Sindhis

This article is about the ethnic group. For their language, see Sindhi language. For information on the homeland of Sindhis, see Sindh. For other uses, see Sindhi (disambiguation).

"Sindhi people" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Sinti people..

Sindhis (Sindhi: سنڌي (Perso-Arabic); सिन्धी (Devanagari); /ˈsɪndis/^[15] romanised as sin-dheē) are an Indo-Aryan^[15] ethnolinguistic group who speak the Sindhi language and are native to the Sindh region in Pakistan. Historically concentrated around the center of river Indus in the lower Indus valley, the historical homeland of Sindhis is bordered by South-eastern side of Balochistan, the Bahawalpur region of Punjab and the Kutch region of Gujarat, India.^[16] Having been isolated throughout history unlike its neighbors, Sindhi culture has preserved its own uniqueness.^[17]

Sindhis

, सिन्धी, سنڌي
Sindhi women in Pakistan wearing traditional patchwork dresses
Total population
c. 42 million^[1] (census)
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan	34,252,262^[2]
India	6,710,000^[3]^[a]
Saudi Arabia	180,980^[citation needed]
United Arab Emirates	94,620^[4]
United Kingdom	51,015^[5]
United States	38,760^[6]
Afghanistan (Sindhis in Afghanistan)	15,000^[7]
Hong Kong	20,000^[8]
Bangladesh	15,000^[9]
Canada	12,065^[10]
Singapore^[11]	11,860^[12]
Gibraltar	500^[13]
Languages
Sindhi English, Hindi–Urdu (Sanskrit/Arabic as liturgical languages) and numerous other languages widely spoken within the Sindhi diaspora
Religion
Majority: Islam: 80 % Minority: Hinduism: 20 %, Sikhism, Buddhism, Christianity^[14]
Related ethnic groups
Other Indo-Aryan peoples

After the partition of India in 1947, many Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Sikhs migrated to the newly independent Dominion of India and other parts of the world; some Sindhis fled and formed diasporas settling around countries like England^[18] and United States. Pakistani Sindhis are predominantly Muslim with a smaller Sikh and Hindu minority, whereas Indian Sindhis are predominantly Hindu with a Sikh, Jain and Muslim minority. The Sindhi diaspora is growing around the world, especially in the Middle East, owing to better employment opportunities.^[19] Despite being geographically separated, Sindhis still maintain strong ties to each other and share similar cultural values and practices.^[20][21]

Etymology

The name Sindhi is derived from the Sanskrit Sindhu which translates as river or seabody, the original name of the Indus River and the surrounding region, which is where Sindhi is spoken. 20th century Western scholars such as George Abraham Grierson believed that Sindhi descended specifically from the Vrācaḍa dialect of Apabhramsha.

Geographic distribution

Sindh has been a ethnic historical region in Northwestern India, unlike is neighbors Sindh did not experience violent invasions,^[22] Boundaries of various Kingdoms and rules in Sindh were defined on ethnic lines. Throughout history the geographical definition for Sindh referred to the south of Indus and its neighboring regions.

Pakistan

See also: Sind Province (1936–1955), Pakistan Resolution in Sindh assembly, and Bombay Presidency

 

Northern portion of Bombay province.

  Sindh (then under Bombay Presidency)

  Khairpur State

Afterwards the British conquest, Sindh was integrated into the Bombay province and the Khairpur state remained a British suzerain and Sindhis had almost no representation in the government of Bombay State to the point that only after 1890 was Sindh represented for the first time with only four members representing Sindh however this didn't satisfied Sindhis and soon a movement began for a separate province that resulted in the formation of Sind province in 1936 this was also supported by Muslim League which saw it necessary for the creation of Pakistan in future. Sindhis had contributed massively^[23] to Pakistan movement specially by passing Muslim state resolution in Sindh assembly on 10 October,1938 under the condition for a self-government^[24] under leaderships of GM Syed and Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, by this Sindh became the first province of British India to openly support a Muslim state in India and later Pakistan and its creation.

In Pakistan as per 2017 census,^[25] Sindhis are the 3rd largest ethnic group below Pashtuns and followed by Saraikis, Sindhis account for 14% of Pakistan's population with estimated 34,250,000 people. Sufism has been an important aspect in the spiritual life of Muslim Sindhis as a result Sufism has become a marker of identity in Sindh.^[26][27] Sindhis in Pakistan have province for them, Sindh, It also has the largest population of Hindus in Pakistan with 93% of Hindus in Sindh and rest are in other provinces.^[28][29]

India

See also: Sindhis in India

Sindhi Hindus were an economically prosperous community in urban Sindh before partition^[30] but due to fear of persecution on the basis of religion and after large scale arrival of Muslim refugees from India,^[31] they migrated to India after partition. They had a hard time^[32][33] in India developing their economic status with no native homeland to permanently stay they had to live in states that had similarity with Sindhi culture^[34]Despite all of that they were successful in establishing themselves as one of India's richest communities^[35][36] especially through business and trade^[37][38][39], Which have helped India, from famous actors like Ranveer Singh to Veteran politicians like L. K. Advani, all had families that came from Sindh.

