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The history of ''']''' prior to the nineteenth century is brief. Karachi was known as ] during the ]. According to legend, ] was settled when an old fisherwoman by the name of ] settled near the delta of the ] to start a community
{{use dmy dates|cs1-dates=ly|date=June 2021}}
<ref name="urc">{{cite web| url=http://www.urckarachi.org/housing.htm| title="Urban Resource Centre"| first=Urban Resource Centre| last=Official website| accessdate=2006-05-12}}</ref>. At ], ] camped and built a fleet for the voyage back to ]. Alexander's admiral ] sailed back to ] from 'Morontobara' port, which is probably the modern ] Island at ]. When ] conquered modern ] in 712, the area was called ] (or Debul) which may have been the ancestral village of present-day Karachi. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of ] at ] constituted the city of ].
{{History of Karachi}}
] - a beautiful structure built during the ]]]
The area of ''']''' ({{langx|ur|کراچی}}, {{langx|sd|ڪراچي}}) in ], Pakistan has a natural harbor and has been used as fishing port by local fisherman belonging to ] tribes since ]. Archaeological excavations have uncovered a period going back to Indus valley civilisation which shows the importance of the port since the Bronze Age. The port city of ] was established before the Christian era which served as an important trade hub in the region, the port was recorded by various names by the ] such as ], Morontobara port, and ], a sea port of the ] ]n kingdom and ''Ramya'' according to some Greek texts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/infiltration-by-the-gods/40/7811/ |title=Infiltration by the gods |access-date=2013-01-14 |archive-date=2017-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707192301/http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/infiltration-by-the-gods/40/7811/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Arabs knew it as the port of ], from where ] led his conquering force into ] (the western corner of South Asia) in AD 712. ] or Lari Bandar succeeded Debal as a major port of the ]; it was located close to ], in modern Karachi. The first modern port city near ] (now Manora Peninsula) was established during ] in the late 19th century.
It was in 1772 that the village ''Kolachi-jo-Goth'' was changed from a fishing village to a trading post when it was selected as a port for trade with ] and ]. In the following years, a fort was built and cannons brought in from Muscat were mounted on it. The fort had two doorways, one facing the sea called the ''Kharo Dar'' (in Sindhi), ''Khara Dar'' (in Urdu) or Brackish Gate ] and one facing the River Lyari called the ''Mitho Dar'' (in Sindhi), ''Meetha Dar'' (in Urdu) or Sweet Gate ]. Currently, the site of those gates corresponds to the location of the neighborhoods of Kharodar and Mithodar. In 1795 the city passed from the Khan of ] to the rulers of ].


== Names ==
Karachi gained in position as a port which led to its importance being recognized by the British, and consequently led to the conquering of the town on the ], ]. Three years later, it was annexed into ] as a district. The British recognized the importance of Karachi as a natural harbor and port for the produce of the ] basin, and the city was rapidly developed into a bustling port city. A famous quote about Karachi attributed to ] is: ''Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!''. Napier's quote proved almost prophetic as it was under the ] that Karachi would grow rapidly as its harbor was developed. When the ] broke out in 1857, the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to the rebellion and joined the cause of the war on ], ]. The British quickly reasserted control over Karachi and defeated the uprising.
The ancient names of Karachi included: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], Kalachi, ], Kalachi-jo-Goth, ], ], ], and ].


== Early history ==
In 1876, ], the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, and he would later be buried there. By this time Karachi was a developed city with railroads, temples, churches, mosques, paved streets, courts and many commercial centers as well as a magnificent harbor built by the British. Many of the buildings were built in classical British colonial style, contrasting significantly with the "Mughal Gothic" of Lahore. Many of these old buildings exist today and provide interesting destinations for visitors. Karachi continued to grow in size as well as importance due to its position as a major port. A railroad connected Karachi to the rest of British India in the 1880s. Population grew from 73,500 (1881), to 105,199 (1891), to 115,407 (1901) (Britannica 1911 ed.). In 1899 Karachi was said to be the largest wheat exporting port in the East (Feldman 1970:57). In 1911 when the capital was shifted to Delhi, Karachi became closer to being a Gateway to India. Karachi was declared the capital of the newly formed Sindh province in 1936, chosen over the traditional capital city, ].


