Khudabad
Encyclopedia
Khudabadis a city in Dadu District
, Sindh
, Pakistan
. It is located at 26°39'0N 67°45'0E with an altitude of 31 metres (104 feet) and lies to the south of the district capital Dadu.
developed the empty land on the banks of the Sindhu, eventually naming it Khud-Abad (Self-Development), around 1351 AD. This development drew the attention of other Sindhi communities to the extent that the Governor of Sindh, Miya Yaar Mohammed of the Kalhora
dynasty was aware.
Yar Mouhammed Kalhoro, when he was in power, around 1710, with the help of his followers, won over Khud-Abad from the Panohar Muslims. Between 1718 and 1719, Miya Yaar died and he was buried there. Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro who became the ruler of Sindh (1720–1755), then, chose Khud-Abad as his capital and renamed it as Khudabad (City of God). He started developing the place rapidly as a well planned city, which led to many Amils and Bhaibands migrating there for employment and trade. He also built a beautiful Jamia Musjid. Khudabad was capital of Sindh between 1720 and 1789.
The Khudabadi script was invented by Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar community. The members of the Swarnakar community, while residing in Khudabad, around 1750, felt it necessary to invent a very simple script so that they can send written messages to their relations, who were living far away from them in their own home towns. This necessity mothered the invention/creation of a new script. The new script had no vowels and to be written from left to right (like Sanskrit) and continued to be in use for very long period of time among Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar. Due to its simplicity, the use of this script spread very quickly and got acceptance in other sindhi communities, for sending written communications. Because it was originated from Khudabad, it was called Khudabadi script.
Around 1750, most of Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Khudabadi Sonara) in Khudabad, used to supply their gold ornament products to Seth Sanwalmal (non Khudabadi Sonara), who was offering favourable terms of payments and logistic facilities. He was a very famous and prosperous trader, jeweller and shroff (banker). He had his business interests in Khudabad, Sukkur, Kotri, Thatta and Keti Bunder, all of them were important trading centers of Sindh in those days. Seth Sanwalmal was Suryavanshi, Sindhi lohana and his ancestor "Rajmal" fought for Raja Daharsen, during the year 711 Arab invasions and laid down his life. His children along with other Hindus left Sindh for safer grounds, after the battle was lost. After time immemorial, they returned to Sindh during Kalhora reign and lived in Khudabad. Seth Sanwalmal died in 1773, leaving behind his four sons, Chhatomal, Lakhimal, Bharomal and Tolomal. The descendents of Bharomal and Lakhimal are now known as Bharvani and Lakhiani respectively. There also lived Seth Mahtabrai, whose ancestors were goldsmiths and lived at Nariganj in District Dhadhar. They worshipped the Goddess Kali Mata. Due to some mis-understandings/dispute with Muslims, they left Nariganj and migrated first to Bakhar in Sindh and later to Khudabad. There also lived Punwani's and Gulrajani's whose ancestors were goldsmiths and were devotees of Goddess Kali Mata. There is no information if ancestors of Seth Mahtabrai, Punwani's and Gulrajani's, being devotees of Goddess Kali Mata and being goldsmith, were linked with Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Khudabadi Sonaras) in past.
In 1755, Miya Noor Mohammed died and was buried in a tomb, built by him before his death, about a kilometre from Khudabad City. In the early nineties, a Mullah was appointed to take care of the masjid and was paid rupees five per month whereas; a Mujwar was appointed to look after the tomb and to keep a light burning daily and was paid rupees three per month. It is said that Miya Yaar Mohammed Kalhora used clubs (wooden thick sticks) to win over Khud-Abad from the Panohar Muslims. Those clubs have been kept in the tomb of Miya Noor Mohammed Kalhora. People used to come to tomb for worship and offer sticks as symbols of respect. Many a times, Hindus perform mundan ceremony of their children there and offer sticks as rituals. It is also said that people still find very old coins in the ruins of Khudabad city. Around 1908, a charcoal seller on his horse passed through Khudabad and collided with a wall of an old building and saw some silver coins. With the help of some confidential labourers he found many old silver coins worth about thirteen thousand rupees, which he kept with himself. After some time, this mystery leaked out and he was charged under Indian Treasure-Trove Act in the court of Resident Magistrate of Dadu . After the death of Miya Noor Mohammed, Miya Ghulam Shah Kalhora’s claim to rule was challenged by his brothers Ahmedyar Khan and Attar Khan. The latter was able to obtain Sanad (Authority to Rule) from Ahmed Shah Durani and so Mian Ghuam Shah Kalhoro (Shah Wardi Khan)
vacated the seat in his favour. Miya Attar Khan could not manage the state of affairs. Taking advantage of political uncertainty, Khosas (a caste in Muslim) looted Hindus as well as Muslims and burnt the Khudabad city down by tying fire crackers with the feet of birds and let fly them throughout the city after setting fire the fire crackers . Therefore, in 1759, the Baloach Chiefs re-invented Miya Ghulam Shah Kalhora, who defeated his two brothers and assumed the throne. He started, once again, the settlement of Khudabad on nearby new lands, by the new course of the river Indus, commandably. The Kalhoras ruled Sindh for 85 years (1698–1783), twelve Kalhora rulers ruled during this period, which is known as the golden period of Sindhi literature. Poets like Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast and Sami are among the prominent poets of Sindh, who were there, during that period.
