Sindh (; sd|سنڌ; ur| , ;historically romanised as Sind) is one of the four
provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeast of the country, it is the home of the
Sindhi people. Sindh is the third largest province of Pakistan by area and second largest province by population after
Punjab. Sindh is bordered by
Balochistan province to the west and Punjab province to the north. Sindh also borders the Indian states of
Gujarat and
Rajasthan to the east and
Arabian Sea to the south. Sindh's landscape consists mostly of
alluvial plains flanking the
Indus River, the
Thar desert in the eastern portion of the province closest to the border with India and the
Kirthar Mountains in the western part of Sindh.
Sindh has Pakistan's
second largest economy, while its provincial capital
Karachi is
Pakistan's largest city and financial hub and hosts the headquarters of several
multinational banks. Sindh is home to a large portion of Pakistan's industrial sector and contains two of Pakistan's commercial seaports,
Port Bin Qasim and the
Karachi Port. The remainder of Sindh has an agriculture based economy and produces fruits, food consumer items and vegetables for the consumption of other parts of the country.
Sindh is known for its
distinct culture which is strongly influenced by
Sufism, an important marker of Sindhi identity for both
Hindus (Sindh has Pakistan's highest percentage of Hindu residents)
[Tharparkar District Official Website – District Profile – Demography](_blank)
and
Muslims in the province.
Several important
Sufi shrines are located throughout the province which attract millions of annual devotees.
Sindh is home to two
UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the
Historical Monuments at Makli and the
Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjodaro.
Etymology
The word ''Sindh'' is derived from the
Sanskrit term ''Sindhu'' (literally meaning "river"), which is a reference to
Indus River.
Southworth suggests that the name ''Sindhu'' is in turn derived from ''Cintu'', a
Dravidian word for
date palm, a tree commonly found in Sindh.
The official spelling "Sind" (from the Perso-Arabic pronunciation ) was discontinued in 1988 by an amendment passed in
Sindh Assembly.
The
Greeks who conquered Sindh in 325 BC under the command of
Alexander the Great rendered it as ''
Indós'', hence the modern ''Indus''. The ancient
Iranians referred to everything east of the river Indus as ''hind''.
History
Prehistoric period

, Larkana]]
Sindh's first known village settlements date as far back as 7000 BC. Permanent settlements at
Mehrgarh, currently in
Balochistan, to the west expanded into Sindh. This culture blossomed over several millennia and gave rise to the
Indus Valley Civilization around 3000 BC.
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization rivalled the contemporary civilizations of
Ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia in size and scope, numbering nearly half a million inhabitants at its height with well-planned grid cities and sewer systems.
The primitive village communities in
Balochistan were still struggling against a difficult highland environment, a highly cultured people was trying to assert itself at
Kot Diji. This was one of the most developed urban civilizations of the
ancient world. It flourished between the 25th and 15th centuries BC in the Indus valley sites of
Mohenjo Daro and
Harappa. The people had a high standard of art and craftsmanship and a well-developed system of quasi-pictographic writing which remains un-deciphered. The ruins of the well planned towns, the brick buildings of the common people, roads, public baths and the covered drainage system suggest a highly organized community.
According to some accounts, there is no evidence of large palaces or burial grounds for the elite. The grand and presumably holy site might have been the great bath, which is built upon an artificially created elevation. This civilization collapsed around 1700 BC for reasons uncertain; the cause is hotly debated and may have been a massive earthquake, which dried up the Ghaggar River. Skeletons discovered in the ruins of Moan Jo Daro ("mount of dead") were thought to indicate that the city was suddenly attacked and the population was wiped out, but further examinations showed that the marks on the skeletons were due to erosion and not of violence.
Early history
The ancient city of
Roruka, identified with modern
Aror/
Rohri, was capital of the
Sauvira Kingdom, and finds mentioned
early Buddhist literature as a major trading center. Sindh finds mention in the Hindu epic ''
Mahabharata'' as being part of
Bharatvarsha. Sindh was conquered by the
Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BC. In the late 4th century BC, Sindh was conquered by a mixed army led by
Macedonian Greeks under
Alexander the Great. The region remained under control of Greek satraps for only a few decades. After Alexander's death, there was a brief period of
Seleucid rule, before Sindh was traded to the
Mauryan Empire led by
Chandragupta in 305 BC. During the rule of the Mauryan Emperor
Ashoka, the
Buddhist religion spread to Sindh.
Mauryan rule ended in 185 BC with the overthrow of the last king by the
Shunga Dynasty. In the disorder that followed, Greek rule returned when
Demetrius I of Bactria led a
Greco-Bactrian invasion of India and annexed most of the northwestern lands, including Sindh. Demetrius was later defeated and killed by a usurper, but his descendants continued to rule Sindh and other lands as the
Indo-Greek Kingdom. Under the reign of
Menander I, many Indo-Greeks followed his example and converted to Buddhism.
In the late 2nd century BC,
Scythian tribes shattered the Greco-Bactrian empire and invaded the Indo-Greek lands. Unable to take the
Punjab region, they invaded South Asia through Sindh, where they became known as
Indo-Scythians (later
Western Satraps). By the 1st century AD, the
Kushan Empire annexed Sindh.
Kushans under
Kanishka were great patrons of Buddhism and sponsored many building projects for local beliefs.
Ahirs were also found in large numbers in Sindh.