=== Pre history ===
In 1947, Karachi was made the capital of the new nation of Pakistan. At that time Karachi was a city of only 400,000 people, and its growth accelerated as a result of its new status. Being the capital, Karachi became a focal point for the new nation and this added to its status as a cultural centre in this part of the world. Although the capital later moved to ] and then ], Karachi remains the economic centre of Pakistan, accounting for a large portion of the ] of the country and large chunk of the nation's white collar workers. In the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the area and there was much praise for the way its ] was progressing, but in the 1990s, the city was wracked with sectarian violence. In the last 20 years, Karachi has continued to grow, passing the 12 million mark. The current economic boom in Pakistan has created a sudden growth spurt in Karachi as jobs and infrastructure projects are increasing with time.
The Late ] and ] sites found by ] team on the ], in front of Karachi University Campus, constitute one of the most important ] discoveries made in ] during the last fifty years. The last ], who left abundant traces of their passage, repeatedly inhabited the Hills. Some twenty different spots of ] were discovered during the surface surveys.


=== Indus Valley Civilisation ===
== External links ==
] and ] are the archaeological sites from the ] periods situated in Karachi district. ] of a house have been discovered at this site of Allahdino.


=== Greeks Visitors ===
* - The history of the city of Karachi explored with old photographs
The ] recorded the place by many names: Karachi is identified with ], where ] camped in 326 BCE to prepare a fleet for ] after his campaign in the ];<ref name="OX2009" /> ], from whence Alexander's admiral ] set sail; and ], a port of the ]n kingdom.<ref name=Eggermont1975></ref>


=== Debal and Bhanbhore===
]
]
]
] and ] were the ancient port cities established near present-day modern city of Karachi. It dates back to the Scytho-Parthian era and was later controlled by Hindu Buddhist kingdoms before falling into Arab possession in the 8th century CE. In the 13th century it was abandoned Remains of one of the earliest known mosques in the region dating back to 727 AD are still preserved in the city. ] mentions export of rice (from near present-day Karachi and ]) to Arabia.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reddy|first=Anjana|chapter=Archaeology of Indo-Gulf Relations in the Early Historic Period: The Ceramic Evidence |editor=H.P Ray |title=Bridging the Gulf: Maritime Cultural Heritage of the Western Indian Ocean |publisher=Manohar Publishers |place=New Delhi |url=https://www.academia.edu/20135170}}</ref>

According to ], A large minaret of a temple existed in Debal whose upper portion was knocked down by Ambissa Ibn Ishak and converted into prison. and at the same time began to repair the ruined town with the stones of minaret.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=SARAO|first=K. T. S.|title=Buddhist-Muslim Encounter in Sind During the Eighth Century |date=2017 |jstor=26609161|journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute |volume=77|pages=75–94|issn=0045-9801}}</ref>

== Post Islamic era (8th century AD – 19th century) ==
]

=== Umayyad dynasty ===
In AD 711, ], a commander of the ], conquered ] and ], bringing South Asian societies into contact with Islam, succeeding partly because ] was a Hindu king that ruled over a Buddhist majority and that ] and his kin were regarded as usurpers of the earlier Buddhist ]<ref name="Gier">{{cite conference|author=Nicholas F. Gier |title=FROM MONGOLS TO MUGHALS: RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN INDIA 9TH-18TH CENTURIES |conference=Presented at the Pacific Northwest Regional Meeting American Academy of Religion, Gonzaga University, May 2006 |url=http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/mm.htm |access-date=11 December 2006}}</ref><ref name=Naik>{{cite book|last=Naik|first=C.D. |title=Buddhism and Dalits: Social Philosophy and Traditions|year=2010 |publisher=Kalpaz Publications|location=Delhi|isbn=978-81-7835-792-8|page=32}}</ref> this view is questioned by those who note the diffuse and blurred nature of Hindu and Buddhist practices in the region,<ref>P. 151 ''Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World'' By André Wink</ref> especially that of a royalty to be patrons of both and those who believe that Chach himself may have been a Buddhist.<ref>P. 164 ''Notes on the religious, moral, and political state of India before the Mahomedan invasion, chiefly founded on the travels of the Chinese Buddhist priest Fai Han in India, A.D. 399, and on the commentaries of Messrs. Remusat, Klaproth, Burnouf, and Landresse, Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. Sykes'' by Sykes, Colonel;</ref><ref>P. 505 '']'' by Henry Miers Elliot, John Dowson</ref> The forces of Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Raja Dahir in alliance with the ] and other regional governors.