In India as per 2011 census,^[40] Sindhis have an estimated population of 2,770,000 million. Unlike Sindhis in Pakistan, Indian Sindhis are scattered throughout India in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Population break up by states (Census of India 2011)

State	Population (100 Thousands)	% of Total
Gujarat	11.84	42.7%
Maharashtra	7.24	26.1%
Rajasthan	3.87	13.9%
Madhya Pradesh	2.45	8.8%
Chhattisgarh	0.93	3.4%
Delhi	0.31	1.1%
Uttar Pradesh	0.29	1.0%
Assam	0.20	0.7%
Karnataka	0.17	0.6%
Andhra pradesh	0.11	0.4%

Diaspora

See also: Sindhi diaspora

History

See also: History of Sindh

Sindh was the site of one of the Cradle of civilizations, the bronze age Indus Valley civilisation that flourished from about 3000 B.C. The Indo-Aryan tribes of Sindh gave rise to the Iron age vedic civilization, which lasted till 500 BC. During this era, the Vedas were composed. In 518 BC, the Achaemenid empire conquered Indus valley and established Hindush satrapy in Sindh. Following Alexander the Great's invasion, Sindh became part of the Mauryan Empire. After its decline, Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians and Indo-Parthians ruled in Sindh.

Sindh is sometimes referred to as the Bab-ul Islam (transl. 'Gateway of Islam'), as it was one of the first regions of the Indian subcontinent to fall under Islamic rule. Parts of the modern-day province were intermittently subject to raids by the Rashidun army during the early Muslim conquests, but the region did not fall under Muslim rule until the Arab invasion of Sind occurred under the Umayyad Caliphate, headed by Muhammad ibn Qasim in 712 CE. Afterwards, Sindh was ruled by a series of dynasties including Habbaris, Soomras, Sammas, Arghuns and Tarkhans. The Mughal empire conquered Sindh in 1591 and organized it as Subah of Thatta, the first-level imperial division. Sindh again became independent under Kalhora dynasty. The British conquered Sindh in 1843 AD after Battle of Hyderabad from the Talpur dynasty. Sindh became separate province in 1936, and after independence became part of Pakistan.

Pre-historic period

Sindh and surrounding areas contain the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization. There are remnants of thousand-year-old cities and structures, with a notable example in Sindh being that of Mohenjo Daro. Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus civilisation or Harappan culture, with features such as standardized bricks, street grids, and covered sewerage systems.^[41] It was one of the world's earliest major cities, contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoan Crete, and Caral-Supe. Mohenjo-daro was abandoned in the 19th century BCE as the Indus Valley Civilization declined, and the site was not rediscovered until the 1920s. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.^[42] The site is currently threatened by erosion and improper restoration.^[43]

The cities of the ancient Indus were noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and techniques of handicraft and metallurgy.^[b] Mohenjo-daro and Harappa very likely grew to contain between 30,000 and 60,000 individuals,^[45] and the civilisation may have contained between one and five million individuals during its florescence.^[46] A gradual drying of the region during the 3rd millennium BCE may have been the initial stimulus for its urbanisation. Eventually it also reduced the water supply enough to cause the civilisation's demise and to disperse its population to the east.

Historical period

For several centuries in the first millennium B.C. and in the first five centuries of the first millennium A.D., western portions of Sindh, the regions on the western flank of the Indus river, were intermittently under Persian, Greek and Kushan rule,^[47] first during the Achaemenid dynasty (500–300 BC) during which it made up part of the easternmost satrapies, then, by Alexander the Great, followed by the Indo-Greeks^[48] and still later under the Indo-Sassanids, as well as Kushans,^[49] before the Islamic conquest between the 7th–10th century AD. Alexander the Great marched through Punjab and Sindh, down the Indus river, after his conquest of the Persian Empire.

