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114-530: Sindh survives almost entirely on the water of the River Indus as there is very limited groundwater available. Rainfall in the province averages between 100 and 200 mm per year, while the evaporation rate is between 1,000 and 2,000 mm. Thus, Sindh is arid and it is only the Indus which irrigates otherwise barren lands of Sindh. Regular surveys have not been carried out to assess the availability of groundwater in

228-461: A Baloch woman consists of a long frock and trouser ( shalwaar ) with a headscarf. Zahirok is one of the most important and well-known balochi song genres, often described as the “Balochi classical music” by the Baloch themselves. Instruments in traditional Balochi music include suroz , donali , ghaychak , dohol , sorna , rubab , kemenche , tamburag and benju . Historically, there

342-678: A Sindhi Hindu put forward the demand for Sindh's separation from the Bombay Presidency on the grounds of Sindh's unique cultural character. This reflected the desire of Sindh's predominantly Hindu commercial class to free itself from competing with the more powerful Bombay's business interests. Meanwhile, Sindhi politics was characterised in the 1920s by the growing importance of Karachi and the Khilafat Movement. A number of Sindhi pirs, descendants of Sufi saints who had proselytised in Sindh, joined

456-521: A composition that remained an established feature of the Baloch tribes until recently. The Khanate of Kalat was the first unified polity to emerge in the history of Balochistan . It took birth from the confederacy of nomadic Brahui tribes native to the central Balochistan in 1666 which under Mir Ahmad Khan I declared independence from the Mughal suzeraignty and slowly absorbed the Baloch principalities in

570-617: A degree of sovereignty during British rule as the princely state of Khairpur , whose ruler elected to join the new Dominion of Pakistan in October 1947 as an autonomous region, before being fully amalgamated into West Pakistan in 1955. The British conquered Sindh in 1843. General Charles Napier is said to have reported victory to the Governor General with a one-word telegram, namely " Peccavi " – or "I have sinned" ( Latin ). The British had two objectives in their rule of Sindh:

684-672: A fourth was based in Tando Muhammad Khan . They were ethnically Baloch , and for most of their rule, they were subordinate to the Durrani Empire and were forced to pay tribute to them. They ruled from 1783, until 1843, when they were in turn defeated by the British at the Battle of Miani and Battle of Dubbo . The northern Khairpur branch of the Talpur dynasty, however, continued to maintain

798-523: A huge variety of animals and birds. The Kirthar National Park in the Kirthar range spreads over more than 3000 km of desert, stunted tree forests and a lake. The KNP supports Sindh ibex , wild sheep (urial) and black bear along with the rare leopard. There are also occasional sightings of The Sindhi phekari, ped lynx or Caracal cat. There is a project to introduce tigers and Asian elephants too in KNP near

912-486: A large variety of marine fish, the plumbeous dolphin, the beaked dolphin, rorqual or blue whale and skates frequent the seas along the Sindh coast. The Pallo (Sable fish), a marine fish, ascends the Indus annually from February to April to spawn. The Indus river dolphin is among the most endangered species in Pakistan and is found in the part of the Indus river in northern Sindh. Hog deer and wild bear occur, particularly in

1026-572: A long history, starting with the capture of Sindh by Muhammad Bin Qasim in 712 CE. Over time, the majority of the population in Sindh converted to Islam, especially in rural areas. Today, Muslims make up 90% of the population, and are more dominant in urban than rural areas. Islam in Sindh has a strong Sufi ethos with numerous Muslim saints and mystics, such as the Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai , having lived in Sindh historically. One popular legend that highlights

1140-627: A major part of the Sindhi partition experience, unlike in Punjab. There were very few incidents of violence on Sindh, in part due to the Sufi-influenced culture of religious tolerance and in part that Sindh was not divided and was instead made part of Pakistan in its entirety. Sindhi Hindus who left generally did so out of a fear of persecution, rather than persecution itself, because of the arrival of Muslim refugees from India. Sindhi Hindus differentiated between

1254-583: A marriage, including a portion of Bactria , while Chandragupta granted Seleucus 500 elephants. Following a century of Mauryan rule which ended by 180 BCE, the region came under the Indo-Greeks , followed by the Indo Scythians , who ruled with their capital at Minnagara . Later on, Sasanian rulers from the reign of Shapur I claimed control of the Sindh area in their inscriptions, known as Hind . The local Rai dynasty emerged from Sindh and reigned for

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1368-450: A more structured way. The structural solution to this problem was to create tribal confederacies or unions. Thus, in conditions of insecurity and disorder or when threatened by a predatory regional authority or a hostile central government, several tribal communities would form a cluster around a chief who had demonstrated his ability to offer protection and security. The British took over the non-Persian section of Balochistan in 1839. In

1482-571: A new ongoing low-intensity insurgency beginning in 2003. Historically, drivers of the conflict are reported to include "tribal divisions", the Baloch-Pashtun ethnic divisions, "marginalization by Punjabi interests", and "economic oppression". However, over the years, insurgency waged by separatist militants declined as result of crackdown by Pakistani security forces, infighting among the separatist militants and assassinations of Baloch politicians willing to take part in Pakistan's democratic process by

1596-620: A period of 144 years, concurrent with the Huna invasions of North India. Aror was noted to be the capital. The Brahmin dynasty of Sindh succeeded the Rai dynasty . Most of the information about its existence comes from the Chach Nama , a historical account of the Chach-Brahmin dynasty. After the empire's fall in 712, though the empire had ended, its dynasty's members administered parts of Sindh under

