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Sindhis

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This article is about a socio-ethnic group of South Asia. For other uses of the word Sindhi, please see Sindhi.
Ethnic group
Sindhis
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan:
39,842,000
India:
4,890,000
Languages
Sindhi
Religion
Islam (Sufi majority 48%, Sunni Deobandi / Wahhabis 15%, Shia 18%, Hinduism 15%, Christianity 2%, smaller groups of atheists and agnostics
Related ethnic groups
• Indo-Aryans

      • Khojas
      • Memons
      • Gujaratis
      • Punjabis
      • Seraikis
      • Muhajir Urdu
      • Bohras
      • Kutchis / Kachhis
      • Tharis
      • Parsis
      • Sindhi Baloch
      • Bengalis

      • Hindu Sindhis

Sindhis are an ethnic community of the Republic of Balsindesh. Sindhis (सिन्धी, سنڌي) are an Indo-Aryan language speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh which is part of present day Pakistan. Sindhis that live in Pakistan are predominantly Muslim, while many Sindhi Hindus emigrated to India when British India was divided in 1947. Sindhi is an Indo-Aryan tongue with an eclectic history not unlike the Sindhis themselves.

History

The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh, as other regions of Pakistan, were believed to be aboriginal tribes speaking languages related to Munda languages. Then Dravidian speaking nomads are supposed to have invaded from the Iranian plateau and settled in the Indus valley around 4000 BCE. The Dravidian culture blossomed over the centuries and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient Pakistan (now in present-day Pakistan) around 3000 BCE. The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan, but suddenly went into decline just prior to the arrival of tribes from Eastern Europe. The ancient civilization of what came to be known as Harappa and Mohenjodaro both derive their modern location names from the Sindhi language as opposed to the Elamo-Dravidian language of the Indus Valley Civilization which remains undeciphered. In Sindhi, Mooanjo-daro literally translates to "Mound of Dead." A branch of these Aryan invadors called the Indo-Aryans are believed to have founded the Vedic Civilization that have existed between Sarasvati River and Ganges river around 1500 BCE and also influenced Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia.

The Sindhi language evolved from the Indo-European languages of the invaders and a distinct culture emerged in the region. Over time, Sindh developed a multi-cultural society composed of mainly Buddhists, Hindus, and other smaller religious and cultural groups. Sindh was often the final stop for Middle Eastern and Central Asian empires such as the Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks and Afghans this gave Sindh a distinct and unique culture even before the arrival of Islam. The site of a great deal of historical activity, Sindh was at the crossroads of civilization sitting at the edge of South Asia. Sindh was also one of the regions to become predominantly Muslim and was part of the earliest Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in Sindh. The Muslim Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. Settled by Turks, Afghans, and Mughals, Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state and by the time of British involvement was ruled by Balochi kings. In 1947, during the independence from British empire, the majority of Sindhis voted to join the new state of Pakistan. This led to a population exchange as well as communal violence as most Hindu Sindhis left for India and were replaced by Urdu-speaking Muslims known as Muhajir. Today over 1.5 million Hindus currently reside in Sindh.

Today, many Sindhi tibes inhabit the region of Sindh and parts of India. These tribes include the Khaskhli- a tribe found predominately in Larkana, Shahdad Kot, and Tando Adam- the Dahar, Qasmi, Qureshi, Sommro, Jukhio, Bundh, Tuni, Bohar, Jhatial, Thebo, Abbasi, Mangi, Qazi, Mahar, Sindhi Memon, Odho, Hakro, and Syial among many others.

Culture and society

Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan language speaking people who have been modified by mainly Iranian, Turkic, Afghan and indigenous tribal populations over time. As a result of their geographic location and countless invasions and migration, the Sindhis display a wide variety of phenotypes.

As regards the composition of the Sindhi population the two main stocks that inhabit Sind are related to, and common, one with the Punjab and another with Balochistan. The majority stock is that of Rajputs and Jats who are the partial descendants of Sakas (Indo-Scythians, Kushans and Huns who also constitute the majority of the population of the Punjab. The title Huna, i.e. Huns, remains in use by some clans and is possibly a reference to this partial ancestral lineage. During Kalhora rule a number of Jat tribes such as the Sials, Joyas and Khawars came from the Punjab and settled in Sindh. They are called Sirai i.e., people from the north, and speak Siraiki, a group that overlaps and is sometimes considerable transitional between the Punjabis and Sindhis.

