Sindhis
سنڌي सिन्धी

, File:Pankaj gold medal.jpg, L.K. Advani, Pankaj Advani, Karan Johar
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan: 43,842,000[1]  India: 4,890,000[2]
Languages
Sindhi, Hindi, Urdu
Religion
Islam, Hinduism

Sindhis (Sindhi: سنڌي ) are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh now a province of Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan are predominantly Muslim but there are also smaller minorities of Hindus and Christians. After the Partition of India in 1947, majority of Sindhis who were Hindus were forced to migrate to India due to the Persecution of Hindus in Pakistan, although some Hindus still managed to remain in Sindh.

History

The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh were believed to be aboriginal tribes speaking languages related to Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient Sindh (now in present-day Pakistan) around 3000 BC. The Indus Valley Civilization went into decline; historians cannot agree on the cause of the decline, but some theories include invasion of Indo-Aryan tribes from Eastern Europe or the change in the course of the Indus River.

The ancient civilization of what came to be known as Mohenjodaro and Harappa both derive their modern location names from the Sindhi language as opposed to the language of the Indus Valley Civilization which remains undeciphered.

In Sindhi, Moen means "dead people", Jo means "of," and Daro means "mound," so it (Moen-Jo-Daro) means mound of the dead. Due to the geographical location of this city, it was prone to being flooded. One such calamity saw the entire city flooded and remained under water for a long time, buried under mountains of sand. A branch of the Aryan invaders called the Indo-Aryans are believed to have founded the Vedic Civilization that have existed between Sarasvati River and Ganges river around 1500 BC and also influenced Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in the South Asia.

Muslim travelers, specifically the great Persian scholar Abū Rayhān Bīrūnī in his book 'Kitab-ul-Hind', has declared that even before the advent of Islam into Sindh (711 A.D.), Sindhi was prevalent in Sindh. It was not only widely spoken but written too in different scripts. Al-Beruni has described many Sindhi words leading to the conclusion that Sindhi was widely spoken and poor in vocabulary in his times.

Sindh was often the final stop for Middle Eastern and Central Asian empires such as the Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks and Pashtuns this gave Sindh a distinct and unique culture even before the arrival of Islam.

The site of historical activity, Sindh was at the crossroads of civilization sitting at the edge of South Asia. Sindh was also one of the regions to become predominantly Muslim and was part of the earliest Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in Sindh. The Muslim Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. Settled by Turks, Pashtuns, and Mughals, Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state and by the time of British colonial occupation was ruled by Baloch kings.

In 1947, Pakistan and India attained independence. 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. While the Hindu Sindhis settled in India and later migrated to other parts of the world. A large Sindhi community lives in the city of Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra, India.

Aspirations of the Sindhis before the Partition

Sindhis are predominantly Sufis who believe in harmony and tolerance in the matter of religion. Before the partition of India, the majority of Sindhis consistently voted against candidates supporting Pakistan. Although the British colonialists used their considerable power and influence to support the pro-Pakistan candidates in 1946, such candidates succeeded in obtaining only about 40% of the popular vote.

By gerrymandering the electorate, the colonialists managed the election of a majority in the Sindh Assembly which favored joining Pakistan. The Sindhi vote for Pakistan was also facilitated by the now famous 'Lahore Resolution' passed by the Muslim League -- this resolution promised "autonomy and sovereignty of constituent units" and "protection of religious minorities". Sindhis have strongly resented Pakistan, whose policies since inception have been the very anti-thesis of both these principles^[3].

Partition and mass exodus of Hindu Sindhis

In 1947 when the British left, Pakistan was created by the Partitioning of India. All of Sindh was allotted to Pakistan. In 1947, Sindh had 25 per cent population that were Sindhi Hindus. According to the 1941 census, about 23% of Sindh was populated by Baloch tribes and nearly one-third by partial descendants (or claimants) of Muslim conquerors, administrators and missionaries who were mainly Arabs, Persians, Afghans and Turks (including the Mughals), thus making Hindu Sindhis the minority. Most of the Hindu Sindhis were city dwellers and were largely pre-occupied with trade and commerce. They were responsible for export of products made in Sindh and contributed significantly to the economy of Sindh. When Partition of India occurred Sindhi Hindus expected to remain in Sindh. Generally, there was good relation between Hindu Sindhis and Muslim Sindhis. When large waves of Mohajirs started to pour into Sindh, violence erupted on the streets. The Hindu Sindhis were forced to flee Sindh leaving everything behind. Popati Hiranandani who was a Sindhi Hindu tells in her autobiography^[4] that the Police were merely onlookers when violence erupted and they did not protect the Hindu community. Many Hindu Sindhis wanted to return to their native Sindh, when the violence settled down, but this was not possible. Property belonging to the Hindus was given to the Mohajirs. The Hindu Sindhis faced many hardships in India living in refugee camps, but the Hindu Sindhis worked themselves out of poverty earning the Sindhi community much admiration and respect. The Hindu Sindhis are now scattered through out the world and feel like stateless people and regard Sindh as their roots.

