Mirpur Khas
Encyclopedia
Mirpur Khas is a city in the province of Sindh
in Pakistan
. It is the fifth largest city in the province with an estimated population of 488,590 (2009). Its soil is fertile and the city is known for its horticultural
produce and farming, as well as mango cultivation, with hundreds of varieties of mangoes produced each year.
Prior to the Islamic conquest of Sindh
by the Arabian armies of Muhammad Bin Qasim
, the land where Mirpur Khas now stands used to be a thriving Buddhist settlement known as Kahoo Jo Daro. The remnant stupa
still remains and as the armies settled in the area, newer buildings occupied the land and led into massively progressive landscapes. Farming became known to people and horticulture and cotton
fields blossomed.
In 1806, Mankani Talpurs
shifted their capital from Keti Mir Tharo and laid foundations for Mirpur Khas under the leadership of Mir Ali Murad Talpur
. Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
succeeded Mir Ali Murad and built a fort when declared the ruler of the state. He would run a kutchery
from within the fort. Mirpurkhas remained capital of Talpur Mirs of Mirpurkhas until 1843 when Sindh was annexed to British India under East India Company. When Charles James Napier
attacked Sindh, Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
was the last Talpur ruler to face the British on 24 March 1843 at the battleground of Dubbo. His battle for the liberation of Sindh has rendered him the title of 'the lion of Sindh'. The kutchery in the fort now has a tablet embedded at the entrance reading, "The fort within which this building stands was residence of Mir Sher Muhammad Khan, the Lion of Sind."
Later Sindh was made part of Bombay Presidency and Mirpurkhas was a part of it. Umerkot
was made the district's head-quarter town and Mirpur Khas was ignored until the advent of the Luni
-Hyderabad
branch of the Jodhpur
-Bikaner Railway, a subsidiary of the Scinde Railway
to the town. The opening of the Jamrao Canal in 1900 made Mirpur Khas stand out of the rest of the towns in the district. It was constituted a municipality in 1901 and was made the district head-quarter in 1906.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the population of the town was 2,787 with a density of 82 persons per square mile, however the district, as a whole, saw significant growth in the rise of population from 27,866 (1891) to 37,273 (1901). The cotton produced at Mirpur Khas was considered the best in the country when surveyed and the British exploited the produce by exporting it to other nations.
After the partition, because of its proximity with the Indian border, Mirpur Khas became the first city to welcome refugees from the newly found India
n nation to Pakistan. It acted as a primary railway junction for the first trains to rail across the Rajistan to the Sindh province.
at 25°31′39.3"N 69°00′50.6"E, Mirpur Khas is the gateway to the south-eastern edge of the Sindh province. It connects to Hyderabad
at 65-kilometres by both road and rail while with Umerkot it connects only by road. Karachi
is 220-kilometres south-west of the town. On the extreme east lies the Indian border at 170-kilometres.
Mirpur Khas is positioned atop a fertile land making conditions apt for farming and irrigation. Being connected to the Indus via irrigation canals like the Let Wah, Mirpur Khas has gained an advantage in horticulture and farming over the years. Primary produce includes mango
es (famous for producing mangoes), sugarcane
and cotton, wheat, & chillies. Banana
s are also widely cultivated around the region and also one of the biggest producer of Bananas in the country.
. Of the Higher Secondary Education Institutions, Government Shah-wali-Allah Higher secondary school, Government Model High School, Government Comprehensive Higher Secondary School for Boys, Government High School for boys and government High School for Girls, Government Higher Secondary School for Boys Bhansinghabad, and Government Higher Secondary School for Girls Bhansinghabad are actively running in the city.
Mirpurkhas also has a Sindh University Campus that have five(5) Departments:
1:- BS-Information Technology
2:- BS-Computer Science
3:- BS-Commerce
4:- BBA
5:- BS-Geology
Mirpur Khas city also has a medical college (Muhammad Medical College) affailated with Sindh Medical University, a number of Science & Technology institutes like MIST and CMS affailated with University of Sindh and with an own Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.
The Eastern Public School and College
is another institute affiliated from AKU-EB board karachi and also with BISE Mirpurkhas.
The City has two very well maintained and up to-date public libraries run by the provincial government, Municipal Library and Allama Iqbal Public Library.
Plans are underway to set up a full-fledged Medical College and a campus of University of Sindh
in public sector.
