Sindhi people
Encyclopedia
Sindhis are a Sindhi
speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh
, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan
. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan
belong to various religious denominations including Islam
, Zoroastrianism
, Hinduism
, Sikhism
and Christianity
. After the Partition of India
into two dominion countries in 1947 i.e. India
and Pakistan
, a large number of Muslim immigrants (Muhajirs) shifted to Pakistan
and settled in Sindh
region like other regions of Pakistan. At the same time Sindhi Hindu
s migrated to India
in large numbers and have settled in many parts of the world.
The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh were believed to be aboriginal tribes speaking languages of the Indus Valley civilization around 3000 BC.
The Indus Valley Civilization
went into decline around the year 1700 BC for reasons that are not entirely known, though its downfall was probably precipitated by a massive earthquake that dried up the Ghaggar River. This decline coincided with the arrival of Aryan
tribes from Central Asia
. The Indo-Aryans
are believed to have founded the Vedic civilization that existed between the Sarasvati River
and Ganges river around 1500 BC. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia
.
In his book Kitab-ul-Hind, the Persian
scholar Abū Rayhān Bīrūnī (Al-Beruni) declared that even before the advent of Islam
into Sindh
(711 A.D.), the Sindhi language
was prevalent in Sindh.
, Sindh was one of the earliest regions to be influenced by Islam
. It was part of the Islamic empires of the Abbasid
s and Umayyids. Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting millions of native Sindhis to Islam
. At the same time, Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in Sindh
. Settled by Turks
, Pashtuns
, and Mughals. Habbari
, Soomra
, Samma, Arghun
dynasties ruled Sindh
. The Baloch
tribes migrated and settled in Sindh. These Baloch
assimilated
with Sindhis and now they constitute a significant population of Sindh. Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state; by the time of British
colonial occupation it was ruled by Baloch
kings.
Sindh, as a western frontier of the South Asia
, has always been exposed to the entry of migrants from Central Asia
and the Middle East
. The region got it's name sindh from the river sindhu (Indus) and the people living here are called as sindhi since the time of indus valley civilization this region is called as sindh and the people as sindhi, the term Hindi and Hindu is derived from word sindh and sindhi as the ancient Persians pronunciate "s" as "h" e.g. sarasvati as harasvati, the same way they called the people of this region as Hindi people their language as Hindi language and the region as hind, the name which is used for this region since ancient times and later for whole northern part of Indian sub-continent even today India is also known as Hindustan the name which has nothing to do with hinduism, but related more to a people and their language named after the main river flowing through this region sindhu (Indus).
As regards the composition of the non-ethnic Sindhi population, the two main groups that inhabited Sindh
are related to, and common, one with the Punjab
and another with Balochistan. The majority group is that of Rajput
s and Jats
who are the partial descendants of Sakas, Kushans and Huns
. During Kalhora
rule a number of Jat tribes such as the Sial
s, Joyas
and Khawars came from the Punjab and settled in Sindh. They are called the Seraiki (i.e., people from the north), and speak Seraiki
. This group overlaps and is sometimes considered transitional between the Punjabis
and Sindhi people.
The two main Rajput
tribes of Sindh are: the Samma, descendants of the Samma Dynasty who ruled Sindh
during (1351 - 1521 A.D.); and the Soomra
, descendants of the Soomra Dynasty
who ruled Sindh during (750 - 1350 A.D.). Among other Sindhi Rajput
s are the Bhachos, Bhutto
s, Bhattis, Buriros, Lakha, Sahetas, Lohana
s, Mohano
, Dahars
, Indhar, Chachar
, Dhareja, Rathore
s, Dakhan, Langah
, etc. The Sindhi-Sipahi
of Rajasthan
and the Sandhai Muslims
of Gujarat are communities of Sindhi Rajput
s settled in India
. Closely related to the Sindhi Rajput
s are the Jats of Sindh
, who are found mainly in the Indus delta
region.
The other Main group is that of Balochi
tribes settled in various parts of Sindh mostly during the last five hundred years or so. Since they were martial
people and ruled over Sindh for some time before the arrival of the British, they acquired vast lands in the province, with the result that a large number of present-day Sindhi landlords are of Baloch
origin. According to the 1941 census, which was the last one held before independence, Balochis formed 60% of the total population of Sindh
. Balochi
tribes are spread over,Iranian Sistan Balochistan, Afghan Balochistan, Kurdistan of Iraq, Balochistan, Sindh and the south-western districts of the Punjab. This group is almost entirely Muslim.