Current

Since Partition native Sindhis have resented the influx of Pashtun and Punjabi immigrants to Sindh. In 1972 the Jeay Sindh Hulchal or Jeay Sindh movement was founded by Saeen G M Syed. The motto of this movement to get liberation of Sindh and ethnic Sindhis from Pakistan. G M Syed was put under house arrest until his death on 25th April 1995^[5]. Nonetheless, traditional Sindhi families remain prominent in Pakistani politics, especially the Bhutto dynasty. In recent years Sindhi dissatisfaction has grown over issues such as the construction of large dams, perceived discrimination in military and government jobs, provincial autonomy and overall revenue shares. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has created conditions which contribute to the ongoing "destabilization and fragmentation of Pakistan as a Nation".^[6] Bashir Khan Qureshi is the current Chairman of JSQM^[7] or Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz.

Non Ethnic Sindhi occupants

Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan language speaking people who have been modified by mainly Iranian, Turkic, Afghan and indigenous tribal populations over time. As a result of their geographic location and countless invasions and migration, the Sindhis display a wide variety of phenotypes.

As regards the composition of the Sindhi population the two main stocks that inhabit Sind are related to, and common, one with the Punjab and another with Balochistan. The majority stock is that of Rajputs and Jats who are the partial descendants of Sakas, Kushans and Huns who also constitute the majority of the population of the Punjab. The title Huna, i.e. Huns, remains in use by some clans and is possibly a reference to this partial ancestral lineage. During Kalhora rule a number of Jat tribes such as the Sials, Joyas and Khawars came from the Punjab and settled in Sindh. They are called Sirai i.e., people from the north, and speak Siraiki, a group that overlaps and is sometimes considerable transitional between the Punjabis and Sindhis.

The two main Rajput tribes of Sind are: the Samma, a branch of the Yadav Rajputs who inhabit the eastern and lower Sind and Bahawalpur; and the Sumra who, according to the 1907 edition of the Gazetteer are a branch of the Parwar Rajputs. Among others are the Bhuttos, Bhattis, Buriros, Lakha, Sahetas, Lohanas, Mohano, Dahars, Indhar, Chachar, Dhareja, Rathors, Dakhan, Langah etc. The Mohano tribe is spread over Makran, Sindh and southern Punjab. They are also identified with the 'Mallah' of the Punjab and both have in common a sub-section called Manjari. All of these Sindhi tribes are known under the common nomenclature of Sammat and includes both Muslim and Hindu Sindhis.

The smaller stock 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 23% of the total Muslim population of Sindh. Among the Balochi tribes inhabiting Sindh are the Rind, Dombki, Jakharani, Leghari, Lashari, Chandio, Karmati, Korai, Jatoi, Burdi, Khosa, Jamali, Umrani, Bugti, Marri, Mazari, Talpur, Brohi, Nizamani, Buledhi, Karrani, Bozdar, Nukharni, Rahu and Magsi. These tribes are spread over Balochistan, Sindh and the south-western districts of the Punjab. This group is almost entirely Muslim.

A third sub-stock of the Sindhi population comprises the partial descendants (or claimants) of Muslim conquerors, administrators and missionaries who were mainly 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 and yet maintain something of a sub-culture and are often referred to as Ashraf or the noble descendants of Muslim immigrants with a certain degree of prestige in society. 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 Haris a name derived from the term Harijan formerly used to describe Dalit people of India. These people are generally believed to be the descendants of indigenous populations that were enslaved by various invading people. Many are still living under abject poverty and in slave like conditions in rural Sindh, because of the benign neglect and only nominal efforts by the government to improve the situation. Some are nominally Hindus where as others have converted to Islam and moved on as artisans and wage laborers.

The last group of immigrants are the Urdu speaking Muhajirs.