1710-673: A period the Sammas were therefore subject to Delhi again. Later, as the Sultanate of Delhi collapsed they became fully independent. Jam Unar was the founder of Samma dynasty mentioned by Ibn Battuta . The Samma civilization contributed significantly to the evolution of the Indo-Islamic architectural style. Thatta is famous for its necropolis, which covers 10 square km on the Makli Hill . It has left its mark in Sindh with magnificent structures including

1824-534: A puppet Khan. The Mari tribe rose in revolt and the British retaliated in force. A British contingent under the command of Major Brown on May 11, 1840, attacked the Mari headquarter of Kahan and occupied Kahan Fort and the surrounding areas (Masson, 1974). The Mari forces withdrew from the area, regrouped, and in an ambush wiped out a whole convoy of British troops near Filiji, killing more than one hundred British troops. During

1938-495: A safeguard for their own interests. In this campaign, local Sindhi Muslims identified 'Hindu' with Bombay instead of Sindh. Sindhi Hindus were seen as representing the interests of Bombay instead of the majority of Sindhi Muslims. Sindhi Hindus, for the most part, opposed the separation of Sindh from Bombay. Although Sindh had a culture of religious syncretism, communal harmony and tolerance due to Sindh's strong Sufi culture in which both Sindhi Muslims and Sindhi Hindus partook, both

2052-617: A tree commonly found in Sindh. The previous spelling Sind (from the Perso-Arabic سند ) was discontinued in 1988 by an amendment passed in the Sindh Assembly , and the name is now spelt Sindh . Sindh and surrounding areas contain the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization . There are remnants of thousand-year-old cities and structures, with a notable example in Sindh being that of Mohenjo Daro . Built around 2500 BCE, it

2166-552: A year, caused by the spring and summer melting of Himalayan snow and by rainfall in the monsoon season. Sindh is divided into three climatic regions: Siro (the upper region, centred on Jacobabad ), Wicholo (the middle region, centred on Hyderabad ), and Lar (the lower region, centred on Karachi ). The thermal equator passes through upper Sindh, where the air is generally very dry. Central Sindh's temperatures are generally lower than those of upper Sindh but higher than those of lower Sindh. Dry hot days and cool nights are typical during

2280-423: Is Rohri Canal which though slightly shorter in length than Nara Canal is yet taking discharge much more than the former. It has cultivable area of 1,100,000 hectares (2,600,000 acres) settled for irrigation. Cotton, wheat and sugar-cane are the main crops grown on this canal system. All the four canals on the left and two canals on the right bank of River Indus are perennial canals, delivering irrigation supplies all

2394-610: Is Sindh's most multiethnic city which hosts most of the province's Urdu-speaking population who form a plurality, along many other groups. Sindh is in the western corner of South Asia, bordering the Iranian plateau in the west. Geographically it is the third largest province of Pakistan, stretching about 579 kilometres (360 mi) from north to south and 442 kilometres (275 mi) (extreme) or 281 kilometres (175 mi) (average) from east to west, with an area of 140,915 square kilometres (54,408 sq mi) of Pakistani territory. Sindh

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2508-693: Is bounded by the Thar Desert to the east, the Kirthar Mountains to the west and the Arabian Sea and Rann of Kutch to the south. In the centre is a fertile plain along the Indus River . Sindh is divided into three main geographical regions: Siro ("upper country"), aka Upper Sindh, which is above Sehwan ; Vicholo ("middle country"), or Middle Sindh, from Sehwan to Hyderabad ; and Lāṟu ("sloping, descending country"), or Lower Sindh, mostly consisting of

2622-436: Is hot in the summer and mild to warm in winter. Temperatures frequently rise above 46  °C (115  °F ) between May and August, and the minimum average temperature of 2 °C (36 °F) occurs during December and January in the northern and higher elevated regions. The annual rainfall averages about seven inches, falling mainly during July and August. The southwest monsoon wind begins in mid-February and continues until

2736-690: Is in Pakistan, whose largest province (in land area) is Balochistan . An estimated 6.9 million of Pakistan's population is Baloch. In Iran there are about two million ethnic Baloch and a majority of the population of the eastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province is of Baloch ethnicity. The Afghan portion of Balochistan includes the Chahar Burjak District of Nimruz Province , and the Registan Desert in southern Helmand and Kandahar provinces. The governors of Nimruz province in Afghanistan belong to

2850-455: Is no documented evidence of religious practices of the Baloch in ancient times. Many among the Baloch writers observed that the persecutions of the Baloch by the Sassanid emperors Shapur II and Khosrow II had a strong religious or sectarian element. They believed that there are strong indications that the Baloch were the followers of Mazdakian and Manichean sects of Zoroastrianism religion at

2964-462: Is received in the winters. The Provincial Assembly of Sindh is a unicameral and consists of 168 seats, of which 5% are reserved for non-Muslims and 17% for women. The provincial capital of Sindh is Karachi . The provincial government is led by Chief Minister who is directly elected by the popular and landslide votes ; the Governor serves as a ceremonial representative nominated and appointed by

3078-448: Is used to control water flow in the River Indus for the purposes of irrigation and flood control. This barrage which is the backbone of the economy of the entire country enables water to flow through what was originally a network of seven canals 9,923 kilometres (6,166 mi) long, feeding the largest irrigation system in the world, with more than 7.63 million acres of irrigated land which forms about 25% of total canal irrigated area of

3192-583: Is well known for its distinct culture , which is strongly influenced by Sufist Islam , an important marker of Sindhi identity for both Hindus and Muslims . Sindh is prominent for its history during the Bronze Age under the Indus Valley civilization , and is home to two UNESCO -designated World Heritage Sites : the Makli Necropolis and Mohenjo-daro . The Greeks who conquered Sindh in 325 BCE under

