6,000 feet and higher on the Gorakhnath and other peaks in Dadu district, temperatures near freezing have been recorded and brief snow fall is received in winters.
Demographics and Society
| Sindh Demographic Indicators | |
|---|---|
| Indicator | Statistic |
| Area | 140914 km² |
| Total population (1998 census) | 30,440,000 |
| Urban pop. share | 48.75% |
| Rural pop. share | 51.25% |
| Population density | 216.02 persons/km² |
| Population growth rate | 2.80% |
| Sex ratio (male per 100 female) | 112.24 |
| Economically active pop. | 22.75% |
| Unemployment rate | 14.43% |
The population is approximately 35 million while official source (1998 census) estimated 30.439 million, with over half being urban dwellers, mainly found in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana. A large section of the population speak Sindhi and Urdu languages. Other languages spoken include Siraiki, Balochi, Brohi, Punjabi, Pakhtu, Rajasthani and Gujarati. Urban areas of Sindh are multi-ethnic centres and sometimes highly polarized as a result.
Sindh's population is predominantly Muslim and mainly Sunni with large Shia minority. Nearly all Sunnis belong to the Hanafi school of juriprudence. The Shias predominantly belong to the Ithna 'ashariyah school of juriprudence. There are also small but important Shia Nizari Ismailis and Shia Dawoodi Bohras. The province of Sindh is also home to the vast majority of Hindus in Pakistan and they number roughly 1.2 million. Smaller groups of Christians, Parsis or Zoroastrians, Ahmadis and a tiny Jewish community (of around 200) can also be found in the province.
The Sindhis as a whole are composed of various sub-groups related to the Punjabis and Siraikis minorities as well as of Baloch origin. A small group either partially descended from or claiming descent from early Muslim settlers including Arabs, Turks, and Persians is also found in the province and are referred to as Ashraf or nobles. For further information regarding the disparate origins of the Sindhis refer to Sindhi people.
History
Ancient history
Image:Pashupati.gif The first known village settlements date as far back as 7000 BCE. Permanent settlements at Mehrgarh to the west expanded into Sindh. The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh, and other regions of Pakistan, were the aborigine tribes speaking languages related to Munda languages. The Dravidians invaded from the Iranian plateau and settled in the Indus valley around 4000 BCE. The Dravidian culture blossomed over the centuries and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization of Pakistan around 3000 BCE. Main article: Indus script. The Indus Valley Civilization rivalled the then contemporary Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia civilizations in both size and scope numbering nearly half a million inhabitants at its height with well-planned grid cities and sewer systems. Speculation remains as to how and why the civilization declined and may have been a combination of natural disasters such as flooding and internecine conflicts. The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan, but suddenly went into decline just prior to the invasion of Indo-European tribes from Eastern Europe. A branch of these tribes called the Indo-Aryans are believed to have founded the Vedic Civilization that have existed between Sarasvati River and Ganges river around 1500 BCE and also infuenced Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia. The Aryan invaders instituted the Caste system to enslave the native population and the aborigine tribes. This apartheid system prohibited intermarriage and relegated the natives into low caste untouchables while elevating the status of Aryan invaders. Image:Priest King of Indus.jpg Sindh was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, and became part of the Persian satrapy (province) of Hindush centered in the Punjab to the north. Persian speech had a tendency to replace 'S' with an 'H' resulting in 'Sindu' being pronounced and written as 'Hindu'. They introduced the Kharoshti script and links to the west in the region. Subsequently conquered by Greeks led by Alexander the Great, the region came under loose Greek control for a few decades until Alexander's death and brief Seleucid rule and then was conquered by the Mauryans led by Chandragupta in 305 BCE. Later, during the reign of the Buddhist king Ashoka the region would solidly become a Buddhist domain. Following a century of Mauryan rule which ended by 232 BCE, the region came under the Greco-Bactrians based in what is today Afghanistan and these rulers would also convert to and proliferate Buddhism in the region. The Scythians shattered the Greco-Bactrians fledgling empire and then the Tocharian Kushan Empire annexed Sindh by the 1st century CE. Though the Kushans were Zoroastrian, they were tolerant of the local Buddhist tradition and sponsorerd many building projects for local beliefs. The Huns and remnants of the Kushans, Scythians, and the Sassanian Persians all exercised some degree of control in Sindh until the coming of the Muslim Arabs in 711 CE.