Abiria country of
Abhira tribe was in southern Sindh.
The Kushan Empire was defeated in the mid-3rd century AD by the
Sassanid Empire of Persia, who installed vassals known as the
Kushanshahs in these far eastern territories. These rulers were defeated by the
Kidarites in the late 4th century.
It then came under the
Gupta Empire after dealing with the Kidarites. By the late 5th century, attacks by
Hephthalite tribes known as the Indo-Hephthalites or ''Hunas'' (
Huns) broke through the Gupta Empire's northwestern borders and overran much of northwestern India. Concurrently,
Ror dynasty ruled parts of the region for several centuries.
Afterwards, Sindh came under the rule of Emperor
Harshavardhan, then the
Rai Dynasty around 478. The Rais were overthrown by Chachar of
Alor around 632. The
Brahman dynasty ruled a vast territory that stretched from
Multan in the north to the
Rann of Kutch, Alor was their capital.
Arrival of Islam

The connection between the Sindh and
Islam was established by the initial Muslim missions during the
Rashidun Caliphate. Al-Hakim ibn Jabalah al-Abdi, who attacked
Makran in the year AD 649, was an early partisan of
Ali ibn Abu Talib.
[MacLean, Derryl N. (1989), Religion and Society in Arab Sind, pp. 126, BRILL, ] During the caliphate of Ali, many Jats of Sindh had come under the influence of Shi'ism and some even participated in the
Battle of Camel and died fighting for
Ali.
Under the Umayyads (661 – 750 AD), many Shias sought asylum in the region of Sindh, to live in relative peace in the remote area. Ziyad Hindi is one of those refugees.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah claimed that the
Pakistan movement started when the first Muslim put his foot on the soil of Sindh, the
Gateway of Islam in India.
In 712,
Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Sindh and
Indus Valley, bringing
South Asian societies into contact with Islam.
Raja Dahir Sen was an Hindu king that ruled over a
Buddhist majority and that
Chach of Alor and his kin were regarded as usurpers of the earlier Buddhist
Rai Dynasty,
[Nicholas F. Gier, ''FROM MONGOLS TO MUGHALS: RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN INDIA 9TH-18TH CENTURIES'', presented at the Pacific Northwest Regional Meeting American Academy of Religion, Gonzaga University, May 200]
Retrieved 11 December 2006. a view questioned by those who note the diffuse and blurred nature of Hindu and Buddhist practices in the region, especially that of the royalty to be patrons of both and those who believe that Chach may have been a Buddhist. The forces of Muhammad bin Qasim defeated
Raja Dahir in alliance with the Hindu
Jats and other regional governors.
In 711 AD,
Muhammad bin Qasim led an
Umayyad force of 20,000 cavalry and 5 catapults. Muhammad bin Qasim defeated the
Raja Dahir and captured the cities of
Alor, Multan and
Debal. Sindh became the easternmost State of the
Umayyad Caliphate and was referred to as "Sind" on Arab maps, with lands further east known as "Hind". Muhammad bin Qasim built the city of
Mansura as his capital; the city then produced famous historical figures such as
Abu Mashar Sindhi, Abu Ata al-Sindhi,
Abu Raja Sindhi. At the port city of
Debal, most of the
Bawarij embraced Islam and became known as Sindhi Sailors, who were renowned for their navigation, geography and languages. After Bin Qasim left, the Arab
Caliphate ruled Sindh through the
Governors.
By the year 750,
Debal (modern
Karachi) was second only to
Basra; Sindhi sailors from the port city of Debal voyaged to Basra,
Bushehr,
Musqat,
Aden,
Kilwa,
Zanzibar,
Sofala,
Malabar,
Sri Lanka and
Java (where Sindhi merchants were known as the
Santri). During the
Decline of the Abbasid Caliphate in 860s, the
Habbari dynasty became semi-independent and was eliminated and Mansura was invaded by
Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. Sindh then again became an easternmost client State of the Later Abbasid Caliphs ruled by the
Soomro Dynasty until the
Siege of Baghdad (1258). Mansura was the first capital of the
Soomra Dynasty and the last of the Habbari dynasty. Muslim geographers, historians and travelers such as
al-Masudi,
Ibn Hawqal,
Istakhri,
Ahmed ibn Sahl al-Balkhi,
al-Tabari,
Baladhuri,
Nizami,
al-Biruni,
Saadi Shirazi,
Ibn Battutah and
Katip Çelebi wrote about or visited the region, sometimes using the name "Sindh" for the entire area from the
Arabian Sea to the
Hindu Kush.
Soomra dynasty period
When Sindh was under the
Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Arab
Habbari dynasty was in control. The Umayyads appointed
Aziz al Habbari as the governor of Sindh. Habbaris ruled Sindh until
Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi defeated the Habbaris in 1024. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi viewed the
Abbasid Caliphate to be the caliphs thus he removed the remaining influence of the
Umayyad Caliphate in the region and Sindh fell to Abbasid control following the defeat of the Habbaris. The Abbasid Caliphate then appointed
Al Khafif from
Samarra; 'Soomro' means 'of Samarra' in Sindhi. The new governor of Sindh was to create a better, stronger and stable government. Once he became the governor, he allotted several key positions to his family and friends; thus Al-Khafif or Sardar Khafif Soomro formed the
Soomro Dynasty in Sindh; and became its first ruler. Until the
Siege of Baghdad (1258) the Soomro dynasty was the Abbasid Caliphate's functionary in Sindh, but after that it became independent.