3306-460: The 2021 Balochistan earthquake . There were other major earthquakes in 2013 ( 2013 Balochistan earthquake and 2013 Saravan earthquake ). The cultural values which are the pillars of the Baloch individual and national identity were firmly established during the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, a period which not only brought sufferings for the Baloch and forced them into en masse migrations but also brought fundamental sociocultural transformation of

3420-677: The Abbasid Caliphate in 861, while continuing to nominally pledge allegiance to the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad . The Habbaris ruled Sindh until they were defeated by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi in 1026, who then went on to destroy the old Habbari capital of Mansura, and annex the region to the Ghaznavid Empire , thereby ending Arab rule of Sindh. The Soomra dynasty was a local Sindhi Muslim dynasty that ruled between early 11th century and

3534-647: The Ghaznavids , then the Ghorids . The relation between the Ghaznavids and the Baloch had never been peaceful. Turan and Makuran came under the Ghaznavids founder Sebuktegin 's suzerainty as early as 976-977 CE (Bosworth, 1963). The Baloch tribes fought against Sebuktegin when he attacked Khuzdar in 994. The Baloch were in the army of Saffarids Amir Khalaf and fought against Mahmud when the Ghaznavids forces invaded Sistan in 1013 (Muir, 1924). Many other occasions were mentioned by

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3648-542: The Government of Pakistan embarked upon a massive rehabilitation work of Sukkur Barrage. The work was started by Pakistan Army Engineering Corps and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on 22 November 2004, and was completed ahead of the deadline in July 2005, with the cost of just 15 million US$ (US dollars). Experts believe that the rehabilitation of the barrage has enhanced its efficiency for another 60 to 70 years. Sukkur Barrage

3762-639: The Indus Delta below Hyderabad. The province is mostly arid with scant vegetation except for the irrigated Indus Valley. The dwarf palm, Acacia rupestris (kher), and Tecomella undulata ( lohirro ) trees are typical of the western hill region. In the Indus valley, the Acacia nilotica (babul) (babbur) is the most dominant and occurs in thick forests along the Indus banks. The Azadirachta indica (neem) (nim), Zizyphys vulgaris (bir) (ber), Tamarix orientalis (jujuba lai) and Capparis aphylla (kirir) are among

3876-578: The Iranian plateau 's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region of desert and mountains is primarily populated by ethnic Baloch people . The Balochistan region is split among three countries: Iran , Afghanistan and Pakistan . Administratively it comprises the Pakistani province of Balochistan , the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan , and

3990-666: The Makli Necropolis of its royals in Thatta. They were later overthrown by the Turkic Arghuns in the late 15th century. In the late 16th century, Sindh was brought into the Mughal Empire by Akbar , himself born in the Rajputana kingdom in Umerkot in Sindh. Mughal rule from their provincial capital of Thatta was to last in lower Sindh until the early 18th century, while upper Sindh

4104-622: The President of Pakistan . The administrative boss of the province who is in charge of the bureaucracy is the Chief Secretary Sindh , who is appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan . Most of the influential Sindhi tribes in the province are involved in Pakistan's politics . In addition, Sindh's politics leans towards the left-wing and its political culture serves as a dominant place for

4218-501: The Striped hyena (charakh), jackal , fox , porcupine , common gray mongoose and hedgehog . The Sindhi phekari, red lynx or Caracal cat, is found in some areas. Phartho (hog deer) and wild bear occur, particularly in the central inundation belt. There are bats, lizards and reptiles, including the cobra, lundi (viper) and the mysterious Sindh krait of the Thar region, which is supposed to suck

4332-662: The Sumerians (2900–2350 BCE) and Akkadians (2334–2154 BCE) in Mesopotamia . Meluḫḫa disappears from the Mesopotamian records at the beginning of the second millennium BCE. However, Hansman states that a trace of it in a modified form, as Baluḫḫu , was retained in the names of products imported by the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–605 BCE). Al-Muqaddasī , who visited the capital of Makran, Bannajbur , wrote c. 985 CE that it

4446-467: The Thar Desert of Sindh in the eastern portion of the province along the international border with India , and the Kirthar Mountains in the western portion of the province. The economy of Sindh is the second largest in Pakistan after the province of Punjab ; its provincial capital Karachi is the most populous city in the country as well as its main financial hub. Sindh is home to a large portion of Pakistan's industrial sector and contains two of

4560-402: The invasion by Alexander . Alexander conquered parts of Sindh after Punjab for few years and appointed his general Peithon as governor. He constructed a harbour at the city of Patala in Sindh. Chandragupta Maurya fought Alexander's successor in the east, Seleucus I Nicator , when the latter invaded. In a peace treaty, Seleucus ceded all territories west of the Indus River and offered

4674-618: The left-wing spectrum in the country. The province's trend towards the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and away from the Pakistan Muslim League (N) can be seen in nationwide general elections , in which Sindh is a stronghold of the PPP. The PML(N) has a limited support due to its centre-right agenda . In metropolitan cities such as Karachi and Hyderabad , the MQM (another party of

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4788-513: The second-largest province by population after Punjab . It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Balochistan to the west and north-west and Punjab to the north. It shares an International border with the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to the east; it is also bounded by the Arabian Sea to the south. Sindh's landscape consists mostly of alluvial plains flanking the Indus River ,

