The Talpur dynasty ( sd, ) were rulers based in
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 region of present-day Pakistan. Four branches of the dynasty were established following the defeat of the
Kalhora dynasty
The Kalhora dynasty ( sd, ڪلهوڙا راڄ, translit=Kalhora Raj) was a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Sindhi Kalhora origin based in the region of Sindh in what is now Pakistan. They claimed an Arab origin. The dynasty ruled Sindh and parts of th ...
at the
Battle of Halani The Battle of Halani was fought in 1783 between the Baloch tribe of Talpurs and the Sindhi people, Sindhi tribe of Kalhora near Halani (Town), Halani village for the control of the Sindh region, in modern-day Pakistan. The Talpurs, led by Mir Fateh ...
in 1783: one ruled lower Sindh from the city of
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 ...
, another ruled over upper Sindh from the city of
Khairpur
Khairpur( Sindhi and ur, ) is a city and the capital of the Khairpur District, in Pakistan's Sindh province.
History
The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh, ...
, a third ruled around the eastern city of
Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas ( Sindhi and ; ''meaning "Town of the most-high Mirs"'') is the capital city of the Mirpur Khas District and Mirpur Khas Division in the Sindh province, Pakistan. Mirpur Khas is the 16th largest city in Sindh province and the 80th ...
, and a fourth was based in
Tando Muhammad Khan
Tando Muhammad Khan ( sd, ٽنڊو محمد خان; ur, ) is a city and headquarter of the Tando Muhammad Khan District located in Sindh, Pakistan. Is is named after Mir Muhammad Khan Talpur Shahwani.
It is the 95th largest city of Pakistan, ...
.
For most of their rule, they were subordinate or subject to the
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire ( ps, د درانيانو ټولواکمني; fa, امپراتوری درانیان) or the Afghan Empire ( ps, د افغانان ټولواکمني, label=none; fa, امپراتوری افغان, label=none), also know ...
and were forced to pay tribute to them.
History
![Sindhi Foot Soldiers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Sindhi_Foot_Soldiers.jpg)
The Talpurs were ethnically
Sindhi-speaking Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian peoples, Iranian people who live mainly in the Balochistan region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the Iranian plateau, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afgh ...
,
and were descendants of Mir Sulaiman Kako Talpur, who had arrived in Sindh from Choti Bala in southern Punjab. The Talpurs had served the
Kalhora dynasty
The Kalhora dynasty ( sd, ڪلهوڙا راڄ, translit=Kalhora Raj) was a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Sindhi Kalhora origin based in the region of Sindh in what is now Pakistan. They claimed an Arab origin. The dynasty ruled Sindh and parts of th ...
until 1775, when the Kalhora ruler had ordered the assassination of the chief of the
Talpur clan
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, ...
, Mir Bahram Khan, leading to a revolt among the Talpurs against the Kalhora crown. Mir Shahdad Khan Talpur, the great-grandfather of the founder of the Talpur dynasty, was a Mughal bureaucrat and established the city of
Shahdadpur in 1713.
The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh, after defeating the
Kalhoras at the
Battle of Halani The Battle of Halani was fought in 1783 between the Baloch tribe of Talpurs and the Sindhi people, Sindhi tribe of Kalhora near Halani (Town), Halani village for the control of the Sindh region, in modern-day Pakistan. The Talpurs, led by Mir Fateh ...
. Early Talpur rule was termed the First ''Chauyari,'' or "rule of four friends" - Mir Fateh along with his brothers Mir Ghulam, Mir Karam, and Mir Murad.
The Talpur capital was declared to be
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 ...
, which had served as the capital of the overthrown Kalhoras. After his success, Fateh Ali Khan ruled from Hyderabad, while his nephew established a branch of the dynasty in Khairpur. Another relative, Mir
Thara Khan, established the Mankani branch in southeast Sindh around the area around
Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas ( Sindhi and ; ''meaning "Town of the most-high Mirs"'') is the capital city of the Mirpur Khas District and Mirpur Khas Division in the Sindh province, Pakistan. Mirpur Khas is the 16th largest city in Sindh province and the 80th ...
- a city which was founded by his son
Ali Murad Talpur.
