Khudabad

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خدا آباد
Khudabad
خدا آباد
Coordinates: 26°23′N 67°27′E / 26.39°N 67.45°E / 26.39; 67.45Coordinates: 26°23′N 67°27′E / 26.39°N 67.45°E / 26.39; 67.45
Country  Pakistan
Province Sindh
Elevation 31 m (102 ft)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)

Khudabad (Sindhi: خدا آباد, Urdu: خدا آباد ‎) is a city in Dadu District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is located at 26°39'0N 67°45'0E with an altitude of 31 metres (104 feet) and lies to the south of the district capital Dadu.[1]

History

The Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar developed the empty land on the banks of the Sindhu, eventually naming it Khud-Abad (Self-Development), around 1351 AD. This development drew the attention of other Sindhi communities to the extent that the Governor of Sindh, Mian Yar Muhammad Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty became aware of it and chose to make it his permanent settlement.

Around 1710 AD Yar Muhammad Kalhoro along with his followers, won over Khud-Abad from the Panhwar. Between 1718 and 1719, Mian Yar Muhammad died and he was buried there.After his death when Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro became the ruler of Sindh (1719–1755) he chose Khud-Abad as his capital and renamed it as Khudabad (City of God). He started developing the place rapidly as a well planned city, which led to many Amils and Bhaibands migrating there for employment and trade. He also built a beautiful Jamia Musjid. Khudabad was capital of Sindh between 1719 and 1768 when replaced with Hyderabad, Sindh.

The Khudabadi script was invented by Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar community. The members of the Swarnakar community, while residing in Khudabad, around 1750, felt it necessary to invent a very simple script so that they can send written messages to their relations, who were living far away from them in their own home towns. This necessity mothered the invention/creation of a new script. The new script had no vowels and to be written from left to right (like Sanskrit) and continued to be in use for very long period of time among Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar. Due to its simplicity, the use of this script spread very quickly and got acceptance in other sindhi communities, for sending written communications. Because it was originated from Khudabad, it was called Khudabadi script.

Around 1750, most of Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Khudabadi Sonara) in Khudabad, used to supply their gold ornament products to Seth Sanwalmal (non Khudabadi Sonara), who was offering favourable terms of payments and logistic facilities. He was a very famous and prosperous trader, jeweler and sheriff (banker). He had his business interests in Khudabad, Sukkur, Kotri, Thatta and Keti Bunder, all of them were important trading centers of Sindh in those days. Seth Sanwalmal was Suryavanshi, Sindhi lohana and his ancestor "Rajmal" fought for Raja Daharsen, during the year 711 Arab invasions and laid down his life. His children along with other Hindus left Sindh for safer grounds, after the battle was lost. After time immemorial, they returned to Sindh during Kalhora reign and lived in Khudabad. Seth Sanwalmal died in 1773, leaving behind his four sons, Chhatomal, Lakhimal, Bharomal and Tolomal. The descendents of Bharomal and Lakhimal are now known as Bharvani and Lakhiani respectively. There also lived Seth Mahtabrai, whose ancestors were goldsmiths and lived at Nariganj in District Dhadhar. They worshipped the Goddess Kali Mata. Due to some mis-understandings/dispute with Muslims, they left Nariganj and migrated first to Bakhar in Sindh and later to Khudabad. There also lived Punwani's and Gulrajani's whose ancestors were goldsmiths and were devotees of Goddess Kali Mata. There is no information if ancestors of Seth Mahtabrai, Punwani's and Gulrajani's, being devotees of Goddess Kali Mata and being goldsmith, were linked with Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Khudabadi Sonaras) in past.

In 1755, Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro died and was buried in a tomb, built by him before his death, about a kilometre from Khudabad City. Those clubs have been kept in the tomb of Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro. People used to come to tomb for worship and offer sticks as symbols of respect. Many a times, Hindus perform mundane ceremony of their children there and offer sticks as rituals. It is also said that people still find very old coins in the ruins of Khudabad city. Around 1908, a charcoal seller on his horse passed through Khudabad and collided with a wall of an old building and saw some silver coins. With the help of some confidential labourers he found many old silver coins worth about thirteen thousand rupees, which he kept with himself. After some time, this mystery leaked out and he was charged under Indian Treasure-Trove Act in the court of Resident Magistrate of Dadu.[2] After the death of Mian Noor Mohammad, Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro's claim to rule was challenged by his brothers Muradyab Khan and Attar Khan. The latter was able to obtain Sanad (Authority to Rule) from Ahmed Shah Durrani and so Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro vacated the seat in his favour. Mian Attar Khan could not manage the state of affairs. Taking advantage of political uncertainty, Khosas looted Hindus as well as Muslims and burnt the Khudabad city down by tying fire crackers with the feet of birds and let fly them throughout the city after setting fire the fire crackers.[3] Therefore, in 1759, the Baloach Chiefs re-incarnated Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, who defeated his two brothers and assumed the throne. He started, once again, the settlement of Khudabad on nearby new lands, by the new course of the river Indus, commendably.

Fateh Ali Khan (Talpur) defeated the Kalhora (Mian Abdul Nabi Kalhora) in 1783 and took over as the new ruler of Sindh. Khudabad City continued to remain his capital till it was inundated by river Sindhu in 1789 and then Mir Fateh Ali Khan chose Hyderabad, Sindh (old Nayrun Kot) as his capital. The change of capital no doubt induced a large number of the population of Khudabad including Sonaras, Amils and Bhaibands to migrate to the new seat of royalty. Those groups retained the term Khudabadi in the names of their communities as an identifier of origin. And Khudabad city's decline may be said to have commenced from that date. By the year 1800, the majority of Sonaras living in other parts of Sindh had migrated to Hyderabad

Architecture

The tomb of Mian Yar Muhammad Kalhoro of ruler of Kalhora Dynasty is Khudabad, Dadu, Sindh.

The Jamia Masjid Khudabad or Badshahi Masjid, is situated in Khudabad, Dadu, Sindh and was built during the reign of Yar Mouhammed Kalhoro between 1700 and 1718.[4] The mosque served as a schools as well as for military training.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Location of Khudabad - Falling Rain Genomics
  2. ↑ Diwan Bherumal Meharchand "Amilan Jo Ahwal" 24 March 1919
  3. ↑ Diwan Bherumal Meharchand "Amilan Jo Ahwal" 24 March 1919
  4. ↑ Qurban Ali Khushik , "17th century Kalhoro tombs disappear brick by brick ", Dawn Media Group, 19 January 2010
  5. ↑ N. K. Bozai, "Kalhora Governance of Sindh - An Overview", Mahdavia Foundation, 2006
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