=== Kalhora dynasty ===

The ]s established the port Kharak Bundar near Karachi.<ref name="OX2009">{{cite book |editor1-last=Bloom |editor1-first=Jonathan M. |editor2-last=Blair |editor2-first=Sheila S. |title=Karachi. In The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780195373042 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001/acref-9780195309911-e-467}}</ref> In 1729, immigrants from the ] port of Kharak relocated to found Karachi near the ] mouth. Initially, Karachi was a modest settlement, but its trade grew as other ports like Shahbandar and Keti Bandar also silted up.<ref name="Eggermont1975">{{cite book |last1=Eggermont |first1=Pierre Herman Leonard |title=Alexander's Campaigns in Sind and Baluchistan and the siege of the Brahmin Town of Harmatelia |date=1975 |publisher=Peeters Publishers |location=Leuven |isbn=9789061860372 |page=55}}</ref><ref></ref>
According to some legends, Karachi is named after a fisherwoman called Mai Kolachi.{{sfn|Gayer|2014|page=127}} The name Karachee was used for the first time in a ] document from 1742, in which a merchant ship ''de Ridderkerk'' is shipwrecked near the original settlement.<ref>''The Dutch East India Company (VOC) and Diewel-Sind (Pakistan) in the 17th and 18th centuries'', Floor, W. Institute of Central & West Asian Studies, University of Karachi, 1993–1994, p. 49.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Dutch East India Company's shipping between the Netherlands and Asia 1595–1795|date=2015-02-02 |url=http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/das/detailVoyage/95544 |access-date=2015-06-14}}</ref>

=== Talpur dynasty ===

In 1795, the city came under the control of the ] of ]<ref name="Eggermont1975" /> and was ruled by them until it was occupied by the ] under the command of ] on 2 February 1839.<ref name="Gayer2014">{{cite book|last=Gayer|first=Laurent |title=Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-935444-3|page=42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BklRBAAAQBAJ}}</ref>

== Colonial period (1839–1947) ==

=== Company rule ===
After sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, the ] conquered the town on February 3, 1839. The town was later annexed to the ] when ] was conquered by ] in the ] on February 17, 1843. Karachi was made the capital of Sindh in the 1840s. On Napier's departure it was added along with the rest of Sindh to the ], a move that caused considerable resentment among the native Sindhis. The British realised the importance of the city as a military cantonment and as a port for exporting the produce of the ], and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town began rising rapidly.

], Karachi, c. 1860]]
The arrival of troops of the Kumpany Bahadur in 1839 spawned the foundation of the new section, the military cantonment. The cantonment formed the basis of the 'white' city where the Indians were not allowed free access. The 'white' town was modeled after English industrial parent-cities where work and residential spaces were separated, as were residential from recreational places.

Karachi was divided into two major poles. The 'black' town in the northwest, now enlarged to accommodate the burgeoning Indian mercantile population, comprised the Old Town, Napier Market and Bunder, while the 'white' town in the southeast comprised the Staff lines, Frere Hall, Masonic lodge, Sindh Club, Governor House and the Collectors Kutchery {{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|tʃ|ɛr|i}}{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} located in the Civil Lines Quarter. Saddar bazaar area and Empress Market were used by the 'white' population, while the Serai Quarter served the needs of the native population.

The village was later annexed to the ] when the Sindh was conquered by ] in 1843. The capital of Sindh was shifted from Hyderabad to Karachi in the 1840s. This led to a turning point in the city's history. In 1847, on Napier's departure the entire Sindh was added to the ]. The post of the governor was abolished and that of the ] established.