When the
Soomro dynasty lost ties with the Abbasid Caliphate after the Siege of Baghdad (1258,) the Soomra ruler Dodo-I established their rule from the shores of the
Arabian Sea to the
Punjab in the north and in the east to
Rajasthan and in the west to Pakistani
Balochistan. The
Soomros were one of the first indigenous Muslim dynasties in Sindh of
Parmar Rajput origin. They were the first Muslims to translate the
Quran into the
Sindhi language. The Soomros created a chivalrous culture in Sindh, which eventually facilitated their rule centred at
Mansura. It was later abandoned due to changes in the course of the Puran River; they ruled for the next 95 years until 1351. During this period, Kutch was ruled by the
Samma Dynasty, who enjoyed good relations with the Soomras in Sindh. Since the
Soomro Dynasty lost its support from the Abbasid Caliphate, the Sultans of
Delhi wanted a piece of Sindh. The Soomros successfully defended their kingdom for about 36 years, but their dynasties soon fell to the might of the
Sultanate of Delhi's massive armies such as the
Tughluks and the
Khaljis.
Samma Dynasty period

In 1339
Jam Unar founded a Sindhi
Muslim Rajput Samma Dynasty and challenged the
Sultans of Delhi. He used the title of the ''Sultan of Sindh''. The
Samma tribe reached its peak during the reign of
Jam Nizamuddin II (also known by the nickname Jám Nindó). During his reign from 1461 to 1509, Nindó greatly expanded the new capital of
Thatta and its
Makli hills, which replaced
Debal. He patronized Sindhi art, architecture and culture. The Samma had left behind a popular legacy especially in architecture, music and art. Important court figures included the poet Kazi Kadal,
Sardar Darya Khan, Moltus Khan, Makhdoom Bilawal and the
theologian Kazi Kaadan. However, Thatta was a port city; unlike garrison towns, it could not mobilize large armies against the
Arghun and Tarkhan
Mongol invaders, who killed many regional Sindhi
Mirs and
Amirs loyal to the Samma. Some parts of Sindh still remained under the Sultans of Delhi and the ruthless Arghuns and the
Tarkhans sacked Thatta during the rule of
Jam Ferozudin.
Migration of Baloch
According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch,
Professor at
University of Karachi, and Nadeem Wagan,
General Manager at
HANDS, the
Balochi migrated from
Balochistan during the
Little Ice Age and settled in Sindh and
Punjab. The Little Ice Age is conventionally defined as a period extending from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries,
[ (noted in Grove 2004:4).][.] or alternatively, from about 1300
[Miller ''et al''. 2012. "Abrupt onset of the Little Ice Age triggered by volcanism and sustained by sea-ice/ocean feedbacks" ''Geophysical Research Letters'' 39, 31 January]
abstract (formerly on AGU website)
(accessed via wayback machine 11 July 2015); se
press release on AGU website
(accessed 11 July 2015). to about 1850.
[Grove, J.M., ''Little Ice Ages: Ancient and Modern,'' Routledge, London (2 volumes) 2004.][Matthews, J.A. and Briffa, K.R.]
"The 'Little Ice Age': re-evaluation of an evolving concept"
''Geogr. Ann., 87,'' A (1), pp. 17–36 (2005). Retrieved 17 July 2015. According to Professor Baloch, the climate of Balochistan was very cold during this epoch and the region was uninhabitable during the winters so the Baloch people emigrated in waves to
Sindh and Punjab.
Mughal era
In the year 1524, the few remaining Sindhi
Amirs welcomed the
Mughal Empire and
Babur dispatched his forces to rally the
Arghuns and the
Tarkhans, branches of a Turkic dynasty. In the coming centuries, Sindh became a region loyal to the Mughals, a network of forts manned by cavalry and musketeers further extended Mughal power in Sindh.
In 1540 a mutiny by
Sher Shah Suri forced the Mughal Emperor
Humayun to withdraw to Sindh, where he joined the Sindhi
Emir Hussein Umrani. In 1541
Humayun married
Hamida Banu Begum, who gave birth to the infant
Akbar at
Umarkot in the year 1542.
During the reign of
Akbar the Great, Sindh produced scholars and others such as
Mir Ahmed Nasrallah Thattvi,
Tahir Muhammad Thattvi and
Mir Ali Sir Thattvi and the Mughal chronicler
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak and his brother the poet
Faizi was a descendant of a Sindhi Shaikh family from Rel, Siwistan in Sindh. Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak was the author of ''
Akbarnama'' (an official biographical account of Akbar) and the ''
Ain-i-Akbari'' (a detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire).
Shah Jahan carved a
subah (imperial province), covering Sindh, called
Thatta after its capital, out of
Multan, further bordering on the Ajmer and Gujarat subahs as well as the rival Persian
Safavid empire.
During the Mughal period, Sindhi literature began to flourish and historical figures such as
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai,
Sulatn-al-Aoliya Muhammad Zaman and
Sachal Sarmast became prominent throughout the land. In 1603
Shah Jahan visited the State of Sindh; at
Thatta, he was generously welcomed by the locals after the death of his father
Jahangir. Shah Jahan ordered the construction of the
Shahjahan Mosque, which was completed during the early years of his rule under the supervision of
Mirza Ghazi Beg. During his reign, in 1659 in the Mughal Empire,
Muhammad Salih Tahtawi of Thatta created a
seamless celestial globe with Arabic and Persian inscriptions using a
wax casting method.