4902-627: The southern areas of Afghanistan, which include Nimruz , Helmand and Kandahar provinces. It borders the Pashtunistan region to the north, Sindh and Punjab to the east, and Persian regions to the west. Its southern coastline, including the Makran Coast , is washed by the Arabian Sea, in particular by its western part, the Gulf of Oman . The name "Balochistan" is generally believed to derive from

5016-404: The 14th century. Later chroniclers like Ali ibn al-Athir (c. late 12th c.) and Ibn Khaldun (c. late 14th c.) attributed the fall of Habbarids to Mahmud of Ghazni, lending credence to the argument of Hafif being the last Habbarid. The Soomras appear to have established themselves as a regional power in this power vacuum. The Ghurids and Ghaznavids continued to rule parts of Sindh, across

5130-645: The 1870s, Baluchistan came under control of the British Indian Empire in colonial India . The fundamental objective of the British to enter into a treaty agreement with the Khanate of Kalat was to provide a passage and supplies to the "Army of Indus" on its way to Kandahar through Shikarpur, Jacobabad (Khangadh), Dhadar, Bolan Pass, Quetta, and Khojak Pass. It is interesting to note that the British imperialist interests in Balochistan were not primarily economic as

5244-830: The 2023 census indicated a population of 5,182 Sikhs. Languages of Sindh (2023) According to the 2023 census , the most widely spoken language in the province is Sindhi , the first language of 33,462,299 60% of the population. It is followed by Urdu 12,409,745 (22%), Pashto 2,955,893 (5.3%), Punjabi 2,265,471 (4.1%), Balochi 1,208,147 (2.2%), Saraiki 913,418 (1.6%), and Hindko 830,581 (1.5), Brahui 265,769, Mewati 57,059, Kashmiri 53,249, Balti 27,193, Shina 22,273, Koshistani 14,885, 777 Kalasha and others are 1,151,650, Other minority languages include Kutchi , Gujarati , Aer , Bagri , Bhaya , Brahui , Dhatki , Ghera , Goaria , Gurgula , Jadgali , Jandavra , Jogi , Kabutra , Kachi Koli , Parkari Koli , Wadiyari Koli , Loarki , Marwari , Sansi , and Vaghri . Karachi city

5358-455: The 9th century and further to balōč in later times. This reasoning remains speculative. The earliest evidence of human occupation in what is now Balochistan is dated to the Paleolithic era. Evidence includes hunting camps, lithic scatter , and chipped and flaked stone tools. The earliest settled villages in the region date to the ceramic Neolithic ( c.  7000 –6000 BCE) and included

5472-467: The Baloch ethnic group. President Pervez Musharraf and the military are responsible for the worsening of the conflict in Balochistan. The Balochistan region has also experienced a number of insurgencies with separatist militants demanding independence of Baloch regions in the three countries to form "Greater Balochistan". In Pakistan, insurgencies by separatist militants in Balochistan province have been fought in 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and 1973–1977, with

5586-517: The Baloch society. An overlapping of pastoral ecology and tribal structure had shaped contemporary Baloch social values. The pastoralist nomadic way of life and the inclination to resist the assimilation attempts of various powerful ethnic identities shaped the peculiar Baloch ethnic identity. It was the persecution by strong and organized religions for the last two thousand years that has shaped their secular attitude about religion in social or community affairs. Their independent and stubborn behavior as

5700-508: The Baloch tribes from Kerman to further east. The Hindu Sewa Dynasty ruled parts of Balochistan, chiefly Kalat . The Sibi Division , which was carved out of Quetta Division and Kalat Division in 1974, derives its name from Rani Sewi, the queen of the Sewa dynasty. The region was fully Islamized by the 9th century and became part of the territory of the Saffarids of Zaranj , followed by

5814-496: The Baloch were traveling through settled territories, and it could not have been possible to survive simply as wandering nomads. Perpetual migrations, hostile attitudes of other tribes and rulers, and adverse climactic conditions ruined much of their cattle breeding. Settled agriculture became a necessity for the survival of herds and an increased population. They began to combine settled agriculture with animal husbandry. The Baloch tribes now consisted of sedentary and nomadic population,

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5928-718: The Great encountered the Pareitakai in Bactria and Sogdiana , and had them conquered by Craterus (Anabasis Alexandrou IV). The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century CE) describes the territory of the Paradon beyond the Ommanitic region, on the coast of modern Balochistan. During the reign of Arab dynasties, medieval Iran suffered the onslaught of Ghaznavids , Mongols , Timurids , and

6042-492: The Khilafat Movement, which propagated the protection of the Ottoman Caliphate, and those pirs who did not join the movement found a decline in their following. The pirs generated huge support for the Khilafat cause in Sindh. Sindh came to be at the forefront of the Khilafat Movement . Although Sindh had a cleaner record of communal harmony than other parts of India, the province's Muslim elite and emerging Muslim middle class demanded separation of Sindh from Bombay Presidency as

6156-535: The Muslim landed elite, waderas , and the Hindu commercial elements, banias , collaborated in oppressing the predominantly Muslim peasantry of Sindh who were economically exploited. Sindhi Muslims eventually demanded the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency, a move opposed by Sindhi Hindus. In Sindh's first provincial election after its separation from Bombay in 1936, economic interests were an essential factor of politics informed by religious and cultural issues. Due to British policies, much land in Sindh

6270-502: The Sindh Sultanate. The last Soomra ruler took shelter with the governor of Gujarat , under the protection of Muhammad bin Tughluq , the sultan of Delhi . Mohammad bin Tughlaq made an expedition against Sindh in 1351 and died at Sondha, possibly in an attempt to restore the Soomras. With this, the Sammas became independent. The next sultan, Firuz Shah Tughlaq attacked Sindh in 1365 and 1367, unsuccessfully, but with reinforcements from Delhi he later obtained Banbhiniyo's surrender. For