Fateh Ali Khan (Talpur) defeated the Kalhoras (Mian Abdul Nabi Kalhora) in 1783 and took over as the new ruler of Sindh. Khudabad City continued to remain his capital till it was inundated by river Sindhu in 1789 and then Mir Fateh Ali Khan chose Hyderabad (Nayrun Kot) as his capital. The change of capital no doubt induced a large number of the population of Khudabad including Sonaras, Amils and Bhaibands to migrate to the new seat of royalty. Those groups retained the term Khudabadi in the names of their communities as an identifier of origin. And Khudabad city's decline may be said to have commenced from that date. By the year 1800, the majority of Sonarans living in other parts of Sindh had migrated to Hyderabad
Dadu District
Dadu is a district of Sindh Province, Pakistan.Dadu district was created in 1933 by the British Indian administration by merging Kotri and Kohistan tehsils from Karachi district and Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Dadu, Johi and Sehwan tehsils from Larkana district. The population of the district is...
, 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...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is located at 26°39'0N 67°45'0E with an altitude of 31 metres (104 feet) and lies to the south of the district capital Dadu.
History
The Khudabadi Sindhi SwarankarKhudabadi Sindhi Swarankar
The Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar is a Kshatriya Hindu cultural group of India, historically associated with the city of Khudabad as well as city of Hyderabad of Sindh region of modern Pakistan prior to the Partition of India...
developed the empty land on the banks of the Sindhu, eventually naming it Khud-Abad (Self-Development), around 1351 AD. This development drew the attention of other Sindhi communities to the extent that the Governor of Sindh, Miya Yaar Mohammed of the 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...
dynasty was aware.
Yar Mouhammed Kalhoro, when he was in power, around 1710, with the help of his followers, won over Khud-Abad from the Panohar Muslims. Between 1718 and 1719, Miya Yaar died and he was buried there. Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro who became the ruler of Sindh (1720–1755), then, chose Khud-Abad as his capital and renamed it as Khudabad (City of God). He started developing the place rapidly as a well planned city, which led to many Amils and Bhaibands migrating there for employment and trade. He also built a beautiful Jamia Musjid. Khudabad was capital of Sindh between 1720 and 1789.
The Khudabadi script was invented by Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar community. The members of the Swarnakar community, while residing in Khudabad, around 1750, felt it necessary to invent a very simple script so that they can send written messages to their relations, who were living far away from them in their own home towns. This necessity mothered the invention/creation of a new script. The new script had no vowels and to be written from left to right (like Sanskrit) and continued to be in use for very long period of time among Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar. Due to its simplicity, the use of this script spread very quickly and got acceptance in other sindhi communities, for sending written communications. Because it was originated from Khudabad, it was called Khudabadi script.
Around 1750, most of Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Khudabadi Sonara) in Khudabad, used to supply their gold ornament products to Seth Sanwalmal (non Khudabadi Sonara), who was offering favourable terms of payments and logistic facilities. He was a very famous and prosperous trader, jeweller and shroff (banker). He had his business interests in Khudabad, Sukkur, Kotri, Thatta and Keti Bunder, all of them were important trading centers of Sindh in those days. Seth Sanwalmal was Suryavanshi, Sindhi lohana and his ancestor "Rajmal" fought for Raja Daharsen, during the year 711 Arab invasions and laid down his life. His children along with other Hindus left Sindh for safer grounds, after the battle was lost. After time immemorial, they returned to Sindh during Kalhora reign and lived in Khudabad. Seth Sanwalmal died in 1773, leaving behind his four sons, Chhatomal, Lakhimal, Bharomal and Tolomal. The descendents of Bharomal and Lakhimal are now known as Bharvani and Lakhiani respectively. There also lived Seth Mahtabrai, whose ancestors were goldsmiths and lived at Nariganj in District Dhadhar. They worshipped the Goddess Kali Mata. Due to some mis-understandings/dispute with Muslims, they left Nariganj and migrated first to Bakhar in Sindh and later to Khudabad. There also lived Punwani's and Gulrajani's whose ancestors were goldsmiths and were devotees of Goddess Kali Mata. There is no information if ancestors of Seth Mahtabrai, Punwani's and Gulrajani's, being devotees of Goddess Kali Mata and being goldsmith, were linked with Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Khudabadi Sonaras) in past.