The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for the produce of the ], and rapidly developed its harbor for shipping. The foundation of a city municipal committee was laid down by the Commissioner in Sinde, ] and infrastructure development was undertaken. Consequently, new businesses started opening up and the population of the town started rising rapidly. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: ''Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!''

In 1857, the ] broke out, and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to rebels, joining their cause on 10 September 1857. Nevertheless, the British were able to quickly reassert control over Karachi and defeat the uprising. Karachi was known as ''Khurachee Scinde'' (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) during the early British colonial rule.

]
]
]]]
]
], inaugurated in 1932]] In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England when a direct telegraph connection was laid between Karachi and London.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Persian Gulf Submarine Telegraph of 1864 |last=Harris |first=Christina Phelps |journal=] |issn=1475-4959 |volume=135 |issue=2 |year=1969 |page=169 |doi=10.2307/1796823 |jstor=1796823 |bibcode=1969GeogJ.135..169H }}</ref> In 1878, the city was connected to the rest of British India by rail. Public building projects such as ] (1865) and the ] (1890) were undertaken. In 1876, ], the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, which by now had become a bustling city with mosques, temples, churches, courthouses, markets, paved streets and a magnificent harbour. By 1899, Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the east.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fieldman |first=Herbert |title=Karachi through a hundred years |place=UK |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1960}}</ref> The population of the city was about 105,000 inhabitants by the end of the 19th century, with a cosmopolitan mix of Muslims, Hindus, Europeans, ], ], ], ], and ]s. The city faced a huge cholera epidemic in 1899.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64894761 |title=CHOLERA IN THE PUNJAUB. |newspaper=] |volume=1 |issue=61 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=29 May 1899 |access-date=7 March 2018 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> By around the start of the 20th century, the city faced street congestion, which led to South Asia's first ]way system being laid down in 1900.

The city remained a small fishing village until the British seized control of the offshore and strategically located at ]. Thereafter, authorities of the ] embarked on a large-scale modernisation of the city in the 19th century with the intention of establishing a major and modern port which could serve as a gateway to ], the western parts of British Raj, and ]. The city was predominantly Muslim with ] and ] ethnic groups. ]'s competition with imperial Russia during the ] also heightened the need for a modern port near Central Asia, and so Karachi prospered as a major centre of commerce and industry during the Raj, attracting communities of: ], ], ], ] from ], Jews, ], ], ] people from ], ] from ], ] in India, and ] (also known as Parsees)—in addition to the large number of British businessmen and colonial administrators who established the city's poshest locales, such as ]. This ] changed the religious and cultural mosaic of Karachi.
]
British colonialists embarked on a number of public works of sanitation and transportation, such as gravel paved streets, proper drains, street sweepers, and a network of trams and horse-drawn trolleys. Colonial administrators also set up military camps, a European inhabited quarter, and organised marketplaces, of which the ] is most notable. The city's wealthy elite also endowed the city with a large number of grand edifices, such as the elaborately decorated buildings that house social clubs, known as 'Gymkhanas.' Wealthy businessmen also funded the construction of the ] (a large seaside promenade) and the ], in addition to the cinemas, and gambling parlours which dotted the city.

By 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the ]. In 1924, an ] was built and Karachi became the main airport of entry into ]. An airship mast was also built in Karachi in 1927 as part of the ], which was later abandoned. In 1936, Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made again the capital of the ]. In 1947, when ] achieved independence, Karachi had become a bustling metropolitan city with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city's thoroughfares.

As the movement for ] almost reached its conclusion, the city suffered widespread outbreaks of communal violence between Muslims and Hindus, who were often targeted by the incoming Muslim refugees. In response to the perceived threat of Hindu domination, self-preservation of identity, the province of Sindh became the first province of British India to pass the ], in favour of the creation of the Pakistani state. The Muslim population supported ] and ]. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Hindus and Sikhs ] to India and this led to the decline of Karachi, as Hindus controlled the business in Karachi, while the Muslim refugees from India settled down in Karachi. While many poor low caste Hindus, Christians, and wealthy ] (Parsees) remained in the city, Karachi's Sindhi Hindu migrated to India and was replaced by Muslim refugees who, in turn, had been uprooted from regions belonging to India.