Islamic Sindhi culture is a combination of Islamic traditions and local traditions with variances that include an adherence to a Muslim diet, i.e. Halal. Sindhi culture also absorbed considerable Arab cultural influence as well as that of the Iranian Baloch who still comprise a significant minority that have assimilated well with the Sindhis. Sindh is home to the Hindus who have remained in Pakistan as well as other religious groups such as Parsis. Muslim Sindhis tend to follow the Sunni sect, but Shia Muslims are a substantial minority.

Culture and society of Sindh

Sindhi women in Pakistan are still very traditional overall, can be seen wearing Shalwar Qameez, while donning a Chador on their heads; Men traditionally wear white and/or blue clothes and sometimes wear turbans or a traditional Sindhi cap on their heads.

Sindhi women in India however, can be seen wearing Shalwar Qameez, colourful tops with Jeans, while the Western clothing have become common for men.

Muslim Sindhis tend to have traditional Muslim names, but sometimes with localized variations. Some famous Sindhis include the Bhutto family, who are a Sindhi political dynasty in Pakistan, and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai who was a writer of Sindhi poetry.

Sindhi Surnames

Unlike other Hindus of India, who have a 'gotra', Sindhis often have a 'nukh', which means roots. This is much of the reason why Hindu Sindhi surnames end in 'ani'- which means 'anshi', derived from the Sanskrit word 'ansh', which means 'descendence'. So if someone returned or came from Georgia, his nukh would be 'jeorus', and his surname could be coined after the family head's name (subject to change every seven generations), eg: your family head 7 generations back had the name: 'Tolaram', then your surname would be TOL-ANI. Same goes for all the ani's in the world. May the person be from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Anatolia, Armenia or wherever, as this 'ani' is only unique to Sindhi civilization.

Another variation does exist to this norm. Many surnames of northern Sindh eg: (Shikarpur) and Multan (ancient name: Sawarawkistan) end in 'ja', eg: Ahuja, Raheja, Hinduja etc. 'Ja' in Sindhi means 'of', so if a person belonged to the village of 'Junay', then their surname would be 'Juneja'. Now the Question arises, why is there a need to add 'ani' or 'ja' to Sindhi surnames? It's because, post Mahmud Ghaznavi invasion, many Sindhis had escaped. They were called 'Banjaras' in India, Sinti in distant European lands, and 'Sintowee' in Mongolia and China. 'Gypsy' is a term used for them frequently. However, many Sintis awaited the end of Ghaznavid rule, so that they could return back. Many did return back, but many were pushed westwards, and thus have never returned. Those who managed to return are called 'AARYAN', which is a term different to the sanskratic version 'ARYA'.

AARYAN in Sindhi means those who have come back. These tribes added 'ani'(southern sindh) and 'ja' (northern sindh) to their names. Already an Indo-Iranian race, the Sindhi Hindus, once becoming Sintis in distant lands acquiring a range of cultural habits of different cultures, and furthermore with many inter-cultural marriages, the fabric in the race of Sindhis varied tremendously. Different dialects in Sindh were born, and different dressing sense as well. The Aamil Sindhi for example were a cross-breed of Indo-Iranian Sindhis and Alexandrian Greeks, and thus emphasized more on education.

The Bhaibund and Shikarpuri Sindhis, who returned back (Sintis) from Armenia, Turkey and Egypt, brought with them business skills and tactics. There are many more variations in the community, and it is quite difficult to identify who belongs where. Thus, 'nukhs' are the only way to identify one's roots. Furthermore, due to constant upheaval of Sindhis, and further migration and amalgamation with different migrant tribes, a lot has changed, and Sindhi music and dance post Islamization has not remained the same. In such a scenario the Sinti music of the Gypsies can be called the pure sindhi dance and music. Islamization of Sindh further brought about Sufism, which further enhanced the culture of Sindh.

Until today, Hindus of the diaspora Sindhi community practice elements of Sufism in their day to day life. Jhulelal, the Sufi pioneer of Sindh, revered by both Hindus and Muslims, has been much of the reason, why still today the Hindu minority of Pakistan live in Sindh. In fact there is a joint temple and mosque at Oderolal (another name for Jhulelal), based on the emergence of Lord Jhulelal, who appeared from the Sindhu river, and saved the Sindhi Hindus from being persecuted. A lot of the culture of Sindhi Hindus has been eroded, and with the Diaspora of the community, furthermore the essence of the community has been lost. Once again they are gypsies in foreign lands, and can be called 'a community destined to be homeless'.

