Sindhis

This article is about the socio-ethnic group of South Asia. For Sindhi, see Sindhis (disambiguation).

Sindhis

Regions with significant populations
Pakistan: 39,842,000 India: 4,890,000 USA: 100,000
Languages
Sindhi
Religion
Islam (Sunni 63%, Shia 18%), Hinduism 15%, Christianity 2%, smaller groups of atheists and agnostics
Related ethnic groups
• Indo-Aryans Khojas Memons Gujaratis Seraikis Muhajir Urdu Kutchis / Kachhis Tharis Sindhi Baloch

Sindhis (सिन्धी, سنڌي) are an Indo-Aryan language speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh which is part of present day Pakistan. Sindhis that live in Pakistan are predominantly Muslim, while many Sindhi Hindus emigrated to India when British India was divided in 1947. The Sindhi language is an Indo-Aryan tongue with an eclectic history not unlike the Sindhis themselves.

History

The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh were believed to be aboriginal tribes speaking languages related to Munda languages. The Dravidian culture blossomed over the centuries and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India (now in present-day Pakistan) around 3000 BC. The Indus Valley Civilization went into decline; historians cannot agree on the cause of the decline, but some theories include arrival of tribes from Eastern Europe or the change in the path of the Indus River.

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 language of the Indus Valley Civilization which remains undeciphered.

In Sindhi, Mooan-Jo-Daro literally translates to "Mound of Dead." A branch of the Aryan migrants called the Indo-Aryans are believed to have founded the Vedic Civilization that have existed between Sarasvati River and Ganges river around 1500 BC and also influenced Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia.

Arab travellers, specifically Al-Beruni in his book 'Kitab-ul-Hind', has declared that even before the advent of Islam into Sindh (711 A.D.), Sindhi was prevalent in Sindh. It was not only widely spoken but written too in different scripts. Al-Beruni has described many Sindhi words leading to the conclusion, that Sindhi was widely spoken and rich in vocabulary in his times.

Sindh was often the final stop for Middle Eastern and Central Asian empires such as the Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks and Afghans this gave Sindh a distinct and unique culture even before the arrival of Islam.

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 regions to become predominantly Muslim and was part of the earliest Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in Sindh. The Muslim Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. Settled by Turks, Afghans, and Mughals, Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state and by the time of British involvement was ruled by Balouchi kings.

Mass exodus of Hindu Sindhis

Main article: Partition of India § Sindh

In 1947, India attained Independence. Partition of India took place and Pakistan (West Pakistan and East Pakistan, which is present day Bangladesh) was created. Sindh became a part of Pakistan, which opted to be a Muslim state. Majority of Hindu Sindhis fled from their native land in Sindh that was going to become a part of Pakistan, into India.

A majority of migrated Hindu Sindhis are now settled in and around Delhi in India and are scattered all over the western and northern states. The largest concentration of Sindhis in India is in the city of Ulhasnagar

Culture and society of Sindh

A pair of Sindhi ceremonial shoes, c. 1930.

Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan language speaking people who have been modified by mainly Iranian, Turkic, Afghan and indigenous tribal populations 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 the two main stocks that inhabit Sind are related to, and common, one with the Punjab and another with Balochistan. The majority stock is that of Rajputs and Jats who are the partial descendants of Sakas (Indo-Scythians, Kushans and Huns who also constitute the majority of the population of the Punjab. The title Huna, i.e. Huns, remains in use by some clans and is possibly a reference to this partial ancestral lineage. During Kalhora,tribes such as the Phariro live in Ali Muhammad Phariro,Khanwahan, NushaheroFeroze KandiaroPhariro rule a number of Jat tribes such as the Sials, Joyas and Khawars came from the Punjab and settled in Sindh. They are called Sirai i.e., people 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 Mahar/Mahers, Bhuttos, Ghanghros, Bhattis, Buriros, Lakkha, Sahetas, Lohanas, Mohano, Dahar, 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. there are kartia tribe also living in larkana shikarpur and dadu district it is the sub cost of junejo The smaller stock is that of Balochi tribes settled in various parts of Sind mostly during the last five hundred years or so. Since they were martial people and ruled over Sindh 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 Baloch origin. According to the 1941 census, which was the last one held before independence, Balochis formed 23% of the total Muslim population of Sindh. Among the Balochi tribes inhabiting Sind are the Rind, Mengal, Domki, Gabol, Leghari, Lashari, Chandio, Bizenjo, Jatoi, Buledi, Khosa, Jamali, Umrani, Bugti, Marri, Mazari, Talpur, Brohi, Zehri, Korai, Bozdar, Zardari, and Magsi. These tribes are spread over Balochistan, Sindh and the south-western districts of the Punjab. This group is almost entirely Muslim.

