Sindhi people

From Freepedia

This article is about an socio-ethnic group of South Asia. For other uses of the word Sindhi, please see Sindhi.

Sindhi refers to an socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh which is part of present day Pakistan. Most Sindhis live in Pakistan and are predominantly Muslim, while many Sindhi Hindus emigrated to India when British India was partitioned in 1947. Sindhi is an Indo-Aryan tongue with an eclectic history not unlike the Sindhis themselves.

History

The ancient civilization of what came to be known as Harappa and Mohenjodaro both derive their modern location names from the Sindhi language as opposed to the hypothetical Elamo-Dravidian language of the Indus Valley Civilization which remains undeciphered. In Sindhi, Mohan-jo-daro literally translates to Dead-of-Mound or the "mound of the dead."

The Sindhi language was brought to the region by Indo-European invaders millenia ago and a distinct culture emerged in the region. Over time, Sindh developed a multi-cultural society composed of Buddhists, Hindus, and other smaller religious and cultural groups. Sindh was often the final stop for invaders from the west such as the Persians, Greeks, and Arabs and this gave Sindh a distinct and unique culture even before Islamic invasions. The site of a great deal of historical activity, Sindh was at the crossroads of civilization sitting at the edge of South Asia. Sindh was also one of the few Indic regions to become predominantly Muslim and was part of the earliest Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. Overrun by Turks, Afghans, and Mughals, Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state and by the time of British involvement was ruled by Baluchi kings. In 1947, during the partition of British India, the majority of Sindhis voted to join the new state of Pakistan. This led to a population exchange as well as communal violence as most Hindu Sindhis (but not all as over 1.5 million Hindus remain) left for India and were replaced by Urdu-speaking Muslims known as Muhajirs.

Culture and society

Sindhis are a Northern Indian people who have been modified by mainly Iranian peoples and Turkic invaders 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 (before Partition) the two main stocks that inhabit Sind are related to, and common, one with the Punjab and another with Baluchistan. 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 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 Sind. They are called Sirai i.e., men 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, Lakha, Sahetas, Lohanas, Mohano, Dahars, Indhar, Chachar, Dhareja, Rathors, Dakhan, Langah etc. The Mohano tribe is spread over Makran, Sind 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 Baluchi tribes settled in various parts of Sind mostly during the last five hundred years or so. Since they were martial people and ruled over Sind 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 Baluch origin. According to the 1941 census, which was the last one held before Partition, Baluchis formed 23% of the total Muslim population of Sind. Among the Baluchi tribes inhabiting Sind are the Rind, Dombki, Jakhrani, Leghari, Lashari, Chandio, Karmati, Korai, Jatoi, Burdi, Khosa, Jamali, Umrani, Bugti, Marri, Mazari, Talpur, Brohi, Nizamani, Buledhi, Karrani, Bozdar, Nukharni, and Magsi. These tribes are spread over Baluchistan, Sind and the south-western districts of the Punjab. This group is almost entirely Muslim.

Finally, 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, 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 high-born descendents of Muslim invaders 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.

Sindhi culture is a combination of Islamic traditions and Northwest Indian customs and civilizations with variances that include an adherance to a Muslim diet including a penchant to eat meat that most Indians tend to avoid. Religious tolerance was the norm in Sindh prior to partition as both Muslim and Hindu Sindhis found common ground through Sufism and veneration of Sufi saints. 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.

Sindhi women in Pakistan are still very traditional overall, but many wear very colorful clothes, while donning a 'chadore' on their heads; men traditionally wear white and/or blue clothes and sometimes wear turbans or a traditional Sindhi cap on their heads. This, however, has changed in cities where some more devout women can be seen wearing the hijab, while the shalwar kameez and Western clothing have become common for men.

Sindhis usually flourish in business particularly that of cloth and textiles. Many also work in agriculture and manufacturing jobs. Literacy remains low but is improving for Sindhis.

Muslim Sindhis tend to have Islamic names, but sometimes with localized variations, while most Hindu Sindhis are identifiable by the "ani" at the end their last names like Daswani and Hotchandani. Some famous Sindhis include the Bhutto family, who are a Sindhi political dynasty in Pakistan, and Shah Abdul Latif who was a writer of Sindhi poetry.

See also

• Sindhi
• Partition of India