Sindh (Sindhī: سنڌ), is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Different cultural and ethnic groups also reside in Sindh including Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees who migrated to Pakistan from India upon independence as well as the people migrated from other provinces after independence. The neighbouring regions of Sindh are Balochistan to the west and north, Punjab to the north, Gujarat and Rajasthan to the southeast and east, and the Arabian Sea to the south. The main language is Sindhi. The Assyrians (as early as the seventh century BCE) knew the region as Sinda. The Persians as Abisind, the Greeks as Sinthus, the Romans as Sindus, the Chinese as Sintow, in Sanskrit, the province was dubbed Sindhu meaning "Ocean" while the Arabs dubbed it Al-Sind.
Origin of the name
The province of Sindh and the people inhabiting the region had been designated after the river known in Ancient times as the Sindhus River, now also known by Indus River. In Sanskrit, síndhu means "river, stream". However, the importance of the river and close phonetical resemblance in nomenclature would make one consider síndhu as the probable origin of the name of Sindh. The Greeks who conquered Sindh in 325 BC under the command of Alexander the Great rendered it as Indós, hence the modern Indus, when the British conquered South Asia, they expanded the term and applied the name to the entire region of South Asia and called it India.
Facts
"Hindu/India" (derived from the word "Sindhu" in present day Pakistan, the people of Sindhu continue to call themselves "Sindhis" and not "Hindus/Indians") this was exclusively the foreign geographic term for Indus Valley (Pakistan region) in ancient times. It had nothing to do with the religion of Hinduism nor the region of present day Republic of India. Although it was many centuries later that the term "Hind/Indosycthia" was used by some foreigners to further encompass much of South Asia, again as a geographic term having no religious or national meaning. The broadening of this term's usage was no different than how the word "Farangi" (derived from the word "Franks/France") became the term for all Europeans used by Middle Easterners (and South Asians) during the Middle Ages due to French interaction (Crusaders) with them, because the term/word "Hind/Hindu/India" was foreign (for their own references), and had no religious or national meaning. It was no different than how the words "Africa" and "America" are used --- i.e. foreign geographic terms encompassing many different peoples and religions . Indus Valley is located at the entering point (from west) into South Asia, thus its geographic term was later used by a few foreign visitors and invaders for the whole region. However, others used 'Hind' for present day North India and 'Sindh' for present day Pakistan
Prehistoric period
The Indus Valley civilization is the farthest visible outpost of archaeology in the abyss of prehistoric times. The prehistoric site of Kot Diji in Sindh has furnished information of high significance for the reconstruction of a connected story which pushes back the history of South Asia by at least another 300 years, from about 2500 BC. Evidence of a new element of pre-Harappan culture has been traced here. When the primitive village communities in Balochistan were still struggling against a difficult highland environment, a highly cultured people were trying to assert themselves at Kot Diji one of the most developed urban civilization of the ancient world that flourished between the year 25th century BC and 1500 BC in the Indus valley sites of Moenjodaro and Harappa. The people were endowed with a high standard of art and craftsmanship and well-developed system of quasi-pictographic writing which despite ceaseless efforts still remains un-deciphered. The remarkable ruins of the beautifully planned Moenjodaro and Harappa towns, the brick buildings of the common people, roads, public-baths and the covered drainage system envisage the life of a community living happily in an organized manner.
This civilisation is now identified as a possible pre-Aryan civilisation and most probably an indigenous civilization which was conquered by the invading Aryans.
Sindh is mention in Mahabharata as Sindhudesh and its ruler was Jayadratha. He was married with Duryodhana sister Dushala. He was killed by Arjun during war as the revenge of the death of Abhimanyu.
Sindh is located on 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 km from north to south and 442 km (extreme) or 281 km (average) from east to west, with an area of 140,915 km² (54,407 mi²) of Pakistani territory. 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 centre is a fertile plain around the Indus river.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Sindh
Aerial view of KarachiA subtropical region, Sindh is hot in the summer and cold 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. The annual rainfall averages about seven inches, falling mainly during July and August. The southwest monsoon wind begins to blow in mid-February and continues until the end of September, whereas the cool northerly wind blows during the winter months from October to January.
Highest and lowest temperatures
The highest temperature throughout Pakistan are usually recorded in - Shaheed Benazeerabad District (Previously called Nawabshah District) and Sibbi from May to August each year which rises to above 48 °C. The climate is dry and hot but sometimes falls to 0 degrees Celsius and falls to lower than minus seven in December or January once in a quarter of the century.
Sindh lies between the two monsoons - the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean and the northeast or retreating monsoon, deflected towards it by Himalayan mountains — and escapes the influence of both. The average rainfall in Sindh is only 15 to 18 cm per year, but the loss during the two seasons is compensated by the Indus, in the form of inundation, caused twice a year by the spring and summer melting of Himalayan snow and by rainfall in the monsoon season. These natural patterns have changed somewhat with the construction of dams and barrages on the Indus.
Climatically, Sindh is divided in three sections - Siro (upper section centred on Jacobabad), Wicholo (middle section centred on Hyderabad), and Lar (lower section centred on Karachi). In Upper Sindh,[4] the thermal equator passes through Sindh. The highest temperature ever recorded was 53 °C (127 °F) in 1919. The air is generally very dry. In winter frost is common.
In Central Sindh, average monsoon wind speed is 18 km/hour in June. The temperature is lower than Upper Sindh but higher than Lower Sindh. Dry hot days and cool nights are summer characteristics. Maximum temperature reaches 43-44 °C (110-112 °F). Lower Sindh has a damper and humid maritime climate affected by the south-western winds in summer and north-eastern winds in winter and with lower rainfall than Central Sindh. The maximum temperature reaches about 35-38 °C (95-100 °F). In the Kirthar range at 1,800 m7 and higher on the Gorakh Hill and other peaks in Dadu District, temperatures near freezing have been recorded and brief snow fall is received in winters.