The Talpur brothers extended their rule over neighbouring regions such as
Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
,
Kutch, and
Sabzalkot, covering an area of over 100,000 square kilometers, with a population of approximately 4 million. They administered their realm by assigning ''jagirs'' to control individual land grants. In 1832, Afghan king Shah Shuja invaded Sindh, which the brothers united against to defeat. During their rule,
Syed Ahmad Barelvi tried to garner support for a campaign against the Sikh emperor
Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
, but was perceived to be a British agent.
Divisions among the Talpurs, such as the Khairpur chiefs' request to the British to seize
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 ...
from the Hyderabadi chiefs, allowed the British to eventually conquer Sindh. The British conquered Karachi in 1839, and with the support of
Khojas and
Hindus
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 ...
, were able to quickly advance on Hyderabad, forcing the Talpurs to pay tribute. Seth Naumal, a Hindu merchant, was held responsible by the Talpurs for encouraging non Baloch tribes in lower Sindh to defect and aid the British. He was later granted the title ''Sitara-e-Hind'' by the British for his service to them against the Talpurs.
Religious beliefs
The Talpurs were followers of the
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
sect of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. Under their rule in both Hyderabad and Khairpur, Shia practices such as the building of ''Shabeeh'' and ''Zareeh Mubarak'', or replicas of shrines of
Shia Imams, were established. The first was built at Tando Agha in Hyderabad in 1785 by the founder of the Talpur dynasty, Mir Fateh Ali Khan. The ''Qadamgah Imam Ali'' was established in Hyderabad during his rule, and houses what are considered by the faithful to be the footprint of
Imam Ali, and were gifted to Mir Fateh Ali Khan by the Shah of Persia,
Fath Ali Khan Qajar.
The footprints were housed in a special shrine for the Talpur family, and were viewed by the public on certain holidays. Under the rule of the last Hyderabadi Talpur Mir, Naseer Khan, a new shrine was made in which the footprints were made accessible to the public. Other Shia replica shrines were eventually built by other Talpur rulers in several cities and towns in Sindh. These replicas were built for the poor people who did not have resources to travel to the actual shrines in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and continue to operate until present day.
Branches
Shahdadani Talpurs of Hyderabad
![Tombs of Talpur Mirs - view 5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Tombs_of_Talpur_Mirs_-_view_5.JPG)
The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh, after defeating the
Kalhoras at the
Battle of Halani The Battle of Halani was fought in 1783 between the Baloch tribe of Talpurs and the Sindhi people, Sindhi tribe of Kalhora near Halani (Town), Halani village for the control of the Sindh region, in modern-day Pakistan. The Talpurs, led by Mir Fateh ...
. He ruled until his death in 1801, when he was succeeded by his son Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur until 1811. From 1811 to 1828, the Hyderabadi Talpur state was ruled by Mir Karam Ali Talpur. After his death in 1828, The Hyderabad branch of the Talpurs was ruled by Mir Murad Ali Khan until 1833. Mir Murad Ali Khan was succeeded by Mir Noor Muhammad, who was in turn succeeded by Mir Naseer Khan Talpur. The Hyderabadi branch of the Talpur Mirs were defeated by the
British at the
Battle of Miani on 17 February 1843.
Sohrabani Talpurs of Khairpur
![FaizMahal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/FaizMahal.jpg)
The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh, after defeating the
Kalhoras at the
Battle of Halani The Battle of Halani was fought in 1783 between the Baloch tribe of Talpurs and the Sindhi people, Sindhi tribe of Kalhora near Halani (Town), Halani village for the control of the Sindh region, in modern-day Pakistan. The Talpurs, led by Mir Fateh ...
. The nephew of Mir Fateh Ali Khan, Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, established a branch of the Talpur dynasty in 1783 in Burahan, which was renamed
Khairpur
Khairpur( Sindhi and ur, ) is a city and the capital of the Khairpur District, in Pakistan's Sindh province.
History
The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh, ...
in 1783. The Khairpur branch of the dynasty maintained a degree of sovereignty during British rule as the
princely state of Khairpur until 1947.
The death of Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, founder of the
Khairpur
Khairpur( Sindhi and ur, ) is a city and the capital of the Khairpur District, in Pakistan's Sindh province.
History
The Talpur dynasty was established in 1783 by Mir Fateh Ali Khan, who declared himself the first ''Rais'', or ruler of Sindh, ...
branch abdicated power to his eldest son Mir Rustam 'Ali Khan, in 1811. Rustam's youngest half brother, 'Ali Murad, strengthened his hand by signing a treaty with the British in 1832, in which he secured recognition as the independent ruler of Khairpur in exchange for surrendering control of foreign relations to the British, as well as use of Sindh's roads and the Indus River. The new state's economy became heavily dependent on the production of
opium
Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
.