6384-419: The Suez Canal. In fact Nara Canal is not a man-made canal as it was the southernmost part of Hakro River which emanated from the foothills of Sutlej which after traversing through the Punjab and Bhawalpur plains joined Nara through Raini River, the remnants of which are still exiting in Ghotki District of Sindh Province. This canal caters for an area of 930,000 hectares (2,300,000 acres). The next largest canal

6498-437: The Umayyad Caliphate's Caliphal province of Sind . After the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , the Arab expansion towards the east reached the Sindh region beyond Persia . The connection between the Sindh and Islam was established by the initial Muslim invasions during the Rashidun Caliphate . Al-Hakim ibn Jabalah al-Abdi, who attacked Makran in the year 649 CE, was an early partisan of Ali ibn Abu Talib . During

6612-401: The barrage. Sindh Europe North America Oceania Sindh ( / ˈ s ɪ n d / SIND ; Sindhi : سِنْڌ ‎ ; Urdu : سِنْدھ , pronounced [sɪndʱə] ; abbr. SD , historically romanized as Sind ) is a province of Pakistan . Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and

6726-402: The bust of the ruler (with long hair in a headband) on the obverse, and a swastika within a circular legend on the reverse, written in Brahmi (usually silver coins) or Kharoshthi (copper coins). These coins are mainly found in Loralai in today's western Pakistan. During the wars between Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) and Emperor Darius III (336-330 BCE), the Baloch were allied with

6840-446: The caliphate of Ali, many Jats of Sindh had come under the influence of Shi'ism and some even participated in the Battle of Camel and died fighting for Ali . Under the Umayyads (661–750 CE), many Shias sought asylum in the region of Sindh, to live in relative peace in the remote area. Ziyad Hindi is one of those refugees. The first clash with the Hindu kings of Sindh took place in 636 (15 A.H.) under Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab with

6954-513: The central inundation belt. Although Sindh has a semi arid climate, through its coastal and riverine forests, its huge fresh water lakes and mountains and deserts, Sindh supports a large amount of varied wildlife. Due to the semi-arid climate of Sindh the left out forests support an average population of jackals and snakes. The national parks established by the Government of Pakistan in collaboration with many organizations such as World Wide Fund for Nature and Sindh Wildlife Department support

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7068-432: The command of Alexander the Great referred to the Indus River as Indós , hence the modern Indus . The ancient Iranians referred to everything east of the river Indus as hind . The word Sind is a Persian derivative of the Sanskrit term Sindhu, meaning "river," a reference to the Indus River . Southworth suggests that the name Sindhu is in turn derived from Cintu , a Dravidian word for date palm ,

7182-413: The consolidation of British rule and the use of Sindh as a market for British products and a source of revenue and raw materials. With the appropriate infrastructure in place, the British hoped to utilise Sindh for its economic potential. The British incorporated Sindh, some years later after annexing it, into the Bombay Presidency . Distance from the provincial capital, Bombay, led to grievances that Sindh

7296-444: The country's busiest commercial seaports: Port Qasim and the Port of Karachi . The remainder of Sindh consists of an agriculture -based economy and produces fruits, consumer items and vegetables for other parts of the country. Sindh is sometimes referred to as the Bab-ul Islam ( transl.  'Gateway of Islam ' ), as it was one of the first regions of the Indian subcontinent to fall under Islamic rule . The province

7410-413: The country. The retaining wall of the barrage has 66 spans (outfall gates), each 18 metres (60 ft) wide and weighing 50 tons. The Nara Canal which is one of the seven canals off taking from this barrage is the longest canal of this country, carrying discharge almost equal to that of the River Thames at London and its bed width which is 105 metres (346 ft) and 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 times as big as

7524-522: The cultural values, which distinguish a Baloch from others. The Baloch dress and personal upkeeping very much resemble the Median and Parthian ways. Surprisingly, no significant changes can be observed in the Balochi dress since the ancient times. A typical Balochi outfit consisted of loose-fitting and many-folded trousers held by garters, bobbed hair, shirt ( qamis ), and a head turban. Generally, both hair and beard were carefully curled, but, sometimes, they depended on long straight locks. A typical dress of

7638-494: The distinctive feature of the Baloch identity is consistent with their nomadic or agro-pastoral past. Med o Maraka, for resolution of disputes among the Baloch, is a much-honored tradition. In a broader context, it is, in a way, accepting the guilt by the accused or offender and asking for forgiveness from the affected party. Usually, the offender himself does this by going to the home of the affected person and asking for forgiveness. Dress code and personal upkeeping are among

7752-405: The eleventh and early twelfth century, alongside Soomrus. The precise delineations are not yet known but Sommrus were probably centered in lower Sindh. Some of them were adherents of Isma'ilism . One of their kings Shimuddin Chamisar had submitted to Iltutmish , the Sultan of Delhi , and was allowed to continue on as a vassal. The Sammas overthrew the Soomras soon after 1335 and established

7866-405: The end of September, whereas the cool northerly wind blows during the winter months from October to January. Sindh lies between the two monsoons —the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean and the northeast or retreating monsoon, deflected towards it by the Himalayan mountains —and escapes the influence of both. The region's scarcity of rainfall is compensated by the inundation of the Indus twice