The Ror dynasty was a power from the Indian subcontinent that ruled modern-day Sindh and Northwest India from 450 BC – 489 AD.^[50]

Medieval period

Sindh was one of the earliest regions to be conquered by the Arabs and influenced by Islam^[51] after 720 AD. Before this period, it was heavily Hindu and Buddhist. After 632 AD, it was part of the Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. Habbari, Soomra, Samma, Kalhora dynasties ruled Sindh.

 

"The Priest King Wearing Sindhi Ajruk", c. 2500 BC, in the National Museum of Pakistan

Baloch migrations in the region between 14th–18th centuries and many Baloch dynasties saw a high Iranic mixture into Sindhis.^[19][52]

Modern period

 

Vintage group photo of Indian Sindhi people

British Rule

The British conquered Sindh in 1843. General Charles Napier is said to have reported victory to the Governor General with a one-word telegram, namely "Peccavi" – or "I have sinned" (Latin),^[53] which was later turned into a pun known as "Forgive me for i have Sindh".

The British had two objectives in their rule of Sindh: the consolidation of British rule and the use of Sindh as a market for British products and a source of revenue and raw materials. With the appropriate infrastructure in place, the British hoped to utilise Sindh for its economic potential.^[54]

The British incorporated Sindh, some years later after annexing it, into the Bombay Presidency. The distance from the provincial capital, Bombay, led to grievances that Sindh was neglected in contrast to other parts of the Presidency. The merger of Sindh into Punjab province was considered from time to time but was turned down because of British disagreement and Sindhi opposition, both from Muslims and Hindus, to being annexed to Punjab.^[54]

Post-colonial era

In 1947, violence did not constitute a major part of the Sindhi partition experience, unlike in Punjab. There were very few incidents of violence on Sindh, in part due to the Sufi-influenced culture of religious tolerance and in part that Sindh was not divided and was instead made part of Pakistan in its entirety. Sindhi Hindus who left generally did so out of a fear of persecution,^[55] rather than persecution itself, because of the arrival of Muslim refugees from India. Sindhi Hindus differentiated between the local Sindhi Muslims and the migrant Muslims from India. A large number of Sindhi Hindus travelled to India by sea, to the ports of Bombay, Porbandar, Veraval and Okha.^[56][57]

Demographics

Ethnicity and religion

Main article: Demographics of Sindh

 

Sindhi-inhabited areas of Pakistan (yellow) in the early 1980s

The two main tribes of Sindh are the Soomro — descendants of the Soomro Dynasty, who ruled Sindh during 970–1351 A.D. — and the Samma — descendants of the Samma Dynasty, who ruled Sindh during 1351–1521 A.D. These tribes belong to the same bloodline. Among other Sindhi Rajputs are the Bhuttos, Kambohs, Bhattis, Bhanbhros, Mahendros, Buriros, Bhachos, Chohans, Lakha, Sahetas, Lohanas, Mohano, Dahars, Indhar, Chhachhar/Chachar, Dhareja, Rathores, Dakhan, Langah, Junejo, Mahars etc. One of the oldest Sindhi tribe is the Charan.^[58] The Sindhi-Sipahi of Rajasthan and the Sandhai Muslims of Gujarat are communities of Sindhi Rajputs settled in India. Closely related to the Sindhi Rajputs are the Jats of Sindh, who are found mainly in the Indus delta region. However, tribes are of little importance in Sindh as compared to in Punjab and Balochistan. Identity in Sindh is mostly based on a common ethnicity.^[59]

Sindhi Hindus

Main articles: Sindhi Hindus, Hinduism in Sindh Province, and Sindhis in India

Hinduism along with Buddhism was the predominant religion in Sindh before the Arab Islamic conquest.^[60] The Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who visited the region in the years 630–644, said that Buddhism dominated, but also noted that it was declining.^[61] While Buddhism declined and ultimately disappeared after Arab conquest mainly due to conversion of almost entire Buddhist population to Islam, Hinduism managed to survive through the Muslim rule until before the partition of India as a significant minority. Derryl Maclean explains what he calls "the persistence of Hinduism" on the basis of "the radical dissimilarity between the socio-economic bases of Hinduism and Buddhism in Sind" : Buddhism in this region was mainly urban and mercantile while Hinduism was rural and non-mercantile, thus the Arabs, themselves urban and mercantile, attracted and converted the Buddhist classes, but for the rural and non-mercantile parts, only interested by the taxes, they promoted a more decentralized authority and appointed Brahmins for the task, who often just continued the roles they had in the previous Hindu rule.^[60]

According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, Hindus constituted about 8% of the total population of Sindh province.^[62] Most of them live in urban areas such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpur Khas. Hyderabad is the largest centre of Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan, with 100,000–150,000 living there.^[62] The ratio of Hindus was higher before the independence of Pakistan in 1947.^[63]