Arrival of Arabs
Conquered by Syrian Arabs led by Muhammad bin Qasim, Sindh became the easternmost province of the Umayyad Caliphate. The Arab province of Sindh is modern Pakistan. While the lands further east were known as Hind, modern India, to the Arabs. The defeat of the Brahmin ruler Dahir was made easier due to the tension between the Buddhist majority and the ruling Brahmins' fragile base of control. The Arabs redefined the region and adopted the term budd to refer to the numerous Buddhist idols they encountered, a word that remains in use today. The city of Mansura was established as a regional capital and Arab rule lasted for nearly 3 centuries and a fusion of cultures produced much of what is today modern Sindhi society. Arab geographers, historians and travellers also sometimes called the entire area from the Arabian Sea to the Hindu Kush, Sind. The meaning of the word Sindhu being water (or ocean) appears to refer to the Indus river. In addition, there is a mythological belief among Muslims that four rivers had sprung from Heaven: Neel (Nile), Furat (Euphrates), Jehoon (Jaxartes) and Sehoon (Sind or in modern times the Indus). Image:Rohri Town Sukkur.jpeg Arab rule ended with the ascension of the Soomro dynasty, who were local Sindhi Muslims and who controlled the province directly and as vassals from 1058 to 1249. Turkic invaders conquered the area by 977 CE and the region loosely became part of the Ghaznavid Empire and then the Delhi Sultanate which lasted until 1524. The Mughals seized the region and their rule lasted for another two centuries, while another local Sindhi Muslim group the Samma challenged Mughal rule from their base at Thatta. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and many settled in Sindh. The Muslim Sufi played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. Sindh, though part of larger empires, continued to enjoy certain autonomy as a loyal Muslim domain and came under the rule of the Arghun Dynasty and Turkhan or Tarkhan dynasty from 1519 to 1625. Sind became a vassal-state of the Afghan Durrani Empire by 1747. It was then ruled by Kalhora rulers. It remained under Baluchi Talpurs rule by 1783.
British Era
British arrived in Sindh in 19th century and conquest in it 1843. In 1843 British forces under General Charles Napier conquered Sindh. It is said that he sent back to the Governor General a one-word message, "Peccavi" – Latin for "I have sinned". In actual fact, this pun first appeared as a cartoon in Punch magazine. The first Aga Khan helped the British in the conquest of Sindh and was granted a pension as a result. Sind was made part of British India's Bombay Presidency, and became a separate province in 1935. The British ruled the area for a century and Sindh was home to many prominent Muslim leaders including Muhammad Ali Jinnah who agitated for greater Muslim autonomy.
After Independence
Following World War II, Britain withdrew from British India and Sindh voted to join Pakistan in 1947 during partition as the largely Hindu educated elites were replaced by Muslim immigrants from India. Later local Sindhis have resented the influx of Pashtun and Punjabi immigrants to Karachi. Nonetheless, traditional Sindhis families remained prominent in Pakistani politics and none have been more important than the Bhutto dynasty. In recent years Sindhi dissatisfaction has grown as larger and more influential ethnic groups in Pakistan have prompted the growth of a Sindhi separatist movement known as Sindhudesh. At present, Sindh remains both an economic center of activity due to the prominence of Karachi and a potential cauldron of ethnic and religious strife in Pakistan.
Administrative division
| Historical populations | |
|---|---|
| Census year | Population |
| 1951 | 6,047,748 |
| 1961 | 8,367,065 |
| 1972 | 14,155,909 |
| 1981 | 19,028,666 |
| 1998 | 30,439,893 |
| 2005 | estimated 35 mn. |
Province of Sindh is divided into following 23 districts.
Economy
Image:KPTbuilding.jpg Sindh is the backbone of Pakistan economy as it generates approximately 70% of the total national revenue whereas in return federal government pays back just 23% from financial divisible pool. Sindh government considers that the formula of financial resource distribution i.e NFC award is unjust and solely population denominated.
Sindh is in many ways the main province of economic activity in Pakistan and has a highly diversified economy with heavy industry and finance centered in and around Karachi to a substantial agricultural base along the Indus. Pakistan's rapidly growing information technology sector (IT) is also centered in Karachi and manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods.
Agriculture is also very important in Sind. The main crops are cotton, rice, wheat and sugar cane, with rice being the most important. Other crops include banana and mango. Mangos of Sind are sweet in taste and exported to all over the world.
