Sindhology ( sd, سنڌولوجي) is a field of

South Asian studies Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...

and academic research that covers the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soc ...

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

, and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

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 ...

, a province of

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 ...

. The subject was first brought into the academic circles with the establishment of the

Institute of Sindhology Institute of Sindhology ( sd, سنڌولوجي) is one of the major resources on the history of Sindh. It was the first research institution of its kind, and brought Sindhology to the forefront of international research. Sindhology refers to kno ...

Sindh University 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 ...

in 1964. Since then, it has developed into a discipline that covers the aspects of history and archaeology from 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& ...

to the modern Sindhi society. The subject has also received wider attention at international levels. An academic or expert who specialises in Sindhology is called a Sindhologist.

History

The term ''Sindhology'' to denote a subject of knowledge about Sindh was first coined in 1964 with the establishment of the Institute of Sindhology. The objective at the time was to promote the study and broader research on Sindh, and develop a repository of archives, books, manuscripts, and research papers. Another wider objective was to promote the knowledge about Sindh in various other national and regional languages of Pakistan, as well as international languages such as

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, Persian and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Egyptology Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native relig ...

and

Indology Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') i ...

. The study area encompassed the multidisciplinary research about the land that has been shaped by the 5000 years old Indus Valley Civilization as well as the

Indus river The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmi ...

(locally known as ''Sindhu Darya''). This enables the scope of the study to cover the antiquities, relics, culture, traditions, and literature with unique forms of music, art, and poetry that has prevailed in both the ancient and modern Sindh.

Organisations

, Pakistan *

Indian Institute of Sindhology The Indian Institute of Sindhology (I.I.S.) is a center for advanced studies and research in the fields related to Sindhi language, literature, education, art and culture. Its primary aim is to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Sindhi ...

* American Institute of Sindhology

Prominent Sindhologists

The first major attempt to bring together the leading Sindhologists was an international seminar 'Sindh Through the Centuries' held in

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 c ...

in Spring 1975 under the auspices of the Government of Sindh.Government of Sindh (1994) Some of the prominent names in Sindhology include: * Ali S. Asani * Dr. Nabi Bux Khan Baloch *

Hassam-ud-Din Rashidi Hassam-ud-Din Rashidi ( sd, پير حسام الدين راشدي) (September 20, 1911 – April 1, 1982) was a Pakistani historian and scholar.

Ahmad Hasan Dani Ahmad Hassan Dani (Urdu: احمد حسن دانی) FRAS, SI, HI (20 June 1920 – 26 January 2009) was a Pakistani archaeologist, historian, and linguist. He was among the foremost authorities on Central Asian and South Asian archaeology ...

Annemarie Schimmel Annemarie Schimmel (7 April 1922 – 26 January 2003) was an influential German Orientalist and scholar who wrote extensively on Islam, especially Sufism. She was a professor at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992. Early life and education ...

Allama I. I. Kazi Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi ( sd, علامه آء آء قاضي) (18 April 1886 – 13 April 1968), also known as Imdad Ali Kazi, the son of Kazi Imam Ali Ansari, was a scholar, philosopher, jurist, and educationist. He is considered to be a ...

Asko Parpola Asko Parpola (born 12 July 1941, in Forssa) is a Finnish Indologist, current professor emeritus of South Asian studies at the University of Helsinki. He specializes in Sindhology, specifically the study of the Indus script. Biography Parpola ...

* Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana *

Jean-François Jarrige Jean-François Jarrige (5 August 1940, Lourdes – 18 November 2014, Paris) was a French archaeologist specializing in South Asian archaeology and Sindhology. He held a doctorate from the University of Paris in oriental archaeology. He carried ...

* N. G. Majumdar * K. R. Malkani *

Muhammad Usman Diplai Muhammad Usman Diplai ( ur, محمد عثمان ڈیپلائی), popularly known as Diplai (13 June 1908 – 8 February 1981), was a figure of Sindhi literature and journalism. He was awarded the Pride of Performance for literature by the ...

* Ghulam Rabbani Agro * Muhammad Qasim Maka

Notes

References

* Government of Sindh (1994) ''Sind Through the Centuries'', Proceedings of an International Seminar Held in Karachi in Spring 1975, by Department of Culture, Government of Sind.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

, Karachi.

External links