== Post-Independence (1947 CE – present) ==

===Pakistan's capital (1947–1959)===
{{Main|Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)}}

] was the ] between 1963 and 1968.]]
Karachi became Pakistan's capital in 1947; by 1951, the population was 1.1 million. Although the capital shifted to Islamabad in 1959, Karachi continued to grow<ref name="OX2009" /> as Muslim refugees from India fleeing from ] ]s and other parts of South Asia came to settle in Karachi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pqa.gov.pk/about_karachi.php |title=Port Qasim &#124; About Karachi |publisher=Port Qasim Authority |access-date=10 February 2014}}</ref> As a consequence, the demographics of the city also changed drastically. The Government of Pakistan through Public Works Department bought land to settle the Muslim refugees.<ref></ref>

=== Modern Population and Area ===

By 1990, the ] covered 3365 sq km, and by 2007 the population reached approximately 14.5 million. The city was influenced by ], Mehdi Ali Mirza and others integrated contemporary styles, including ]'s and ]'s approaches, seen in notable buildings like ]'s residence and the Karachi University complex.
Notable Constructions include ], designed by ], and the ], reflect evolving architectural sophistication and cultural integration.<ref name="OX2009" />

==Picture gallery==
<gallery heights="100px" widths="120px">
Image:Khimapold.jpg|A map of Karachi from 1889
Image:Empressmkt1890.jpg|The Empress Market, 1890
Image:Mapkhi1893.jpg|A map of Karachi from 1893
Image:Khibundarroadold.jpg|View of the dense old native town by the end of the 19th century
Image:Khibandarrd.jpg|View of the Bunder Road (now M. A. Jinnah Rd.), 1900
Image:Khibandarrd2.jpg|Bunder Road
Image:Khiport1906.jpg|Farewell arch erected by the Karachi Port for the Royal visit of ], later ], 1906
Image:Britskhi.jpg|British family at Elphinstone St., 1914
</gallery>

==See also==
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{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
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* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720134827/http://www.scribd.com/doc/3248363/History-of-KARACHI-with-old-new-Pictures |date=2013-07-20 }}
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Part of a series on the
History of Karachi
Prehistoric period
Ancient period
Classical period
Islamic period
Local dynasties
British period
Independent Pakistan

The area of Karachi (Urdu: کراچی, Sindhi: ڪراچي) in Sindh, Pakistan has a natural harbor and has been used as fishing port by local fisherman belonging to Sindhi tribes since prehistory. Archaeological excavations have uncovered a period going back to Indus valley civilisation which shows the importance of the port since the Bronze Age. The port city of Banbhore was established before the Christian era which served as an important trade hub in the region, the port was recorded by various names by the Greeks such as Krokola, Morontobara port, and Barbarikon, a sea port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom and Ramya according to some Greek texts. The Arabs knew it as the port of Debal, from where Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into Sindh (the western corner of South Asia) in AD 712. Lahari Bandar or Lari Bandar succeeded Debal as a major port of the Indus; it was located close to Banbhore, in modern Karachi. The first modern port city near Manora Island (now Manora Peninsula) was established during British colonial Raj in the late 19th century.

Names

The ancient names of Karachi included: Krokola, Barbarikon, Nawa Nar, Rambagh, Kurruck, Karak Bander, Auranga Bandar, Minnagara, Kalachi, Morontobara, Kalachi-jo-Goth, Banbhore, Debal, Barbarice, and Kurrachee.

Early history

Pre history

The Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic sites found by Karachi University team on the Mulri Hills, in front of Karachi University Campus, constitute one of the most important archaeological discoveries made in Sindh during the last fifty years. The last hunter-gatherers, who left abundant traces of their passage, repeatedly inhabited the Hills. Some twenty different spots of flint tools were discovered during the surface surveys.

Indus Valley Civilisation

Allahdino and Pir Shah Jurio are the archaeological sites from the Indus Valley civilisation periods situated in Karachi district. Floor tiles of a house have been discovered at this site of Allahdino.

Greeks Visitors

The Greeks recorded the place by many names: Karachi is identified with Krokola, where Alexander camped in 326 BCE to prepare a fleet for Babylon after his campaign in the Indus Valley; Morontobara, from whence Alexander's admiral Nearchus set sail; and Barbarikon, a port of the Bactrian kingdom.