A third sub-group of the Sindhi population comprises the descendants of Muslim
conquerors, administrators and missionaries who were Arabs, Persians
, Afghans
and Turks
(including the Mughals). They are a small minority settled in cities and towns and have largely blended with the other components of the population while maintaining something of a sub-culture; they are often referred to as Ashraf or the "noble". Of this third element, Muslim
Arabs have possibly contributed the most to the development of the modern Sindhi language and literature and to the advancement of its intellectual and cultural activities.
Another group of people who are largely overlooked in any discussions about groups and culture of Sindh are the Haris, whose name is derived from the term "Harijan
." These people are generally believed to be the descendants of indigenous Dravidian populations that were enslaved by various invading people. Many are still living in abject poverty and under slave-like conditions in rural Sindh, because of the benign neglect and only nominal efforts by the government to improve the situation. The majority of Haris are Muslim
s, while some are nominally Hindu
s. Many Muslim Haris have moved on as artisans and wage laborers.
Nearly 14 million Muslim refugees (Muhajirs) escaped from communal riots and genocide in various parts of India and settled in Sindh after the independence of Pakistan
, populating mostly urban centers of the province. They spoke Urdu, Gujarati
, Bengali
as well as other languages that reflect their different regions of origin.
’s stable prosperity and its strategic geographical possession, it is not surprising that it was subject to successive conquests by foreign empires. In 712 A.D., Sindh
was incorporated into the Arab empire
and became the ‘Arabian gateway’ into India
(later to become known as Bab-ul-Islam, the gate of Islam). After the conquest by the Arabs, the people of Sindh were influenced by Islam
.
Sindhi culture is also highly Persianized as Sindh was exposed to cultural, religious and linguistic influence from Islamic Persia. Most significantly, numerous Persian
loanwords made their way into the Sindhi
language along with the Nastaʿlīq script, in which modern Sindhi
is written today.
Muslim Sindhis tend to follow the Sunni Hanafi
fiqh
with a substantial minority of Shia Ithna 'ashariyah. The Sufism
has made a deep impact on Sindhi Muslims and Sufi shrines
dot the landscape of Sindh
.
Hindus in Sindh were concentrated in the cities before the partition of India in 1947. According to Ahmad Hassan Dani
first names, sometimes with localized variations. Most Sindhis have tribal and clan names as their surnames. Nearly forty percent of Sindhis have Baloch
tribal names.
Hindu and Sikh Sindhis tend to have surnames that end in '-ani' (a variant of 'anshi', derived from the Sanskrit
word 'ansh', which means 'descended from'). The first part of a Sindhi Hindu surname is usually derived from the name of an ancestor. In northern Sindh
, surnames ending in 'ja' (meaning 'of') are also common. A person's surname would consist of the name of his or her native village, followed by 'ja'.
, the Sufi pioneer of Sindh, is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. A common greeting among Sindhis "Jhulelal Bera-Hee-Paar".
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
(1689–1752) was a Sufi scholar and saint, and is considered one of the greatest poet
s of the Sindhi language
. Bhittai settled in the town of Bhit Shah
in Matiari
, Pakistan
where his shrine is located. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's most famous written work is the Shah Jo Risalo
, which is a masterpiece of Sindhi literature as well. The major themes of his poetry include Unity of God, love for Prophet, religious tolerance and humanistic values. Islamic philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr
describes Bhittai's works as "direct emanations of Rūmī's spirituality in the Indian world."
, Shaikh Ayaz
, Amar Jaleel
, Mirza Qalich Baig, Hassan Ali Effendi
, Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota
, Ghulam Ali Allana
and Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi.Dr.Mumtaz Pathan, Research Scholar.
, G. M. Syed
, Allah Bux Soomro
, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
, Benazir Bhutto
, Muhammad Khan Junejo
, Elahi Bux Soomro
, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi
, Asif Zardari, Fahmida Mirza
and Muhammad Mian Soomro
(who has served as President
, Prime Minister
and Senate chairman
). In the province of Sindh, Sindhis have been dominant in the government and its various departments.
In India, notable Sindhi politicians include Lal Krishna Advani
(former deputy prime minister of India), Acharya Kriplani (Prisident of Indian National Congress during Independence of India), K.R. Malkani (Former Governor Of Pudduchery), Jairamdas Daulatram
(Former Governor of Assam and Bihar), Ram Jethmalani
(former law minister of india), N.R. Malkani(former member of Rajya Sabha and Winner of Padma Bhushan), Ishwardas Rohani
(Speaker Of Madhya Pradesh
Legislative Assembly), Bhanu Kumar Shastri
(Former Member of Lok Sabha
from Udaipur
).
Historical Sindhi leaders include Raja Dahir
, Darya Khan Rind
, Soreh Badshah, Hoshu Sheedi
and Hemu Kalani
.