The City has well built and sufficiently equipped Civil Hospital with a state-of-the-art heart disease Center. The hospital, being a (previously) divisional headquarter, caters to a huge number of patients from various parts of the suburb. Apart from the Civil Hospital, there are a number of private health establishments working day and night to cater to the general public needs. Some of them are, Ahmadani clinic, Ali MediCare Center, Maria Medical Complex, Alshifa Hospital Dr. Naseem Memorial Hospital & Dr. Nazir memorial hospital which are providing free services to the neglected class of this society.Mirpurkhas deadly needs a well equipped hospital and other investigative facilities,unfortunately since doctors started taken this profession as business there has nothing left to say to communicate the feeling of this Regions's people.
Irrigation and farming was revitalised after the Jamrao Canal was built in the 1900s. The city was able to produce and cycle crops to supply mainly grain, cotton products like fabrics, and sugar from the sugarcane cultivations. For a certain period in history, Mirpurkhas enjoyed being the best cotton producer in the country and much of the income of the town came from cotton farming in its heyday.
In late 18th century, many Muslim families were shifted from east Punjab to the area. Their contribution to the agriculture and irrigation systems is remarkable. They live mostly in rural areas with peace and harmony.
Nowadays, however, The area is much known its mango produce. The city seeks pleasure in declaring having 250 different varieties of "mangoes", of which the most famous variety is the *Sindhri Amb* literally the mango from Sindh. The city boasts its mango products at an annual harvest festival showcasing its world-renowned produce.
The district has very fertile land and it produces wheat, onion, suagrcane, cotton, corn, mangoes and other crops.
Though Mirpurkhas has small industrial park but no industry is functional over there. However, there are four sugar mills, namely Mirpurkhas sugar mills, Mirawah sugar mills, Digri SUgar Mills. and Najma sugar mills, of them Mirpurkhas sugar mills is the oldest one.
(Pakistan
) to Jodhpur
(India
) by the new train service Thar Express
. In 2005, work started on converting the metre gauge
railway line to Khokhrapar
to broad gauge
. Mirpurkhas Railway Station has one of the longest plateforms in Pakistan.
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is the fifth largest city in the province with an estimated population of 488,590 (2009). Its soil is fertile and the city is known for its horticultural
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
produce and farming, as well as mango cultivation, with hundreds of varieties of mangoes produced each year.
History
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
by the Arabian armies of Muhammad Bin Qasim
Muhammad bin Qasim
Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi was a Umayyad general who, at the age of 17, began the conquest of the Sindh and Punjab regions along the Indus River for the Umayyad Caliphate. He was born in the city of Taif...
, the land where Mirpur Khas now stands used to be a thriving Buddhist settlement known as Kahoo Jo Daro. The remnant stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
still remains and as the armies settled in the area, newer buildings occupied the land and led into massively progressive landscapes. Farming became known to people and horticulture and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
fields blossomed.
In 1806, Mankani Talpurs
Talpur
Talpur ; is a Baloch tribe settled in Sindh. Talpurs settled in northern Sindh, spoke Sindhi language very soon their descendants and allies formed a confederacy against the Kalhora dynasty. Later, however, they enjoyed good relations with the Kalhoras and were invited by them to help organize...
shifted their capital from Keti Mir Tharo and laid foundations for Mirpur Khas under the leadership of Mir Ali Murad Talpur
Mir Ali Murad Talpur
Mir Ali Murad Talpur, known as the Aadil-i-Jang, was the second ruler of the Mankani Talpurs state of Mirpurkhas. He founded Mirpurkhas town in 1806 and made it the capital of his state which was founded by his father, Mir Tharo Khan Talpur at Keti Mir Tharo. His state included territories of the...
. Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur, popularly known as “The Lion of Sindh” , belonged to the Mirpurkhas House of Royal Talpurs. He was the son of Mir Ali Murad Talpur, the founder of Mirpurkhas, and was born in 1810...
succeeded Mir Ali Murad and built a fort when declared the ruler of the state. He would run a kutchery
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
from within the fort. Mirpurkhas remained capital of Talpur Mirs of Mirpurkhas until 1843 when Sindh was annexed to British India under East India Company. When Charles James Napier
Charles James Napier
General Sir Charles James Napier, GCB , was a general of the British Empire and the British Army's Commander-in-Chief in India, notable for conquering the Sindh Province in what is now Pakistan.- His genealogy :...
attacked Sindh, Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur, popularly known as “The Lion of Sindh” , belonged to the Mirpurkhas House of Royal Talpurs. He was the son of Mir Ali Murad Talpur, the founder of Mirpurkhas, and was born in 1810...
was the last Talpur ruler to face the British on 24 March 1843 at the battleground of Dubbo. His battle for the liberation of Sindh has rendered him the title of 'the lion of Sindh'. The kutchery in the fort now has a tablet embedded at the entrance reading, "The fort within which this building stands was residence of Mir Sher Muhammad Khan, the Lion of Sind."
