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40-539: Makli Necropolis is located in the town of Makli, which is located on a plateau approximately 6 kilometres from the city of Thatta , the capital of lower Sindh until the 17th century. It lies approximately 98 km east of Karachi , near the apex of the Indus River Delta in southeastern Sindh. The southernmost point of the site is approximately 5 miles north of the ruins of the medieval Kallankot Fort. The site, and nearby hills, are said to derive their name from

80-532: A dynasty of feudal lords in upper Sindh, where they ruled since the middle 16th century. They eventually brought Thatta under their control in 1736, and divided the Sind into two partitions, Upper Sind (capital Shikarpur ) and Lower Sind, after which they moved the Lower Sind capital to Thatta from Siwistan , before eventually moving it to Hyderabad in 1789. A British factory was established there in 1758, but only lasted

120-560: A few years. Thatta continued to decline in the mid 18th century in importance as a trading centre throughout the 18th century, as much of the city's trading classes shifted to Nerunkot in northern Sindh, or to Gujarat . In 1739, however, following the Battle of Karnal , the Mughal province of Sindh was fully ceded to Nadir Shah of the Persian Empire , after which Thatta fell into neglect, as

160-576: A high of 200,000 a century before. Talpur rule ended in 1843 on the battlefield of Miani when General Charles James Napier captured the Sindh for the British Empire, and moved the capital of the Sindh from Hyderabad to Karachi. In 1847, Thatta was administered as part of the Bombay Presidency . In 1920, the estimated population of the city was 10,800. After the independence of Pakistan most of

200-406: A legend in which a Hajj pilgrim stopped at the site and erupted into spiritual ecstasy, declaring the site to be Makkah for him. The Sufi saint Sheikh Hamad Jamali is then said to have named the site "Makli", or "Little Makkah", after hearing the story of the pilgrim. However, historical evidences does not confirm this. Historian, Ali Ahmad Brohi suggests that the name "Makli" originates from

240-509: A prince, Shah Jahan bestowed the Shah Jahan Mosque to the city in 1647 as part of the city's rebuilding efforts, although it was not completed until 1659 under the reign of his son Aurangzeb . Emperor Aurangzeb himself had also lived in Thatta for some time as governor of the lower Sindh. Thatta regained some of its prosperity with the arrival of European merchants. Between 1652 and 1660,

280-413: A prince, sought refuge in the city from his father Emperor Jahangir . In his reign, Thatta Subah was carved out of Subah of Multan , with provincial capital in Thatta. It consisted of modern Sindh. In 1626, Shah Jahan's 13th son, Lutfallah, was born in Thatta. The city was almost destroyed by a devastating storm in 1637. As a token of gratitude for the hospitality he had received in the city while still

320-410: A small peak atop it, which make the tomb resemble a temple. The exterior features 14 bands of decorative motifs that feature both Quranic verses and Hindu symbols, though in keeping with Islamic tradition, all decoration takes the form of geometric patterns, with the sole exception of a frieze depicting local ducks. The tomb of Jam Nizamuddin's adoptive son, Darya Khan, resembles a Rajasthani fort, and

360-523: A style unique to tombs dating from the Turkic Trakhan dynasty . Structures from the 17th century at the Leilo Sheikh part of the cemetery feature large tombs that resemble Jain temples from afar, with prominent influence from the nearby region of Gujarat . Several of the larger tombs feature carvings of animals, warriors, and weaponry – a practice uncommon to Muslim funerary monuments. Later tombs at

400-420: A symbol commonly associated with Hinduism. Some tombs came to feature extensive blue tile-work typical of Sindh. The use of funerary pavilions eventually expanded beyond lower Sindh, and influenced funerary architecture in neighbouring Gujarat. The impressive royal mausolea are divided into two major clusters namely Samma cluster and Tarkhan , Arghun , and Mughals cluster. The first cluster has tombs from