, Jackky Bhagnani
, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vashu Bhagnani
, Tarun Mansukhani
, Ritesh Sidhwani
, Rajkumar Hirani
, Dalip Tahil
, Ramesh Taurani
, Nikhil Advani
, Sadhana Shivdasani, Babita
, Sangeeta Bijlani
, Hiten Tejwani
, Leena Jumani
, Shilpa Saklani, Preeti Jhangiani
, Kitu Gidwani
, Hansika Motwani
, Ramesh Sippy
, G. P. Sippy
, Rohan Sippy
, Ramsay Brothers
, Govind Nihalani
, Anjana Sukhani
, Vishal Dadlani.
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh
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...
, a province Formerly of British India, now 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...
. Today Sindhis that live 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...
belong to various religious denominations including Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. After the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
into two dominion countries in 1947 i.e. 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...
and 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...
, a large number of Muslim immigrants (Muhajirs) shifted to 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...
and settled in Sindh
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...
region like other regions of Pakistan. At the same time Sindhi Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s migrated to 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...
in large numbers and have settled in many parts of the world.
Prehistoric period
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
went into decline around the year 1700 BC for reasons that are not entirely known, though its downfall was probably precipitated by a massive earthquake that dried up the Ghaggar River. This decline coincided with the arrival of Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
tribes from Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. The Indo-Aryans
Indo-Aryans
Indo-Aryan is an ethno-linguistic term referring to the wide collection of peoples united as native speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian family of Indo-European languages...
are believed to have founded the Vedic civilization that existed between the Sarasvati River
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
and Ganges river around 1500 BC. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
In his book Kitab-ul-Hind, the Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
scholar Abū Rayhān Bīrūnī (Al-Beruni) declared that even before the advent of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
into Sindh
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...
(711 A.D.), the Sindhi language
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
was prevalent in Sindh.
Historical period
Because of its location at the western edge of South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Sindh was one of the earliest regions to be influenced by Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. It was part of the Islamic empires of the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
s and Umayyids. Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting millions of native Sindhis to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. At the same time, Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in Sindh
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...
. Settled by Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
, Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, and Mughals. Habbari
Habbari dynasty
The Habbari dynasty ruled Sindh from 841 to 1024 C.E. Sindh was a province of Abbasid Caliphate. During the struggle for dominance of the Islamic world between the Abassid and Fatimid Caliphate, Sindh became semi-independent under the Arab ruler Aziz al-Habbari in 841 CE, though nominally remaining...
, Soomra
Soomra Dynasty
The Sumra dynasty , was established by Rajput Soomro tribe of Sindh. They were the first Emirs and ruled Sindh from their vibrant capital Mansura. Mansura was the largest and most wealthiest inhabited city of its time...
, Samma, Arghun
Arghun Dynasty
The Arghun Dynasty was a dynasty of either Mongol, Turkish or Turko-Mongol ethnicity that ruled parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and would later be focused around the region of Sindh in south east Pakistan for most of the 16th century...
dynasties ruled Sindh
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...
. The Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribes migrated and settled in Sindh. These Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
assimilated
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
with Sindhis and now they constitute a significant population of Sindh. Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state; by the time of British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
colonial occupation it was ruled by Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
kings.
Ethnicity
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, has always been exposed to the entry of migrants from Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The region got it's name sindh from the river sindhu (Indus) and the people living here are called as sindhi since the time of indus valley civilization this region is called as sindh and the people as sindhi, the term Hindi and Hindu is derived from word sindh and sindhi as the ancient Persians pronunciate "s" as "h" e.g. sarasvati as harasvati, the same way they called the people of this region as Hindi people their language as Hindi language and the region as hind, the name which is used for this region since ancient times and later for whole northern part of Indian sub-continent even today India is also known as Hindustan the name which has nothing to do with hinduism, but related more to a people and their language named after the main river flowing through this region sindhu (Indus).
As regards the composition of the non-ethnic Sindhi population, the two main groups that inhabited Sindh
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...
are related to, and common, one with the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and another with Balochistan. The majority group is that of Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s and Jats
Jats of Sindh
The Jat or Jath are a Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the Kutch region of India. They are also known as Jamote.-History and origin:...
who are the partial descendants of Sakas, Kushans and Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
. During Kalhora
Kalhora
The Kalhora are of Sindhi origin they trace their origins to a Sindhi warrior named, Sultan Ahmad Kalhora who married a daughter of Raja Rai Dhorang Sahta, receiving much territories as dowry. Amir Fathullah Khan Kalhora, is the recognized ancestor of the dynasty. He conquered the bhangar...
rule a number of Jat tribes such as the Sial
Sial
In geology, the sial is the upper layer of the Earth's crust made of rocks rich in silicates and aluminium minerals. It is sometimes equated with the continental crust because it is absent in the wide oceanic basins, but "sial" is a geochemical term rather than a plate tectonic term.Geologists...
s, Joyas
Johiya
Johiya , also known as Joia, Joiya, Joyia, Joya, Joyea, and Joeya, is a Chandravanshi Rajput clan in Northern India and Pakistan. The Johiyas are one of the twenty-four undivided Rajput clans or eka. In ancient chronicles, they are described as "Lords of Jangladesh", a region that included Haryana,...
and Khawars came from the Punjab and settled in Sindh. They are called the Seraiki (i.e., people from the north), and speak Seraiki
Siraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
. This group overlaps and is sometimes considered transitional between the Punjabis
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
and Sindhi people.
