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History
Isolated remains of Homo Erectus in has
been found indicating
that Pakistan might
have been inhabited
since atleast the
Middle Pleistocene
era. The precise
date of these remains
is unclear, and
archaeologists put
it anywhere between
200,000 to 500,000
BCE. The fossils
are the earliest
human remains found
in South Asia. More
than 60% of Pakistanis
have their mtDNA
maternal roots in
South Asian specific
branches of haplogroup
'M'. Because of
its great time depth
and virtual absence
in western Eurasians,
it has been suggested
that haplogroup
M was brought to
Asia after their
evolution
in Africa, along
the southern route,
by the earliest
migration wave of
anatomically modern
humans, Homo Sapiens,
nearly 60,000 years
ago
The original inhabitants of Pakistan
may have been the
tribals speaking
languages related
to Munda family
of languages. Pakistan
was the site of
the world's oldest
8,000 year old civilisation
at Mehrgarh
in the Balochistan
province. The Mehrgarh
declined about the
same time as the
Indus
Valley Civilization
only 200 Kilometers
south east was developing.
It has been surmised
that the Mehrgarh
residents moved
to fertile Indus
River valley as
Balochistan became
arid over time.
The Dravidians invaded
from the Iranian
plateau and settled
in the Indus valley
around 4000 BCE.
The Dravidian culture
blossomed over the
centuries and gave
rise to the Indus
Valley Civilization
of Pakistan around
3000 BCE. The main
site of the Indus
Valley Civilization
in Sindh was the
city of Moenjo
Daro and Moenjo
Daro and smaller
Chanhu Daro. The
Indus
Valley Civilization
spanned much of
what is today Pakistan,
but suddenly went
into decline just
prior to the invasion
of Indo-European
Aryan tribes from
the Eastern Europe.
A branch of these
tribes called the
Indo-Aryans are
believed to have
founded the Vedic
Civilization that
have existed between
Sarasvati River
and Ganges river
around 1500 BCE
and also infuenced
the Indus Valley
Civilization. This
civilization helped
shape subsequent
cultures in South
Asia. Due to its
location, the Sindh
region came under
constant attack
and influence from
the west. Conquered
by the Persians,
Greeks, Mauryans,
Kushans, Arabs,
Turks, Afghans and
Balochs the Sindh
developed a unique
culture that combined
that of significant
Middle Eastern and
Central Asian influences
even prior to the
coming of
Islam.
The Sindh were in ancient times predominantly
Buddhist and were
in the process of
coming under the
influence of Hinduism
when Umayyad Muslim
Arab army led by
Muhammad
bin Qasim conquered
Sindh, and the present
Pakistan from Kashmir
to the Arabian Sea,
in 713. The predominant
population of Sindh,
and the rest of
Pakistan, converted
to
Islam but there
were significant
non-Muslim population
of Hindus. Arab
rule ended with
the ascension of
the Soomro dynasty,
who were local Sindhi
Muslims and who
controlled the province
directly and as
vassals from 1058
to 1249. Various
Turkish dynasties
conquered the area
by 977 CE and the
region loosely became
part of the Ghaznavid
Empire and then
the Delhi Sultanate
which lasted until
1524. The Mughals
conquered the region
and their rule lasted
for another two
centuries, while
another local Sindhi
Muslim group the
Samma challenged
Mughal rule from
their base at Thatta.
The Muslim technocrats,
bureaucrats, soldiers,
traders, scientists,
architects, teachers,
theologians and
sufis flocked from
the rest of the
Muslim world to
Islamic Sultanate
in South Asia and
many settled in
Sindh. The Muslim
Sufi played a pivotal
role in converting
the millions of
native people to
Islam. Sindh, though
part of larger empires,
continued to enjoy
certain autonomy
as a loyal Muslim
domain and came
under the rule of
the Arghun Dynasty
and Turkhan or Tarkhan
dynasty from 1519
to 1625. Sind became
a vassal-state of
the Afghan Durrani
Empire by 1747.
It was then ruled
by Kalhora rulers.