History
Main article: History of Sindh
[edit] Ancient history
The first known village settlements date as far back as 7000 BCE. Permanent settlements at Mehrgarh to the west expanded into Sindh. This culture blossomed over several millennia and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization around 3000 BCE. The Indus Valley Civilization rivalled the contemporary civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in both size and scope numbering nearly half a million inhabitants at its height with well-planned grid cities and sewer systems. Sindh was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the sixth century BCE. In the late 300s BCE, Sindh was conquered by a mixed army led by Macedonian Greeks under Alexander the Great. The region remained under control of Greek satraps only for a few decades. After Alexander's death, there was a brief period of Seleucid rule, before Sindh was traded to the Mauryan Empire led by Chandragupta in 305 BCE. During the rule of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, the Buddhist religion spread to Sindh.
Mauryan rule ended in 185 BCE with the overthrow of the last king by the Sunga Dynasty. In the disorders that followed, Greek rule returned when Demetrius I of Bactria led a Greco-Bactrian invasion of India and annexed most of northwestern lands, including Sindh. Demetrius was later defeated and killed by a usurper, but his descendants continued to rule Sindh and other lands as the Indo-Greek Kingdom. Under the reign of Menander I many Indo-Greeks followed his example and converted to Buddhism.
In the late 100s BCE, Scythian tribes shattered the Greco-Bactrian empire and invaded the Indo-Greek lands. Unable to take the Punjab region, they seized Sistan and invaded India by coming through Sindh, where they became known as Indo-Scythians (later Western Satraps). Subsequently, the Tocharian Kushan Empire annexed Sindh by the first century CE. Though the Kushans were Zoroastrian, they were tolerant of the local Buddhist tradition and sponsored many building projects for local beliefs.
The Kushan Empire were defeated in the mid 200s CE by the Sassanid Empire of Persia, who installed vassals known as the Kushanshahs. These rulers were defeated by the Kidarites in the late 300s. By the late 400s, attacks by Hephthalite tribes known as the Indo-Hephthalites or Hunas (Huns) broke through the Gupta Empire's North-Western borders and overran much of Northern and Western India. During these upheavals, Sindh became independent under the Rai Dynasty around 478 AD. The Rais were overthrown by Chachar of Alor around 632.
Arrival of Islam
Rohri Town_Sukkur.In the year 711 Sindh was conquered by Umayyad Arabs from Damascus, led by the young Muhammad bin Qasim . Sindh became the easternmost province of the Umayyad Caliphate Referred to as Al-Sindh on Arab maps with lands further east known as Hind". Muslim geographers, historians and travellers such as al-Masudi, al-Tabari, Baladhuri, al-Biruni and Ibn Battutah wrote about or visited the region and also sometimes used the name "Sindh" for the entire area from the Arabian Sea to the Hindu Kush.
By the twelfth century Sindhi sailors from the port city of Debal voyaged to Basra, Bushehr, Musqat, Aden, Kilwa, Sofala, Malabar, Sri Lanka and Java.
Direct Arab rule ended with the ascension of the local Soomro dynasty, and they were the first local Sindhi Muslims to translate the Quran into the Sindhi language. The Soomros controlled Sindh directly as vassals the Abbasids from 1058 to 1249.
Sindh was also ruled by Muhammad Ibn Tughluq, his descendants and various other figures until the year 1524.
[edit] Samma period
Though a part of larger empires Sindh enjoyed a certain autonomy as a Muslim domain.
In 1339 Jam Unar founded a Sindhi Muslim Samma Dynasty, which reached its peak during the reign of Jam Nizamuddin II Nindo (reigned 1461-1509) he greatly expanded the new capitol Thatta and its Makli hills which replaced Debal he patronized Sindhi art, arcitecture and culture. Important court figures such as Sardar Darya Khan, Moltus Khan, Makhdoom Bilwal and Kazi Kazan. But the capitol Thatta was a port city, unlike garrisons it could not mobilize large armies against the Arghun Mongol invaders who killed many regional Sindhi Mirs and Amirs loyal to the Samma.
The ruthless Arghuns and the Tarkhans sacked Thatta during the rule of Jam Feroz and established their own dynasties in the year 1519.
The Samma had left behind a popular legacy they were highly influenced by the Lodis and introduced Pashto Alphabets in Sindh some of which are still used in the Malay language of Southeast Asia.
[edit] Mughal period
In the year 1524 the few remaining Sindhi Amirs welcomed the Mughal Empire and helped Babur defeat his Arghun enemies, since then Sindh had become a region loyal to the Mughals.
In 1540 a deadly mutiny by Sher Shah Suri forced the Mughal Emperor Humayun to withdraw to Sindh where he joined the Sindhi Amir Hussein and in 1541 Humayun married Hamida Bano Begum She gave birth to the infant Akbar at Umarkot in the year 1542.
In 1556 the Ottoman Admiral Seydi Ali Reis visited Humayun and mentions various regions of the subcontinent including Sindh (Makran coast and the Mehran delta) in his adventurious book Mirat ul Memalik.
During the reign of Akbar the Mughal chronicler Abu'l-Fazl (1551-1602) was a descendant of a Sindhi Shaikh family from Rel, Siwistan in Sindh. He was the author of the famous Akbarnama and the Ain-i-Akbari.
In the year 1603 Shah Jahan visited the provence of Sindh and at Thatta he was generously welcomed by the locals after the death of his father Jahangir. Shah Jahan ordered the construction of the Shahjahan Mosque, which was completed during the early years of his rule.
After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire and its institutions began to decline. Various warring Nawabs took control of vast territories and ruled independently from the Mughal Emperor.