The two main Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
tribes of Sindh are: the Samma, descendants of the Samma Dynasty who ruled Sindh
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...
during (1351 - 1521 A.D.); and the Soomra
Soomro
Soomro or Soomra is a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, Pakistan.- History and origin :The Soomra Dynasty was established by the Soomro tribe of Sindh. The Soomra ruled Sindh from 750-1351. Following the 985 CE expulsion of the Qarmatian Muslim sect from Iraq and Egypt, the...
, descendants of the Soomra Dynasty
Soomra Dynasty
The Sumra dynasty , was established by Rajput Soomro tribe of Sindh. They were the first Emirs and ruled Sindh from their vibrant capital Mansura. Mansura was the largest and most wealthiest inhabited city of its time...
who ruled Sindh during (750 - 1350 A.D.). Among other Sindhi Rajput
Sindhi Rajput
Sindhi Rajputs are Sindhi belonging to the Rajput tribe and living in Sindh, Pakistan. The Sindhi Muslim Rajputs are considered as Muslim Rajputs....
s are the Bhachos, Bhutto
Bhutto
Bhutto is a Sindhi, Rajput tribe settled in Sindh, Pakistan.-Bhutto tribe:The Bhutto tribe is a Rajput tribe that has been settled in Sindh for over two centuries, occupying part of Balochistan in Kachhi, Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali, Bhag and Mithri, having migrated to Sindh from Jaiselmere in India...
s, Bhattis, Buriros, Lakha, Sahetas, Lohana
Lohana
The Lohana also referred to as Luvana are an Indian caste,largely classified as merchants and are categorized as Vaishya or Bania caste although their ancient history proves that they are Kshatriya of Suryavanshi descant, claiming their lineage from Lava, son of Rama...
s, Mohano
Mohana (tribe)
The Mohana or sometimes pronounced Mohano are a Sindhi tribe, that is historically connected with fishing. Many Mohana prefer self-designation Mir-bahar, which means lord of the sea. They are found through out Sindh, but are concentrated along the shore of Lake Manchar. In Baluchistan, the Mohana...
, Dahars
Daher
El Daher, or El Zaher , is one of the districts of Cairo, Egypt. It neighbours the districts of Abbaseya and Sakakini.El Zaher is named after al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari, who was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria, whose memoirs were recorded in the a long Arabic folkloric...
, Indhar, Chachar
Chhachhar
-History and origin:The Chhachhar claim Mughal origin, and claim descent from the famous king Timur. But according to another tradition, Surar, Subhago, Silro and Chachar were once slaves of Bunga Rai, the Raja of Umarkot in Sindh, and were freed by Jam Jakhar...
, Dhareja, Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
s, Dakhan, Langah
Langah (tribe)
For the Article on the folk musicians, see LanghaLangah is a clan of the Afghan tribe settled in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. They are not a baloch tribe. They have no connection with the Rajasthani Langha community.-History and origin:...
, etc. The Sindhi-Sipahi
Sindhi-Sipahi
The Sindh-Sipahi are a Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and state of Rajasthan in India.-History and origin:The Sindh-Sipahi originally belonged to the family of Chandravanshi Rajputs...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and the Sandhai Muslims
Sandhai Muslims
The Sandhai Muslim are a community found in the state of Gujarat in India . They are one of a number of communities of pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.-History and origin:...
of Gujarat are communities of Sindhi Rajput
Sindhi Rajput
Sindhi Rajputs are Sindhi belonging to the Rajput tribe and living in Sindh, Pakistan. The Sindhi Muslim Rajputs are considered as Muslim Rajputs....
s settled in 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...
. Closely related to the Sindhi Rajput
Sindhi Rajput
Sindhi Rajputs are Sindhi belonging to the Rajput tribe and living in Sindh, Pakistan. The Sindhi Muslim Rajputs are considered as Muslim Rajputs....
s are the Jats of Sindh
Jats of Sindh
The Jat or Jath are a Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the Kutch region of India. They are also known as Jamote.-History and origin:...
