Mirpur Khas ( Sindhi and ; ''meaning "Town of the most-high
Mirs
Hot Mobile ( he, הוט מובייל, formerly known as Mirs Communications Ltd. until May 2012), is a wireless telecommunications company based in Israel and a subsidiary of Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (HOT).
Hot Mobile provides nationwid ...
"'') is the capital city of the
Mirpur Khas District
Mirpur Khas District ( sd, ضلعو ميرپورخاص, ur, ) is one of the districts in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Its capital is Mirpur Khas.
Administrative divisions
The district of Mirpur Khas is sub-divided into 7 tehsils:
* Digri ...
and
Mirpur Khas Division
Mirpur Khas Division ( sd, ميرپورخاص ڊويزن) is an administrative division of the Sindh Province of Pakistan. It was abolished in 2000 but restored again on 11 July 2011.formerly a part of Hyderabad Division.
Mirpur Khas is the ...
in the
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
province,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Mirpur Khas is the 16th largest city in Sindh province and the 80th largest city of Pakistan. The city was built by Talpur rulers of Mankani branch. According to the
2017 Census of Pakistan
The 2017 Census of Pakistan was a detailed enumeration of the Pakistani population which began on 15 March 2017 and ended on 25 May 2017. It was the first census taken in the country in the 21st century, nineteen years after 1998 Census of Pakist ...
, its population is 233,916. Mirpur Khas is known for its
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
cultivation, with hundreds of varieties of the fruit produced each year - it is also called the “City of Mangoes,” and has been home to an annual mango festival since 1955. After the completion of Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas dual carriage way, the city has become hub of commercial activities.
History
Early
The Mirpur Khas region has been inhabited for millennia, as evidenced by the excavation of the Buddhist-era settlement of
Kahoo Jo Daro
Kahu-Jo-Darro, also known as Mirpur Khas stupa, is an ancient Buddhist stupa found at the Mirpurkhas archaeological site in Sindh, Pakistan. The site is spread over . Excavations completed before 1910 revealed this large brick-based stupa and numer ...
. The remnants of
stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumamb ...
Muhammad Bin Qasim
Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqāfī ( ar, محمد بن القاسم الثقفي; –) was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (part of modern Pakistan), inaugurating the Umayya ...
.
Founding
The
Talpur dynasty
The Talpur dynasty ( sd, ٽالپردور) were rulers based in Sindh. Four branches of the dynasty were established following the defeat of the Kalhora dynasty at the Battle of Halani in 1783: one ruled lower Sindh from the city of Hyderabad, S ...
conquered Sindh in 1784, and under Mir Fath Ali Khan, Sindh was divided into three smaller regions to be ruled by members of the Talpur family. The three regions were centred around Hyderabad, Khairpur, and Mirpur Khas. The Mankani branch of the family under
Mir Ali Murad Talpur
Mir Ali Murad Talpur, known as the ''Aadil-i-Jang'', was the second ruler of the Mankani Talpur state of Mirpurkhas. He founded Mirpurkhas town in 1806 and made it the capital of his state which was founded by his father, Mir Tharo Khan Talpur ...
inherited the region around Mirpur Khas in 1801, and founded the new city of Mirpur Khas in 1806 to serve as the new capital.
Mirpur Khas State
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur was a Talpur prince who belonged to the Mirpur Khas house of the royal Talpur dynasty. The son of Mir Ali Murad Talpur, the founder of Mirpur Khas, he was born in 1810. After becoming ruler of the Talpur dynasty, his r ...
(1829-1843) succeeded Mir Ali Murad, and built a fort in the city when he declared the ruler of the state, and ran a kutchery from within the fort. Elaborate graves for the local rulers were built at
Chitorri
Chitorri is the historic ancestral graveyard of the Talpur Mirs of Mirpur Khas in Sindh, Pakistan. The graveyard is located in the Mirpur Khas District, about 22 kilometers northeast of Mirpur Khas town.
The sandstone tombs built by Talpur ruler ...
, and feature a syncretic architectural style that combines elements of Islamic and
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
i architecture.
Mirpur Khas remained the capital of the Talpur Mirs of Mirpurkhas until 1843, when Sindh was annexed to British India under the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
following the conquest of Sindh 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 ...
and defeat of
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur was a Talpur prince who belonged to the Mirpur Khas house of the royal Talpur dynasty. The son of Mir Ali Murad Talpur, the founder of Mirpur Khas, he was born in 1810. After becoming ruler of the Talpur dynasty, his r ...
on 24 March 1843 at the battleground of Dubbo. His battle for the Sindh state earned him the moniker "Lion of Sindh."
British
Later Sindh was made part of the colonial Bombay Presidency and Mirpurkhas was a part of it.
Umerkot
Umerkot (formerly known as Amarkot) is a city in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
The local language is Dhatki, which is one of the Rajasthani languages of the Indo-Aryan language family. It is most closely related to Marwari. Sindhi, Urdu and ...
was made the district's headquarters town of Thar and Parkar district and Mirpur Khas was ignored until the advent of the Luni-
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
branch of the
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the Ki ...
