The cultural history of
Karachi goes back at least five thousand years to the emergence of the
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900&n ...
in the third millennium B.C. The early culture appears to be essentially
Neolithic with widespread use of small chart implements and semi-precious stones. The many megalithic Arab (عرب مسمان) graves around Karachi put it in a class with the megalithic movements of the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
.
History of Karachi
Alexander's historians called Karachi ''Krokola'', which literally means "a place of crocodile worship". Around 1558, Karachi was a conglomerate of about two dozen fishing villages, called Kalachi or Kalati. This small settlement was projected into prominence when Seth Bhoju Mal laid the foundation of a small township on the left bank of
Lyari River in 1729. "Its rise into notice began with the period of the
Kalhora
The Kalhora () is a Sindhi tribe of Sindh, Pakistan, they claim Arab origin and direct descendants from Al-Hakim I and ultimately Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, companion and paternal uncle of Islamic prophet Muhammad.
They founded the Kalhora Dy ...
princes in 1793. They first recognised the value of the harbour for commerce. The capture of the
Manora Manora may refer to:
* Manora, Karachi, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
* Manora, Washim, a taluka in Washim district of Maharashtra, India
* Manora Cantonment, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
* Manora Fort, Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
* Manora For ...
fort in 1839 put the British in possession of the town."
The modern port-city of Karachi, however, was developed by authorities of the
British Raj in the 19th century. Upon the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the city was selected to become the national capital, and was settled by
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Urdu-speaking
Muhajirs (اردو مہاجر قوم) (creators of Pakistan) at the time of the independence in 1947, which radically expanded the city's population and transformed its demographics and economy.
Heritage
The cultural heritage of Karachi after 1947 is that of the
Muhajir community of
Urdu-speaking
Sindhis (اردو مہاجر قوم) and their Urdu language, clothes (کرتا پاجامہ شیروانی), education and foods (Nihari, Biryani, Kabab, Nihariنہاری, بریانی, کباب, حلیم).
Its earlier heritage includes the story of the 'Kalachi-Jo-Kunn' (whirlpool of Kalachi) in which
Moriro performed a feat of strength by killing a monstrous shark that killed all six of his brothers as they were fishing.
A number of cultural sites in and around Karachi testify to the glorious past of Karachi. In recent years the Sindhi population in the city has surged.
"WAGU DARR" (earthen cavity for the living of a crocodile) is located at the coastal village of Chashma Goth near
Korangi
Korangi ( ur, ) is one of the neighbourhoods of Korangi District, Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.[Manghopir
Manghopir or Mangopir ( sd, ) is a neighbourhood in the Malir district of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, that previously was a part of Gadap Town until 2011.
There are several ethnic groups in Manghopir including Muhajirs, Sindhis, Punjabis, ...](_blank)
where people offer meat to the crocodiles and bathe in hot and cold sulphuric springs to treat skin diseases. The ruins of RATO KOT are located in the Korangi Creek. This fort is thought to have been a contemporary settlement of
Debal port (Bhambhore in the view of some archaeologists) conquered by Mohammad Bin Qasim in 712 AD. Baked earthen balls used in mechanically-driven cannons of the olden days, shards, glazed tiles and other artifacts are found scattered on the site. The CHOWKUNDI graveyard, a protected monument of the 17 and 18th century AD and BALOCH TOMBS near Memon Goth of Malir exhibit monumental structures of stone-carved graves.
MOKHI-MATARA is yet another cultural site, situated on the top of Narathar Hill near
Gadap and located on an ancient route emanating from ancient Debal port to Central Asia. The folklore of Mokhi-Matara is also sung by Sindh's greatest poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.
Language
Historically,
Sindhi and
Balochi Balochi, sometimes spelt in various other ways, may refer to:
* Balochi language, a language of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan
* an adjective for something related to the Baloch people, an ethnic group of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan
* an adjecti ...
were spoken by the native population before the
British conquest in 1843 by
Charles James Napier
General Sir Charles James Napier, (; 10 August 178229 August 1853) was an officer and veteran of the British Army's Peninsular and 1812 campaigns, and later a Major General of the Bombay Army, during which period he led the military conquest of ...
. During British rule, many
Gujarati and
Parsi business families and Christian
Goans bureaucrats migrated from
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
to Karachi, as it was being developed as a major port. After the independence of
Pakistan in 1947, Muslim
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. s (
Muhajirs) migrated to Karachi. The vast majority of Muhajirs spoke
Urdu. Today Karachi is a predominantly Urdu-speaking city with many other languages also spoken in the city. The
Pashtuns
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
(Pakhtuns or Pathans), originally from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern
Balochistan, are now the city's second largest ethnic group in Karachi after
Muhajirs.
As high as seven million by some estimates, the city of Karachi in Pakistan has the largest concentration of urban
Pakhtun population in the world, including 50,000 registered
Afghan refugees
Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were compelled to abandon their country as a result of major wars, persecution, torture or genocide. The 1978 Saur Revolution followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion marked the first wave of inter ...
in the city. As per current demographic ratio
Pashtuns
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
are about 12% of Karachi's population.
