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History of
Sindh:
Sindh has a history of town life, going back to some 5,000 years, as
attested by the numerous archaeological finds of modern times. The most
important archaeological sites are: Amri, Kotdijji and Mohen-jo- Daro. The
ruins of Mohen-jo-Daro, which was a flourishing city by about 2500 B.C.,
reveal a remarkably developed of civilization. The city has parallel
streets, a planned drainage system, and grain storage facilities.
Sindh's later history begins towards the end of the 6th century B.C., when
the Persian King Darius I (the Great) sent the Greek explorer Scylax to
survey the Indus Valley. In 325B.C., Alexander the Great of Macedona
conquered Sindh from the north, but after his death in 323B.C., Greek
influence began to wane. The region flourished once again in the days of the
Buddhist emperor Asoka (Ashoka), who reigned about 274-237 B.C. In the 2nd
century B.C., following the disintegration of Asoka's empire. Sindh became
under the influence of Indo-Greek and Indo-Parthian dynasties. Later it was
absorbed into the Kushan empire, which reached its height in the 1st and 2nd
century A.D., During the region of kanisihka I, a great patron of Buddhism.
At the close of the 4th century, Sindh was part of the empire of the Guptas,
who effected a revival of Brahmanism in India.
Muslim rule in Sindh began with the Arab conquest of the region in 712 A.D.
by Muhammad Ibn Kasim. He had been sent by Hajaj-Lbn yusuf, governor of Iraq
for the Umayya Caliph, to punish the Brahman ruler of Debal for interfering
with shipping in he Arabian sea. Sindh remained under Arab rule for nearly
300 years. The Sammas in 1351 A.D.
In 1025-1026H, Mahmud Ghazanvi marched through Sindh to Somnath, which is
now in the Indian state of Gujarat. Arghuns & Tarkhans ruled over Sindh from
1521 A.D. to 1555 A.D. Sindh was then, annexed to the Delhi Sultanate in
1555 A.D. The Mughal (Mogul) emperor Akbar, who was born in Sindh , annexed
it with Mughal empire in 1591A.D. Sindh maintained virtual independence
under local Muslim rulers, the Kalhoras in 1713 A.D.
From 1700 A.D. to 1783 A.D. Kalhoras ruled over Sindh. From 1783 A.D. Sindh
was governed by Amirs of the Talpur tribe, originally from Balochistan. Sir
Charles Nagpier conquered them for Britain in 1843, transmitting the news in
a message reading "peccavi", Latin for "I have sinned ." The conquest was
later much criticized. How ever Sindh became united culturally, and
linguistically, as well as politically, under the British. It was
administered as part of Bombay presidency until 1936, when it was made a
separate province.
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