, who are found mainly in the Indus delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
region.
The other Main group is that of Balochi
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribes settled in various parts of Sindh mostly during the last five hundred years or so. Since they were martial
Martial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
people and ruled over Sindh for some time before the arrival of the British, they acquired vast lands in the province, with the result that a large number of present-day Sindhi landlords are of Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
origin. According to the 1941 census, which was the last one held before independence, Balochis formed 60% of the total population of Sindh
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...
. Balochi
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribes are spread over,Iranian Sistan Balochistan, Afghan Balochistan, Kurdistan of Iraq, Balochistan, Sindh and the south-western districts of the Punjab. This group is almost entirely Muslim.
A third sub-group of the Sindhi population comprises the descendants of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
conquerors, administrators and missionaries who were Arabs, Persians
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
, Afghans
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
(including the Mughals). They are a small minority settled in cities and towns and have largely blended with the other components of the population while maintaining something of a sub-culture; they are often referred to as Ashraf or the "noble". Of this third element, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Arabs have possibly contributed the most to the development of the modern Sindhi language and literature and to the advancement of its intellectual and cultural activities.
Another group of people who are largely overlooked in any discussions about groups and culture of Sindh are the Haris, whose name is derived from the term "Harijan
Harijan
Harijan was a term used by Gandhi for Dalits. Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God...
." These people are generally believed to be the descendants of indigenous Dravidian populations that were enslaved by various invading people. Many are still living in abject poverty and under slave-like conditions in rural Sindh, because of the benign neglect and only nominal efforts by the government to improve the situation. The majority of Haris are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, while some are nominally Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s. Many Muslim Haris have moved on as artisans and wage laborers.
Nearly 14 million Muslim refugees (Muhajirs) escaped from communal riots and genocide in various parts of India and settled in Sindh after the independence of 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...
, populating mostly urban centers of the province. They spoke Urdu, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
as well as other languages that reflect their different regions of origin.
Islamic influence
With SindhSindh
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...
’s stable prosperity and its strategic geographical possession, it is not surprising that it was subject to successive conquests by foreign empires. In 712 A.D., Sindh
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...
was incorporated into the Arab empire
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
and became the ‘Arabian gateway’ into 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...
(later to become known as Bab-ul-Islam, the gate of Islam). After the conquest by the Arabs, the people of Sindh were influenced by Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Sindhi culture is also highly Persianized as Sindh was exposed to cultural, religious and linguistic influence from Islamic Persia. Most significantly, numerous Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
loanwords made their way into the Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
language along with the Nastaʿlīq script, in which modern Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
is written today.
Muslim Sindhis tend to follow the Sunni Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
with a substantial minority of Shia Ithna 'ashariyah. The Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
has made a deep impact on Sindhi Muslims and Sufi shrines
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
dot the landscape of Sindh
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...
.
Sindhi Hindus
However, Sindh is also home to the Hindus. Hindus being the indegenious people of this land.Hindus in Sindh were concentrated in the cities before the partition of India in 1947. According to Ahmad Hassan Dani
Sindhi names
Muslim Sindhis tend to have traditional MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
first names, sometimes with localized variations. Most Sindhis have tribal and clan names as their surnames. Nearly forty percent of Sindhis have Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribal names.
Hindu and Sikh Sindhis tend to have surnames that end in '-ani' (a variant of 'anshi', derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word 'ansh', which means 'descended from'). The first part of a Sindhi Hindu surname is usually derived from the name of an ancestor. In northern Sindh
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...
, surnames ending in 'ja' (meaning 'of') are also common. A person's surname would consist of the name of his or her native village, followed by 'ja'.
Sufism
Sindhi culture has been strongly influenced by Sufism. JhulelalJhulelal
Jhulelal , or Dariyalal or Jinda Pir is the Ishta Dev of Sindhi people...
, the Sufi pioneer of Sindh, is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. A common greeting among Sindhis "Jhulelal Bera-Hee-Paar".
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai was a Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Sindhi language...
(1689–1752) was a Sufi scholar and saint, and is considered one of the greatest poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s of the Sindhi language
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
. Bhittai settled in the town of Bhit Shah
Bhit
Bhit Shah is a small town located in Matiari District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is most famous for being the location of the shrine of Sindh's greatest sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai....
in Matiari
Matiari
Matiari is the capital city of Matiari District, Sindh, Pakistan....
, 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...
where his shrine is located. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's most famous written work is the Shah Jo Risalo
Shah Jo Risalo
Shah Jo Risalo is the name of the compiled verses of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Many scholars and linguists have published Shah Jo Risalo with their own compilations, hence many editions are available...
