Daily Times

During all the invasions, Sindh has stood against the invaders and fought for independence. It has used different tactics against different enemies; the following were their initial attacks on the Company: looting an English camp in 1839. When Pointingeer started the implementation of the second plan in 1838, the British commissioners and their munshees in Sindh sprang into action. They established British garrisons, after which the English army started to march from Bombay (Mumbai) and the Sutlej. In December 1838, a huge army led by Sir John Kane (Cane) tried to invade Sindh; the Talpurs ruling there went into chaos, and due to their ineffective resistance, the Manora Islands in Karachi were captured by the army. In January 1839, when the British army crossing Jehrick moved forward from Hyderabad, the Baloch chiefs became furious and collecting 20,000 men, attacked a camp near Giddu, looting guns, artillery, and other valuables. The camp leader Lieutenant W J Stock to save his life fled to Thatta on a steamer. The English men threatened the Mirs to capture Karachi, after which the Mirs asked the chiefs to throw down their weapons against the Company.

The Sindhis fought the second time after the Battle at Meeani. On the 36th day of battle at Meeani, another bloody battle between Charles Napier and Mir Sheer Mohammad took place at Dubba on March 24, 1843; this battle was fought approximately 15 miles away from Hyderabad at a small village called Dubba. Almost 5,000 brave Sindhi men were martyred, while 39 English soldiers died and 231 were injured. Four major leaders of the Sindhis, including General Hosh Mohammad Sheedi, Ghulam Ali Khan Talpur, Ali Khan Talpur and Jaffar Khan Marri were martyred.

Attack on the Commissioner’s Residence: as the new treaty was proposed to the ameers on February 14, 1843, as reported by The Times, May 8, 1843, a large force of Baloch attacked the Commissioner’s Residence at Hyderabad the next day.

The Baloch attacked the Company: The Times, Thursday, April 6, 1843 on page four reported this attack as: “A division of 2,700 men, supported by three steamers, having been sent to occupy the line of Indus under the orders of Sir Charles Napier was attacked near Hyderabad by 22,000 Beloochees, commanded by the Ameers of Scinde.”

Attack on Major Outram: Major Outram was attacked after February 17, 1843 as reported by The Times. His letter to C Napier was quoted in which he claimed that at 9:00 am, a dense body of cavalry and infantry took position on three sides of the agency compound, while the fourth was being defended by the steamer about 500 yards distant, in the gardens and houses that immediately command the enclosure. A hot fire was opened by the Sindhis on the enemy, which lasted for four hours.

Jemadar Mookanjee Naick testifies an attack: he was a native personnel in the British army belonging to the 15th Regiment Native Infantry, and was called to court after an attack on the 19th, 20th and 21st February 1843, at the English Camp, as reported by The Times, May 10, 1843. According to Jemadar, 800 to 1,000 Baloch attacked and created chaos in the British camp. The attack was well planned at first, 300 to 500 men shouting “Deen Ali” entered the compounds, and after that were backed by five to seven hundred men. He also testified that two or three days before the attack, he noticed men coming down the river and landing at Vikkur. On his inquiry, he was told they were sent by the Ameer to collect the grain that was collected annually.

Company attacked by Jokhio tribe of Malliar: Dr A R Butt in his article published in daily Ibrat, February 11, 2001, talks about this event: “On the instructions of Talpur rulers, Jam Maher Jokhio in 1843, gathered men of Kalmati, Jokhio, and Nomayan tribes to attack the English camp at Karachi, but as he received the news of Talpur Ameers surrendering at Meeani, he waited 40 miles away from the camp. Later Jam Chakar Khan Jokhio, nephew of Jam Maher Khan Jokhio, gathering 200 men of his tribe, suddenly attacked the camp. There were a few sepoys in the camp and there were stunned at this sudden action; only ten to twelve of them were able to save their lives. The Memons also took part in this attack along with Jokhios. Charles Napier taking it as an insult to British troops ordered to punish the Sindhi attackers. Preedy moved forces against the chief, due to which Jam Maher Ali, Ibrahim Khan Kalmati, and Malik Ahmed Khan Nomayani surrendered to retain their properties, but Chakar Khan Jokhio stood and fought against the invaders, though he lost all his property.”

Company attacked at Sukkur: The Times, October 10, 1843, reports this event as follows: “Meer Ali Mohammad had taken up a position with a party of followers threatening the Khyrpore districts. Ali Morad, the Khyrpore Ameer, marched against the enemy in the interim, when they disappeared and took the hilly districts across the river.”

Attack at Shikarpur: according to The Times, September 11, 1844, a party of 40 cavalry men was sent about 12 miles from Shikarpur to protect a body of grass cutters attacked by Baloch paid by Sheer Mohammad.

It is very clear from these brave acts of the Sindhi nation that they never accepted any invasion at any time. They were in a continuous fight against tyrants; when the whole of the subcontinent was sleeping, Sindh was fighting for its freedom. It may be remembered that the first mutiny against the Company in the rest of India was noticed in 1857, some fourteen years after the earliest attacks of the Sindhi people.

(Concluded)

The writer can be reached at kaleem_buttbutt@yahoo.com