But Sindh faced many threats, Mian Yar Mouhammed Kalhoro (Khudabad) challenged the invader Nadir Shah but failed according to legend: to avenge the massacre of his allies he sent a small force to assassinate Nadir Shah and turn events in favour of the Mughal Emperor during the Battle of Karnal in 1739 but failed again.
[edit] British regime
The British East India Company made its first contacts in the Sindhi port city of Thatta which according to a report was: "a city as large as London containing 50,000 houses which were made of stone and mortar with large varandahs some three or four stories high the the textiles of Sind were the flower of the whole produce of the East, the international commerce of Sind gave it a place among that of Nations, Thatta has 400 schools and 4000 ships at its docks, the city is guarded by well armed Sepoys..."
Flag House, colonial styled building built during the British Raj.British and Bengal Presidency forces under General Charles James Napier arrived in Sindh in the nineteenth century and conquered Sindh in 1843.
After defeating the Sindhi coalition led by Talpurs and Kalhoras under command of the Sindhi general Mir Nasir Khan Talpur in the fierce Battle of Miani during which 50,000 Sindhis were killed shortly after the defeat Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur commanded another army which fought at the Battle of Dubbo where the young Sindhi general Hoshu Sheedi and 5,000 Sindhis were killed. The first Agha Khan helped the British in their conquest of Sindh and as result he was granted a lifetime pension.
Within weeks Charles Napier and his forces occupied Sindh. After 1853, the British divided Sindh into districts, in each district the they assigned a ruthless Wadera to collect taxes for the British authorities. Wealthy businesses owned by Sindhi Muslim merchants were handed over to the minority Hindu Brahmans leading the province to further unrest and a severe economic depression.
In a highly controversial move, Sindh was later made part of British India's Bombay Presidency much to the surprise of the local population, who found the decision offensive and a powerful unrest followed after which Twelve Martial Laws were imposed by the British authorities. Shortly afterwards, the decision was reversed and Sindh became a separate province in 1935.
The British ruled the area for a century. According to Richard Burton Sindh was one of the most restive provinces during the British Raj and was home to many prominent Muslim leaders such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah who strove for greater Muslim autonomy.
[edit] Modern history after independence of Pakistan
On 14 August 1947 Pakistan gained independence from colonial British colonial rule. The province Sindh attained self rule, the first time since the defeat of Sindhi Talpur Amirs in the Battle of Miani on 17 February 1843. The first challenge faced by the Government of Sindh was the settlement of Muslim refugees. Nearly 7 million Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan while nearly equal number of Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan migrated to India. The Muslim refugees known as Muhajirs from India settled in most urban areas of Sindh. Sindh at the time of partition was home to a large number of Hindus who accounted for 27% of the total population of the province. They were more concentrated in the urban centres of the province and had a strong hold on the province's economy and business. Although the relations between the local Muslims and Hindus were good but with the arrival of Muslim refugees in the urban centres of the province, Hindus started to feel unsafe. Many of Sindh's Hindu community where further enticed by their co-relgionists in India to depart with all their belongings and financial capital to further cripple the new nation.
Sindh did not witness any massive level genocide as other parts of the Subcontinent (especially Punjab region) did, comparatively there were few incidents of riots in Karachi and Hyderabad but over all situation remained peaceful mainly due to the efforts of the Muslim Chief Minister of Sindh Mr. Ayub Khuhro. According to 1998 census, there were 2.3 million Hindus in Sindh forming around 7% of the total population of the province[5]. Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan (i.e caste Hindus accounting for 86% of the total Hindu population of Pakistan as of 1998 census) are mainly into small to medium sized businesses. They are mainly traders, retailer/wholesalers, builders as well as into the fields of medical, engineering, law and financial services. However the scheduled caste Hindus (Dalits) are in a poorer state with most of them as bonded labour in the rural areas of the province. Most of the Muslim refugees are settled in urban areas of Sindh especially in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Since Pakistan's Independence in 1947, Sindh has been the destination of a continuous stream of migration from South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Burma, and Afghanistan as well as Pashtun and Punjabi immigrants from the North West Frontier Province and the Punjab Province of Pakistan to Karachi. This is due to the fact that Karachi is the economic magnet of Pakistan attracting people from all over Pakistan. Many native Sindhis resent this influx. Nonetheless, traditional Sindhi families remain prominent in Pakistani politics, especially the Bhutto, Zardari and Soomro dynasties. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan, was from Karachi, of Gujarati descent.
[edit] Pakistan Resolution in the Sindh Assembly
The Sindh assembly was the first British Indian legislature to pass the resolution in favour of Pakistan.
[edit] Provincial government
Main article: Government of Sindh
The Provincial Assembly of Sindh is 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.
[edit] Politics
Sindh is a strong hold of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The PPP is the largest political party of Sindh. And Sindh is known as PPP's home. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is the second largest political party of Sindh with concentration in the city Karachi.
[edit] Districts
The twenty three districts of Sindh, PakistanThere are 23 districts in Sindh, Pakistan.[6]
1.Karachi
2.Jamshoro
3.Thatta
4.Badin
5.Tharparkar
6.Umerkot
7.Mirpur Khas
8.Tando Allahyar
9.Matiari
10.Tando Muhammad Khan
11.Hyderabad
12.Sanghar
13.Khairpur
14.Nawabshah
15.Dadu
16.Qambar Shahdadkot
17.Larkana
18.Naushahro Feroze
19.Ghotki
20.Shikarpur
21.Jacobabad
22.Sukkur
23.Kashmore
[edit] Major cities
Main article: List of cities in Sindh
Badin
Dadu
Daharki
Diplo
Ghotki
Ghambat
Hala
Hyderabad
Jacobabad
Jamshoro
Karachi
Kashmore
Khairpur
Larkana
matli
Mirpurkhas
Mithi
Nasarpur
Nawabshah
Raharki
Ranipur
Ratodero
Sanghar
Sekhat
Shikarpur
Sobhodero
Rohri
Sukkur
Tando Jam
Tando Muhammad Khan
Thatta
Ubaro
Umarkot
Moro
Mir Pur Sakro
Kotri
[edit] Economy
A view of Karachi downtown, the capital of Sindh province
GDP by ProvinceSindh has the 2nd largest economy in Pakistan. Historically, Sindh's contribution to Pakistan's GDP has been between 30% to 32.7%. Its share in the Service sector has ranged from 21% to 27.8% and in the Agriculture sector from 21.4% to 27.7%. Performance wise, its best sector, is the Manufacturing sector, where its share has ranged from 36.7% to 46.5%.[7]
Endowed with coastal access, Sindh is a major centre of economic activity in Pakistan and has a highly diversified economy ranging from heavy industry and finance centred in and around Karachi to a substantial agricultural base along the Indus. Manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods.