7980-439: The expansive settlements of the Indus river basin to the east. From the 1st century to the 3rd century CE, the region was ruled by the Pāratarājas (lit. "Pārata Kings"), a dynasty of Indo-Parthian kings. The dynasty of the Pāratas is thought to be identical with the Pāradas of the Mahabharata , the Puranas and other Vedic and Iranian sources. The Parata kings are primarily known through their coins, which typically exhibit

8094-403: The government restored the mosque to Muslims. The separation of Sindh from Bombay Presidency triggered Sindhi Muslim nationalists to support the Pakistan Movement. Even while the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province were ruled by parties hostile to the Muslim League, Sindh remained loyal to Jinnah. Although the prominent Sindhi Muslim nationalist G. M. Syed left the All India Muslim League in

8208-492: The governor of Bahrain, Uthman ibn Abu-al-Aas , dispatching naval expeditions against Thane and Bharuch and Debal . Al-Baladhuri states they were victorious at Debal but doesn't mention the results of other two raids. However, the Chach Nama states that the raid of Debal was defeated and its governor killed the leader of the raids. These raids were thought to be triggered by a later pirate attack on Umayyad ships. Baladhuri adds that this stopped any more incursions until

8322-529: The historians of the Ghaznavids era in which the Baloch came into confrontation with the Ghaznavids forces (Nizam al-Mulk, 1960). There are only passing references of Baloch encounters with the Mongol hordes. In one of the classical Balochi ballads, there is mention of a Baloch chieftain, Shah Baloch , who, no doubt, heroically resisted a Mongol advance somewhere in Sistan. During the long period of en masse migrations,

8436-477: The huge Hub Dam Lake. Between July and November when the monsoon winds blow onshore from the ocean, giant olive ridley turtles lay their eggs along the seaward side. The turtles are protected species. After the mothers lay and leave them buried under the sands the SWD and WWF officials take the eggs and protect them until they are hatched to keep them from predators. Sindh lies in a tropical to subtropical region; it

8550-453: The incursions of Guzz Turks . The relationship between the Baloch and nearly all these powers were hostile, and the Baloch suffered enormously during this long period. The Baloch encounters with these powers and the subsequent Baloch miseries forced the Baloch tribes to move from the areas of conflicts and to settle in the farflung and inaccessible regions. The bloody conflicts with Buyids and Seljuqs were instrumental in waves of migration by

8664-516: The last Achaemenid emperor. According to Shustheri (1925), Darius III, after much hesitation, assembled an army at Arbela to counter the army of invading Greeks. His cousin Besius was the commander, leading the horsemen from Balkh. Berzanthis was the commander of the Baloch forces, Okeshthra was the commander of the forces from Khuzistan , Maseus was the commander of the Syrian and Egyptian contingent, Ozbed

8778-423: The last census conducted prior to the partition of India, the total population of Sindh was 4,840,795 out of which 3,462,015 (71.5%) were Muslims, 1,279,530 (26.4%) were Hindus and the remaining were Tribals, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Jains, Jews, and Buddhists. Sindh also has Pakistan's highest percentage of Hindus overall, accounting for 8.8% of the population, roughly around 4.9 million people, and 13.3% of

8892-602: The left with the support of Muhajirs ) has a considerable vote bank and support. Minor leftist parties such as the People's Movement also found support in rural areas of the province. In 2008, after the public elections, the new government decided to restore the structure of Divisions of all provinces. In Sindh after the lapse of the Local Governments Bodies term in 2010 the Divisional Commissioners system

9006-414: The local Sindhi Muslims and the migrant Muslims from India. A large number of Sindhi Hindus travelled to India by sea, to the ports of Bombay, Porbandar, Veraval and Okha. Sindh has the second highest Human Development Index out of all of Pakistan's provinces at 0.628. The 2023 Census of Pakistan indicated a population of 55.7 million. Religion in Sindh according to 2023 census Islam in Sindh has

9120-499: The lower Sindh region. Among the wild animals, the Sindh ibex (sareh), blackbuck , wild sheep ( Urial or gadh) and wild bear are found in the western rocky range. The leopard is now rare and the Asiatic cheetah extinct. 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

9234-488: The mediaeval Arohṛ and the modern-day Rohṛī . The Achaemenids conquered the region and established the satrapy of Hindush . The territory may have corresponded to the area covering the lower and central Indus basin (present day Sindh and the southern Punjab regions of Pakistan). Alternatively, some authors consider that Hindush may have been located in the Punjab area. These areas remained under Persian control until

9348-560: The mid-1940s and his relationship with Jinnah never improved, the overwhelming majority of Sindhi Muslims supported the creation of Pakistan, seeing in it their deliverance. Sindhi support for the Pakistan Movement arose from the desire of the Sindhi Muslim business class to drive out their Hindu competitors. The Muslim League's rise to becoming the party with the strongest support in Sindh was in large part linked to its winning over of

9462-428: 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 delta 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

9576-432: The name of the Baloch people . Since the Baloch people are not mentioned in pre-Islamic sources, it is likely that the Baloch were known by some other name in their place of origin and that they acquired the name "Baloch" only after arriving in Balochistan sometime in the 10th century. Johan Hansman relates the term "Baloch" to Meluḫḫa , the name by which the Indus Valley civilisation is believed to have been known to

9690-551: The province's rural population as per 2023 Pakistani census report. These numbers also include the scheduled caste population, which stands at 1.7% of the total in Sindh (or 3.1% in rural areas), and is believed to have been under-reported, with some community members instead counted under the main Hindu category. Although, Pakistan Hindu Council claimed that there are 6,842,526 Hindus living in Sindh Province covering around 14.29% of

