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Part I – Content KnowledgeSocial StudiesClasses 6–7

Pakistan Studies (Classes 6–7): Ancient Civilisations, Muslim Rule and the History of Sindh

From Mehrgarh and the Indus Valley to Gandhara, the Arab conquest of Sindh, the Sultanate and Mughals, Sindh's ruling dynasties, Sufi saints and the coming of the British.

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Ancient civilisations

  • Mehrgarh (Kachhi plain, Balochistan) – one of the earliest farming settlements in South Asia (around 7000 BCE).
  • Indus Valley Civilisation (about 2600–1900 BCE at its height): Mohenjo-daro (Larkana) and Harappa (Sahiwal). Features: planned streets in a grid, covered drains, baked bricks, the Great Bath, granaries, seals with a script that is still not deciphered.
  • Harappa was excavated from 1921 (Daya Ram Sahni) and Mohenjo-daro from 1922 (R. D. Banerji). Mohenjo-daro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1980).
  • Kot Diji (Khairpur) – an early Indus site.
  • Gandhara Civilisation – Peshawar valley and Taxila; famous for Buddhist art and statues; Taxila was a great centre of learning.

Arrival of Islam and Muslim rule

  • Arab traders reached the coasts of Sindh early. In 712 CE, Muhammad bin Qasim, sent by Hajjaj bin Yusuf, captured Debal and defeated Raja Dahir. Sindh became Bab-ul-Islam (Gateway of Islam).
  • Mahmud of Ghazni led repeated campaigns into the subcontinent (from about 1001 CE).
  • Delhi Sultanate began in 1206 with Qutbuddin Aibak.
  • Mughal Empire founded by Babur after the First Battle of Panipat (1526). Emperor Akbar was born at Umerkot, Sindh (1542). After Aurangzeb's death (1707) the empire declined.

Ruling dynasties of Sindh

  • Soomra and Samma dynasties – local rulers; the Sammas made Thatta their capital; the Makli necropolis contains their tombs.
  • Arghun and Tarkhan rulers, followed by Mughal governors.
  • Kalhora dynasty – Ghulam Shah Kalhoro founded Hyderabad (1768).
  • Talpur dynasty (1783–1843) – the Mirs of Hyderabad, Khairpur and Mirpurkhas.
  • 1843 – the British under Charles Napier defeated the Talpurs at the Battle of Miani and annexed Sindh. Sindh was joined to the Bombay Presidency (1847) and became a separate province on 1 April 1936.

Sufi saints and culture

  • Lal Shahbaz Qalandar – Sehwan Sharif.
  • Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai – Bhit Shah; his poetry is collected in Shah Jo Risalo.
  • Sachal Sarmast – Daraza (Khairpur); wrote in several languages.
  • Data Ganj Bakhsh (Ali Hujwiri) – Lahore; author of Kashf-ul-Mahjoob.
  • Sufis spread Islam through love, tolerance and service. Sindhi culture is known for Ajrak, Sindhi topi, music (e.g. at Sehwan and Bhit Shah) and handicrafts such as Hala pottery and lacquered woodwork.

The coming of the British

  • East India Company – founded in 1600; gained power after the Battle of Plassey (1757).
  • War of Independence (1857) – after its failure, the Company's rule ended and the British Crown took direct control (1858). The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was exiled to Rangoon.
  • Sir Syed Ahmad Khan worked to bring Muslims back into education through the Aligarh Movement.
  • Sindh Madressatul Islam, Karachi – founded in 1885 by Hassanally Effendi.