, which is a masterpiece of Sindhi literature as well. The major themes of his poetry include Unity of God, love for Prophet, religious tolerance and humanistic values. Islamic philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is an Iranian University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, and a prominent Islamic philosopher...
describes Bhittai's works as "direct emanations of Rūmī's spirituality in the Indian world."
Notable Sindhis
Famous Sindhis include Pir Hisamudin Rashidi, G. M. SyedG. M. Syed
G. M. Syed was a political leader who pioneered the Jeay Sindh movement for the freedom of Sindh from Pakistan. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Sindhi nationalism...
, Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz was one of the great Sindhi poets of Pakistan. He was born in Shikarpur Sindh. By profession he was a lawyer but he also served as the vice chancellor of Sindh University. His poetry brought new trends into Sindhi literature....
, Amar Jaleel
Amar Jaleel
-Introduction:Qazi Abdul Jaleel , popularly known as Amar Jaleel, is a Sindhi fiction writer and a columnist whose columns appears in various Sindhi, Urdu and English-language dailies of Pakistan. He frequently plays with a dark sense of humor in his writings. Has authored 20 books...
, Mirza Qalich Baig, Hassan Ali Effendi
Hassan Ali Effendi
Hassan Ali Effendi was a renowned educationist in South Asia who is credited as the founder of one of the first Muslim schools in British India: the Sindh Madrasatul Islam , located in Karachi in modern-day Pakistan...
, Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota
Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota
Shams-ul-Ulama Dr. Umar Bin Mohammad Daudpota was a Researcher, Historian, Linguist and dutiful Scholar of great Indus Valley, internationally acclaimed scholar as he served the field of literature. Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota was born in 1897 and died in 1958.-Life History:Daudpota was born on...
, Ghulam Ali Allana
Ghulam Ali Allana
Ghulam Ali Allana was friend and biographer of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan. He was an English language Pakistani poet and also a councillor and friend to Fatima Jinnah, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's sister....
and Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi.Dr.Mumtaz Pathan, Research Scholar.
Politics
Pakistan's political scene has been dominated by Sindhi politicians, including Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, Ubaidullah SindhiUbaidullah Sindhi
Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi was a noted pan-Islamic leader a political activist of the Indian independence movement...
, G. M. Syed
G. M. Syed
G. M. Syed was a political leader who pioneered the Jeay Sindh movement for the freedom of Sindh from Pakistan. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Sindhi nationalism...
, Allah Bux Soomro
Allah Bux Soomro
Allah Bux Muhammad Umar Soomro , or Allah Baksh Soomro, was a zamindar, government contractor, Indian independence activist and politician from the province of Sindh in British India. He is considered to be amongst the best premiers of the province...
, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
, Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, Muhammad Khan Junejo
Muhammad Khan Junejo
Muhammad Khan Junejo was the tenth Prime Minister of Pakistan.-Early life:He was born at Sindhri in Tharparkar of Sindh. He belongs to Sindhi Muslim Rajput family of Junejo clan. Junejo started his political career at the age of twenty one...
, Elahi Bux Soomro
Elahi Bux Soomro
Elahi Bux Soomro or Illahi Bukhsh Soomro , is a Pakistani Senior Politician and legislator. He was the 16th Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan. He is from the most influential political family of Sindh...
, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was a Pakistani politician, and was the Acting Prime Minister of Pakistan for 3 months, from August 6, 1990 to November 6, 1990. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi's ancestors were mureeds of the Pir's of Sarhandi....
, Asif Zardari, Fahmida Mirza
Fahmida Mirza
Dr. Fahmida Mirza , sometimes also spelled as Fehmida Mirza , is a medical doctor, agriculturist and businesswoman from Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan who was elected as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan on March 19, 2008...
and Muhammad Mian Soomro
Muhammad Mian Soomro
Muhammad Mian Soomro is a Pakistani politician who has been the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan since 2003. Soomro comes from a renowned political family of Sindh that has been active in public life since 1923...
(who has served as President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
and Senate chairman
Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan
The current Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan is Farooq Naek since 12 March, 2009.The first Chairman of the Senate was Justice Khan Habibullah Khan Marwat.-History:...
). In the province of Sindh, Sindhis have been dominant in the government and its various departments.
In India, notable Sindhi politicians include Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Krishna Advani
Lal Kishanchand Advani known as Lal Krishna Advani is a Veteran Indian politician. A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the major opposition party in the Indian Parliament. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004...
(former deputy prime minister of India), Acharya Kriplani (Prisident of Indian National Congress during Independence of India), K.R. Malkani (Former Governor Of Pudduchery), Jairamdas Daulatram
Jairamdas Daulatram
ÈJairamdas Daulatram اردو: جے رام داس دولت رام हिंदी जैरामदास दौलतराम was an Indian political leader in the Indian independence movement...