9804-401: The province. Various sources estimate that its volume is between three and five MAF scattered in 28 per cent of the geographical area of Sindh. However, some experts suggest it to be less than these estimates. This water is found mainly along the Indus water channels and in the few natural underground streams. The idea of Sukkur Barrage was conceived by Mr. C.A. Fife, in 1868. However, the project

9918-605: The region's population. Umerkot district in the Thar Desert is Pakistan's only Hindu-majority district. The Shri Ramapir Temple in Tandoallahyar whose annual festival is the second largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan is in Sindh. Sindh is also the only province in Pakistan to have a separate law for governing Hindu marriages . 2020 community estimates indicated the Sikh population in Sindh stood at approximately 10,000 persons, while

10032-680: The region. It was ruled over by the Brahui Ahmadzai dynasty till 1948. Ahmad Shah Durrani made it vassal of the Afghan Durrani Empire in 1749. In 1758 the Khan of Kalat, Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai , revolted against Ahmed Shah Durrani , defeated him, and made his Khanate independent from the Durrani Empire. Baloch tribalism in medieval times was synonymous with pastoral nomadism. Nomadic people, as observed by Heape (1931), regard themselves as

10146-613: The reign of Uthman . In 712, Mohammed Bin Qasim defeated the Brahmin dynasty and annexed it to the Umayyad Caliphate . This marked the beginning of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. The Habbari dynasty ruled much of Greater Sindh, as a semi-independent emirate from 854 to 1024. Beginning with the rule of 'Umar bin Abdul Aziz al-Habbari in 854 CE, the region became semi-independent from

10260-483: The religious pir families. Although the Muslim League had previously fared poorly in the 1937 elections in Sindh, when local Sindhi Muslim parties won more seats, the Muslim League's cultivation of support from local pirs in 1946 helped it gain a foothold in the province, it didn't take long for the overwhelming majority of Sindhi Muslims to campaign for the creation of Pakistan. In 1947, violence did not constitute

10374-594: The separatist militants fighting the government of Pakistan , a global terrorist group. In Iran, separatist fighting has reportedly not gained as much ground as the conflict in Pakistan, but has grown and become more sectarian since 2012, with the majority-Sunni Baloch showing a greater degree of Salafist and anti-Shia ideology in their fight against the Shia-Islamist Iranian government . Sistan-Baluchistan, one of Iran's poorest regions has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from

10488-446: The separatist militants. Separatist militants in Pakistan demand more autonomy and a greater share in the region's natural resources. The Baloch population in Pakistan has endured grave violations of human rights, which include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture. These actions are purportedly perpetrated by state security forces and their associates. In 2019, United States declared Baloch Liberation Army , one of

10602-554: The site of Mehrgarh in the Kachi Plain . These villages expanded in size during the subsequent Chalcolithic when interaction was amplified. This involved the movement of finished goods and raw materials, including chank shell , lapis lazuli , turquoise , and ceramics. By 2500 BCE (the Bronze Age), the region now known as Pakistani Balochistan had become part of the Indus Valley civilization cultural orbit, providing key resources to

10716-405: The site was not rediscovered until the 1920s. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. The site is currently threatened by erosion and improper restoration. A gradual drying of the region during the 3rd millennium BCE may have been the initial stimulus for its urbanisation. Eventually it also reduced

10830-464: The strong Sufi presence in Sindh is that 125,000 Sufi saints and mystics are buried on Makli Hill near Thatta . The development of Sufism in Sindh was similar to the development of Sufism in other parts of the Muslim world. In the 16th century two Sufi tareeqat (orders) – Qadria and Naqshbandia – were introduced in Sindh. Sufism continues to play an important role in the daily lives of Sindhis. In 1941,

10944-588: The summer. Central Sindh's maximum temperature typically reaches 43–44 °C (109–111 °F). Lower Sindh has a damper and humid maritime climate affected by the southwestern winds in summer and northeastern winds in winter, with lower rainfall than Central Sindh. Lower Sindh's maximum temperature reaches about 35–38 °C (95–100 °F). In the Kirthar range at 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and higher at Gorakh Hill and other peaks in Dadu District , temperatures near freezing have been recorded and brief snowfall

11058-547: The superior of sedentary or agriculturist. It is, perhaps, because the occupation of nomads made them strong, active, and inured to hardship and the dangers which beset a mobile life. The areas of Balochistan where the Baloch tribes moved in had a sedentary population, and the Baloch tribes were compelled to deal with their sedentary neighbors. Being in a weaker position, the Baloch tribes were in need of constant vigils for their survival in new lands. To deal with this problem, they began to make alliances and organized themselves into

11172-536: The term as meaning either a proper name milu-akam (from which tamilakam was derived when the Indus people migrated south) or melu-akam , meaning "high country", a possible reference to Balochistani high lands. Historian Romila Thapar also interprets Meluḫḫa as a proto-Dravidian term, possibly mēlukku , and suggests the meaning "western extremity" (of the Dravidian-speaking regions in the Indian subcontinent). A literal translation into Sanskrit , aparānta ,

11286-550: The time of the Indian independence movement , "three pro-Congress parties were still active in Balochistan's politics", such as the Anjuman-i-Watan Baluchistan , which favoured a united India and opposed its partition . Insurgencies took place in Pakistani Balochistan during 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and from 1973–1977. In 2021, there was an earthquake that killed dozens of people. This came to be known as

11400-633: The time of their fatal encounters with Sassanid forces. No elaborate structure of religious institutions has been discerned in the Baloch society during the Middle Ages. The Baloch converted to Islam (nearly all Baloch belong to the Sunni sect of Islam) after the Arab conquest of Balochistan during the seventh century. The Balochistan region is administratively divided among three countries, Pakistan , Afghanistan , and Iran . The largest portion in area and population