It remained under
Balochi Talpurs
rule by 1783. British
arrived in Sindh
in 19th century
and conquest in
it 1843. In 1843
British forces under
General Charles
Napier conquered
Sindh. Sindh was
made part of British
Empire and became
a separate province
in 1935. The British
ruled the area for
a century and Sindh
was home to many
prominent Muslim
leaders including
Muhammad
Ali Jinnah who
agitated for greater
Muslim autonomy.
Following World War II, Britain withdrew
and Sindh voted
to join Pakistan
in 1947 and the
Hindu migrated to
India while Muslim
immigrants from
India settled in
Sindh. Relations
in the province
have since been
defined by power
struggles between
the Urdu speakers
and the local Sindhis
who have also resented
the influx of Pashtun
and Punjabi immigrants
to Karachi.
Geography
Sindh is located at the northeastern
corner of South
Asia just before
the Iranian plateau
in the west. It
is the third largest
province geographically.
Its size is about
579 km north-south
and 442 km (extreme)
or 281 km (average)
east-west, with
an area of 140,915
km². Sindh
is bounded by the
Thar Desert to the
east, the Kirthar
Mountains to the
west, and the Arabian
Sea in the south.
In the center is
the fertile plain
where the Indus
river runs through.
Largely irrigated,
the Indus' devastating
floods are now under
control. The province
of Sindh borders
Punjab
in the north and
Balochistan
in the west. Its
capital is Karachi
an other important
cities include Thatta,
Hyderabad, Sukkur,
Mirpurkhas, Shahdadpur,
Tando Adam, Tando
Allah Yar, Nawabshah,
Larkana, Shikarpur,
Khairpur, Badin.
Demography and Society
The population is approximately 45 million
in 2005 with over half being urban
dwellers, mainly found in Karachi,
Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana. A large
section of the population speak Sindhi
and Urdu languages.
Other languages spoken include Siraiki,
Balochi, Brohi, Punjabi, Pakhtu, Rajasthani
and Gujarati. Urban areas of Sindh
are multi-ethnic centres and sometimes
highly polarized as a result.
Sindh's population is over 98% Muslim
and mainly Sunnis
with large Shia
minority. Nearly all Sunnis
belong to the Hanafi
school of juriprudence. The Shias
predominantly belong to the Ithna
'ashariyah school of juriprudence.
There are also small but important
Shia Nizari Ismailis
and Shia Dawoodi Bohras.
The province of Sindh is also home
to the vast majority of Hindus in
Pakistan and they number less than
one million. Smaller groups of Christians,
Parsis or Zoroastrians and Ahmadis
can also be found in the province.
The Sindhis as a whole are composed of
various sub-groups related to the
Punjabis and Siraikis minorities as
well as of Baloch origin. A small
group either partially descended from
or claiming descent from early Muslim
settlers including Arabs, Turks, and
Persians is also found in the province
and are referred to as Ashraf or nobles.
Economy
Sindh is the backbone of Pakistan economy
as it generates approximately 70%
of the total national revenue whereas
in return federal government pays
back just 23% from financial divisible
pool. Sindh government considers that
the formula of financial resource
distribution i.e NFC award is solely
population denominated.
Sindh is in many ways the main province
of economic activity in Pakistan and
has a highly diversified economy with
heavy industry and finance centered
in and around Karachi to a substantial
agricultural base along the Indus.
Pakistan's rapidly growing information
technology sector (IT) is also centered
in Karachi and manufacturing includes
machine products, cement, plastics,
and various other goods.
Agriculture is also very important in
Sind. The main crops
are Cotton, Rice,
Wheat and Sugar
Cane, with Rice
being the most important.
Other crops include
fruits and vegetables
especially Bananas
and Mangoes.
Districts
Badin
Dadu
Ghotki
Hyderabad,
Jacobabad
Kamber Ali Khan
Karachi
Kashmore
Khairpur
Larkana
Matiari
Mirpurkhas
Naushero Feroze
Nawabshah
Sanghar
Shikarpur
Sukkur
Tando Allah Yar
Tando Muhammad Khan
Tharparkar
Thatta
Page last updated:
Thursday, February 02, 2006 17:59:25 -0500
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