![Khairpur map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Khairpur_map.gif)
Rustam ruled until 1842, when he in turn was replaced by Mir Ali Murad. Ali Murad helped the British in 1845 during the Turki campaign, but was later accused of plotting against the British, and so was stripped of his lands in upper Sindh. The remaining land under his control consisted mostly of Khairpur city, and its immediate environs. During the 1857
Sepoy Mutiny, Ali Murad sided which the British, and prevented rebels from seizing the
Shikarpur jail and treasury. In 1866, the British promised to recognize any future successors as rightful rulers of Khairpur. Ali Murad's rule went on uninterrupted until his death in 1894.
Ali Murad was succeeded by his second son, Mir Faiz Muhammad Khan, who died in 1909. He was in turn succeeded by his son, Mir Sir Imam Bakhsh Khan Talpur, who aided the British war effort during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and was thus awarded the honorary title Lieutenant-Colonel in 1918. He died in 1921, and was succeeded by His Highness Mir Ali Nawaz Khan. Under his rule, the feudal ''Cherr'' system of forced labour was abolished, while new canals were laid for irrigation.
Mir Ali Nawaz Khan died in 1935, and was succeeded by
Mir Faiz Muhammad Khan II, who had suffered from an unstable and nervous affliction, then became nominal leader. The Khairpur government instituted a council of regency under local ministers and ordered the Mir to live outside the state. After a period of twelve years, and shortly before the transfer of power, he abdicated in favour of his minor son
George Ali Murad Khan in July 1947. The state acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan in October that year, and merged into West Pakistan in 1955.
Manikani Talpurs of Mirpur Khas
Mir
Thara Khan, a relative of the Talpur founder Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur, established the Manikani branch in southeast Sindh around the area around
Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas ( Sindhi and ; ''meaning "Town of the most-high Mirs"'') is the capital city of the Mirpur Khas District and Mirpur Khas Division in the Sindh province, Pakistan. Mirpur Khas is the 16th largest city in Sindh province and the 80th ...
- a city which was founded by his son
Ali Murad Talpur.
Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur succeeded Mir Ali Murad Talpur in 1829, 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 ...
under his rule. 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. Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur established friendly relations with the Sikh emperor
Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
, but fought against the British. He has been described as the "Lion of Sindh."
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 on 24 March 1843 at the
battleground of Dubbo. During the battle, some local Sindhi ''jagirs'' are reported to have taken bribes from British forces, and aimed their guns towards Talpur forces. Following British victory, the chief's
harem was entered, and its women plundered of their jewelry before being imprisoned.
Shahwani Talpurs of Tando Muhammad Khan
The Shahwani branch of the Talpur dynasty was established by Mir Muhammad Khan Talpur Shahwani, who died in 1813. Under his rule, the city of
Tando Muhammad Khan
Tando Muhammad Khan ( sd, ٽنڊو محمد خان; ur, ) is a city and headquarter of the Tando Muhammad Khan District located in Sindh, Pakistan. Is is named after Mir Muhammad Khan Talpur Shahwani.
It is the 95th largest city of Pakistan, ...
was named and/or established.
Baloch Nationalism
On 27 December 1932, the
Anjuman-organised “Balochistan and All India Baloch Conference” was held at Jacobabad, Sindh. The conference commenced with the Presidential address by
Mir Ali Nawaz Khan Talpur
H.H. Mir Ali Nawaz Khan Talpur ( ur, ; 9 August 1884 - 25 December 1935), was 6th ruler of Sohrabani Talpur dynasty of Khairpur State from 1921 until 1935.
Biography
He was born on 9 August 1884 to Mir Imam Bakhsh Khan Talpur and his wife who ...
, the ruler of Khairpur State, in which he called on the Baloch for unity.
See also
*
List of monarchs of Sindh
This is a list of known rulers of Sindh, in present-day Sindh, Pakistan. This list starts from the establishment of the Rai dynasty around 489 AD until the conquest of the Sindh from Talpur dynasty by East India Company in 1843 AD.
Sultan ( ar, س ...
References
, -
, -
{{Dynasties of Sindh
Dynasties of Pakistan
Empires and kingdoms of Pakistan
History of Sindh
Shia dynasties
Nawabs of Pakistan