(Former Governor of Assam and Bihar), Ram Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani
Ram Jethmalani, : राम जेठ्मलानी,: رام جيٺملاڻي born 14 September 1923, in Shikharpur in Sindh, British India) is an Indian lawyer and politician. He has served in various posts such as Union Law Minister and Chairman of Bar Associations...
(former law minister of india), N.R. Malkani(former member of Rajya Sabha and Winner of Padma Bhushan), Ishwardas Rohani
Ishwardas Rohani
Ishwardas Rohani is the speaker of Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly. He is a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party. He was imprisoned under MISA in the emergency in 1975. He was born in 1946 in Karachi. He was elected to the assembly from Jabalpur. He has been speaker since 2003. He was deputy...
(Speaker Of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
Legislative Assembly), Bhanu Kumar Shastri
Bhanu Kumar Shastri
Bhanu Kumar Shastri was a member of Lok Sabha from Udaipur in Rajasthan state in India. He also served as the president of Rajasthan state unit of Jan Sangh....
(Former Member of Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from Udaipur
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
).
Historical Sindhi leaders include Raja Dahir
Raja Dahir
Raja Dahir , born 661 AD — died 712 AD, was the last Hindu ruler situated in Sindh and parts of Punjab in modern day Pakistan. During the beginning of the Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent his kingdom was conquered by Muhammad bin Qasim, an Arab general, for the Umayyad Caliphate.- Reign...
, Darya Khan Rind
Darya Khan Rind
Darya Khan Rind Darya Khan Rind Darya Khan Rind (Sindhi: دريا خان رند (born in Shahpur Chakar), was a Sindhi poet from Shahpur Chakar , Pakistan . He was also the leader of his tribe the Rind, who live in villages near Shahpur Chakar...
, Soreh Badshah, Hoshu Sheedi
Hoshu Sheedi
Emir Hosh Muhammad Sheedi, Hoshu Sheedi جنرل هوش محمد شيدي, جنرل ہوش محمّد شیدی, whose full name is Shaheed Hosh Mohammad Sheedi was the General of Talpur Mirs' Army which fought against British in the Battles of Miani and last Battle of Dubbo...
and Hemu Kalani
Hemu Kalani
-Early life:Hemu Kalani was born at mir-ki-street old Sukkur in Sindh on 23 March 1923. He was the son of Pesumal Kalani and Jethi Bai. As a child and young man he campaigned with his friends for boycotts of foreign goods and tried to persuade people to use Swadeshi goods...
.
Entertainment
Famous Sindhis in the Indian movie industry include: Aftab ShivdasaniAftab Shivdasani
Aftab Shivadasani is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He started as a child actor in commercials and has performed in over 40 films. He also co-wrote and helped produce the film Aao Wish Karein. He started his career as a child artist in the movie Mr. India. Shivdasani is currently...
, Jackky Bhagnani
Jackky Bhagnani
Jackky Bhagnani is an Indian Hindi film actor. He is the son of Indian producer Vashu Bhagnani.-Early life:He studied in St.Teresa’s High School and used to accompany his father on the sets of many movies. Post schooling, He chose to acquire a Degree in Commerce from H.R...
, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vashu Bhagnani
Vashu Bhagnani
Vashu Bhagnani is one of the most prominent Sindhi producers from Bollywood . His notable films include Coolie No. 1 , Hero No. 1 , Bade Miyan Chote Miyan , Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai , Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein , Om Jai Jagadish , Shaadi No. 1 . He launched Puja Entertainment India Ltd. in 1995 with the...
, Tarun Mansukhani
Tarun Mansukhani
Tarun Mansukhani is a Bollywood director and writer. His most popular film to date would be Dostana produced by Karan Johar starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra....
, Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani is a Bollywood film producer, who founded a film production house under the banner of Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd...
, Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani is a National Award and Filmfare Award winning Indian director, screenwriter and film editor of Hindi films, best known for the films Munna Bhai MBBS , Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots , considered the highest-grossing Hindi film by distributor-share.-Early life and...
, Dalip Tahil
Dalip Tahil
Dalip Tahil is an Indian film, television and theatre actor. He did his schooling from the elite Sherwood College in Nainital, India and later graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.-Films:...
, Ramesh Taurani
Ramesh Taurani
Ramesh S. Taurani & Kumar S. Taurani are Indian film producers. they own the film and music production company Tips.-Filmography:*Toh Baat Pakki *Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani *Kismat Konnection *Race...
, Nikhil Advani
Nikhil Advani
-Early life and background:Advani was born in Mumbai. His father has a Pharmaceutical business and his mother is an advertising professional.He studied at Green Lawns High School, Breach Candy, and later did his Masters in chemistry at St...