Agriculture is very important in Sindh with cotton, rice, wheat, sugar cane, bananas, and mangoes as the most important crops. Sindh is the richest province in natural resources of gas, petrol, and coal.
[edit] Flora and fauna
See also: Fauna of Sindh
See also: Flora of Sindh
Provincial symbols of Sindh Provincial emblem Coat of arms of Sindh
Provincial flag Flag of Sindh
Provincial language سنڌي (unofficial)
Provincial animal Sindh Ibex
Provincial bird Sind Sparrow
Provincial tree Capparis decidua
Provincial flower Water Hyacinth
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 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 the lower Sindh region.
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. In the Kirthar national park of sind, there is a project to introduce tigers and Asian elephants .
Phartho (hog deer) and wild bear occur particularly in the central inundation belt. There are a variety of bats, lizards, and reptiles, including the cobra, lundi (viper), and the mysterious Sindh 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 the 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), a marine fish, ascends the Indus annually from February to April to spawn.
[edit] Education
Year Literacy rate
1972 30.2%
1981 31.5%
1998 45.29%
2008 57.7%
Sources:[8][9]
This is a chart of the education market of Sindh estimated by the government in 1998.[10]
Qualification Urban Rural Total Enrollment ratio (%)
— 14,839,862 15,600,031 30,439,893 —
Below Primary 1,984,089 3,332,166 5,316,255 100.00
Primary 3,503,691 5,687,771 9,191,462 82.53
Middle 3,073,335 2,369,644 5,442,979 52.33
Matriculation 2,847,769 2,227,684 5,075,453 34.45
Intermediate 1,473,598 1,018,682 2,492,280 17.78
BA, BSc… degrees 106,847 53,040 159,887 9.59
MA, MSc… degrees 1,320,747 552,241 1,872,988 9.07
Diploma, Certificate… 440,743 280,800 721,543 2.91
Other qualifications 89,043 78,003 167,046 0.54
Major public and private institutes includes:
Adamjee Government Science College
Aga Khan University
APIIT
Applied Economics Research Centre
Bahria University
College of Digital Sciences
College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan
COMMECS Institute of Business and Emerging Sciences
D. J. Science College
Dawood College of Engineering and Technology
Defence Authority Degree College for Men
Dow International Medical College
Dow University of Health Sciences
Fatima Jinnah Dental College
Federal Urdu University
Government College for Men Nazimabad
Government College of Commerce & Economics
Government College of Technology, Karachi
Government Dehli College
Government National College (Karachi)
Hamdard University
Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry
Indus Valley Institute of Art and Architecture
Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
Institute of Industrial Electronics Engineering
Institute of Sindhology
Iqra University
Islamia Science College (Karachi)
Isra University
Jinnah Medical & Dental College
Jinnah Polytechnic Institute
Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre
Jinnah University for Women
KANUPP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering
Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology
Mumtaz College (Khairpur)
Mohammad Ali Jinnah University
National Academy of Performing Arts
National University of Sciences and Technology
NED University of Engineering and Technology
Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases
PAF Institute of Aviation Technology
Pakistan Navy Engineering College
Pakistan Shipowners' College
Pakistan Steel Cadet College
Peoples Medical Girls College Nawabshah
Provincial Institute of Teachers Education Nawabshah
Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Sciences and Technology, Nawabshah
Rana Liaquat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics
Rehan College of Education
Saint Patrick's College, Karachi
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai University
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology
Sindh Agriculture University
Sindh Medical College
Superior College of Science Hyderabad
Sindh Muslim Law College
Sir Syed Government Girls College
Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology
St. Joseph's College
University of Karachi
University of Sindh
Usman Institute of Technology
Ziauddin Medical University
There are six Cadet Colleges also. Admission to state run educational institutions in Pakistan is based on the provincial level. The other three provinces have a merit-based intraprovincial admission policy. Sindh is an exception to this general rule, where admissions are allowed on district domiciles of the candidates and their parents. This arrangement discriminates against meritorious students of Sindhi ethnic background, denying them admission to educational institutes and courses of their choice. Currently there is a lot of resentment of this admission policy. Sindhis are demanding intraprovincial merit-based admissions to state run educational institutes, similar to the one existing in other provinces. This will provide equal opportunities to all students of Sindh. Furthermore, the armed forces have also entered the education sector. They are funded by government and operate like private costly education providers.
[edit] Arts and crafts
Main article: Places of historical interest in Sindh
The skill of the Sindhi craftsman continues to exhibit the 5000-year-old artistic tradition. The long span of time, punctuated by fresh and incessant waves of invaders and settlers, provided various exotic modes of arts which, with the passage of time, got naturalized on the soil. The perfected surface decorations of objects of everyday use - clay, metal, wood, stone or fabrics, with the floral and geometrical designs - can be traced back to the Muslim influence.