The two main Rajput tribes of Sind are: the Samma, a branch of the Yadav Rajputs who inhabit the eastern and lower Sind and Bahawalpur; and the Sumra who, according to the 1907 edition of the Gazetteer are a branch of the Parwar Rajputs. Among others are the Mahar/Mahers, Bhuttos, Bhattis, Buriros, Lakkha, Sahetas, Lohanas, Mohano, Dahar, Indhar, Chachar, Dhareja, Rathors, Dakhan, Langah etc. The Mohano tribe is spread over Makran, Sind and southern Punjab. They are also identified with the 'Mallah' of the Punjab and both have in common a sub-section called Manjari. All of these Sindhi tribes are known under the common nomenclature of Sammat and includes both Muslim and Hindu Sindhis.

The smaller stock is that of Balochi tribes settled in various parts of Sind mostly during the last five hundred years or so. Since they were martial people and ruled over Sindh for some time before the arrival of the British, they acquired vast lands in the province with the result that a large number of present-day Sindhi landlords are of Baloch origin. According to the 1941 census, which was the last one held before independence, Balochis formed 23% of the total Muslim population of Sindh. Among the Balochi tribes inhabiting Sind are the Rind, Mengal, Domki, Gabol, Leghari, Lashari, Chandio, Karmati, Bizenjo, Jatoi, Buledi, Khosa, Jamali, Umrani, Bugti, Marri, Mazari, Talpur, Brohi, Zehri, Buledhi, Korai, Bozdar, Zardari, Mazari and Magsi. These tribes are spread over Balochistan, Sindh and the south-western districts of the Punjab. This group is almost entirely Muslim.

A third sub-stock of the Sindhi population comprises the partial descendants (or claimants) of Muslim conquerors, administrators and missionaries who were mainly Arabs, Persians, Afghans and Turks (including the Mughals). They are a small minority settled in cities and towns and have largely blended with the other components of the population and yet maintain something of a sub-culture and are often referred to as Ashraf or the noble descendants of Muslim immigrants with a certain degree of prestige in society. Of this third element, Muslim Arabs have possibly contributed the most to the development of the modern Sindhi language and literature and to the advancement of its intellectual and cultural activities.

Another group of people who are largely overlooked in any discussions about groups and culture of Sindh are Haris a name derived from the term Harijan formerly used to describe Dalit people of India. These people are generally believed to be the descendants of indigenous populations that were enslaved by various invading people. Many are still living under abject poverty and in slave like conditions in rural Sindh, in spite of many efforts by the government to improve the situation . Some are nominally Hindus where as others have converted to Islam and moved on as artisans and wage laborers. They form upto 24% of muslim population and upto 60% of population of districts of Umerkot, Thatta, Badin, Dadu etc.

The last group of immigrants are the Urdu speaking Muhajirs who may form upto 40% of population of Sindh.

Many famous sindhis who born in Sindh and claimed International Recognition in their fields can be found at Famous Sindhis

Islamic Sindhi culture is a combination of Islamic traditions and local traditions with variances that include an adherence to a Muslim diet, i.e. Halal. Sindhi culture also absorbed considerable Arab cultural influence as well as that of the Iranian Baloch who still comprise a significant minority that have assimilated well with the Sindhis. Sindh is home to the Hindus who have remained in Pakistan as well as other religious groups such as Parsis. Muslim Sindhis tend to follow the Sunni sect, but Shia Muslims are a substantial minority.

Sindhi women in Pakistan are still very traditional overall, but many wear very colorful clothes, while donning a 'chador' on their heads; men traditionally wear white and/or blue Shalwar Kameez and sometimes wear turbans or a traditional Sindhi cap on their heads. This, however, has changed in cities where some more devout women can be seen wearing the hijab, while the shalwar kameez and Western clothing have become common for men.

Sindhis usually flourish in business particularly that of cloth and textiles. Many also work in agriculture and manufacturing jobs. Literacy remains low but is improving for Sindhis. Less than 50% of Sindhis are illiterate, in Pakistan.


Muslim Sindhis tend to have traditional Muslim names, but sometimes with localized variations, while most Hindu Sindhis are identifiable by the "ani" at the end their last names like Tolani, Kingrani, Hirani, Bharwani, Motiani, Chellani, Sukhani, etc. Some famous Sindhis include the Bhutto family, who are a Sindhi political dynasty in Pakistan, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai who was a writer of Sindhi poetry, the billionaires Hinduja brothers of India & L.K.Advani who was the deputy Prime Minister of India & is a big political figure in the country.

References

  1. Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan - Population by Mother Tongue
  2. Ethnologue report for India
  3. Shri Sindhi Samaj

External links

See also

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