Sindh was home to several wealthy merchant-rulers such as Mir Bejar of Sindh, whose great wealth had attracted the close ties with the Sultan bin Ahmad of
Oman.
In the year 1701, the
Kalhora Nawabs were authorized in a
firman by the Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb to administer
subah Sindh.
From 1752 to 1762,
Marathas collected
Chauth or tributes from Sindh. Maratha power was decimated in the entire region after the
Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. In 1762,
Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro brought stability in Sindh, he reorganized and independently defeated the
Marathas and their prominent vassal the ''Rao of Kuch'' in the
Thar Desert and returned victoriously.
After the
Sikhs annexed
Multan, the
Kalhora Dynasty supported counterattacks against the Sikhs and defined their borders.
In 1783 a firman which designated Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur as the new ''
Nawab of Sindh'', and mediated peace particularly after the
Battle of Halani and the defeat of the ruling
Kalhora by the Talpur Baloch tribes.
File:Суккур.jpg|Caravan of merchants in the Indus River Valley
Talpurs
The
Talpur dynasty was established by members of the
Talpur tribe. The
Talpur tribes migrated from Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab to Sindh on the invitation of Kalhora to help them organize unruly Baloch tribes living in Sindh. Talpurs, who learned the Sindhi language, settled in northern Sindh. Very soon they united all the Baloch tribes of Sindh and formed a confederacy against the Kalhora Dynasty.
Four branches of the dynasty were established following the defeat of the
Kalhora dynasty at the
Battle of Halani in 1743: one ruled lower Sindh from the city of
Hyderabad, another ruled over upper Sindh from the city of
Khairpur, a third ruled around the eastern city of
Mirpur Khas, and a fourth was based in
Tando Muhammad Khan. The Talpurs were ethnically
Baloch,
and
Shia by faith.
They ruled from 1783, until 1843, when they were in turn defeated by the
forces of the
East India Company at the
Battle of Miani and
Dubbo.
The northern Khairpur branch of the Talpur dynasty, however, continued to maintain a degree of sovereignty during the period colonial rule as the
princely state of Khairpur,
whose ruler elected to join the new
Dominion of Pakistan in October 1947 as an autonomous region, before being fully amalgamated in the
West Pakistan in 1955.
Colonial period
in 1909.]]
In 1802, when
Talpur dynasty|Mir Ghulam Ali Khan Talpur succeeded as the Talpur
Nawab, internal tensions broke out in the state. As a result, the following year the
Maratha Empire declared war on Sindh and
Berar Subah, during which
Arthur Wellesley took a leading role causing much early suspicion between the
Emirs of Sindh and the
East India Company administration. The East India Company made its first contacts in the Sindhi port city of
Thatta, which according to a report was:
"a city as large as London containing 50,000 houses which were made of stone and mortar with large verandahs some three or four stories high ... the city has 3,000 looms ... the textiles of Sindh were the flower of the whole produce of the East, the international commerce of Sindh gave it a place among that of Nations, Thatta has 400 schools and 4,000 Dhows at its docks, the city is guarded by well armed Sepoys".
Bengal Presidency forces under General
Charles James Napier arrived in Sindh in the mid-19th century and captured Sindh in February 1843. The Baloch coalition led by
Talpur under
Mir Nasir Khan Talpur was defeated at the
Battle of Miani during which 5,000 Talpur Baloch were
killed in action. Shortly afterwards,
Hoshu Sheedi commanded another army at the
Battle of Dubbo, where 5,000 Baloch were also killed in action.
The first
Agha Khan, who was escaping persecution in
Persia and looking for an ally, helped the East India Company in their capture of Sindh. As a result, he was granted a lifetime pension.
A British journal by Thomas Postans mentions the Sindhi
Amirs as
prisoners of war: "The Amirs as being the prisoners of 'Her Majesty'... they are maintained in strict seclusion; they are described as Broken-Hearted and Miserable men, maintaining much of the dignity of fallen greatness, and without any querulous or angry complaining at this unlivable source of sorrow, refusing to be comforted". Within weeks, Charles Napier and his forces occupied Sindh.
After 1853, the Company administraton divided Sindh into districts and later made it part of the
Bombay Presidency.
In the year 1868, the Bombay Presidency assigned ''Narayan Jagannath Vaidya'' to replace the
Abjad used in Sindhi, with the ''
Khudabadi script''. The script was decreed a standard script by the
Bombay Presidency thus inciting anarchy in the
Muslim majority region. A powerful unrest followed, after which twelve separate periods of
martial law were imposed by the colonial government.
During the period of
Company rule,the city saw the rise of nationalist leaders such as
Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi, who pioneered the Sindhi Muslim
Hur Movement. He was hanged on 20March 1943 in
Hyderabad, Sindh. His burial place is unknown.
During the colonial period, railways, printing presses and bridges were introduced in the province. Writers like
Mirza Kalich Beg compiled and traced the literary history of Sindh.
Although Sindh had a culture of religious syncretism, communal harmony and tolerance due to Sindh's strong Sufi culture in which both Sindhi Muslims and Sindhi Hindus partook,
[Priya Kumar & Rita Kothari (2016) Sindh, 1947 and Beyond, ''South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies'', 39:4, 775, ] the mostly Muslim peasantry was oppressed by the Hindu moneylending class and also by the landed Muslim elite.
