Sindh, one of the most fertile lands on earth, which gave birth to the early civilisation of the subcontinent, has remained under constant threat from foreign invasion; every ruler during different times had his eyes on Sindh, its people and its wealth. Every attack has been of serious nature. Those who failed in the first attempt tried repeatedly to conquer this land; some went to the extent of attacking 17 times just to get their hands on this gifted land. During these attacks, Sindh bore grave losses but kept on rebuilding itself. The pre-historic barbaric Aryans who had no sense of how to dwell in cities entered the mighty cities of Sindh and destroyed them. However, this land and its people had the ability to rebuild themselves. According to surveys done by independent organisations in the mid-1990s, Sindh was the richest province in the entire Indian subcontinent until 1947.
Rig Veda, the most sacred Hindu scripture, mentions Sindh and Sindhu in a very respectful manner. It pays tribute by saying: Sindhu flows faster than all other rivers/ Its water shines and reflects/ Sindhu flows like a warrior’s horse, who is there to stop it/ It flows like lightning thunder/ Flowing from barren lands, Sindhu gives them fruit and life.
The kings and rajas, living on the banks of the Sindh river, especially Raja Bhavya and his family, presented special gifts and sacrifices to Sindhu: O Sindhu! May thy horses always be healthy, and may red birds fly upon thee/ Everyone knows that Sindhu just like Indra, Heaven, Aditi, Mitra, Prithvi, Agni, and Varuna is a famous goddess/ Sindhu is a famous goddess, for giving life to barren lands and fruit to everyone. The sloka ends with, “May Indra, Heaven, Earth, and Sindhu with the waters, Aditi with Adityas give us shelter” (T. H. Griffith, Rig Veda, English translation).
According to Dr N A Baloch’s book Sindh: Studies in History, Sindh, which takes its name from the Sindhu River (Indus), is synonymous with the larger Indus Delta, or the lower Indus Valley. Following is a list of invasions in Sindh by foreigners:
Barbaric Aryans, who had no sense or respect for city life, invaded and destroyed the cities of Sindh in 3000 BC. In 520-515 BC, the Iranians invaded Sindh. Alexander in 326-325 BC. The Syrians in 305 BC. Greeks in 195 BC. The Hellenist King of Kabul in 155 BC. Sethians and Kushans in 120 BC-200 AD. Turks in 50 AD-200 AD. The Ephalites and the White Huns in 400-500 AD. Sassanids from Persia in the second half of the third century AD. The Arabs entered Sindh in 712 AD. The Arghuns in the 1500s AD. Turkhans in mid-16th century AD. Mughals in late 16th century AD.
In 1839, the Talpurs ruling Sindh signed treaties with the East India Company and gave them Karachi. Finally, on February 17, 1843, the British started ruling Sindh as Charles Napier conquered it and the Englishmen ruled until 1947.
The East India Company: on December 31, 1600, Queen Elizabeth I granted 200 English merchants a Royal Charter allowing them the right to trade with the East Indies. The East India Company became so wealthy and powerful that it helped turn Britain into a global superpower. The Company’s rule in India effectively began in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey and lasted till 1858, following the Indian rebellion of 1857. The Government of India Act 1858 led to the British crown assuming direct control of India in the new British Raj.
According to Dr Allah Rakhio Butt’s research paper, Earliest Newspapers of Sindh, Karachi was already under the Company’s rule from 1839, when the British were thrown out from Afghanistan; in anger and frustration, they conquered Sindh. On this conquest, The Times, one of the leading newspapers in the world, on Thursday, April 6, 1843, on page four reported thus: “We yesterday announced to our readers a brilliant victory obtained by Sir C Napier, at the head of 2,700 of our own troops, over 22,000 Beloochees — a satisfactory evidence that in military power at least, the days of Plassey and Assaye are not gone by. Such is the difference between the rabble army of a native prince and the noble and disciplined sepoys trained by English officers.”
(To be continued)
The writer can be reached at [email protected]