Indus flotilla
Encyclopedia
The Indus Flotilla was a steamship company established in 1859 in British India to provide "the navigation of the Indus, &c, by means of steamvessels [sic], between Kotree
and Mooltan, to be worked in connexion with the railways." It came to ply the Indus River
all the way from Karachi Port in the south to Makhad
in the north, via Jhirk
(Jerruck) and Mithankot
. The journey between Karachi and Mooltan alone used to take up to 40 days. The northern portion of the line was often referred to as the Punjab flotilla.
The company had its headquarters at Kotri
. Its promoters negotiated the same guaranteed rate of return as the original guaranteed railways. Early on, it merged with the Scinde Railway and the Punjab Railway to form the Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway. The Scinde
Railway had been formed in 1855 and in 1861 succeeded in connecting Karachi
to Kotri, a distance of 108 miles. Once this railway was in place, the steamers of the Indus Flotilla could take cargo from Kotri instead of Karachi, saving themselves about 150 miles of circuitous wending through the Indus River delta. The railway, however, bypassed Jhirk completely, reducing its importance.
In 1856 the charter of the Scinde Railway was expanded to include the construction of Punjab Railway to connect Mooltan to Lahore
and Amritsar
. In 1863 the Scinde Railway's charter was further amended to permit the construction of a line from Amritsar to Delhi. The distance from Mooltan to Delhi was about 490 miles. At this time the company changed its name to the Scinde, Punjab and Delhi Railway (SPDR).
The Secretary of State for India
purchased the SPDR in 1885, and in January, 1886, it was named North Western State Railways, which was later on renamed as North Western Railway
. In 1961, the Pakistani portion of the North Western Railway was renamed Pakistan Railways.
, the famous educator who was instrumental in establishing Sindh Madrasatul Islam, worked for the Indus flotilla in his early years while learning English. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
was one his students in Karachi. The Indus flotilla used large quantities of firewood to fuel the steamboats and Hassan Ali Effendi's job was to account for the inflow and outflow of wood to the steam vessels.
Kotri
Kotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
and Mooltan, to be worked in connexion with the railways." It came to ply the Indus River
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
all the way from Karachi Port in the south to Makhad
Makhad
Makhad is a hilly historical town in Attock District in the Northern part of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is one of the last towns separating the Punjab from the rugged North-West Frontier Province...
in the north, via Jhirk
Jhirk
Jhirk is a small town on the right bank of River Indus, in district Thatta, province of Sindh, Pakistan.- History :In 19th century, Jhirk was the busiest river port and centre of commercial activity in Sindh. It also served as the headquarters of the Indus flotilla, the most modern navigational...
(Jerruck) and Mithankot
Mithankot
Mithankot , is located in southern Punjab, Pakistan.- Geography :Mithankot is located on the right bank of the Indus River, only a short distance downstream from its junction with Panjnad River. The latter is formed by successive confluence of the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab,...
. The journey between Karachi and Mooltan alone used to take up to 40 days. The northern portion of the line was often referred to as the Punjab flotilla.
The company had its headquarters at Kotri
Kotri
Kotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
. Its promoters negotiated the same guaranteed rate of return as the original guaranteed railways. Early on, it merged with the Scinde Railway and the Punjab Railway to form the Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway. The Scinde
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...
Railway had been formed in 1855 and in 1861 succeeded in connecting 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...
to Kotri, a distance of 108 miles. Once this railway was in place, the steamers of the Indus Flotilla could take cargo from Kotri instead of Karachi, saving themselves about 150 miles of circuitous wending through the Indus River delta. The railway, however, bypassed Jhirk completely, reducing its importance.
In 1856 the charter of the Scinde Railway was expanded to include the construction of Punjab Railway to connect Mooltan to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
. In 1863 the Scinde Railway's charter was further amended to permit the construction of a line from Amritsar to Delhi. The distance from Mooltan to Delhi was about 490 miles. At this time the company changed its name to the Scinde, Punjab and Delhi Railway (SPDR).
The Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
purchased the SPDR in 1885, and in January, 1886, it was named North Western State Railways, which was later on renamed as North Western Railway
North Western Railway
The North Western Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Jaipur. It comprises four divisions: Jodhpur and reorganized Bikaner division of the erstwhile Northern Railway and reorganized Jaipur and Ajmer divisions of the erstwhile Western Railway. This zone...
. In 1961, the Pakistani portion of the North Western Railway was renamed Pakistan Railways.
Notable employees
Hassan Ali EffendiHassan 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...
, the famous educator who was instrumental in establishing Sindh Madrasatul Islam, worked for the Indus flotilla in his early years while learning English. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
was one his students in Karachi. The Indus flotilla used large quantities of firewood to fuel the steamboats and Hassan Ali Effendi's job was to account for the inflow and outflow of wood to the steam vessels.