Before 1947 however, other than a few Gujarati speaking Parsees (Zorastrians) living in Karachi, virtually all the inhabitants were Sindhis, whether Muslim or Hindu at the time of Pakistan's independence, 75% of the population were Muslims and almost all the remaining 25% were Hindus.^[64]

Hindus in Sindh were concentrated in the urban areas before the Partition of India in 1947, during which most migrated to modern-day India according to Ahmad Hassan Dani. In the urban centres of Sindh, Hindus formed the majority of the population before the partition. According to the 1941 Census of India, Hindus formed around 74% of the population of Hyderabad, 70% of Sukkur, 65% of Shikarpur and about half of Karachi.^[65] By the 1951 census, all of these cities had virtually been emptied of their Hindu population as a result of the partition.^[66]

The Cities and towns of Sindh were dominated by the Hindus. In 1941, for example, Hindus were 64% of the total urban population.^[67]

Hindus were also spread over the rural areas of Sindh province. Thari (a dialect of Sindhi) is spoken in Sindh in Pakistan and Rajasthan in India.

Sindhi Muslims

The connection between the Indus Valley and Islam was established by the initial Muslim missions. According to Derryl N. Maclean, a link between Sindh and Muslims during the Caliphate of Ali can be traced to Hakim ibn Jabalah al-Abdi, a companion of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, who traveled across Sind to Makran in the year 649AD and presented a report on the area to the Caliph. He supported Ali, and died in the Battle of the Camel alongside Sindhi Jats.^[68] He was also a poet and few couplets of his poem in praise of Ali ibn Abu Talib have survived, as reported in Chachnama:^[69]

Arabic:

ليس الرزيه بالدينار نفقدة

ان الرزيه فقد العلم والحكم

وأن أشرف من اودي الزمان به

أهل العفاف و أهل الجود والكريم ^[70]

"Oh Ali, owing to your alliance (with the prophet) you are true of high birth, and your example is great, and you are wise and excellent, and your advent has made your age an age of generosity and kindness and brotherly love".^[71]

 

Grand mausoleum of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai built by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro on 1762.

During the reign of Ali, many Jats came under the influence of Islam.^[72] Harith ibn Murrah Al-abdi and Sayfi ibn Fil' al-Shaybani, both officers of Ali's army, attacked Sindhi bandits and chased them to Al-Qiqan (present-day Quetta) in the year 658.^[73] Sayfi was one of the seven partisans of Ali who were beheaded alongside Hujr ibn Adi al-Kindi^[74] in 660AD, near Damascus.

In 712 A.D., Sindh was incorporated into the Caliphate, the Islamic Empire, and became the "Arabian gateway" into India (later to become known as Bab-ul-Islam, the gate of Islam).

Sindh produced many Muslim scholars early on, "men whose influence extended to Iraq where the people thought highly of their learning", in particular in hadith,^[75] with the likes of poet Abu al- 'Ata Sindhi (d. 159) or hadith and fiqh scholar Abu Mashar Sindhi (d. 160), among many others, and they're also those who translated scientific texts from Sanskrit into Arabic, for instance, the Zij al-Sindhind in astronomy.^[76]

 

Interior of the Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta, built during the rule of the Mughal Empire.

The majority of Muslim Sindhis follow the Sunni Hanafi fiqh with a minority being Shia Ithna 'ashariyah. Sufism has left a deep impact on Sindhi Muslims and this is visible through the numerous Sufi shrines which dot the landscape of Sindh.

Sindhi Muslim culture is highly influenced by Sufi doctrines and principles.^[77] Some of the popular cultural icons are Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Jhulelal and Sachal Sarmast.

Tribes

Main article: List of Sindhi tribes

Major tribes in Sindh include Soomros, Sammas, Kalhoras, Bhuttos and Rajper, all of these tribes have significant influence in Sindh.

Emigration

Main article: Sindhi diaspora

The Sindhi diaspora is significant. Emigration from the Sindh became mainstream after the 19th century with the British conquest of Sindh. A number of Sindhi traders emigrated to the Canary Islands^[78] and Gibraltar in this period.^[79]

After the Partition of India, many Sindhi Hindus emigrated to Europe, especially to the United Kingdom,^[80] North America, and Middle Eastern states such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.^{[citation needed]} Some settled in Hong Kong.^[81][82][83]

 

Sindhi-Balochi man in Sindhi traditional pantaloon style shalwar. Top is the Baloch front opened robe.^[84] 1845

Culture

Main article: Sindhi culture

Sindhi culture has its roots in the Indus Valley civilization. Sindh has been shaped by the largely desert region, the natural resources it had available, and continuous foreign influence. The Indus or Sindhu River that passes through the land, and the Arabian Sea (that defines its borders) also supported the seafaring traditions among the local people. The local climate also reflects why the Sindhis have the language, folklore, traditions, customs and lifestyle that are so different from the neighboring regions. The Sindhi culture is also practiced by the Sindhi diaspora.