Though chiefly an agricultural and pastoral province, Sindh has a reputation for Ajrak, pottery, leatherwork, carpets, textiles, and silk cloth which, in design and finish, are matchless. The chief articles produced are blankets, coarse cotton cloth (soosi) camel fittings, metalwork, lacquered work, enamel, gold and silver embroidery. Hala is famous for pottery and tiles; Boobak for carpets; Nasirpur, Gambat and Thatta for cotton lungees and Khes. The earthenware of Johi, metal vessels of Shikarpur, relli, embroidery, and leather articles of Tharparkar, and lacquered work of Kandhkot are some of the other popular crafts.
The pre-historic finds from different archaeological sites such as Mohenjo-daro, engravings in various graveyards, and the architectural designs of Makli and other tombs provide ample evidence of the people in their literary and musical traditions.
Modern painting and calligraphy have also developed in recent times and some young trained men have taken up commercial art collections.
[edit] Cultural heritage
Main article: Sindhi culture
Probably the floor of first mosque in Subcontinent
Mohenjo-daro was the center of the Indus Valley Civilization 3000 BCE-1700 BCE
Sindhi women collecting water from a reservoir on the way to Mubarak VillageSindh has a rich heritage of traditional handicraft that has evolved over the centuries. Perhaps the most professed exposition of Sindhi culture is in the handicrafts of Hala, a town some 30 kilometres from Hyderabad. Hala’s artisans are manufacturing high quality and impressively priced wooden handicrafts, textiles, paintings, handmade paper products, blue pottery, etc. Lacquered wood works known as Jandi, painting on wood, tiles, and pottery known as Kashi, hand woven textiles including Khadi, Susi, and Ajrak are synonymous with Sindhi culture preserved in Hala’s handicraft.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Authority (SMEDA) is planning to set up an organization of artisans to empower the community. SMEDA is also publishing a directory of the artisans so that exporters can directly contact them. Hala is the home of a remarkable variety of traditional crafts and traditional handicrafts that carry with them centuries of skill that has woven magic into the motifs and designs used.[citation needed]
Sindh is known the world over for its various handicrafts and arts. The work of Sindhi artisans was sold in ancient markets of Armenia, Baghdad, Basra, Istanbul, Cairo and Samarkand. Referring to the lacquer work on wood locally known as Jandi, T. Posten an English traveller who visited Sindh in early 19th century said, the articles of Hala could be compared with exquisite specimens of China.[citation needed] Technological improvements were gradually introduced such as the spinning wheel charkha and treadle pai-chah in the weavers’ loom, to increase refinement in designing, dyeing and printing by block. Painting process amounted for a much higher volume of output. The refined, lightweight, colourful, washable fabrics from Hala became a luxury for people used to only woollens and linens of the age.
Ajrak has been in Sindh since the birth of its civilization. Blue colour is dominantly used in Ajrak. Also, Sindh was traditionally a large producer of indigo and cotton cloth and both used to be exported to the Middle East. Ajrak is a mark of respect when it is given to an honoured quest, friend or woman. In Sindh, it is most commonly given as a gift at Eid, at weddings, or on other special occasions - like homecoming. Along with Ajrak the Rilli or patchwork sheet, is another Sindhi icon and part of the heritage and culture. Every Sindhi home will have set of Rillis - one for each member of the family and few spare for guests. Rilli is made with different small pieces of different geometrical shapes of cloths sewn together to create intricate designs.
Rilhi is also given as a gift to friends and visitors. It is used as a bedspread as well as a blanket. A beautifully sewn Rilli can also become part of a bride or grooms gifts. Rural women in Sindh are skilful in producing Sindhi caps. Sindhi caps are manufactured commercially on a small scale at New Saeedabad and Hala New. These are in demand with visitors from Karachi and other places and these manufacturing units have very limited production due to lack of marketing facilities.
Portrait of a Hindu girl from Sindh Portrait of a Muslim girl from Sindh Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior in traditional Sindhi dress Japanese in Sindhi dress
Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai,Sufi Poet of Sindh. Mir Muhammad Naseer Khan Talpur the last ruler of Sindh The great Pakistani Sufi singer, Abida Parveen visited Oslo in September 2007 National hero soreh badshah.gifPride of Sindhi nation Shaheed Pir Sabeghatullah Shah Rashidi
HUR MUJAHID JAMAL FAQEER KHASKHELI SAHAB GHAZI (company commander Hur Mujahid force in 1965 indo pak war and occupied 1200 Pacco Qillo Fort Round Tower
[edit] The Sindhi language
Main article: Sindhi language
Sindhī (Arabic script: سنڌي, Devanagari script: सिन्धी) is spoken by about 15 million people in the province of Sindh. The largest Sindhi-speaking city is Hyderabad, Pakistan. It is an Indo-European language, related to Kutchi, Gujarati and other Indo-European languages prevalent in the region with substantial Persian, Turkish and Arabic loan words. In Pakistan it is written in a modified Arabic script.
[edit] Places of interest
See also: Places of Historical Interest in Sindh
Ranikot Fort
Gorakh Hill Top
Faiz Mahal, KhairpurSindh has numerous tourist sites with the most prominent being the ruins of Mohenjo-daro near the city of Larkana. Islamic architecture is quite prominent in the province with the Jama Masjid in Thatta built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan and numerous mausoleums dot the province including the very old Shahbaz Qalander mausoleum dedicated to the Iranian-born Sufi and the beautiful mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah known as the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.
Aror (ruins of historical city) near Sukkur.
Chaukandi Tombs, Karachi.
Forts at Hyderabad and Umarkot
Gorakh Hill near Dadu.
Kahu-Jo-Darro near Mirpurkhas.
Kotri Barrage near Hyderabad.
Makli Graveyard, Asia's Biggest, Makli, Thatta.
Mazar-e-Quaid Karachi.
Minar-e-Mir Masum Shah, Sukkur.
Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi.
Rani Bagh, Hyderabad.
Ranikot Fort near Sann.