11514-452: The victim's breath in his sleep. Some unusual sightings of Asian cheetah occurred in 2003 near the Balochistan border in Kirthar Mountains . The rare Houbara bustard finds Sindh's warm climate suitable to rest and mate. Unfortunately, it is hunted by locals and foreigners. Crocodiles are rare and inhabit only the backwaters of the Indus, eastern Nara channel and Karachi backwater. Besides

11628-527: The water supply enough to cause the civilisation's demise and to disperse its population to the east. During the Bronze Age , the territory of Sindh was known as Sindhu-Sauvīra , covering the lower Indus Valley, with its southern border being the Indian Ocean and its northern border being the Pañjāb around Multān . The capital of Sindhu-Sauvīra was named Roruka and Vītabhaya or Vītībhaya, and corresponds to

11742-467: The year round. The seventh canal namely, Rice Canal on the right side is a seasonal canal which flows only in kharif season and is designed for rice cultivation. The N.W. Canal on the right bank provides perennial irrigation for an area of 391,000 hectares (965,000 acres) out of which 74,000 hectares (184,000 acres) are situated in Baluchistan province. Indus river dolphins are usually seen upstream of

11856-457: Was finally sanctioned in 1923. It was constructed under the overall direction of Sir Charlton Harrison , CIE , as chief engineer, while Sir Arnold Musto , CIE, was the architect and engineer of the scheme. The Head Works and Canals were completed by 1932. On its completion it was opened by The 1st Earl of Willingdon , Viceroy of India . The scheme had been launched by the Governor of Bombay , Sir George Lloyd (later known as Lord Lloyd), and it

11970-504: Was later used to describe the region by the Indo-Aryans . During the time of Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE), the Greeks called the land Gedrosia and its people Gedrosoi , terms of unknown origin. Using etymological reasoning, H. W. Bailey reconstructs a possible Iranian name, uadravati , meaning "the land of underground channels", which could have been transformed to badlaut in

12084-586: Was named in his honour. Pandurang K Shinde [ Esqr, B. A, I.S.E ] offered his engineering services, who was later responsible for Radhanagari Dam in Maharashtra , India , Syed Ghulam Mustafa of the Imperial Service also played an instrumental role in the design and construction of the barrage.Legendary Indian civil engineer M.Vishveswaraya lent his services for the development of the waterworks. To revitalise its water storage capacity and distribution efficiency,

12198-519: Was neglected in contrast to other parts of the Presidency. The merger of Sindh into Punjab province was considered from time to time but was turned down because of British disagreement and Sindhi opposition, both from Muslims and Hindus, to being annexed to Punjab. Later, desire for a separate administrative status for Sindh grew. At the annual session of the Indian National Congress in 1913,

12312-483: Was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus civilization, with features such as standardized bricks, street grids, and covered sewerage systems. It was one of the world's earliest major cities , contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt , Mesopotamia , Minoan Crete , and Caral-Supe . Mohenjo-daro was abandoned in the 19th century BCE as the Indus Valley Civilization declined, and

12426-428: Was populated by people called Balūṣī (Baluchi), leading Hansman to postulate "Baluch" as a modification of Meluḫḫa and Baluḫḫu . Asko Parpola relates the name Meluḫḫa to Indo-Aryan words mleccha ( Sanskrit ) and milakkha/milakkhu ( Pali ) etc., which do not have an Indo-European etymology even though they were used to refer to non-Aryan people. Taking them to be proto-Dravidian in origin, he interprets

12540-486: Was ruled by the indigenous Kalhora dynasty holding power, consolidating their rule from their capital of Khudabad , before shifting to Hyderabad from 1768 onwards. The Talpurs succeeded the Kalhoras and four branches of the 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

12654-485: Was the case with other regions of India. Rather, it was of a military and geopolitical nature. Their basic objective in their advent in Balochistan was to station garrisons so as to defend the frontiers of British India from any threat coming from Iran and Afghanistan. Beginning from 1840, there began a general insurrection against the British rule throughout Balochistan. The Baloch were not ready to accept their country as part of an occupied Afghanistan and to be ruled under

12768-577: Was the commander of the Medes , and Phirthaphirna was leading the Sakas and forces from Tabaristan , Gurgan, and Khurasan. Obviously, as part of a losing side, the Baloch certainly got their share of punishment from the victorious Macedonian forces. Herodotus in 450 BCE described the Paraitakenoi as a tribe ruled by Deiokes , a Persian king, in northwestern Persia (History I.101). Arrian describes how Alexander

12882-474: Was to be restored. Baluchistan Balochistan ( / b ə ˈ l oʊ tʃ ɪ s t ɑː n , b ə ˌ l oʊ tʃ ɪ ˈ s t ɑː n , - s t æ n / bə- LOHTCH -ist-a(h)n, -⁠ A(H)N ; Balochi : بلۏچستان , romanized:  Balòcestàn , IPA: [baˈloːt͡ʃest̪ɑːn] ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan , is a historical region in Western and South Asia , located in

12996-483: Was transferred from Muslim to Hindu hands over the decades. Religious tensions rose in Sindh over the Sukkur Manzilgah issue where Muslims and Hindus disputed over an abandoned mosque in proximity to an area sacred to Hindus. The Sindh Muslim League exploited the issue and agitated for the return of the mosque to Muslims. Consequentially, a thousand members of the Muslim League were imprisoned. Eventually, due to panic

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