440-469: Is characterized by mangrove forests in the coastal region, with tropical-thorny shrubs elsewhere. Thatta is believed to be the birthplace of Ishta dev of Sindhi Hindus " Jhulelal ". Thatta has a hot semi-arid climate . The average annual rainfall is 325 mm (12.8 in), The average annual temperature in Thatta is 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). Last 10 years monsoon rains in Thatta were recorded as: An association football club, Jeay Laal ,

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480-464: Is laid out in a rectangular shape with its inner walls entirely covered with Quranic verses. The tomb also has an area dedicated for the graves of 5 of his royal ladies. The mausoleum of Isa Khan Hussain II Tarkhan (d. 1651) features a two-story stone building with cupolas and balconies. The tomb is said to have been built during Isa's lifetime. Upon completion, legend states that Isa ordered the hands of

520-463: The Chaukhandi style, named after the Chaukhandi tombs near Karachi . The Chaukhandi style came to incorporate slabs of sandstone that were carefully carved by stonemasons into intricate and elaborate designs. The earliest tombs displayed three to six slabs of stone stacked on top of one another into the shape of a small pyramid. Evolving funerary architecture then incorporated small plinths . By

560-549: The Dutch East India Company had a small trading post ( comptoir or factory) in Thatta. This competed with the English one, which was established in 1635 and closed in 1662. Thatta in the 1650s was noted to have 2,000 looms that produced cloth that was exported abroad to Asia and Portugal. Thatta was also home to a thriving silk weaving industry, as well as leather products that were exported throughout South Asia. The city

600-735: The Makli Necropolis rose to prominence as a funerary site. Muhammad bin Tughluq died in 1351 during a campaign to capture Thatta. Firuz Shah Tughlaq unsuccessfully attempted to subjugate Thatta twice; once in 1361 and again in 1365. In 1520, the Samma ruler Jam Feroz was defeated by Shah Beg of the Arghun -Tarkhun dynasty, which in turn had been displaced from Afghanistan by the expanding Timurid Empire in Central Asia. The Tarkhuns fell into disarray in

640-575: The Samma period, while tombs from the Tarkhan , Arghun , and Mughals periods are clustered together. Tombs dating from the Samma Dynasty are clustered together in a 5-acre section at the northern end of the necropolis. The Samma were Rajput princes, who seized control of Thatta in 1335. Samma tombs are strongly influenced by Gujarati styles, and incorporate Muslim and Hindu decorative elements. The tomb of

680-536: The South Asia . Thatta refers to riverside settlements. Villagers in the rural areas of lower Sindh often refer to the city as Thatta Nagar , or simply Nagar . The name of Thatta, one of the oldest towns, was derived from the Persian term Tah-Tah which literally means "layer over layer", signifying a settlement that has gone through various civilizations. Ḳāni , an 18th century scholar, gave two theories regarding

720-470: The 1557 Sack of Thatta , the 16th century Portuguese historian Diogo do Couto described Thatta as one of the richest cities of the Orient. Nevertheless, some Portuguese presence was early in the 16th century with the conquest of Hormuz by Afonso de Albuquerque in 1507, which started the relationship with Sindi. Later in the first decade of the 16th century, traders created a factory ( feitoria ), and at

760-414: The 15th century, decorated rosettes and circular patterns began to be incorporated into the tombs. More complex patterns and Arabic calligraphy with biographical information of the interred body then emerged. Larger monuments dating from later periods included corridors and some designs inspired by cosmology. Pyramidal structures from the 16th century feature the use of minarets topped with floral motifs in

800-515: The 1970s under the rule of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto , Thatta's monuments were restored and some industry was relocated to Thatta. Thatta's geology is characterized by volcanic and sedimentary rocks that are similar to those in the Indus plain, and Thar Desert . Soil types in the region are silty, with some clay as well. Much of the soil is exposed to salinization from the Arabian Sea . Vegetation in Thatta