Debal and Bhanbhore

Archaeological ruins of Bhanbore

Debal and Bhanbhore were the ancient port cities established near present-day modern city of Karachi. It dates back to the Scytho-Parthian era and was later controlled by Hindu Buddhist kingdoms before falling into Arab possession in the 8th century CE. In the 13th century it was abandoned Remains of one of the earliest known mosques in the region dating back to 727 AD are still preserved in the city. Strabo mentions export of rice (from near present-day Karachi and Gulf of Cambay) to Arabia.

According to Biladuri, A large minaret of a temple existed in Debal whose upper portion was knocked down by Ambissa Ibn Ishak and converted into prison. and at the same time began to repair the ruined town with the stones of minaret.

Post Islamic era (8th century AD – 19th century)

A sketch of the old fort at Karachi from the 1830s

Umayyad dynasty

In AD 711, Muhammad bin Qasim, a commander of the Umayyad dynasty, conquered Sindh and Indus Valley, bringing South Asian societies into contact with Islam, succeeding partly because Raja Dahir was a 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 this view is questioned by those who note the diffuse and blurred nature of Hindu and Buddhist practices in the region, especially that of a royalty to be patrons of both and those who believe that Chach himself may have been a Buddhist. The forces of Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Raja Dahir in alliance with the Jats and other regional governors.

Kalhora dynasty

The Kalhoras established the port Kharak Bundar near Karachi. In 1729, immigrants from the silting-up port of Kharak relocated to found Karachi near the Hub River mouth. Initially, Karachi was a modest settlement, but its trade grew as other ports like Shahbandar and Keti Bandar also silted up. According to some legends, Karachi is named after a fisherwoman called Mai Kolachi. The name Karachee was used for the first time in a Dutch document from 1742, in which a merchant ship de Ridderkerk is shipwrecked near the original settlement.

Talpur dynasty

In 1795, the city came under the control of the Talpur Mirs of Hyderabad and was ruled by them until it was occupied by the Bombay Army under the command of John Keane on 2 February 1839.

Colonial period (1839–1947)

Company rule

After sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, the British East India Company conquered the town on February 3, 1839. The town was later annexed to the British Indian Empire when Sindh was conquered by Charles James Napier in the Battle of Miani on February 17, 1843. Karachi was made the capital of Sindh in the 1840s. On Napier's departure it was added along with the rest of Sindh to the Bombay Presidency, a move that caused considerable resentment among the native Sindhis. The British realised the importance of the city as a military cantonment and as a port for exporting the produce of the Indus River basin, and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town began rising rapidly.

Frere Hall, Karachi, c. 1860

The arrival of troops of the Kumpany Bahadur in 1839 spawned the foundation of the new section, the military cantonment. The cantonment formed the basis of the 'white' city where the Indians were not allowed free access. The 'white' town was modeled after English industrial parent-cities where work and residential spaces were separated, as were residential from recreational places.

Karachi was divided into two major poles. The 'black' town in the northwest, now enlarged to accommodate the burgeoning Indian mercantile population, comprised the Old Town, Napier Market and Bunder, while the 'white' town in the southeast comprised the Staff lines, Frere Hall, Masonic lodge, Sindh Club, Governor House and the Collectors Kutchery /kəˈtʃɛri/ located in the Civil Lines Quarter. Saddar bazaar area and Empress Market were used by the 'white' population, while the Serai Quarter served the needs of the native population.

The village was later annexed to the British Indian Empire when the Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier in 1843. The capital of Sindh was shifted from Hyderabad to Karachi in the 1840s. This led to a turning point in the city's history. In 1847, on Napier's departure the entire Sindh was added to the Bombay Presidency. The post of the governor was abolished and that of the Chief Commissioner in Sindh established.

The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for the produce of the Indus basin, and rapidly developed its harbor for shipping. The foundation of a city municipal committee was laid down by the Commissioner in Sinde, Bartle Frere and infrastructure development was undertaken. Consequently, new businesses started opening up and the population of the town started rising rapidly. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!