Sindhi Muslims eventually demanded the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency, a move opposed by Sindhi Hindus.
[Ansari, p. 77.]
By 1936 Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency. Elections in 1937 resulted in local Sindhi Muslim parties winning the bulk of seats. By the mid-1940s the
Muslim League gained a foothold in the province and after winning over the support of local Sufi ''pirs'', it didn't take long for the overwhelming majority of Sindhi Muslims to campaign for the creation of
Pakistan.
Population
Demographics
Sindh has the 2nd highest
Human Development Index out of all of Pakistan's provinces at 0.628. The 2017 Census of Pakistan indicated a population of 47.9 million.
The major ethnic group of the province is the
Sindhis, but there is also a significant presence of other groups.
Sindhis of Baloch origin make up about 30% of the total Sindhi population (although they speak Sindhi Saraiki as their native tongue), while
Urdu-speaking
Muhajirs make up over 19% of the total population of the province, while
Punjabi are 10% and
Pashtuns represent 7%. In August 1947, before the partition of India, the total population of Sindh was 3,887,070 out of which 2,832,000 were Muslims and 1,015,000 were Hindus
Religion
Islam in Sindh has a strong Sufi ethos with numerous Muslim saints and mystics, such as the Sufi poet
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, having lived in Sindh historically. One popular legend which highlights the strong Sufi presence in Sindh is that 125,000 Sufi saints and mystics are buried on
Makli Hill near
Thatta. The development of Sufism in Sindh was similar to the development of Sufism in other parts of the Muslim world. In the 16th century two Sufi tareeqat (orders) – Qadria and Naqshbandia – were introduced in Sindh. Sufism continues to play an important role in the daily lives of Sindhis.
Sindh also has Pakistan's highest percentage of
Hindu residents, which make up 8.52% of its population overall, and 11.9% of the province's rural population. These numbers also include the
scheduled caste population, which stands at 1.3% of the total in Sindh (or 2.1% in rural areas),
and is believed to have been under-reported, with some community members instead counted under the main Hindu category. The
Shri Ramapir Temple in Tandoallahyar whose annual festival is the second largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan is in Sindh. Sindh is also the only province in Pakistan to have a separate law for governing
Hindu marriages.
There are approximately 10,000 Sikhs in Sindh.
Languages
According to the 2017 census, the most widely spoken language in the province is
Sindhi, the first language of % of the population. It is followed by
Urdu (%),
Pashto (%),
Punjabi (%),
Saraiki (%) and
Balochi (2%).
Other languages with substantial numbers of speakers include
Kutchi and
Gujarati.
Other minority languages include
Aer,
Bagri,
Bhaya,
Brahui,
Dhatki,
Ghera,
Goaria,
Gurgula,
Jadgali,
Jandavra,
Jogi,
Kabutra,
Kachi Koli,
Parkari Koli,
Wadiyari Koli,
Loarki,
Marwari,
Sansi, and
Vaghri.
According to the 1998 census, 7.3% of people
Karachi's residents are Sindhi-speaking. However, since the last few decades, every year thousands of Sindhi speaking from the rural areas are moving and settling to the Karachi due to which population of the Sindhis is increasing drastically.
Karachi is 40% populated by
Muhajirs who speak
Urdu.
Other immigrant communities in Karachi are Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjabis from Punjab and other linguistic groups from various regions of Pakistan.
Geography and nature

Sindh is in the western corner of South Asia, bordering the
Iranian plateau in the west. Geographically it is the third largest province of Pakistan, stretching about from north to south and (extreme) or (average) from east to west, with an area of of Pakistani territory. Sindh is bounded by the
Thar Desert to the east, the
Kirthar Mountains to the west and the
Arabian Sea and
Rann of Kutch to the south. In the centre is a fertile plain along the
Indus River.
Flora

The province is mostly arid with scant vegetation except for the irrigated Indus Valley. The dwarf palm, ''Acacia Rupestris'' (kher), and ''
Tecomella undulata'' (
lohirro) trees are typical of the western hill region. In the Indus valley, the ''
Acacia nilotica'' (babul) (babbur) is the most dominant and occurs in thick forests along the Indus banks. The ''
Azadirachta indica'' (neem) (nim), ''Zizyphys vulgaris'' (bir) (ber), ''Tamarix orientalis'' (jujuba lai) and ''
Capparis aphylla'' (kirir) are among the more common trees.
Mango, date palms and the more recently introduced banana, guava, orange and
chiku are the typical fruit-bearing trees. The coastal strip and the creeks abound in semi-aquatic and aquatic plants and the inshore Indus delta islands have forests of ''Avicennia tomentosa'' (timmer) and ''
Ceriops candolleana'' (chaunir) trees. Water lilies grow in abundance in the numerous lake and ponds, particularly in the lower Sindh region.
Fauna

Among the wild animals, the
Sindh ibex (sareh),
blackbuck, wild sheep (
Urial or gadh) and
wild bear are found in the western rocky range. The
leopard is now rare and the
Asiatic cheetah extinct. The
Pirrang (large tiger cat or fishing cat) of the eastern desert region is also disappearing.