Religion
Literature
Poetry is deeply embedded in
Pakistani culture and is often artistic and intellectual commentary. Karachi boasts a large community of intellectuals who come together in designated open spaces to share their talent in poetry events known as ''
mushairas'' in the local language. Many intellectuals and aspiring poets from all over the nation also flock to Karachi, hoping to find better work opportunities in the city. The theme and subject matter of the poetry can vary immensely, but most are socio-cultural commentaries, often infused with a biting sense of humour.
Certain poets are worth mentioning like
Ishrat Afreen
Ishrat Afreen (alternative spelling: Ishrat Aafreen; born 25 December 1956) is an Urdu poet. Her works have been translated in many languages including English, Japanese, Sanskrit and Hindi. The ghazal singers Jagjit Singh & Chitra Singh ...
, a Pakistani feminist and a prominent poet. Afreen recently launched her second Urdu poetry collection under the name "''Dhoop apnay hissay ki''".
Some literary figures shifted their focus from poetry to prose and fiction like the case of
Mustansar Hussain Tarar, who recently released a collection of short stories entitled "''Pandra Kahaniyan".''
Non-fiction is also popular in the literary scene of Karachi. This is noticeable through the praise that
Ahfazur Rahman received on his book "''Sab Say Bari Jang".''
Arts
Art academies, arenas and festivals
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The
National Academy of Performing Arts,
located in the newly renovated
Hindu Gymkhana Hindu Gymkhana may mean:
* Hindu Gymkhana, Karachi, a gymkhana in Karachi
* Hindu Gymkhana, Mumbai, a gymkhana in Mumbai
* Hindu Gymkhana, Pune, a gymkhana in Pune
{{disambiguation ...
offers a two-year diploma course in performing arts that include classical music and contemporary theatre. The
All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year-old similar institution in
Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The festival is now a well established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.
Aside from regular performances by the nation's biggest musical stars, Karachi also boasts one of the biggest
underground music scenes in the country, where
traditional musical influences blend with modern, Western style to create a unique brand of
fusion music. This style of music has been very popular all across Pakistan and it's becoming quite trendy amongst the nation's up-and-coming musicians. Many of the nation's emerging musicians have based themselves in Karachi because of the excellent employment opportunities in the burgeoning entertainment industry of Karachi. Many of the nation's fresh musical acts can be found in
cafes, restaurants and concerts across Karachi, especially in the city's
upper middle class and
upper class areas.
The
National Arts Council (''Koocha-e-Saqafat'') also has musical performances and
mushairas. Karachi has a few museums including the
Mohatta Palace Museum and
National Museum of Pakistan that regularly have exhibitions related to performance arts. Karachi is also home to the annual
Kara Film Festival, which is one of the biggest
film festivals in Pakistan and showcases
independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.
Galleries and fine art exhibitions
Emerging new artists in the field of painting, digital art and calligraphy are currently experiencing a boom. Karachi is home to the Clifton Art Gallery and Koel Gallery. The Calligraphy Artist Bin Qulander is currently exhibiting his work in the aforementioned Gallery under the title of "God in the details".
Education
Cuisine
Meat (mainly beef) plays a dominant role in Karachi food.
Curries,
pulses like
lentils, called
dal, are also very popular. Of all the meats, the most popular are: beef, goat, chicken and seafood.
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...
food is also extremely popular. Dishes made with rice include
pullao and
biryani. Different kinds of breads like:
Chapati,
Naan,
Tandoor bread,
Paratha and
Puri are very popular.
Sindhi biryani is also very common in the city.
Festivals
Karachi is a festive city, and many religious and cultural festivities are observed across the city. Religious events such as
Ramadan
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
,
Chaand Raat,
Eid
Eid as a name may refer to:
Islamic holidays
An Eid is a Muslim religious festival:
* ''Eid Milad un Nabi'', alternate name for Mawlid (, "Birth of the Prophet"), the date of observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
* Eid al ...
,
Milad un Nabi
Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif or Eid Milad un Nabi ( ar, المولد النبوي, translit=mawlid an-nabawī, lit=Birth of the Prophet, sometimes simply called in colloquial Arabic , , among other vernacular pronunciations; sometimes , ) ...
and
Ashura
Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Among Shia Muslims, Ashura is observed through large demonstrations of high-scale mourning as it marks the ...
are among the most prominent festivities and are observed passionately with fervor. Shopping reaches its peak during the Eid season, as not only established businesses but vendors from all over the country come to the city to sell their goods to the city's large population, a majority of which is
middle class and relatively well-off compared to most other parts of the country. Many rallies and parades are carried out during the events of ''Milaad un Nabi'', ''Ashura'', ''Jashn-e-Baharan'' and ''Nowruz'' by religious leaders and followers all across the city. Ethnic and religious minorities, like
Christians,
Hindus,
Ismailis
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
etc. also celebrate their events, although not on as large a scale as Islamic events.