The roots of Sindhi culture go back to the distant past. Archaeological research during 19th and 20th centuries showed the roots of social life, religion and culture of the people of the Sindh:^[85] their agricultural practices, traditional arts and crafts, customs and tradition and other parts of social life, going back to a mature Indus Valley Civilization of the third millennium BC.^[86] Recent researches have traced the Indus valley civilization to even earlier ancestry.^[87]

Language

See also: Sindhi language and Sindhi Language Bill, 1972

Sindhi^[88] is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 30 million people in the Pakistani province of Sindh, where it has official institutional status and has plans to being promoted further^[89]. It is also spoken by a further 1.7 million people in India, where it is a scheduled language, without any state-level official status but despite that there have been online methods for teaching Sindhi^[90]. The main writing system is the Perso-Arabic script, which accounts for the majority of the Sindhi literature and is the only one currently used in Pakistan. In India, both the Perso-Arabic script and Devanagari are used.

Sindhi has an attested history from the 10th century CE. Sindhi was one of the first Indo-Aryan languages to encounter influence from Persian and Arabic following the Umayyad conquest in 712 CE. A substantial body of Sindhi literature developed during the Medieval period, the most famous of which is the religious and mystic poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai from the 18th century. Modern Sindhi was promoted under British rule beginning in 1843, which led to the current status of the language in independent Pakistan after 1947.

The name "Sindhi" is derived from the Sanskrit síndhu, the original name of the Indus River, along whose delta Sindhi is spoken.^[91] Like other languages of the Indo-Aryan family, Sindhi is descended from Old Indo-Aryan (Sanskrit) via Middle Indo-Aryan (Pali, secondary Prakrits, and Apabhramsha). 20th century Western scholars such as George Abraham Grierson believed that Sindhi descended specifically from the Vrācaḍa dialect of Apabhramsha (described by Markandeya as being spoken in Sindhu-deśa, corresponding to modern Sindh) but later work has shown this to be unlikely.^[92]

In Pakistan, Sindhi is the first language of 30.26 million people, or 14.6% of the country's population as of the 2017 census. 29.5 million of these are found in Sindh, where they account for 62% of the total population of the province. There are 0.56 million speakers in the province of Balochistan,^[93] especially in the Kacchi Plain that encompasses the districts of Lasbela, Kachhi, Sibi, Jafarabad, Jhal Magsi, and Nasirabad.

In India, there were a total of 1.68 million speakers according to the 2011 census. The states with the largest numbers were Maharashtra (558,000), Rajasthan (354,000), Gujarat (321,000), and Madhya Pradesh (244,000).^[94][c]

Traditional dress

See also: Sindhi clothing

The traditional Sindhi dress varies from tribe to tribe but most common are Lehenga Choli and Shalwar Cholo with sindhi embroideries and mirror work for women and long veil is important, traditional dress for men is the Sindhi version of Shalwar Qameez/Kurta and Ajrak/Lungi (shawls) with either sindhi Patka or sindhi topi.^[95]

Literature

See also: Sindhi literature

Sindhi language is ancient and rich in literature. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature in both poetry and prose. Sindhi literature is very rich,^[96] and is one of the world's oldest literatures. The earliest reference to Sindhi literature is contained in the writings of Arab historians. It is established that Sindhi was the first eastern language into which the Quran was translated,^[97][98][99] in the 8th or 9th century. There is evidence of Sindhi poets reciting their verses before the Muslim Caliphs in Baghdad. It is also recorded that treatises were written in Sindhi on astronomy, medicine and history during the 8th and 9th centuries.^[100]

Sindhi literature, is the composition of oral and written scripts and texts in the Sindhi language in the form of prose: (romantic tales, and epic stores) and poetry: (Ghazal, Wai and Nazm). The Sindhi language is considered to be the one of the oldest languages of Ancient India, due to the influence on the language of Indus Valley inhabitants. Sindhi literature has developed over a thousand years.

According to the historians, Nabi Bux Baloch, Rasool Bux Palijo, and GM Syed, Sindhi had a great influence on the Hindi language in pre-Islamic times. Nevertheless, after the advent of Islam in eighth century, Arabic language and Persian language influenced the inhabitants of the area and were the official language of territory through different periods.