, Sadhana Shivdasani, Babita
Babita
Babita is an Indian actress. She is now better known as the mother of actresses Kareena Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor and the wife of Randhir Kapoor.- Early life :...
, Sangeeta Bijlani
Sangeeta Bijlani
Sangeeta Bijlani is an Indian Bollywood actress and former model. Bijlani was the Miss India winner in 1980.-Film career:After winning the Miss India title, she kept herself busy in modelling and did a couple of commercials including brands like Vicco Turmeric cream and Nirma detergent. During the...
, Hiten Tejwani
Hiten Tejwani
Hiten Tejwani is an Indian television actor from Mumbai, India.-Early life:Tejwani was born and brought up in Mumbai, to a cloth merchant father and a home maker mother. He has two younger brothers...
, Leena Jumani
Leena Jumani
Leena Jumani is born on 16 July 1989. She is an Indian television actress and model. She is famous for her role as Khemi in Bandini.-Personal information:...
, Shilpa Saklani, Preeti Jhangiani
Preeti Jhangiani
Preeti Jhangiani is an Indian actress and model. She is fluent in Kannada, Sindhi, Hindi, English. She studied in Jai Hind College, Mumbai where her older sister Deepa studied as well...
, Kitu Gidwani
Kitu Gidwani
Kitu Gidwani is an Indian actress and model. She has starred in some movies as well as serials in Indian television. She became popular after a TV series, Air Hostess aired on Doordarshan in 1986, and received critical acclaimed for her roles in Dance of the Wind , Deepa Mehta's Earth , Govind...
, Hansika Motwani
Hansika Motwani
Hansika Motwani is an Indian actress and a former child actress. She has worked in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films.-Early life:Hansika Motwani was born in Mangalore, India. Her father Pradeep Motwani is a businessman, and her mother is Seema Motwani, a dermatologist...
, Ramesh Sippy
Ramesh Sippy
Ramesh Sippy is an Indian film director, probably best-known for directing the popular and critically acclaimed film Sholay ....
, G. P. Sippy
G. P. Sippy
Gopaldas Parmanand Sippy was a Bollywood movie producer and director. He was of Sindhi Hindu descent...
, Rohan Sippy
Rohan Sippy
Rohan Sippy is an Indian film director and producer who has directed three films: Kuch Naa Kaho , Bluffmaster! and Dum Maaro Dum . He is the son of Ramesh Sippy, the director of the Hindi blockbuster film Sholay, and grandson of producer G. P. Sippy...
, Ramsay Brothers
Ramsay Brothers
Ramsay Brothers are fame of Bollywood and son of F.U. Ramsay .they are producers, directors and editors for many famous Hindi horror movies such as Veerana, Purana Mandir and Bandh Darwaza, and the TV series "Zee Horror Show" They are a team of five brothers:*#Kumar Ramsay,*#Keshu Ramsay,*#Tulsi...
, Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...
, Anjana Sukhani
Anjana Sukhani
Anjana Sukhani is an Indian film actress and model, who predominantly appears in Bollywood films.-Early life:Anjana was born to a Hindu Sindhi family in Jaipur. She did her schooling from Kamla High School, Khar, Mumbai. Academically inclined, she holds a Management Degree in International...
, Vishal Dadlani.
See also
- SindhudeshSindhudeshSindhudesh is a concept floated by some Sindhi nationalists in Pakistan, for the creation of a Sindhi state, which would either be independent from, or autonomous within Pakistan. It was conceived by senior Sindhi political leader G. M. Syed...
- Sindhi literatureSindhi literatureSindhi literature is very rich and is generally considered to be among the world's oldest. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature both in poetry and prose.- Sufi literature and poetry :...
- Sindhi musicSindhi musicMusic from Sindh province is sung in Sindhi, and is generally performed in either the "Baits" or "Waee" styles. The Baits style is vocal music in Sanhoon or Graham . Waee instrumental music is performed in a variety of ways using a string instrument...
- Sindhi poetrySindhi poetrySindhi language poetry continues an oral tradition of a thousand years. The verbal verses were based on folk stories. Sindhi is one of the oldest languages of the Indus Valley having own literary colour both in poetry and prose. Sindhi poetry is very rich in thoughts as well as contain variety of...
- Sindhi language media in PakistanSindhi language media in PakistanSindh Sindhi: , the second largest province in Pakistan, is a province of many distinctions. It is the most urbanized province with 43% of people living in urban areas, and is the province with the highest literacy rate.-Sindhi as a language:...
- Sindhi diasporaSindhi diasporaThe Sindhi diaspora consists of Sindhi people who have emigrated from the Sindh province of Pakistan to other countries and regions of the world, as well as their descendants...