840-553: The Indus river also began to silt. The city then came under the rule of the Talpur dynasty , who divided the Sind into three units Khairpur , Haiderabad , Mirpurkhas and seized Thatta from the Kalhoras . A second British comptoir was established during the Kalhora period in 1758, which operated until 1775. In the early 19th century Thatta had declined to a population of about 20,000, from

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880-598: The King Jam Nizamuddin II , completed in 1510, is an impressive square structure measuring 11.4 metres on each side. It was built of sandstone and decorated with floral and geometric medallions. The cuboid shape of the tomb may be inspired by the Ka'aba in Makkah. Its dome was never built, thus leaving the interior exposed to the elements. The monument features a large and intricately carved Gujarati-style jharoka , or balcony, and

920-484: The ancient Mahakali ( Maa Kali ) temple, dismissing alternative theories as unconvincing. According to Brohi, the tomb of Jam Nizamuddin II features stones resembling those of an ancient temple. The Sufi saint, poet and scholar Shaikh Jamali established a khanqah , or Sufi gathering site, at Makli and was eventually buried there. The 14th century Samma ruler, Jam Tamachi , venerated the saint and wished to be interred near

960-553: The city's Hindu population, though like much of Sindh, migrated to India, Thatta did not experience the widespread rioting that occurred in Punjab and Bengal . In all, less than 500 Hindu were killed in all of Sindh between 1947 and 1948 as Sindhi Muslims largely resisted calls to turn against their Hindu neighbours. Hindus did not flee Thatta en masse until riots erupted in Karachi on 6 January 1948, which sowed fear in Sindh's Hindus. In

1000-580: The city's port functions, its Hindu merchants continued to play an important role in trade, and began using their own ships rather than relying on European ships for trade. Traders were particularly active in the region around Masqat , in modern Oman , and members of Thatta's Bhatia caste established Masqat's first Hindu temple during this period. Sindh remained an important economic centre during this period as well, and Thatta remained Sindh's largest economic centre, and its largest centre for textile production. The Kalhora dynasty began to gain influence as

1040-425: The city. Thatta's Makli Necropolis , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is site of one of the world's largest cemeteries and has numerous monumental tombs built between the 14th and 18th centuries designed in a syncretic funerary style characteristic of lower Sindh. The city's 17th century Shah Jahan Mosque is richly embellished with decorative tiles, and is considered to have the most elaborate display of tile work in

1080-430: The craftsmen to be cut off so that they would not be able to make another monument to rival his own. The tomb of Jan Beg Tarkhan (d. 1600), is an octagonal brick structure whose dome is covered in blue and turquoise glazed tiles. Pavilion or canopy tombs ( chattri maqbara or umbrella tomb) are another typical Indo-Islamic architectural feature, as well as enclosure tombs. The Mughul period is represented by many tombs on

1120-531: The end of the 16th century a religious Order (Carmelitas Descalços) Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites a convent. The city was destroyed by Mirza Jani Beg in the 16th century. Beginning in 1592 during the reign of Emperor Akbar , Thatta was governed by the Mughal Empire based in Agra, which lead to a decline in the city's prosperity as some trade was shifted towards other Mughal ports. Shah Jahan , while still

1160-833: The etymology of Thatta. The first theory suggests that Thatta is a distortion of ‘Teh Teh’ which refers to the migration of people from northern cities to Thatta. The second theory suggests that the name originates from thatt , the Sindhi term for a place of gathering. Thatta may be the site of ancient Patala , the main port on the Indus in the time of Alexander the Great , though the site of Patala has been subject to much debate. Before it, Hindus called it Sarnee Nagar , but in 332 BC, Greeks first time called it Pattala or Patala then it became Nagar Tatta in Mughal Period . Muhammad bin Qasim captured

1200-533: The mid-1500s, prompting Muhammad Isa Tarkhun (Mirza Isa Khan I) to seek aid from the Portuguese in 1555. 700 Portuguese soldiers arrived in 28 ships to determine, at the time of their arrival, that Isa Tarkhun had already emerged victorious from the conflict. After the Tarkhuns refused to pay the Portuguese soldiers, the Portuguese plundered the town, robbing its enormous gold treasury, and killing many inhabitants. Despite