Sufism in Sindh

Sufism has deep roots in Sindhi culture with many prominent Sindhi Sufis Dargahs all over Sindh. The Sufu mystic poets Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi and Hafiz Shirazi deeply influenced Sindhi Sufis. Notable among them are : Shaheed Shah Inayat Sufi, Shah Abdul Karim Bulri, Makhdoom Bilawal, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Saeen Sachal Sarmast, Syed Misri Shah, etc.

Economy

Sindh has became the most industrialized and urbanized province of Pakistan. The head offices of Pakistani companies and regional offices of the international companies are located in Sindh. The Sindhis have been in forefront in the economic development of the province. The new dams and canals have irrigated many thousands of acres of land that were barren. Sindh produces many agricultural products for exports.

The construction of multi-billion projects like the Port of Karachi, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, Port Qasim, Karachi Shipyard and Pakistan Steel Mills provided hundred of thousands of jobs to the residents of Sindh. The city of Karachi remain the hub of transportation in Pakistan. Karachi is the location of major airport, seaport, railway and land transportation in Pakistan employing hundred of thousands of people.

Politics

Pakistan's political scene is dominated by Sindhi politicians like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Muhammad Khan Junejo, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Asif Zardari, Muhammad Mian Soomro.

India's Lal Krishna Advani is a well known politician and a candidate for the prime minister of India.

Pre-partition National Sindhi heroes include: Darya Khan Rind, Raja Dahir, Hoshu Sheedi, Hemu Kalani.

Education

Education in Sindh is divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees.

The primary, middle and high schools are established in all parts of Sindh providing, Sindhi, Urdu and English medium schools.

The colleges and universities are established in major towns and cities of Sindh. They provide (BA), (BSc) and Bachelor of Commerce / BCom/BBA degree courses. The Medical colleges and Engineering colleges are also established in the major cities of Sindh.

There are many Postgraduate and Research institutes in Sindh providing state of the art education to Sindhi students.

Indian Hindu Sindhis

In 1947, Pakistan and India attained independence. Nearly 7 million Muslims from India migrated to Pakistan while nearly equal number of Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan migrated to India. Today, Hindu Sindhis are predominantly found in India and many later migrated to other parts of the world. Some Hindus still continue living in Sindh (Pakistani Hindus), and it is estimated that Sindh has 2.3 million Hindus.^[8]

Indian Sindhis today have re-invented themselves after the mass-scale uprooting and financial losses of Partition in 1947. On the ruins of Old Sindh has arisen a New Sindh, which truly has a Global presence today. Well known Sindhi Industrialists like the Hindujas, Hiranandanis and Biyanis of Future group, show the Sindhi businessman embodies that adventurous spirit, that inner strength which has made today's Sindhi a true Citizen of the World.

They have build up the image of Indians abroad as a prosperous and dependable people. They are free from inhibitions of caste and creed. In Sindhi Temples you will find the images of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna placed, side by side, with those of Shiva and Durga and Guru Nanak. The Sindhis are cosmopolitan in their outlook. Someone said that today in India it is difficult to meet an Indian: every one belongs to one province or the other. The Sindhis are the only Indians in India. The Sindhis are an enterprising and industrious people - full of the spirit of faith and courage. They know the subtle psychology of influencing the customer. 'Sindhi merchants' rightly said an Englishman, know how to "hypnotise the customers".

Sindhis in Bollywood

The famous Sindhis in Bollywood include: Akshay Kumar, Govinda Ahuja, Aftab Shivdasani, Karan Johar, Tarun Mansukhani, Ritesh Sidhwani, Rajkumar Hirani , Dalip Tahil, Shiny Ahuja, Jatin Lalwani, Ramesh Taurani, Nikhil Advani, Sadhna, Babita, Sangeeta Bijlani, Hiten Tejwani, Shilpa Saklani, Preeti Jhangiani, Kitu Gidwani, Hansika Motwani, Aarti Chhabria, Ramesh Sippy, G. P. Sippy, Rohan Sippy, Ramsay Brothers, Govind Nihalani, Vishal Dadlani and comedian Asrani.

See also

• Sindhi literature
• Sindhi music
• Sindhi poetry
• Sindhi language media in Pakistan

References

Related Websites

• Sindhi Sangat: promoting & preserving the Sindhi heritage, culture and language.
• Sindhi Jagat: All India Sindhi Consolidating Centre.