 

Abida Parveen is a Pakistani singer of Sindhi descent and an exponent of Sufi music.

Music

See also: Sindhi music

Music from Sindh, is sung and is generally of 5 genres that orignated in Sindh, The First one is the "Baits". The Baits style is vocal music in Sanhoon (low voice) or Graham (high voice). Second "Waee" instrumental music is performed in a variety of ways using a string instrument. Waee, also known as Kafi, other genres are Lada/Sehra/Geech, Dhammal, Doheera.^[101] The sindhi folk musical instruments are Algozo, Tamburo, Chung, Yaktaro, Dholak, Khartal/Chapri/Dando, Sarangi, Surando, Benjo, Bansri, Borindo, Murli/Been, Gharo/Dilo, Tabla, Khamach/khamachi, Narr, Kanjhyun/Talyoon, Duhl Sharnai and Muto, Nagaro, Danburo, Ravanahatha.^[102][103]

 

Sindhi Ho Jamalo dance performed in Sindh.

Dance

See also: Folk dances of Sindh

Dances of Sindh include the famous Ho-Jamalo and Dhammal,^[104]. Common dances include Jhumar/Jhumir (Different from Jhumar dance of South Punjab), Kafelo, Jhamelo however none of these have survived as much as Ho-Jamalo.^[105] In marriages and on other occasions, a special type of song is produced these are known as Ladas/Sehra/Geech and these are sung to celebrate the occasion of marriage, birth and on other special days, these are mostly performed by women.^[104]

Some popular dances include:

• Jamalo: The notable Sindhi dance which is celebrated by Sindhis across the world.
• Jhumar/Jhumir: Performed on weddings and on special occasions.
• Dhamaal: is a mystical dance performed by Dervish.
• Chej,^[106] Although Chej has seen decline in Sindh but it remains popular among Sindhi Hindus and diaspora.
• Bhagat: is a dance performed by professionals to entertain visiting people.
• Doka/Dandio: Dance performed using sticks.
• Charuri: Performed in thar.
• Muhana Dance: A dance performed by fishermen and fisherwomen of Sindh.
• Rasudo: Dance of nangarparker.

Folk tales

See also: Sindhi folklore

Sindhi folklore are folk traditions which have developed in Sindh over a number of centuries. Sindh abounds with folklore, in all forms, and colors from such obvious manifestations as the traditional Watayo Faqir tales, the legend of Moriro, epic tale of Dodo Chanesar, to the heroic character of Marui which distinguishes it among the contemporary folklores of the region. The love story of Sassui, who pines for her lover Punhu, is known and sung in every Sindhi settlement. examples of the folklore of Sindh include the stories of Umar Marui and Suhuni Mehar. Sindhi folk singers and women play a vital role to transmit the Sindhi folklore. They sang the folktales of Sindh in songs with passion in every village of Sindh. Sindhi folklore has been compiled in a series of forty volumes under Sindhi Adabi Board's project of folklore and literature. This valuable project was accomplished by noted Sindhi scholar Nabi Bux Khan Baloch. folk tales like Dodo Chanesar,^[107] Sassi Punnu, Moomal Rano,^[108] and Umar Marvi are examples of Sindhi folk-talkes

The most famous Sindhi folk tales are known as the Seven Heroines of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, some notable tales include:

• Umar Marui
• Sassui Punhun
• Sohni Mehar
• Lilan Chanesar
• Noori Jam Tamachi
• Sorath Rai Diyach
• Momal Rano

Festivals

See also: Sindhi Festivals and Sindhi Cultural Day

Sindhis are very festive and like to organize festivals to commemorate their culture and heritage, most Sindhi celebrate the Sindhi Culture day which is celebrated regardless of religion to express their love for their culture.^[109][110] It is observed with a great zeal.^[111][112]

Muslim

Sindhi Muslims celebrate Islamic festivals such as Eid-ul-Adha and Eid al-Fitr which are celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm.^[113] A festival known as Jashn-e-Larkana is also celebrated by Sindhi muslims.^[113]

Hindu

Compared to their Muslim counterparts, Hindu festivals are numerous and largely dependent on respective caste many Hindus have festivals based on a certain deity, common festivals include Cheti Chand (Sindhi new-year) Teejri, Thadri, Utraan.^[114][115]

Cuisine

Main article: Sindhi cuisine

 

