Shikarpur (; ') is a city and the capital of
Shikarpur District in
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
province of
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. It is situated about 29 km west of the right bank of the
Indus, with a railway station, 37 km north-west of
Sukkur
Sukkur is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh along the western bank of the Indus River, directly across from the historic city of Rohri. Sukkur is the List of cities in Sindh by population, third largest city in Sindh after Karachi and H ...
. It is the
42nd largest city of Pakistan by population according to the 2017 census.
History
Shikarpur was founded in 1677 as the hunting ground of
Mahars.
Shikarpur, the seat of civilisation, culture, trade and commerce acquired political and economic importance because of its strategic location on the map of
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
, being directly accessible to those who came from Central and West Asia through the
Bolan Pass. In the early 17th century this emerald city in the northern Sindh province of Pakistan became the nucleus of a historical trade center on a caravan route through the
Bolan Pass into
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.
Shikarpur became the core of manufactures including brass and metal goods, carpets, cotton cloth, and embroidery. Its great bazaar (covered because of the summer heat) is famous throughout
Turkistan and southern Asia. The city's economic prosperity was underpinned by the concentration of several Shikarpuri
bania communities known as the
Multanis (though not all of them actually hail from
Multan
Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
). They were instrumental in increasing the importance of Shikarpur in the 18th century as the financial capital of the
Durrani Empire.
Like many urban areas in Sindh, the city of Shikarpur was predominantly populated by
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
prior to the partition of India.
However, the predominantly
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
population of Sindh supported
Muslim League and
Pakistan Movement. After the
independence
Independence is a condition of a 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 status of ...
of
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
in 1947, the
Sindhi Hindu minority
migrated to
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
while the Muslims refugees from
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, called the
Muhajirs, settled down in the
Shikarpur District.
Demographics
Population
According to
2023 census, Shikarpur had a population of 204,938. The population of
Shikarpur District was estimated to be 1,231,481 in 2017.
The predominant population is
Sindhi. There are significant
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
,
Baloch,
Brahui, speaking communities in Shikarpur. The population is mainly
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
. There is a small
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
minority in the city as most Hindus migrated to India after independence in 1947.
Geography
Shikarpur District has an area of 2640 square kilometers, divided into four "talukas":
* Shikarpur, Sindh.
* Lakhi.
*
Garhi Yasin .
*
Khanpur, Sindh.
Its borders meet with districts of
Larkana,
Jacobabad,
Khairpur &
Sukkur
Sukkur is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh along the western bank of the Indus River, directly across from the historic city of Rohri. Sukkur is the List of cities in Sindh by population, third largest city in Sindh after Karachi and H ...
. Two National Highways (N-65 & N-55) intersect in the city of Shikarpur, so it can well be termed as, one of the junction points of the four provinces.
The district has a total road length of 920.0 kilometers, including 125.0 kilometers of National Highways and 195.0 kilometers of Provincial Highways. It is, thus, deficient in road density (0.35 km/Km2) compared with recognized international parameters of development (1 km/Km2). During the last few years, creeping development activity has taken place and 71.0 kilometers of road, 94 schools and a number of schemes in drainage, health and other sectors have been completed, under various programs. Basically, agrarian economy of district Shikarpur is dependent upon non-perennial irrigation system, so the district is always in semi-drought conditions. The last spell of drought is particularly notable as it created heavy unemployment and unsustainable poverty, which without any doubt created serious law and order situations.
Boundaries
The District is bounded on the north and east by
Jacobabad District in the south by
Sukkur District
Sukkur District (, ) is a district in Sindh Province in Pakistan. Two districts have been split off from the territory of Sukkur: Shikarpur District, Shikarpur in 1977 and Ghotki District, Ghotki in 1993. According to 2023 Pakistani census populat ...
on the west by
Indus River
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...
and
Larkana District.
Gates of Shikarpur
The town consists of seven gates named Lakhi-dar, Hathi-dar, Hazari-dar, Civi-dar, Karan-dar, Wagono-dar, Khanpur-dar, and one window named Siddiqui Mari.
Covered Market or Dhak Bazar
Located in the center of the old city, Dhak Bazaar or covered market is a long, narrow street with shops on either sides. It is covered with woodwork of pure teak. It has been serving as a cool shade during the hot summers. Shikarpur along with other contemporary cities like Bukhara, Samarkand, and Istanbul at that time had a covered street market.
Healthcare
*Rai Bahadur Udhaudas Tarachand Hospital (
Civil Hospital)
*Hiranand Gangabai Ladies Hospital
Education
Notable educational institutes located in Shikarpur include
Shaikh Ayaz University and
Chellaram and Seetaldas College.
Institutes have their own libraries, but there is only one public library in Shikarpur named "Qadir Bux Bedil Library".
Notable People
Gallery
File:Shikarpur.jpg, Old building architecture of Shikarpur
File:Deewan hotel.jpg, Deewan Ramchand's historical restaurant is very famous for its Sweets and Kulfi-Falooda
File:Samosa Making at Hathi dar Shikarpur.jpg, Samosa Making at Hathi dar Shikarpur
File:SHIKARPUR SAIF PLAZA.jpg, Shikarpur Saif plaza
File: Shahi_Bagh.jpg, Shahi Bagh
See also
*
Shikarpuri achar
*
Garhi Yasin
*
Khanpur, Sindh
*
Thul
*
Sultan Kot
*
Mian Jo Goth
References
General references
* Markovits, Claude ''The Global World of Indian Merchants 1750-1947 Traders of Sind from Bukhara to Panama'', Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp. 65–217.
External links
History of Shikarpur
{{Authority control
Populated places in Sindh
Shikarpur District
Tehsils of Shikarpur District