Later Sindh was made part of Bombay Presidency and Mirpurkhas was a part of it. Umerkot
Umerkot
Umarkot or Umer Kot,, also known as Amar Kot, Omarkot and Omercote, is town in the Umerkot District in Sindh, Pakistan...
was made the district's head-quarter town and Mirpur Khas was ignored until the advent of the Luni
Luni River
The Luni is a river of western Rajasthan state, India. It originates in the Pushkar valley of the Aravalli Range, near Ajmer and ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, after travelling a distance of 530 km...
-Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sindh
is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
branch of the Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
-Bikaner Railway, a subsidiary of the Scinde Railway
History of rail transport in Pakistan
Pakistan has a rich railway heritage spanning almost 200 years which it owes the British. It was in 1847 when the first railway was imagined but it was not until 1861 when it came into existence in the form of the railway built from Karachi to Kotri...
to the town. The opening of the Jamrao Canal in 1900 made Mirpur Khas stand out of the rest of the towns in the district. It was constituted a municipality in 1901 and was made the district head-quarter in 1906.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the population of the town was 2,787 with a density of 82 persons per square mile, however the district, as a whole, saw significant growth in the rise of population from 27,866 (1891) to 37,273 (1901). The cotton produced at Mirpur Khas was considered the best in the country when surveyed and the British exploited the produce by exporting it to other nations.
After the partition, because of its proximity with the Indian border, Mirpur Khas became the first city to welcome refugees from the newly found India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n nation to Pakistan. It acted as a primary railway junction for the first trains to rail across the Rajistan to the Sindh province.
Geography
Lying on the Let Wah CanalLet Wah Canal
Let Wah Canal OR Wah Canal stretches from Hyderabad district to Mirwah. A small town around 24 kilometers from Mirpurkhas....
at 25°31′39.3"N 69°00′50.6"E, Mirpur Khas is the gateway to the south-eastern edge of the Sindh province. It connects to Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sindh
is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
at 65-kilometres by both road and rail while with Umerkot it connects only by road. Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
is 220-kilometres south-west of the town. On the extreme east lies the Indian border at 170-kilometres.
Mirpur Khas is positioned atop a fertile land making conditions apt for farming and irrigation. Being connected to the Indus via irrigation canals like the Let Wah, Mirpur Khas has gained an advantage in horticulture and farming over the years. Primary produce includes mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es (famous for producing mangoes), sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
and cotton, wheat, & chillies. Banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s are also widely cultivated around the region and also one of the biggest producer of Bananas in the country.
Education
The city has three government colleges: Shah Abdul Latif Government Science College for Boys, Ibne-Rushd Government Degree College for women and Model College of Arts Education, all affiliated with the University of SindhUniversity of Sindh
The University of Sindh informally known as Sindh University is the second oldest university in Pakistan accredited by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan....
. Of the Higher Secondary Education Institutions, Government Shah-wali-Allah Higher secondary school, Government Model High School, Government Comprehensive Higher Secondary School for Boys, Government High School for boys and government High School for Girls, Government Higher Secondary School for Boys Bhansinghabad, and Government Higher Secondary School for Girls Bhansinghabad are actively running in the city.
Mirpurkhas also has a Sindh University Campus that have five(5) Departments:
1:- BS-Information Technology
2:- BS-Computer Science
3:- BS-Commerce
4:- BBA
5:- BS-Geology
Mirpur Khas city also has a medical college (Muhammad Medical College) affailated with Sindh Medical University, a number of Science & Technology institutes like MIST and CMS affailated with University of Sindh and with an own Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.