In 1755, Miya Noor Mohammed died and was buried in a tomb, built by him before his death, about a kilometre from Khudabad City. In the early nineties, a Mullah was appointed to take care of the masjid and was paid rupees five per month whereas; a Mujwar was appointed to look after the tomb and to keep a light burning daily and was paid rupees three per month. It is said that Miya Yaar Mohammed Kalhora used clubs (wooden thick sticks) to win over Khud-Abad from the Panohar Muslims. Those clubs have been kept in the tomb of Miya Noor Mohammed Kalhora. People used to come to tomb for worship and offer sticks as symbols of respect. Many a times, Hindus perform mundan ceremony of their children there and offer sticks as rituals. It is also said that people still find very old coins in the ruins of Khudabad city. Around 1908, a charcoal seller on his horse passed through Khudabad and collided with a wall of an old building and saw some silver coins. With the help of some confidential labourers he found many old silver coins worth about thirteen thousand rupees, which he kept with himself. After some time, this mystery leaked out and he was charged under Indian Treasure-Trove Act in the court of Resident Magistrate of Dadu . After the death of Miya Noor Mohammed, Miya Ghulam Shah Kalhora’s claim to rule was challenged by his brothers Ahmedyar Khan and Attar Khan. The latter was able to obtain Sanad (Authority to Rule) from Ahmed Shah Durani and so Mian Ghuam Shah Kalhoro (Shah Wardi Khan)
Mian Ghuam Shah Kalhoro (Shah Wardi Khan)
Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, Shah Wardi Khan was a ruler of the Kalhora Dynasty of Sindh whose rule began in 1762, when he was appointed ruler of Sindh by a royal decree, with the title of Shah Wardí Khan...
vacated the seat in his favour. Miya Attar Khan could not manage the state of affairs. Taking advantage of political uncertainty, Khosas (a caste in Muslim) looted Hindus as well as Muslims and burnt the Khudabad city down by tying fire crackers with the feet of birds and let fly them throughout the city after setting fire the fire crackers . Therefore, in 1759, the Baloach Chiefs re-invented Miya Ghulam Shah Kalhora, who defeated his two brothers and assumed the throne. He started, once again, the settlement of Khudabad on nearby new lands, by the new course of the river Indus, commandably. The Kalhoras ruled Sindh for 85 years (1698–1783), twelve Kalhora rulers ruled during this period, which is known as the golden period of Sindhi literature. Poets like Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast and Sami are among the prominent poets of Sindh, who were there, during that period.
Fateh Ali Khan (Talpur) defeated the Kalhoras (Mian Abdul Nabi Kalhora) in 1783 and took over as the new ruler of Sindh. Khudabad City continued to remain his capital till it was inundated by river Sindhu in 1789 and then Mir Fateh Ali Khan chose Hyderabad (Nayrun Kot) as his capital. The change of capital no doubt induced a large number of the population of Khudabad including Sonaras, Amils and Bhaibands to migrate to the new seat of royalty. Those groups retained the term Khudabadi in the names of their communities as an identifier of origin. And Khudabad city's decline may be said to have commenced from that date. By the year 1800, the majority of Sonarans living in other parts of Sindh had migrated to Hyderabad
See also
- Khudabadi Sindhi SwarankarKhudabadi Sindhi SwarankarThe Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar is a Kshatriya Hindu cultural group of India, historically associated with the city of Khudabad as well as city of Hyderabad of Sindh region of modern Pakistan prior to the Partition of India...
- Khudabadi ScriptKhudabadi scriptKhudabadi script is a script used for writing the Sindhi language.- History :The Khudabadi script was invented by the Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar community...
- Panchayati HallPanchayati HallPanchayati Hall is a Hindu temple devoted to the goddess Durga and Lord Shiva, located in Jaipur, India.-Post Partition:After Partition of India , most of the Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar families migrated from Pakistan and settled in Jaipur, India. In early 1948, Shri Jhamandas F...
- BhaibandBhaibandBhaiband, meaning “brotherhood”, a Jāti designating the higher segment of the Kshatriya Lohana caste in the Hindus of Sindh & Balochistan who are of Rajput Suryavanshi lineage...
- PurswaniPurswaniThe Purswani family is a branch of the Bhambrai Bradri grouping of families, which is the largest grouping among the Khudabadi Sonara community. In the present day, the majority of them live in Jaipur, India.-Etymology:...