Umerkot

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Umarkot, also known as Omarkot, (Urdu: عمرکوٹ) is town in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is also referred to as Amar Kot by old historians, including Tej Singh Solanki, who refers to the city as Amar Kot Itehas. The city is well connected with the other large cities like Karachi, the provincial capital and Hyderabad.

[edit] History

Once, it was the capital of Greater Sindh Province (including some parts of present Rajasthan state of India). It also became prominent during the time of the Mughals and during the British Raj. The great Mughal king Akbar was born in Umerkot when his father Humayun fled from military defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri. Rana Prasad, a Sodha Rajput ruler of Amerkot, gave refuge to Humayun. Akbar later became the King of India and was a popular figure with both Hindus and Muslims. Umerkot has many sites of historical significance such as Akbar's birthplace and Umarkot Fort.

[edit] Folklore

Another significant story relating to Umerkot is that of Umar Marvi. Marvi was a young Thari girl abducted by Umar, then-ruler, who wanted to marry because of her beauty. Upon her refusal she was being imprisoned in the historic Umerkot Fort for many years until her ultimate release. Because of her courage, Marvi is an ideal for the local people.