In 1857, the Indian Mutiny broke out, and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to rebels, joining their cause on 10 September 1857. Nevertheless, the British were able to quickly reassert control over Karachi and defeat the uprising. Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) during the early British colonial rule.

An old image of Karachi from 1889
Karachi map, 1911
St Joseph's Convent School, Karachi
An image from 1930 of Elphinstone Street, Karachi
Karachi Municipal Corporation Building, inaugurated in 1932

In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England when a direct telegraph connection was laid between Karachi and London. In 1878, the city was connected to the rest of British India by rail. Public building projects such as Frere Hall (1865) and the Empress Market (1890) were undertaken. In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, which by now had become a bustling city with mosques, temples, churches, courthouses, markets, paved streets and a magnificent harbour. By 1899, Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the east. The population of the city was about 105,000 inhabitants by the end of the 19th century, with a cosmopolitan mix of Muslims, Hindus, Europeans, Jews, Parsis, Iranians, Lebanese, and Goans. The city faced a huge cholera epidemic in 1899. By around the start of the 20th century, the city faced street congestion, which led to South Asia's first tramway system being laid down in 1900.

The city remained a small fishing village until the British seized control of the offshore and strategically located at Manora Island. Thereafter, authorities of the British Raj embarked on a large-scale modernisation of the city in the 19th century with the intention of establishing a major and modern port which could serve as a gateway to Punjab, the western parts of British Raj, and Afghanistan. The city was predominantly Muslim with Sindhi and Baloch ethnic groups. Britain's competition with imperial Russia during the Great Game also heightened the need for a modern port near Central Asia, and so Karachi prospered as a major centre of commerce and industry during the Raj, attracting communities of: Africans, Arabs, Armenians, Catholics from Goa, Jews, Lebanese, Malays, Konkani people from Maharashtra, Kuchhi from Kuchh, Gujarat in India, and Zoroastrians (also known as Parsees)—in addition to the large number of British businessmen and colonial administrators who established the city's poshest locales, such as Clifton. This mass migration changed the religious and cultural mosaic of Karachi.

Port trust Building

British colonialists embarked on a number of public works of sanitation and transportation, such as gravel paved streets, proper drains, street sweepers, and a network of trams and horse-drawn trolleys. Colonial administrators also set up military camps, a European inhabited quarter, and organised marketplaces, of which the Empress Market is most notable. The city's wealthy elite also endowed the city with a large number of grand edifices, such as the elaborately decorated buildings that house social clubs, known as 'Gymkhanas.' Wealthy businessmen also funded the construction of the Jehangir Kothari Parade (a large seaside promenade) and the Frere Hall, in addition to the cinemas, and gambling parlours which dotted the city.

By 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. In 1924, an aerodrome was built and Karachi became the main airport of entry into British Raj. An airship mast was also built in Karachi in 1927 as part of the Imperial Airship Communications scheme, which was later abandoned. In 1936, Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made again the capital of the Sindh. In 1947, when Pakistan achieved independence, Karachi had become a bustling metropolitan city with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city's thoroughfares.

As the movement for independence almost reached its conclusion, the city suffered widespread outbreaks of communal violence between Muslims and Hindus, who were often targeted by the incoming Muslim refugees. In response to the perceived threat of Hindu domination, self-preservation of identity, the province of Sindh became the first province of British India to pass the Pakistan Resolution, in favour of the creation of the Pakistani state. The Muslim population supported Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India and this led to the decline of Karachi, as Hindus controlled the business in Karachi, while the Muslim refugees from India settled down in Karachi. While many poor low caste Hindus, Christians, and wealthy Zoroastrians (Parsees) remained in the city, Karachi's Sindhi Hindu migrated to India and was replaced by Muslim refugees who, in turn, had been uprooted from regions belonging to India.

Post-Independence (1947 CE – present)

Pakistan's capital (1947–1959)

Main article: Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)
Habib Bank Plaza was the tallest building in Asia between 1963 and 1968.

Karachi became Pakistan's capital in 1947; by 1951, the population was 1.1 million. Although the capital shifted to Islamabad in 1959, Karachi continued to grow as Muslim refugees from India fleeing from anti-Muslim pogroms and other parts of South Asia came to settle in Karachi. As a consequence, the demographics of the city also changed drastically. The Government of Pakistan through Public Works Department bought land to settle the Muslim refugees.