Deer occur in the lower rocky plains and in the eastern region, as do the striped
hyena (charakh),
jackal,
fox,
porcupine,
common gray mongoose and
hedgehog. The Sindhi phekari, red lynx or Caracal cat, is found in some areas. Phartho (hog deer) and wild bear occur, particularly in the central inundation belt. There are bats, lizards and reptiles, including the cobra, lundi (viper) and the mysterious Sindh
krait of the Thar region, which is supposed to suck the victim's breath in his sleep.
Some unusual sightings of Asian cheetah occurred in 2003 near the
Balochistan border in
Kirthar Mountains. The rare
houbara bustard find Sindh's warm climate suitable to rest and mate. Unfortunately, it is hunted by locals and foreigners.
Crocodiles are rare and inhabit only the backwaters of the Indus, eastern Nara channel and Karachi backwater. Besides a large variety of marine fish, the plumbeous dolphin, the beaked dolphin, rorqual or blue whale and skates frequent the seas along the Sindh coast. The Pallo (Sable fish), a marine fish, ascends the Indus annually from February to April to spawn. The
Indus river dolphin is among the most endangered species in Pakistan and is found in the part of the Indus river in northern Sindh.
Hog deer and
wild bear occur, particularly in the central inundation belt.
Although Sindh has a
semi arid climate, through its coastal and riverine forests, its huge fresh water lakes and mountains and deserts, Sindh supports a large amount of varied wildlife. Due to the semi-arid
climate of Sindh the left out forests support an average population of jackals and snakes. The
national parks established by the Government of Pakistan in collaboration with many organizations such as
World Wide Fund for Nature and
Sindh Wildlife Department support a huge variety of animals and birds. The
Kirthar National Park in the Kirthar range spreads over more than 3000 km
2 of desert, stunted tree forests and a lake. The KNP supports
Sindh ibex,
wild sheep (urial) and
black bear along with the rare leopard. There are also occasional sightings of The Sindhi phekari, ped lynx or Caracal cat. There is a project to introduce
tigers and
Asian elephants too in KNP near the huge Hub Dam Lake. Between July and November when the
monsoon winds blow onshore from the ocean, giant
olive ridley turtles lay their eggs along the seaward side. The turtles are protected species. After the mothers lay and leave them buried under the sands the SWD and WWF officials take the eggs and protect them until they are hatched to keep them from predators.
Climate

Sindh lies in a
tropical to
subtropical region; it is hot in the summer and mild to warm in winter. Temperatures frequently rise above between May and August, and the minimum average temperature of occurs during December and January in the northern and higher elevated regions. The annual rainfall averages about seven inches, falling mainly during July and August. The southwest monsoon wind begins in mid-February and continues until the end of September, whereas the cool northerly wind blows during the winter months from October to January.
Sindh lies between the two
monsoons—the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean and the northeast or retreating monsoon, deflected towards it by the
Himalayan mountains—and escapes the influence of both. The region's scarcity of rainfall is compensated by the inundation of the Indus twice a year, caused by the spring and summer melting of Himalayan snow and by rainfall in the monsoon season.
Sindh is divided into three climatic regions: Siro (the upper region, centred on
Jacobabad), Wicholo (the middle region, centred on
Hyderabad), and Lar (the lower region, centred on
Karachi). The
thermal equator passes through upper Sindh, where the air is generally very dry. Central Sindh's temperatures are generally lower than those of upper Sindh but higher than those of lower Sindh. Dry hot days and cool nights are typical during the summer. Central Sindh's maximum temperature typically reaches . Lower Sindh has a damper and humid maritime climate affected by the southwestern winds in summer and northeastern winds in winter, with lower
rainfall than Central Sindh. Lower Sindh's maximum temperature reaches about . In the Kirthar range at and higher at
Gorakh Hill and other peaks in
Dadu District, temperatures near freezing have been recorded and brief snowfall is received in the winters.
Major cities
Government
Sindh province
The
Provincial Assembly of Sindh is a
unicameral and consists of 168 seats, of which 5% are reserved for non-Muslims and 17% for women. The provincial capital of Sindh is
Karachi. The
provincial government is led by
Chief Minister who is directly elected by the
popular and landslide votes; the
Governor serves as a ceremonial representative nominated and appointed by the
President of Pakistan. The administrative boss of the province who is in charge of the bureaucracy is the
Chief Secretary Sindh, who is appointed by the
Prime Minister of Pakistan. Most of the influential Sindhi tribes in the province are involved in
Pakistan's politics.
In addition, Sindh's politics leans towards the
left-wing and its political culture serves as a dominant place for the
left-wing spectrum in the country.
The province's trend towards the
Pakistan Peoples Party and away from the
Pakistan Muslim League (N) can be seen in nationwide
general elections, in which, Sindh is a stronghold of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The
PML(N) has a limited support due to its
centre-right agenda.
In metropolitan cities such as
Karachi and
Hyderabad, the
MQM (another
left-wing party with the support of
''Muhajirs'') has a considerable vote bank and support.
Minor leftist parties such as
People's Movement also found support in rural areas of the province.
Divisions
In 2008, after the public elections, the new government decided to restore the structure of Divisions of all provinces. In Sindh after the lapse of the Local Governments Bodies term in 2010 the Divisional Commissioners system was to be restored.