Ruins of Mohenjo-daro & Museum near Larkana.
Sadhu Bela Temple near Sukkur.
Shahjahan Mosque, Thatta.
Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Bhit Shah.
Shrine of Shahbaz Qalander, Sehwan Shairf.
Sukkur barrage, Sukkur.
Kot Diji Fort, Kot Diji
Talpurs' Faiz Mahal Palace, Khairpur (princely state).
[edit] Famous people
Note: Regarding those personalities who were born before 1947 and lived until after independence, the criteria used for judging which list to put them under is when did this person first make a name for themselves, e.g., Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Historical personalities
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Sachal Sarmast
Shah Inayatullah
Sami
Jam Nizamuddin II
Jam Feroz
Jam Unar
Main Noor Mohammad Kalhoro, Amir
Mian Yar Mouhammed Kalhoro (Khudabad)
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Hoshu Sheedi
Pre-Independence (pre-1947)
Fatima Jinnah
Sir Abdullah Haroon
Qazi Faiz Mohammad
Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah
Allah Bux Soomro
Raees-Ul-Muhajireen Barrister Jan Muhammad Junejo
Pir Pagaro
Aga Khan III
Seth Edulji Dinshaw
Elsa Kazi
Khan Bahadur Ghulam Nabi Kazi
Khan Bahadur Muhmmad Ayub Khuhro
Pir Illahi Bakhsh
Allah Bux Soomro
Abdul Sattar Pirzada
Khan Sahib Ali Bux Channa
Nana Ghulam Ally
Jamshed Nusserwanjee
Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw
Khan Bahadur Allah Bux Gabole
K. R. Malkani
Molana Din Mohammad Wafai
Syed Hussain Shah He was Pakistan's first boxer to win any medal in olympic boxing
[edit] Technocrats
Samshad Akhtar
Shaikh Ayaz
N M Uquaili
A G N Kazi
[edit] Judges and lawyers
Justice Fakhruddin G Ebrahim
A K Brohi
Abdul Hafeez Pirzada
Justice Tufail Ali Abdul Rehman Zubedi
Barrister Hassanally A. Rahman Zubedi
Justice Abdul Hafeez Memon
Justice Rana Bhagwandas
Justice Z.A. Channa
Justice Tufail Ali Abdul Rehman
Justice Abdul Kadir Sheikh
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah
Justice Mamoon Kazi
[edit] Post independence
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Muhammad Khan Junejo
Rasool Bux Palijo
Miskeen Jahan Khan Khoso
Air Marshal M Azim Daudpota
Aftab Shaban Mirani
Yusuf Haroon
Murtaza Bhutto
Scholars
Abul Hassan (First ever translation of Holy Quran made from Arabic to Sindhi Language
Molana Ubaidullah Sindhi
Hafiz-ul-milat Hafiz Muhammad Siddique Of Bhar Chandi
Makhdum Muhammad Hashim Thatwi
Moalana Taj Mohammad Amrothi
Allama Ghulam Mustafa Qasmi
Shams-ul-Ulama Mirza Kalich Baig
Raees-Ul-Muhajireen Barrister Jan Muhammad Junejo
Shamsul Ulema Dr Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota
Allama Ali Khan Abro
Maulana deen Muhammad Wafai
Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana
Allama I. I. Kazi
Atta Mohammad Hami
Allama Ali Sher Hydri
Dr Mubarak Ali
Makhdoom Bilawal
Shaikh Mubarak Sindhi
Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman Talibul Mola
Entertainment
Abida Parveen
Mohammed Ali
Waheed Murad
Allan Faqir
Sarmad Sindhi
Anwar Maqsood
Moin Akhtar
Bushra Ansari
Talat Hussain
Ahmed Mughal
Ashiq Nizamani
Govind Nihalani
Fozia Soomro
Jalal Chandio
Ramesh Sippy
Mai Bhaggi
Faisal Malik
Waqar Zaka
Professor Ram Panjwani
Mohammad Ali Charles(Dino)
Saifudin A. Channa
Authors
Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo
Hassam-ud-Din Rashidi
Dr. Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota
Mirza Qalich Baig
Allama I. I. Kazi
Qazi Faiz Mohammad
Nabi Bux Khan Baloch
Elsa Kazi
Ali Muhammad Rashidi
Bedil Masroor
Jamal Abro
G.M. Syed
Agha Salim
Pir Ali Muhammad Shah Rashidi
Professor Amina Khamisani-Channa
Anwar Pirzado
Kalyan Advani
Poets
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
Sachal Sarmast
Shaikh Ayaz
Abdul-Qādir Bēdil
Shah Abdul Karim Bulri
Shah Inayatullah
Imdad Hussaini
Elsa Kazi
Anwar Pirzado
Minyoon Shah Inayat
Behzad Lakhnawi
Dadan Fakeer
Adal Soomro
Ayaz Gul
[edit] See also
Ba'ab-ul-Islam
Famous Sindhi people
Harappa
Institute of Sindhology
Karachi
Mohenjodaro
Sateen Jo Aastan
Sindhudesh
[edit] Notes
1.^ "Sind - type and level of administrative division". World Gazetteer. http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-2944&srt=pnan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
2.^ "Government of Sindh". http://www.sindh.gov.pk/dpt/abtsindh/Adminsetup.htm.
3.^ Provincial Assembly Seats
4.^ "http://www.app.com.pk". http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5935&Itemid=2.
5.^ Hindu Population in Pakistan according to 1998 census. Pakistan Hindu Concil
6.^ District Nazims of the Province of Sindh
7.^ Provincial Accounts of Pakistan: Methodology and Estimates 1973-2000
8.^ http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001459/145959e.pdf
9.^ http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/fbs/publications/lfs2007_08/results.pdf
10.^ "Population by Level of Education and Rural/Urban". Statistics Division : Ministry of Economic Affairs and Statistics. Government of Pakistan. http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/pop_education/pop_education_rural_urban.html. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
[edit] References
Malkani, Kewal Ram (1984). The Sindh Story. Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd..