Beeh Ji Bhaji, which is a lotus root dish

Sindhi cuisine has been influenced by Central Asian, Iranian, Mughal food traditions.^[116] It is mostly a non-vegetarian cuisine,^[116] with even Sindhi Hindus widely accepting of meat consumption.^[117] The daily food in most Sindhi households consists of wheat-based flat-bread (phulka) and rice accompanied by two dishes, one gravy and one dry with curd, papad or pickle. Freshwater fish and a wide variety of vegetables are usually used in Sindhi cuisine.^[118]

Restaurants specializing in Sindhi cuisine are rare, although it is found at truck stops in rural areas of Sindh province, and in a few restaurants in urban Sindh.^[119]

The arrival of Islam within India influenced the local cuisine to a great degree. Since Muslims are forbidden to eat pork or consume alcohol and the Halal dietary guidelines are strictly observed, Muslim Sindhis focus on ingredients such as beef, lamb, chicken, fish, vegetables and traditional fruit and dairy. Hindu Sindhi cuisine is almost identical with the difference that beef is omitted. The influence of Central Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine in Sindhi food is ubiquitous. Sindhi cuisine was also found in India, where many Sindhi Hindus migrated following the Partition of India in 1947. Before Independence, the State of Sindh was under Bombay Presidency.

 

A Sindhi Ajrak which is a traditional and ancient shawl of Sindh

Culture Day

This section is an excerpt from Sindhi Cultural Day.[edit]

 

Bughti cap, one of the symbols of Sindhi culture

Sindhi Cultural Day (Sindhi: سنڌي ثقافتي ڏھاڙو) is a popular Sindhi cultural festival. It is celebrated with traditional enthusiasm to highlight the centuries-old rich culture of Sindh. The day is celebrated each year in the first week of December on the Sunday.^{[120][121][122]} It's widely celebrated all over Sindh, and amongst the Sindhi diaspora population around the world.^[123][124] Sindhis celebrate this day to demonstrate the peaceful identity of Sindhi culture and acquire the attention of the world towards their rich heritage.^[125]

On this jubilation people gather in all major cities of Sindh at press clubs, and other places to arrange various activities. Literary (poetic) gatherings, mach katchehri (gathering in a place and sitting round in a circle and the fire on sticks in the center), musical concerts, seminars, lecture programs and rallies.^[126]Sindhi cultural day is celebrated worldwide on the first Sunday of December.^[127] On the occasion people wearing Ajrak and Sindhi Topi, traditional block printed shawl the musical programs and rallies are held in many cities to mark the day with zeal. Major hallmarks of cities and towns are decorated with Sindhi Ajrak. People across Sindh exchange gifts of Ajrak and Topi at various ceremonies. Even the children and women dress up in Ajrak, assembling at the grand gathering, where famous Sindhi singers sing Sindhi songs, which depicts peace and love message of Sindh. The musical performances of the artists compel the participants to dance on Sindhi tunes and national song ‘Jeay Sindh Jeay-Sindh Wara Jean’.

All political, social and religious organizations of Sindh, besides the Sindh Culture Department and administrations of various schools, colleges and universities, organize variety of events including seminars, debates, folk music programs, drama and theatric performances, tableaus and literary sittings to mark this annual festivity.^[128] Sindhi culture, history and heritage are highlighted at the events.

^[129]

 

Sindhi literature in Islamabad

Poetry

See also: Sindhi poetry

Prominent in Sindhi culture, continues an oral tradition dating back a thousand years. The verbal verses were based on folk tales. Sindhi is one of the major oldest languages of the Indus Valley having a peculiar literary colour both in poetry and prose. Sindhi poetry is very rich in thought as well as contain variety of genres like other developed languages. Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sachal Sarmast is very famous throughout Sindh. Since the 1940s, Sindhi poetry has incorporated broader influences including the sonnet and blank verse. Soon after the independence of Pakistan in 1947, these forms were reinforced by Triolet, Haiku, Renga and Tanka. At present, these forms continue to co-exist, albeit in a varying degree, with Azad Nazm having an edge over them all.