In July 2011, following excessive
violence in the city of Karachi and after the political split between the ruling PPP and the majority party in Sindh, the MQM and after the resignation of the MQM Governor of Sindh, PPP and the Government of Sindh decided to restore the commissionerate system in the province. As a consequence, the five divisions of Sindh were restored – namely Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana with their respective districts. Subsequently, two new divisions have been added in Sindh, Banbore and Nawab Shah/Shaheed Benazirabad division.
Karachi district has been de-merged into its five original constituent districts:
Karachi East,
Karachi West,
Karachi Central,
Karachi South and
Malir. Recently Korangi has been upgraded to the status of the sixth district of Karachi. These six districts form the Karachi Division now.
Districts
Economy

Sindh has the
second largest economy in Pakistan. A 2016 study commissioned by Pakistan Ministry of Planning found that urban Sindh and northern Punjab province are the most prosperous regions in Pakistan. Its GDP per capita was $1,400 in 2010 which is 50 percent more than the rest of the nation or 35 percent more than the national average. Historically, Sindh's contribution to Pakistan's GDP has been between 30% to 32.7%. Its share in the service sector has ranged from 21% to 27.8% and in the agriculture sector from 21.4% to 27.7%. Performance wise, its best sector is the manufacturing sector, where its share has ranged from 36.7% to 46.5%.
Endowed with coastal access, Sindh is a major centre of economic activity in Pakistan and has a highly diversified economy ranging from heavy industry and finance centred in Karachi to a substantial agricultural base along the
Indus. Manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and other goods.
Agriculture is very important in Sindh with
cotton,
rice,
wheat,
sugar cane,
dates,
bananas, and
mangoes as the most important crops. The largest and finer quality of rice is produced in
Larkano district.
Education
thumb|National Academy of Performing Arts, Karachi
The following is a chart of the education market of Sindh estimated by the government in 1998:
Major public and private educational institutes in Sindh include:
*
Adamjee Government Science College
*
Aga Khan University
*
APIIT
*
Applied Economics Research Centre
*
Bahria University
*
Baqai Medical University
*
Chandka Medical College Larkana
*
Cadet College Petaro
* College of Digital Sciences
*
College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan
*
COMMECS Institute of Business and Emerging Sciences
*
D. J. Science College
*
Dawood College of Engineering and Technology
*
Defence Authority Degree College for Men
*
Dow International Medical College
*
Dow University of Health Sciences
*
Fatima Jinnah Dental College
*
Federal Urdu University
* GBELS Dourai Mahar Taluka Daur Distt: Shaheed Benazirabad
*
Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Sukkur
*
Government College for Men Nazimabad
* Government College Hyderabad
*
Government College of Commerce & Economics
*
Government College of Technology, Karachi
* Government Degree College Matiari
*
Government High School Ranipur
*
Government Islamia Science College Sukkur
* Government Muslim Science College Hyderabad
*
Government National College (Karachi)
* Greenwich University (Karachi)
*
Hamdard University
*
Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry
* Imperial Science College Nawabshah
*
Indus Valley Institute of Art and Architecture
*
Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
*
Institute of Business Administration, Sukkar
*
Institute of Business Management
*
Institute of Industrial Electronics Engineering
*
Institute of Sindhology
*
Iqra University
*
Islamia Science College (Karachi)
*
Isra University Hyderabad
*
Jinnah Medical & Dental College
*
Jinnah Polytechnic Institute
*
Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre
*
Jinnah University for Women
*
KANUPP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering
*
Karachi School of Business and Leadership
*
Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences
*
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology
*
Mohammad Ali Jinnah University
*
National Academy of Performing Arts
*
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
*
National University of Modern Languages
*
National University of Sciences and Technology
*
NED University of Engineering and Technology
* Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases
* PAF Institute of Aviation Technology
* TES Public School, Daur
* PAF KIET- Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology
*
Pakistan Navy Engineering College
*
Pakistan Shipowners' College
*
Pakistan Steel Cadet College
* Peoples Medical College for Girls Nawabshah
* PIA Training Centre Karachi
* Provincial Institute of Teachers Education Nawabshah
* Public School Hyderabad
*
Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology,
Nawabshah
*
Rana Liaquat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics
*
Saint Patrick's College, Karachi
*
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai University
*
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical College
*
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology
*
Sindh Agriculture University
*
Sindh Medical College
* Superior College of Science Hyderabad
*
Sindh Muslim Law College
*
Sir Syed Government Girls College
*
Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology
*
St. Joseph's College
*
Sukkur Institute of Science & Technology
*
Textile Institute of Pakistan
*
University of Karachi
*
University of Sindh
*
Usman Institute of Technology
*
Ziauddin Medical University
Culture Day
The rich culture, art and architectural landscape of Sindh have fascinated historians. The culture, folktales, art and music of Sindh form a mosaic of human history.
Cultural heritage

Sindh has a rich heritage of traditional handicraft that has evolved over the centuries. Perhaps the most professed exposition of Sindhi culture is in the handicrafts of
Hala, a town some 30 kilometres from
Hyderabad. Hala's artisans manufacture high-quality and impressively priced wooden handicrafts, textiles, paintings, handmade paper products, and blue pottery. Lacquered wood works known as Jandi, painting on wood, tiles, and pottery known as Kashi, hand weaved textiles including ''
khadi'', ''susi'', and ''
ajraks'' are synonymous with Sindhi culture preserved in Hala's handicraft.