[edit] External links
Find more about Sindh on Wikipedia's sister projects:
Definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity
Pakistan portal
Government of Sindh
Khairpur Sindh Heritage & Welfare NGO
Dynasties ruling Sindh with some of their coinage and brief history
Maps of Sindh
'Come on Sindh !' - A blog dedicated to the province of Sindh
Map of the districts of Sindh
Popular Sindhi Personalities
Sindh Attractions
http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics
Sindh at the Open Directory Project
Sindh travel guide from Wikitravel
[show] Sindhi nationalism
Key figures Jam Nizamuddin II · Mian Adam Shah Kalhoro · Gernal Hosh Mohammad Sheedi · Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi · Molana Ubaidullah Sindhi · G.M.Syed · Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto · Muhammad Ali Jinnah · Abdullah Shah Ghazi · Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur · Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto · Benazir Bhutto · Baba-e-Sindh Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi · Dodo Soomro
Culture Ajrak · Sindhi tribes · Loya Jirga · Khattak Dance
Poets Shah Abdul Latif Bhita'i · Sachal Sarmast · Tajal Bewas · Shaikh Ayaz · Sami
Contemporary
controversies Sindhudesh · Kalabagh Dam · Pakhtunkhwa · Kalabagh Dam · Taliban
Battles and
conflicts Debal · Battle of Fatehpur (1519) · Battle of Dubbo · Battle of Hyderabad · Battle of Miani · Battle of Halani · Battle of Kachhi · Hur Freedom Movement
[show]v • d • eSubdivisions of Pakistan
Provinces Balochistan · North-West Frontier Province · Punjab · Sindh
Territories Islamabad Capital Territory · Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir · Northern Areas
[show]v • d • eDistricts of Sindh
Provincial capital Karachi
Districts Badin · Dadu · Ghotki · Hyderabad · Jacobabad · Jamshoro · Karachi · Kashmore · Khairpur · Larkana · Matiari · Mirpur Khas · Nawabshah · Naushahro Feroze · Qambar · Sanghar · Shikarpur · Sukkur · Tando Allahyar · Tando Muhammad Khan · Tharparkar · Thatta · Umerkot
Disputed Kori (Rann of Kachchh)
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[show] Geography
General Cities · Climate · Durand Line · National parks · Water supply and sanitation
Coast Arabian Sea (Clifton / Sandspit beaches · Hawke's Bay) · Indian Ocean
Indus River Delta · Guddu / Sukkur barrages · Kalabagh Dam · Sateen Jo Aastan · Waters Treaty
Regions Indo-Gangetic Plain · Rann of Kutch · Salt Range
Mountains Himalayas · Karakoram · K2 · Nanga Parbat · Baltoro / Sarpo Laggo / Siachen glaciers · Broghol / Dorah / Gumal / Khyber / Lowari / Shandur Top passes
[show] Government · Politics
General Constitution · Elections (2008 general election) · Flag · Foreign relations · Political parties · Terrorism · Pakistani state terrorism · 2007 state of emergency
Bodies National Assembly · Senate · Parliament · Supreme Court · Jirga · Military (Air Force) · Inter-Services Intelligence
Posts President (succession) · Prime Minister · Chief Justice · Mayors of Karachi
Subdivisions Demographics · Districts · Government of Balochistan / of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) / of Punjab / of Sindh
[show] Economy · Transport
Economy Communications · Companies · Islamabad / Karachi / Lahore stock exchanges · Pakistani rupee · Poverty · Low-cost housing · Pakistan Software Export Board
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[show] Culture
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Religion Islam (Chaand Raat · mosques) · Hinduism (Basant) · Sikhism
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Rohri Town_Sukkur.In the year 711 Sindh was conquered by Umayyad Arabs from Damascus, led by the young Muhammad bin Qasim . Sindh became the easternmost province of the Umayyad Caliphate Referred to as Al-Sindh on Arab maps with lands further east known as Hind". Muslim geographers, historians and travellers such as al-Masudi, al-Tabari, Baladhuri, al-Biruni and Ibn Battutah wrote about or visited the region and also sometimes used the name "Sindh" for the entire area from the Arabian Sea to the Hindu Kush.
By the twelfth century Sindhi sailors from the port city of Debal voyaged to Basra, Bushehr, Musqat, Aden, Kilwa, Sofala, Malabar, Sri Lanka and Java.
Direct Arab rule ended with the ascension of the local Soomro dynasty, and they were the first local Sindhi Muslims to translate the Quran into the Sindhi language. The Soomros controlled Sindh directly as vassals the Abbasids from 1058 to 1249.
Sindh was also ruled by Muhammad Ibn Tughluq, his descendants and various other figures until the year 1524.
[edit] Samma period
Though a part of larger empires Sindh enjoyed a certain autonomy as a Muslim domain.
In 1339 Jam Unar founded a Sindhi Muslim Samma Dynasty, which reached its peak during the reign of Jam Nizamuddin II Nindo (reigned 1461-1509) he greatly expanded the new capitol Thatta and its Makli hills which replaced Debal he patronized Sindhi art, arcitecture and culture. Important court figures such as Sardar Darya Khan, Moltus Khan, Makhdoom Bilwal and Kazi Kazan. But the capitol Thatta was a port city, unlike garrisons it could not mobilize large armies against the Arghun Mongol invaders who killed many regional Sindhi Mirs and Amirs loyal to the Samma.
The ruthless Arghuns and the Tarkhans sacked Thatta during the rule of Jam Feroz and established their own dynasties in the year 1519.