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, Afghans 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 noble descendants of Muslim immigrants 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.

Another group of people who are largely overlooked in any discussions about groups and culture of Sindh are Haris a name derived from the term Harijan formerly used to describe Dalit people of India. These people are generally believed to be the descendants of indigenous populations that were enslaved by various invading people. Many are still living under abject poverty and in slave like conditions in rural Sindh, in spite of many efforts by the government to improve the situation. Some are nominally Hindus where as others have converted to Islam and moved on as artisans and wage laborers. They form up to 24% of Muslim population and up to 60% of population of districts of Umerkot, Thatta, Badin, Dadu etc.

The last group of immigrants are the Urdu speaking Muhajirs who may form up to 40% of population of Sindh.

Many famous Sindhis who born in Sindh and claimed International Recognition in their fields can be found at Famous Sindhis.

The Islamic Sindhi culture is a combination of Islamic traditions and local traditions with variances that include an adherence to a Muslim diet, i.e. Halal. 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 chador on their heads; men traditionally wear white and/or blue Shalwar Kameez and sometimes wear turbans or a traditional Sindhi cap on their heads with Sindhi Ajruk. 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. Sari used to be popular amongst the ladies of the elite like the Bhutto but has now lost favor to shalwar Kameez.

Sindhi women raised in India, however, are very liberated. In fact, in the Indo-Sindhi tradition, women normally propose to the man for marriage.

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. Less than 50% of Sindhis are illiterate, in Pakistan.

Muslim Sindhis tend to have traditional Muslim names, but sometimes with localized variations, while most Hindu Sindhis are identifiable by the "ani" at the end their last names like Malkani, Advani, Vaswani, Ramchandani, etc. However, many Sindhi tribes' (even those with Balouchi orientation) names end with "ani" regardless whether they are Muslim or Hindu. Examples include the Umrani, Chutani, Dalkhani, Raisani, Advani, Gowindani, Sanjrani, Nazamani, Mirani, Admani among others. Some famous Sindhis include the Bhutto family, who are a Sindhi political dynasty in Pakistan, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai who was a writer of Sindhi poetry, the billionaires Hinduja brothers of India & L.K.Advani who was the deputy Prime Minister of India & is an important political figure in the country.

Insight into Hindu Sindhi culture in India

Sindhis are part of one of the most ancient civilizations of the Indian sub-continent. The ancient province of Sindh now forms part of Pakistan but a great number of Hindu Sindhis migrated to India and many other countries of the world; where they have settled comfortably in the higher levels of economic strata and have made a name for themselves as extremely hard working, wealthy and successful people.

Sindhis are a cosmopolitan community and transcend all caste, religious, racial and national barriers. Like most communites in India who live a life full of color, festivity and hospitality, the Sindhis are no exception. Sindhis, who can be hyderabadis, khaipuris, bibands, aamils or shikarpuris, generally eat food that consists of the richness and aromas of spices, ghee and exotic masalas. They are fond of wearing colorful rich clothing and jewellery. Partying and socialising is an intrinsic part of the Sindhi lifestyle. They love to be extroverts and enjoy the good life. They celebrate most of the Indian festivals with great pomp and enthusiasm. Though Sindhi food is high in calories and fat, the Sindhis are a health conscious lot. They are equally fond of sweets their favourite being gulab jamoons.Other dishes like the koki, kadhi, and dal pakwan are favorites of not only Sindhis but people from other communities as well. Sindhi entrepreneurs have also been an important catalytic agent of economic development in many areas of India and have come up from scratch to a very respectable living standard all over the world. Common territories world over that Sindhis have migrated to include Spain, Pakistan, Canada, USA, Italy, Cyprus, Casablanca, Dubai, Hong Kong, London. Many are to be found in Sub-Saharan West Africa, where they thrive on local businesses.

External links

• The famous Sindhi City of India
• Sindhi Sangat - The most known Sindhi Organization in India & Dubai
• Sindhi Literary & Music Magazine
• Sindhi mp3 Songs
• http://www.sindhi-net.com/ A Hindu Sindhi website
• All about the Sindhi Language

See also

• Raja Dahar
• Hoshu Sheedi
• Hamoon Kalani
• Baloch
• Dr. N. A Baloch
• Sindh
• Famous Sindhis
• Sindhi language
• Muhajir Urdu
• History of Sindh
• India
• Talpurs
• Memon
• Mangrio
• Memon Community
• Bantva
• Memon (tribe)
• Memoni language
• Sindhi Memon
• Memons of Sri Lanka
• J. P. Vaswani

External links

• Muslims in Sri Lanka