Vegetation
Except fot the irrigated Indus Valley, the province is arid and has scant vegetation. The dwarf Palm, Acacia Rupestris (Kher), and Tecoma Undulata (Lohirro) trees are typical of the western hill region. In the central valley, the Acacia Nilotica (Babul) is the most dominant and occurs in thick forests along the Indus banks. The Azadirachta Indica (Neem), Zizyphys vulgaris (Bir), Tamarix Orientalis (Jujuba Lai) and Capparis Aphylla (Kirirr)are among the more common trees.
Mango, Date Palms, and the more recently introduced Banana, Guava, Orange, and Chiku are the typical fruit-bearing trees. The coastal strip and the creeks abound in semi-aquatic and aquatic plants, and the inshore Indus deltaic islands have forests of Avicennia Tomentosa (Timmer) and Ceriops Candolleana (Chaunir) trees. Water Lilies grow in abundance in the numerous lake and ponds, particularly in the lower Sindh region.
Wildlife
Among the wild animals, the Sindh Ibex (Sareh), Wild Sheep (Urial or gadh) and Black Bear are found in the western rocky range, where the Leopard is now rare. The Pirrang (large tiger cat or fishing Cat) of the eastern desert region is also disappearing. Deer occur in the lower rocky plains and in the eastern region, as do the Striped Hyena (Charakh), Jackal, Fox, Porcupine, common gray Mongoose, and Hedgehog. The Sindhi phekari, Ped Lynx or Caracal Cat, is found in some areas.
Phartho (hog deer) and wild bear occur particularly in the central inundation belt. There is a variety of bats, lizards, and reptiles, including the cobra, lundi (viper), and the mysterious Sind krait of the Thar region, which is supposed to suck the victim's breath in his sleep. Crocodiles are rare and inhabit only the backwaters of the Indus and its eastern Nara channel. Besides a large variety of marine fish, the plumbeous dolphin, the beaked dolphin, rorqual, or blue whale, and a variety of skates frequent the seas along the Sind coast. The Pallo (sable fish), though a marine fish, ascends the Indus annually from February to April to spawn.
Education
Education in the province is quite widespread and the province has a high literacy rate compared to other parts of Pakistan, mainly due to the importance of Karachi as it attracts Pakistan's best and brightest. The Aga Khan University, University of Karachi, Sindh University, IBA, Dow University of Health Sciences, Chandka Medical College and Indus Valley Institute of Art and Architecture are world renowned academic institutions.
See also: Universities and colleges in Sindh
Art and culture
Major attractions
Image:Indusvalleyexcavation.jpg Sindh has numerous tourist sites with the most prominent being the ruins of Mohenjodaro near the city of Larkana. Islamic architecture is quite prominent in the province with the Jama masjid built by the moghul emperor Shah Jehan inThatta and numerous mausoleums dot the province including the very old Shah Lal Baz Qalander mausoleum dedicated to the Iranian-born Sufi and the beautiful mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah known as the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.
- Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
- Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar
- Ruins of Mohenjodaro & Museum
- Aror (ruines of historical city)
- Mazar-e-Quaid
- Sadhu Bele Temple
- Minaret of Masum Shah
- Mohatta Palace Museum
- Jama Masjid Thatta
- Hyderabad Rani Bagh
- Sukkur Barrage
- Rohri Railway Junction
- Talpurs' Faiz Mahal Palace, Khairpur Mirs
- Talpur Forts at Kot Diji and Naokot
- Forts at Hyderabad and Umerkot
Personalities
There are many popular figures from Sind. The following is brief list:
Pre-Independence (pre-1947)
- Emperor Akbar the Great
- Sufi Sahah Innayat (The 1st Socialist Sufi)
- Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (the national poet)
- Sachal Sarmast (the sufi poet)
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah (father of the nation)
- Sir S.M.S Agha Khan III
- Fatima Jinnah
Post-Independence (post-1947)
Religious mythology and related articles
External links
- Official/Historic
- Photographs of Sindh
- Popular Topics
See also
| Provincial and Territorial Capitals in Pakistan | Image:Flag of Pakistan.svg |
|---|---|
| Karachi—(Sindh) | Lahore—(Punjab) | Peshawar—(North-West Frontier Province) | Quetta—(Balochistan) | |
| Northern Areas | FATA | Muzaffarabad—(Azad Kashmir) | |
| Islamabad—(Federal Capital) | |