The work of Sindhi artisans was sold in ancient markets of Damascus, Baghdad, Basra, Istanbul, Cairo and Samarkand. Referring to the lacquer work on wood locally known as Jandi, T. Posten (an English traveller who visited Sindh in the early 19th century) asserted that the articles of Hala could be compared with exquisite specimens of China. Technological improvements such as the spinning wheel (
charkha) and treadle (pai-chah) in the weaver's loom were gradually introduced and the processes of designing, dyeing and printing by block were refined. The refined, lightweight, colourful, washable fabrics from Hala became a luxury for people used to the woollens and linens of the age.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the World Wildlife Fund, Pakistan, play an important role to promote the culture of Sindh. They provide training to women artisans in Sindh so they get a source of income. They promote their products under the name of "Crafts Forever". Many women in rural Sindh are skilled in the production of caps. Sindhi caps are manufactured commercially on a small scale at New Saeedabad and Hala New. Sindhi people began celebrating Sindhi Topi Day on 6 December 2009, to preserve the historical culture of Sindh by wearing Ajrak and Sindhi topi.
Tourism
Tourist sites include the ruins of
Mohenjo-daro near the city of
Larkana, Runi Kot, Kot Deji, the Jain temples of Nangar Parker and the historic temple of Sadhu Bela, Sukkur. Islamic architecture is quite prominent in the province; its numerous mausoleums include the ancient
Shahbaz Qalander mausoleum.
*
Sachal Sarmast (Sufi poet) Daraz near Ranipur
*
Aror (ruins of historical city) near
Sukkur
* Chaukandi Tombs, Karachi
* Forts at
Hyderabad and
Umarkot
*
Gorakh Hill in
Dadu
*
Kahu-Jo-Darro near
Mirpurkhas
*
Kirthar National Park in
Dadu
*
Kot Diji Fort,
Kot Diji
*
Kotri Barrage near Hyderabad
*
Makli Hill, Asia's largest
necropolis,
Makli, Thatta
* Minar-e-Mir Masum Shah, Sukkur
*
Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi
*
Rani Bagh, Hyderabad
*
Ranikot Fort near Sann
* Ruins of
Mohenjo-daro and Museum near Larkana
*
Pakka Qila, Hyderabad
* Sadhu Bela Temple near Sukkur
*
Shahjahan Mosque,
Thatta
* Shrine of
Allama Makhdoom Muhammad Hashim Thattvi,
Thatta
* Shrine of
Shah Inayat Shaheed,
Jhok
* Shrine of
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai,
Bhit Shah
* Shrine of
Shahbaz Qalander in
Sehwan,
Dadu
*
Sukkur Barrage, Sukkur
*
malhan mata temple haryar, mithi
* Talpurs' Faiz Mahal Palace,
Khairpur
File:Sukkur bridge hdr.jpg|Sukkur Bridge
File:Gorakh Hill Morning.jpg|Gorakh Hill Station
File:FaizMahal.jpg|Faiz Mahal, Khairpur
File:Rani Kort Wall & Forte View.jpg|Ranikot Fort, one of the largest forts in the world
File:PK Chaukhandi Necropolis near Karachi asv2020-02 img09.jpg|Chaukhandi tombs
File:Bhodesar temple, Nagarparkar.JPG|Remains of 9th century Jain temple in Bhodesar near Nagarparkar.
File:Mohenjodaro Sindh.jpeg|Excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro
File:PK Karachi asv2020-02 img11 Clifton Beach.jpg|Karachi Beach
File:QASIM Fort.JPG|Qasim fort
File:Detail of Kot Diji Fort.jpg|Kot Diji
File:Bakirwarolake.jpg|Bakri Waro Lake, Khairpur
File:PK Karachi asv2020-02 img32 National Museum.jpg|National Museum of Pakistan
File:PK Kirthar NP asv2020-02 img18.jpg|Kirthar National Park
File:Karoonjhar Mountains.jpg|alt=Karoonjhar Mountains, Tharparkar|Karoonjhar Mountains, Tharparkar
File:Shahjahan mosque.jpg|Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta
File:Mausoleum of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai 05.jpg|Tomb of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
File:Keenjhar Lake view 1.jpg|Keenjhar Lake
File:Shrine Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sehwan Shareed, Pakistan.jpg|Lal Shahbaz Qalandar
See also
*
Arab Sind
*
Bagh Prints
*
Brahma from Mirpur-Khas
*
Debal
*
Institute of Sindhology
*
List of cities in Sindh
*
List of cities in Sindh by population
*
List of cultural heritage sites in Sindh
*
List of medical schools in Sindh
*
List of districts of Pakistan
*
List of Sindhi people
*
Provincial Highways of Sindh
*
Sindh cricket team
*
Mansura, Sindh
*
Mohenjodaro
*
Muhajir Sooba
*
Sind Division
*
Sindhu Kingdom
*
Sufism in Sindh
*
Sindh (disambiguation)
*
Sindhi dress
*
Tomb paintings of Sindh
Notes
References
Bibliography
* Ansari, Sarah F.D. (1992) ''Sufi saints and state power: the pirs of Sind, 1843–1947'', No. 50. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. .
*
*
External links
Sindh Transport Department official websiteGovernment of Sindh* Guide o
Sindh*
{{Authority control
Category:Provinces of Pakistan
Category:States and territories established in 1970
Category:Populated places established in the 7th millennium BC
Category:7th-millennium BC establishments