Modern Population and Area

By 1990, the Karachi Division covered 3365 sq km, and by 2007 the population reached approximately 14.5 million. The city was influenced by Modernism, Mehdi Ali Mirza and others integrated contemporary styles, including Frank Lloyd Wright's and Le Corbusier's approaches, seen in notable buildings like Mehdi Ali Mirza's residence and the Karachi University complex. Notable Constructions include The Institute of Business Administration, designed by William Perry, and the Aga Khan Hospital and Medical College, reflect evolving architectural sophistication and cultural integration.

Picture gallery

  • A map of Karachi from 1889 A map of Karachi from 1889
  • The Empress Market, 1890 The Empress Market, 1890
  • A map of Karachi from 1893 A map of Karachi from 1893
  • View of the dense old native town by the end of the 19th century View of the dense old native town by the end of the 19th century
  • View of the Bunder Road (now M. A. Jinnah Rd.), 1900 View of the Bunder Road (now M. A. Jinnah Rd.), 1900
  • Bunder Road Bunder Road
  • Farewell arch erected by the Karachi Port for the Royal visit of Prince of Wales, later King George V, 1906 Farewell arch erected by the Karachi Port for the Royal visit of Prince of Wales, later King George V, 1906
  • British family at Elphinstone St., 1914 British family at Elphinstone St., 1914

See also

References

  1. "Infiltration by the gods". Archived from the original on 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  2. ^ Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (2009). Karachi. In The Grove encyclopedia of Islamic art and architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195373042.
  3. ^ Eggermont, Pierre Herman Leonard (1975). Alexander's Campaigns in Sind and Baluchistan and the siege of the Brahmin Town of Harmatelia. Leuven: Peeters Publishers. p. 55. ISBN 9789061860372.
  4. Reddy, Anjana. "Archaeology of Indo-Gulf Relations in the Early Historic Period: The Ceramic Evidence". In H.P Ray (ed.). Bridging the Gulf: Maritime Cultural Heritage of the Western Indian Ocean. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers.
  5. SARAO, K. T. S. (2017). "Buddhist-Muslim Encounter in Sind During the Eighth Century". Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute. 77: 75–94. ISSN 0045-9801. JSTOR 26609161.
  6. 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 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
  7. Naik, C.D. (2010). Buddhism and Dalits: Social Philosophy and Traditions. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. p. 32. ISBN 978-81-7835-792-8.
  8. P. 151 Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World By André Wink
  9. P. 164 Notes on the religious, moral, and political state of India before the Mahomedan invasion, chiefly founded on the travels of the Chinese Buddhist priest Fai Han in India, A.D. 399, and on the commentaries of Messrs. Remusat, Klaproth, Burnouf, and Landresse, Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. Sykes by Sykes, Colonel;
  10. P. 505 The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians by Henry Miers Elliot, John Dowson
  11. The case of Karachi, Pakistan
  12. Gayer 2014, p. 127.
  13. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) and Diewel-Sind (Pakistan) in the 17th and 18th centuries, Floor, W. Institute of Central & West Asian Studies, University of Karachi, 1993–1994, p. 49.
  14. "The Dutch East India Company's shipping between the Netherlands and Asia 1595–1795". 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  15. Gayer, Laurent (2014). Karachi: Ordered Disorder and the Struggle for the City. Oxford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-19-935444-3.
  16. Harris, Christina Phelps (1969). "The Persian Gulf Submarine Telegraph of 1864". The Geographical Journal. 135 (2): 169. Bibcode:1969GeogJ.135..169H. doi:10.2307/1796823. ISSN 1475-4959. JSTOR 1796823.
  17. Fieldman, Herbert (1960). Karachi through a hundred years. UK: Oxford University Press.
  18. "CHOLERA IN THE PUNJAUB". The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times. Vol. 1, no. 61. Tasmania, Australia. 29 May 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 2018-03-07 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "Port Qasim | About Karachi". Port Qasim Authority. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  20. A story behind every name

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