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
, which takes place on 14 August, is also a very important event for all Karachiites. A
national holiday National holiday may refer to:
* National day, a day when a nation celebrates a very important event in its history, such as its establishment
*Public holiday, a holiday established by law, usually a day off for at least a portion of the workforce, ...
is commenced all over the country on this date, as homes are decorated with flags and patriotic embellishments, and children sing patriotic songs, known as ''milli naghmas'', to show their love for their nation. The festivity of this day is such that a small cottage industry has emerged in large cities, like Karachi, to supply the decoration demands of Independence Day. And although not as feverish as Independence Day, Defence Day is also passionately observed across the city on 6 September every year. Pakistan Day or Resolution Day is observed on 23 March every year.
The Sindh Cultural Day also gets celebrated in the city in the month of December every year since 2009. People wear traditional
Sindhi topi and Ajrak and gather to play songs, dance, and attend watch artists perform.
Popular media
Television
Numerous channels have their headquarters in Karachi.
Sindh TV, KTN, Kashish, MEHRAN, AWAZ, Dharti, Ajrak TV, Indus, GEO TV, Dawn, ARY, PTV, Samaa Metro News and Duniya News have their TV stations in Karachi.
Radio
Pakistan Radio, FM 89, FM 103, FM 101, FM 96, FM 106.2
Cinema
National dress
The national dress of Karachi is
Shalwar Qameez
Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia.
''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...
( ur, شلوار قمیض ), a traditional a garment worn by both women and men in Pakistan and
Afghanistan. ''Shalwar'' are loose
pajama-like
trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the bottom. The ''Qameez'' is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams (known as the ''chaak'') are left open below the waist, which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement.
Ethnic communities
Karachi dwellers prefer to maintain their basic ethnic identity and lifestyles, and live together with their respective groups in their respective neighborhoods. For example,
Kiamari
Keamari ( sd, ڪياماڙي, ur, کیماڑی ) is a neighbourhood in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Keamari was originally an independent settlement that was built on a sandy ridge on the eastern side of Karachi Harbour.
History
Keamari was a lo ...
is known for the
Kutchi language or
Kharadar is for
Memons and
Agha Khanis, similarly
Lyari
Lyari (Urdu: ; sd, لیاري) is a historic locality in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the most densely-populated part of Karachi, and is one of its earliest settled areas.Sarwat Viqar (2014) Constructing Lyari: place, governance and identity in a Kar ...
is known for
Baloch
Baloch, also spelled Baloch, Beluch and in other ways, may refer to:
* Baloch people, an ethnic group of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan
* Baluch, a small itinerant community of Afghanistan
* Balouch, Azad Kashmir, a town in Pakistan
* Baloch (s ...
and
Memons,
Nazimabad
Nazimabad ( ur, , sd, نئون ناظم آباد) is a suburb of Karachi, Pakistan. It was established in 1952, and is named after the second Governor General of Pakistan Khawaja Nazimuddin.
History
Before the independence of Pakistan, the area ...
and
Liaquatabad for
Muhajirs (
Urdu speaking people), and
Malir
Malir Town ( sd, ملير ٽائون, ur, ) lies in the northern part of the city that was named after the Malir River.
History
Administrative status
2000
The federal government under introduced local government reforms in the year ...
is known for
Sindhi. The mentality has been reinforced as a result of serious clashes which have taken place in the recent past among different ethnic groups in this city.
Karachi in popular culture of Sindh
Karachi has been sung about, notably the folk songs from in Sindhi marriages, called
Sehra (سهرا) and Ladda (لاڏا ) such as:
آيلڙي مون ته سُئي وڃائي
ڪراچيءَ جي شهر مان مون سُئي گھُرائي
sung by
Zarina Baloch and
ڪراچيءَ جي شهر مان منڊيون جوڙايم
سونا گل ڪراچيءَ جي موٽر ڀرجي آيا
In addition, Karachi is also known for the legend of
Morirro Mirbahar, whose braveness has been praised and sung by
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in his poetry. This legend has also been adapted into a Sindhi movie titled Ghatoo Ghar na Ayaa ( sd, گھاتُو گھر نه آيا ).
Karachi jaa ddeeha' aee' raatioo ( sd, ڪراچيءَ جا ڏينهن ۽ راتيون ), ''Days and Nights of Karachi'' is a novel written by
Muhammad Bux Johar.
See also
*
Karachi
*
Moriro
*
Sheedi Mela The Sheedi Mela or Sheedi Jaat or Pir Mangho Urs ( ur, شیدی میلا is an annual spiritual festival in Manghopir neighborhood of Gadap Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Pir Mangho Urs is the most important event in the cultural calendar of t ...
*
Pir Mangho Urs
*
Culture of Sindh
*
Culture of Pakistan
References
External links
Karachities and their characteristics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culture of Karachi
Sindhi culture