The Eastern Public School and College
The Eastern Public School and College Mirpurkhas
The Eastern Public School & College is a public school and college located in Mirpurkhas Sindh Pakistan. The school was founded in 1996 by Tameer-e-Nau Educational Society Mirpurkhas....
is another institute affiliated from AKU-EB board karachi and also with BISE Mirpurkhas.
The City has two very well maintained and up to-date public libraries run by the provincial government, Municipal Library and Allama Iqbal Public Library.
Plans are underway to set up a full-fledged Medical College and a campus of University of Sindh
University of Sindh
The University of Sindh informally known as Sindh University is the second oldest university in Pakistan accredited by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan....
in public sector.
The City has well built and sufficiently equipped Civil Hospital with a state-of-the-art heart disease Center. The hospital, being a (previously) divisional headquarter, caters to a huge number of patients from various parts of the suburb. Apart from the Civil Hospital, there are a number of private health establishments working day and night to cater to the general public needs. Some of them are, Ahmadani clinic, Ali MediCare Center, Maria Medical Complex, Alshifa Hospital Dr. Naseem Memorial Hospital & Dr. Nazir memorial hospital which are providing free services to the neglected class of this society.Mirpurkhas deadly needs a well equipped hospital and other investigative facilities,unfortunately since doctors started taken this profession as business there has nothing left to say to communicate the feeling of this Regions's people.
Culture and economy
The city has several shopping centers and bazaars which includes, Baldia Shopping Center, Shahi Bazaar and Khisakpura Rasheed Ahmed Siddiqui Shopping Arcade Khipro Stand & Irshad Ahmed Siddiqui Shopping Strip (in local slang), which sells traditional garments, modern crockery, etc.Irrigation and farming was revitalised after the Jamrao Canal was built in the 1900s. The city was able to produce and cycle crops to supply mainly grain, cotton products like fabrics, and sugar from the sugarcane cultivations. For a certain period in history, Mirpurkhas enjoyed being the best cotton producer in the country and much of the income of the town came from cotton farming in its heyday.
In late 18th century, many Muslim families were shifted from east Punjab to the area. Their contribution to the agriculture and irrigation systems is remarkable. They live mostly in rural areas with peace and harmony.
Nowadays, however, The area is much known its mango produce. The city seeks pleasure in declaring having 250 different varieties of "mangoes", of which the most famous variety is the *Sindhri Amb* literally the mango from Sindh. The city boasts its mango products at an annual harvest festival showcasing its world-renowned produce.
The district has very fertile land and it produces wheat, onion, suagrcane, cotton, corn, mangoes and other crops.
Though Mirpurkhas has small industrial park but no industry is functional over there. However, there are four sugar mills, namely Mirpurkhas sugar mills, Mirawah sugar mills, Digri SUgar Mills. and Najma sugar mills, of them Mirpurkhas sugar mills is the oldest one.
Transport
Mirpurkhas Railway Station is in middle of city. After 40 years a railway link between Pakistan and India is being opened again. A broad gauge line has been laid from Mirpur Khas to Khokra Par, which is the border town from Pakistani Side. The new link now connects KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
(Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) to Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
(India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) by the new train service Thar Express
Thar Express
Thar Express is an international train that connects Karachi, Pakistan to Bhagat Ki Kothi, India. Six kilometres apart, Munabao and Khokhrapar are the two last railway stations of the India-Pakistan border. Jamrao, Mirpur Khas, Shadi Pali, Saeendad, Barmer, Pithoro, Dhoro Naro, and Chhore are some...
. In 2005, work started on converting the metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line to Khokhrapar
Khokhrapar
Khokhrapar or Khokhropar is a border town located in Sindh, Pakistan.It is also last railway station on the way to Rajasthan in India....
to broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
. Mirpurkhas Railway Station has one of the longest plateforms in Pakistan.
See also
- ChitorriChitorriChitorri is the historic ancestral graveyard of the Talpur Mirs of Mirpurkhas, Sindh. The sandstone tombs built by Talpur rulers over the graves of their elders are the finest examples of Sindh's architecture prevalent in 17th and 18th century. The grave yard is located in the Mirpurkhas district,...
, a historical graveyard with many sandstone tombs of Talpur rulers - Kahu-Jo-DarroKahu-Jo-DarroKahu-Jo-Darro is ancient Buddhist archaeological site near Mirpurkhas, Pakistan. Excavations revealed a Buddhist stupa from the site. The ancient site is spread over ....
, an ancient Buddhist archaeological site