Notable people

Main article: List of Sindhi people

•  

  Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, ninth prime minister of Pakistan

•  

  Abdul Majid Bhurgri, Sindhi computer scientist

•  

  Fahad Mustafa, Sindhi actor in Lollywood

•  

  Shah Abdul Latif Bhitati, Sindhi Sufi saint of 18th century

•  

  Abida Parveen, notable Sufi musician

•  

  L. K. Advani, 7th deputy prime minister of India

•  

  Tarun Tahiliani, notable Indian fashion designer

•  

  Benazir Bhutto, 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan

•  

  Gulu Lalvani, Indian Sindhi businessman

•  

  Imdad Ali, Sindhi philosopher and educationist

•  

  Sachal Sarmast, Sindhi legendary poet

•  

  Shaikh Ayaz, Sindhi language poet

•  

  Kumail Nanjiani, American Sindhi comedian and actor

•  

  Sunil Vaswani, Indian billionaire businessman

•  

  Ranveer Singh, Indian actor

•  

  Hansika Motwani, Indian actress

•  

  Tamannah Bhatia, Indian actress

•  

  Pir Pagaro, the 8th Pir of Pagaro and leader of Grand Democratic Alliance

See also

• Cheti Chand
• Nanakpanthi
• Guru Nanak Jayanti
• Sindhudesh
• Sindhi nationalism
• Sindhis in India
• Sindhi Hindus
• Hinduism in Sindh Province
• Sindhi Sikhs
• Sandhai Muslims
• List of Sindhi people
• Ulhasnagar
• Sindhi names
• Sindhi Pathan
• Sindhi Baloch
• Sindhi bhagat
• Sindhi Memon
• Sammat
• Sandhai Muslims
• Sindhi language media in Pakistan
• Sindhi-language media
• List of Sindhi-language newspapers
• Sindhi Language Authority
• Sindhi Adabi Board
• Sindhi Adabi Sangat
• Sindhi folk tales
• Sindhi folklore
• Sindhi music
• List of Sindhi singers
• Sindhi music videos
• Sindhi poetry
• Tomb paintings of Sindh
• List of Sindhi singers
• List of Sindhi festivals
• Sindhi culture
• Sindhi biryani
• Sindhi Camp
• Sindhi cap
• Sindhi Cultural Day
• Sindhi cinema
• Sindhi colony
• Sindhi cuisine
• Sindhi High School, Hebbal
• Romanisation of Sindhi

Notes

1. Includes people who speak the Sindhi and Kutchi languages. Ethnic Sindhis who no longer speak the language are not included in this number.
2. These covered carnelian products, seal carving, work in copper, bronze, lead, and tin.^[44]
3. This is the number of people who identified their language as "Sindhi"; it does not include speakers of related languages, like Kutchi.

References

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47. Dayal, N. Harjani (19 July 2018). Sindhi Roots & Rituals – Part 1. Kings and conquerors invade time and again, for a gain in Sindh. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64249-289-7.
48. J.C, Aggarwal (2017). S. Chand's Simplified Course in Ancient Indian History. The dynasty founded by Demetrius ruled over East Punjab and Sindh and the other founded by Eucratides ruled over some parts of West Punjab. S. Chand Publishing. ISBN 978-81-219-1853-4.
49. 1998 District Census Report of [name of District].: Sindh. After the death of Ashoka, ... in the Parethian Empire. Sindh then remained under the dynasties of Kushan and Sassanid. Population Census Organisation, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 1999.
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52. Maher, Mahim (27 March 2014). "From Zardaris to Makranis: How the Baloch came to Sindh". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
53. Ratcliffe, Susan (17 March 2011). Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. It was supposedly sent by Napier to Lord Ellenborough peccavi. I have sinned in on 18 May 1844. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-956707-2.
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72. Ibn Athir, Vol. 3, pp. 45–46, 381, as cited in: S. A. N. Rezavi, "The Shia Muslims", in History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, Vol. 2, Part. 2: "Religious Movements and Institutions in Medieval India", Chapter 13, Oxford University Press (2006).
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95. Manian, Ranjini (9 February 2011). Doing Business in India For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-05163-4. Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, and Sindhi. As far as dress is concerned, women in the north wear Sari and Shalwar Kameez, Chudidar-Kurta, and Lehenga-Kurta Men wear Pyjama-Kurta and Dhoti-Kurta
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128. Hasan, Shazia (14 May 2022). "Showcasing local cultures, Sindh Craft Festival gets under way". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
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Sources

• Bherumal Mahirchand Advani, "Amilan-jo-Ahwal" – published in Sindhi, 1919
• Amilan-jo-Ahwal (1919) – translated into English in 2016 ("A History of the Amils") at sindhis

External links

• Virtual Home of Global Sindhi Community Everything about Sindhis

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sindhi people.

• SabSindhi-All About Sindhis, Music, Books, Magazines, People, Dictionary, Calendar, Keyboard
• Sindhi Sangat: promoting & preserving the Sindhi heritage, culture and language.
• Sindhi Jagat: All India Sindhi Consolidating Centre.
• Sindhi Surnames Origin – Trace your roots
• www.thesindhi.com
• www.worldsindhicongress.org
• Sindhi Association of Europe