1240-471: The next 300 years. Under Sumra rule, Thatta's Ismaili Shia population was granted special protection. The Sumra dynasty began to decline in power by the 13th century, though Thatta and the Indus Delta remained their last bastions of power until the mid 14th century. In 1351, the Samma Dynasty , of Rajput descent from Sehwan , seized the city and made it their capital as well. It was during this time that

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1280-559: The region in 711 CE after the defeating the local Raja in a battle north of Thatta . Thatta is reported by some historians to have been the ancient seaport of Debal that was mentioned by the Arab conquerors, though others place the seaport at the site of modern Karachi . At the time of the Umayyad conquests, small semi-nomadic tribes were living in the Sindh region. The Umayyad conquest introduced

1320-614: The religion of Islam into the hitherto mostly Hindu and Buddhist region. Following Mahmud of Ghazna 's invasion of Sindh in the early 11th century, the Ghaznavids installed Abdul Razzaq as Governor of Thatta in 1026. Under the rule of the Ghaznavids the local chieftain Ibn Sumar, then ruler of Multan , seized power in Sindh and founded the Sumra dynasty , which ruled from Thatta from 1051 for

1360-501: The saint, beginning the tradition of using Makli as a funerary site. The site rose to prominence as a major funerary site during under the rule of the Samma dynasty, who had made their capital near Thatta. The most architecturally significant tombs at the site date from around the time of the Mughal era, between 1570 and 1640 CE. Makli Necropolis occupies 10 square kilometres, housing at least 500,000 tombs. It stretches from Pir Patho at

1400-475: The site are sometimes made entirely of brick, with only a sandstone slab. The largest structures in the most archetypal Chaukhandi style feature domed yellow sandstone canopies that were plastered white with wooden doorways, in a style that reflects Central Asian and Persian influences. The size of the dome denoted the prominence of the buried individual, with undersides embellished with carved floral patterns. The underside of some canopies feature lotus flowers,

1440-485: The site's deterioration. Thatta Thatta ( Sindhi : ٺٽو ‎ , IPA : [ʈ əʈːoː] ; Urdu : ٹھٹہ , IPA : [ʈ əʈːɑː] ) is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh . Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Its construction was ordered by Jam Nizamuddin II in 1495. Thatta's historic significance has yielded several monuments in and around

1480-475: The southern end of the Makli Hills, northward in a roughly diamond shape. Its eastern edge is formed by the Makli Hills ridge. The largest monuments are generally found at the southern edge of the site, though the Samma tombs are found in the north. The funerary architecture of the largest monuments synthesizes Muslim, Hindu, Persian, Mughal, and Gujarati influences, in the style of Lower Sindh that became known as

1520-565: The southern side of the necropolis, including the mausoleum of Mirza Jani and Mirza Ghazi Baig, that of Nawab Shurfa Khan, the enclosure of Mirza Muhammad Baqi Tarkhan and of Mirza Jan Baba as well as the impressive restored tomb of Nawab Isa Khan Tarkhan the Younger. Makli Necropolis was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The site's structural integrity has been affected by siltation, encroachment, poor site management, vandalism, and solid waste. The 2010 Pakistan floods further compounded

1560-484: Was built after his death in 1521 Darya Khan had been born a slave, but rose to prominence as a general after defeating an Arghun army in battle. He was granted the title "Hero of Sindh," and was eventually made Madrul Muham , or Prime Minister. The tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan I, who ruled from 1554 to 1565, represents a departure from the funerary architecture of the Sammas. The tomb features a distinctly new cenotaph -style, and

1600-457: Was considered by visiting Augustinian friars in the 1650s to be a wealthy city, though the presence of transgender hijras were taken as a sign of the city's supposed moral depravity. Thatta'a revival was short lived as the Indus River silted in the second half of the 1600s, shifting its course further east and leading to the abandonment of the city as a seaport. Despite the abandonment of

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