-
Bikaner
Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division.
Formerly the capital of ...
Railway, a subsidiary of the
Scinde Railway
The Scinde Railway was one of the pioneering railway companies that operated in Sind Province (1936–55), Sind during the British Raj between 1855 and 1885.
History
The Scinde Railway was first established by deed of settlement in March 1855 ...
to the town. The opening of the Jamrao Canal in 1900 made Mirpur Khas stand out of the rest of the towns in the district. It was constituted a municipality in 1901 and the district headquarters was shifted from Umerkot to Mirpurkhas in 1906.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the population of the town was 2,787 with a density of 82 persons per square mile, however the district, as a whole, saw significant growth in the rise of population from 27,866 (1891) to 37,273 (1901). The cotton produced at Mirpur Khas was considered the best in the country when surveyed and the British exploited the produce by exporting it to other nations.
Modern
After the
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
of Pakistan in 1947, because of its proximity with the Indian border, Mirpur Khas became the first city to welcome refugees to Pakistan. It acted as a primary railway junction for the first trains to rail across the
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
to the Sindh province. The
Partition of British India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...
resulted in the large-scale exodus of much of the city's Hindu population, though like much of Sindh, Mirpur Khas did not experience the widespread rioting that occurred in Punjab and Bengal. In all, less than 500 Hindu were killed in
all of Sindh between 1947-48 as Sindhi Muslims largely resisted calls to turn against their Hindu neighbours. Hindus did not flee Sindh ''en masse'' until riots erupted in Karachi on 6 January 1948, which sowed fear in Sindh's Hindus despite the fact that the riots were local and regarded Sikh refugees from Punjab seeking refuge in Karachi. Despite the loss of much of the city's Hindu population, Mirpur Khas District is estimated 35% Hindu.
Large numbers of refugees from India began arriving in the city following the
Partition of British India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...
- leading to rapid population rises and a shift in demography. In 1951, the population was 40,420, of which 68.42% were
Lying on the Let Wah Canal at , Mirpur Khas is located in the south-eastern quadrant of Sindh. It is located 65 kilometers east of Hyderabad, to which it is connected by Four Lane Dual Carrgiway highway to Hyderabad and by Rail. It is linked to
Umerkot
Umerkot (formerly known as Amarkot) is a city in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
The local language is Dhatki, which is one of the Rajasthani languages of the Indo-Aryan language family. It is most closely related to Marwari. Sindhi, Urdu and ...
by N120 Highway.
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
is 220 kilometres south-west of Mirpur Khas. The Indian border is located 170 kilometres east of the city.
Demographics
The people in Mirpur Khas mostly speak
Sindhi language
Sindhi ( ; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 30 million people in the Pakistani province of Sindh, where it has official status. It is also spoken by a further 1.7 million people in India, where it is a Scheduled languages of India ...
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 ...
s and 35% are
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s and the rest are
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
s. In late 18th century, many Muslim families were shifted from east Punjab to the area. The biggest Muslim community who settled here was the
Arain
Arain (also known as Raeen) are a large Punjabi agricultural tribe with strong political identity and organisation, found mainly in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh with a small population in parts of Indian Punjab, Uttar Pradesh ...
community. The Arains from various districts of eastern
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
such as Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozpur, Ambala, Patiala and
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...
moved here and permanently settled. Near Mirpur Khas is a disused
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
temple named the
Gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
''Pehli Patshahi'', built on the site where the founder of Sikhism,
Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...
, is traditionally believed to have placed his feet.
Education
The city has many government colleges, mostly affiliated with the
University of Sindh
The University of Sindh ( ur, ; sd, سنڌ يونيورسٽي; informally known as Sindh University) is a public research university in Pakistan located in the city of Jamshoro. It is one of the oldest universities in Pakistan and was certifi ...
. Mirpur Khas also has a registered PMDC private medical college, Muhammad Medical College and Bhitai Dental and Medical College. Mirpur Khas has a Sindh University campus with five-degree programs: BS-Information Technology, BS-Computer Science, BS-Commerce, BBA, and BS-Geology. The city has numerous schools, both private and public. The number of private schools has increased since last decade. Notable schools are The Vision School Mirpurkhas,Merit palace school,Askhia Progressive Public School, Fauji Faundation Model School, The City School, SZABIST School & college, Little Folks High School, Govt: S.A.L College.The success academy And many more and most famous Bahria foundation college which is a project of pakistan navy
The city is also growing with many tuition centre facilities, especially for IX, X, XI and XII classes and also preparing students for entry tests, mainly the
MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is designed ...
(Medical College Admission Test) and ECAT (Engineering College Admission Test).