The Samma had left behind a popular legacy they were highly influenced by the Lodis and introduced Pashto Alphabets in Sindh some of which are still used in the Malay language of Southeast Asia.
[edit] Mughal period
In the year 1524 the few remaining Sindhi Amirs welcomed the Mughal Empire and helped Babur defeat his Arghun enemies, since then Sindh had become a region loyal to the Mughals.
In 1540 a deadly mutiny by Sher Shah Suri forced the Mughal Emperor Humayun to withdraw to Sindh where he joined the Sindhi Amir Hussein and in 1541 Humayun married Hamida Bano Begum She gave birth to the infant Akbar at Umarkot in the year 1542.
In 1556 the Ottoman Admiral Seydi Ali Reis visited Humayun and mentions various regions of the subcontinent including Sindh (Makran coast and the Mehran delta) in his adventurious book Mirat ul Memalik.
During the reign of Akbar the Mughal chronicler Abu'l-Fazl (1551-1602) was a descendant of a Sindhi Shaikh family from Rel, Siwistan in Sindh. He was the author of the famous Akbarnama and the Ain-i-Akbari.
In the year 1603 Shah Jahan visited the provence of Sindh and at Thatta he was generously welcomed by the locals after the death of his father Jahangir. Shah Jahan ordered the construction of the Shahjahan Mosque, which was completed during the early years of his rule.
After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire and its institutions began to decline. Various warring Nawabs took control of vast territories and ruled independently from the Mughal Emperor.
But Sindh faced many threats, Mian Yar Mouhammed Kalhoro (Khudabad) challenged the invader Nadir Shah but failed according to legend: to avenge the massacre of his allies he sent a small force to assassinate Nadir Shah and turn events in favour of the Mughal Emperor during the Battle of Karnal in 1739 but failed again.
[edit] British regime
The British East India Company made its first contacts in the Sindhi port city of Thatta which according to a report was: "a city as large as London containing 50,000 houses which were made of stone and mortar with large varandahs some three or four stories high the the textiles of Sind were the flower of the whole produce of the East, the international commerce of Sind gave it a place among that of Nations, Thatta has 400 schools and 4000 ships at its docks, the city is guarded by well armed Sepoys..."
Flag House, colonial styled building built during the British Raj.British and Bengal Presidency forces under General Charles James Napier arrived in Sindh in the nineteenth century and conquered Sindh in 1843.
After defeating the Sindhi coalition led by Talpurs and Kalhoras under command of the Sindhi general Mir Nasir Khan Talpur in the fierce Battle of Miani during which 50,000 Sindhis were killed shortly after the defeat Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur commanded another army which fought at the Battle of Dubbo where the young Sindhi general Hoshu Sheedi and 5,000 Sindhis were killed. The first Agha Khan helped the British in their conquest of Sindh and as result he was granted a lifetime pension.
Within weeks Charles Napier and his forces occupied Sindh. After 1853, the British divided Sindh into districts, in each district the they assigned a ruthless Wadera to collect taxes for the British authorities. Wealthy businesses owned by Sindhi Muslim merchants were handed over to the minority Hindu Brahmans leading the province to further unrest and a severe economic depression.
In a highly controversial move, Sindh was later made part of British India's Bombay Presidency much to the surprise of the local population, who found the decision offensive and a powerful unrest followed after which Twelve Martial Laws were imposed by the British authorities. Shortly afterwards, the decision was reversed and Sindh became a separate province in 1935.
The British ruled the area for a century. According to Richard Burton Sindh was one of the most restive provinces during the British Raj and was home to many prominent Muslim leaders such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah who strove for greater Muslim autonomy.
[edit] Modern history after independence of Pakistan
On 14 August 1947 Pakistan gained independence from colonial British colonial rule. The province Sindh attained self rule, the first time since the defeat of Sindhi Talpur Amirs in the Battle of Miani on 17 February 1843. The first challenge faced by the Government of Sindh was the settlement of Muslim refugees. Nearly 7 million Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan while nearly equal number of Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan migrated to India. The Muslim refugees known as Muhajirs from India settled in most urban areas of Sindh. Sindh at the time of partition was home to a large number of Hindus who accounted for 27% of the total population of the province. They were more concentrated in the urban centres of the province and had a strong hold on the province's economy and business. Although the relations between the local Muslims and Hindus were good but with the arrival of Muslim refugees in the urban centres of the province, Hindus started to feel unsafe. Many of Sindh's Hindu community where further enticed by their co-relgionists in India to depart with all their belongings and financial capital to further cripple the new nation.
Sindh did not witness any massive level genocide as other parts of the Subcontinent (especially Punjab region) did, comparatively there were few incidents of riots in Karachi and Hyderabad but over all situation remained peaceful mainly due to the efforts of the Muslim Chief Minister of Sindh Mr. Ayub Khuhro. According to 1998 census, there were 2.3 million Hindus in Sindh forming around 7% of the total population of the province[5]. Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan (i.e caste Hindus accounting for 86% of the total Hindu population of Pakistan as of 1998 census) are mainly into small to medium sized businesses. They are mainly traders, retailer/wholesalers, builders as well as into the fields of medical, engineering, law and financial services. However the scheduled caste Hindus (Dalits) are in a poorer state with most of them as bonded labour in the rural areas of the province. Most of the Muslim refugees are settled in urban areas of Sindh especially in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Since Pakistan's Independence in 1947, Sindh has been the destination of a continuous stream of migration from South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Burma, and Afghanistan as well as Pashtun and Punjabi immigrants from the North West Frontier Province and the Punjab Province of Pakistan to Karachi. This is due to the fact that Karachi is the economic magnet of Pakistan attracting people from all over Pakistan. Many native Sindhis resent this influx. Nonetheless, traditional Sindhi families remain prominent in Pakistani politics, especially the Bhutto, Zardari and Soomro dynasties. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan, was from Karachi, of Gujarati descent.
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