Mirpurkhas city has now its own board for examinations called BISE (Board of Intermediate and Secondary Examinations). Previously Mirpurkhas did not have its own affiliated board for examinations of SSC and HSSC education which is undertaken by government affiliations and registration and number of examination boards development in Pakistan are based according to districts, in which every city/village fall under district are guided for examinations in which the city/village is linked. Mirpurkhas previously fell under District Hyderabad, Sindh.
Besides, Public Libraries in Sindh often appear to receive a dwindling response but in some, with every passing day, the number of readers is increasing. Sindh Government Public Library, Mirpurkhas is one of the best place for readers / scholars of all ages. The Library is situated near Ibn-e-Rushd Girls College, beside Mahar Cinema, Heerabad Mirpurkhas. The facilities in the library are as under:
1. Newspapers & Periodical Section
2. Computer Section
3. CSS Section
4. Stack Section
5. Reading Hall for Boys
6. Ladies & Children Section
7. Art Gallery
8. Bookshop of Culture Department
9. SMBB Corner
Economy
Though Mirpurkhas has a small industrial park, no industry is functional there. There are four sugar mills, as well as some cotton ginning, and edible oil mills in the city. The city's economy has been adversely effected by a poor law and order situation, with violent conflict between rival families .
Agriculture
The district's very fertile land produces wheat, onion, sugarcane, cotton, chillies, and mangoes. Irrigation and farming was revitalised after the Jamrao Canal was built in the 1900s. Afterwards, the city was able to produce and cycle crops to supply mainly grain, cotton products like fabrics, and sugar from the sugarcane cultivation. For a certain period in history, Mirpurkhas enjoyed being the best cotton producer in the country and much of the income of the town came from cotton farming in its heyday.
Nowadays, however, the area is much known its mango produce. The city claims to have 252 different varieties of
mangoes
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
, of which the most famous variety is the Sindhri Amb, literally ''the mango from Sindh''. The city boasts its mango products at an annual harvest festival showcasing its world-renowned produce.
Mirpur Khas is positioned atop a fertile land making conditions apt for farming and irrigation. Being connected to the Indus via irrigation canals like the Let Wah, Mirpur Khas has gained an advantage in horticulture and farming over the years.
Banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
s are also widely cultivated around the region and also one of the biggest producer of bananas in the country.
Railway
Mirpur Khas Railway Station is in middle of city. After 40 years a railway link between Pakistan and India is being opened again. A broad gauge line has been laid from Mirpurkhas to
Khokhrapar
Khokhropar or Khokhrapar (; ) is a border town situated in Tharparkar District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is located at 25°41 North 70°12 East and has an altitude of .
Railway
Khokhrapar railway station was established in 1916. Before the independ ...
, which is the border town from Pakistani Side. The new link now connects
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
(
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
) to
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the Ki ...
(
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
) by the new train service
Thar Express
The ''Thar Express'' ( hi, थार एक्सप्रेस, ur, , Sindhi: ٿر ايڪسپريس) was an international passenger train that ran between the a suburban area of Jodhpur in the Indian State of Rajasthan and of Karachi in t ...
. In 2005, work started on converting the
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
line to
Khokhrapar
Khokhropar or Khokhrapar (; ) is a border town situated in Tharparkar District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is located at 25°41 North 70°12 East and has an altitude of .
Railway
Khokhrapar railway station was established in 1916. Before the independ ...
to
broad gauge
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways.
Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...
. Mirpurkhas Railway Station has one of the longest platforms in Pakistan.
See also
*
Ghulam Muhammad Khan Bhurgri
Ghulam Muhammad Khan Bhurgri ( sd, غلام محمد خان ڀرڳڙي) (Barrister),(1878-1924) was a Sindhi statesman.
Raees Ghulam Mohammad Bhurgri was one of the earliest leaders of Sindh during the colonial period. He was contemporary and ...
*
Pushpa Kumari Kohli
Pushpa Kumari Kohli is the first Hindu woman to become a police officer in Pakistan. She was posted as Assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI) in Sindh province after she passed the provincial competitive examination through Sindh Public Service ...
Chitorri
Chitorri is the historic ancestral graveyard of the Talpur Mirs of Mirpur Khas in Sindh, Pakistan. The graveyard is located in the Mirpur Khas District, about 22 kilometers northeast of Mirpur Khas town.
The sandstone tombs built by Talpur ruler ...
, a historical graveyard with many sandstone tombs of Talpur rulers
*
Kahu-Jo-Darro
Kahu-Jo-Darro, also known as Mirpur Khas stupa, is an ancient Buddhist stupa found at the Mirpurkhas archaeological site in Sindh, Pakistan. The site is spread over . Excavations completed before 1910 revealed this large brick-based stupa and nume ...
, an ancient Buddhist archaeological site
*
Brahma from Mirpur-Khas
The Brahma from Mirpur Khas is a famous bronze image of Brahma made in Sindh, in modern Pakistan, dated to the 5th or 6th century, during the Gupta period. It is the earliest known metallic image of Brahma and the only known representative of t ...