History of Sindhi Culture

The roots of Sindhi culture and civilization go back to the distant past. Archaeological researches during 19th and 20th centuries showed the roots of social life, religion and culture of the people of the Sindh: their agricultural practices, traditional arts and crafts, customs and tradition and other parts of social life, going back to a ripe and mature Indus valley civilization of the third millennium B.C. Recent researches have traced the Indus valley civilization to even earlier ancestry.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES

Archaeological discoveries sometimes help to unfold the certain latent aspects of a specific culture. The excavations of Mohenjo-daro have unfolded the city life of a civilization of people with values, a distinct identity and culture. Therefore, the first definition of the Sindhi culture emanates from that over the 7000 year old Indus Valley Civilization. This is the pre-Aryan period, about 3,000 years B.C., when the urban civilization in Sindh was at its peak.

ISLAM IN SINDH

From the beginning of Muslim rule of the Sindh in 713 CE, the Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis travelled from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in Sindh, and settled there permanently. The majority of Sindhis converted to Islam by the Sufi mystics from Middle East and Central Asia. The Sindh became distinct in its identity and culture, and many contemporary writers in medieval age referred to Sindh and Hind as two different countries. The Sindhi culture flourished with a new stimulus from Islamic sources from Persia and Afghanistan. Many Baloch and Afghan tribes also settled in Sindh, adopting Sindhi culture.

Aryan Influence on Culture

The second impact on the norms and practices of Sindhis was the subjugation of Sindh at the hans of Aryans around 2,500 B.C. The Aryan impact on Sindhi culture was great and the subsequent changes imprinted on the psyche of the Sindhi people should be judged in the light of the changes which they had undergone at the hands of the Aryans. The Aryans were nomadic, but, the peace-loving Moenjodaro civilization people had been enjoying for a long time the fruits of settled urban life with municipal community-based living. The Aryans were, thus, overawed. They adopted the Sindhi cultured way of life. They had little to offer Sindh, except their fondness for the supernatural and abstraction. Though hunting the prey absorbed quite a lot of their time, their Rishis managed to solicit favours from there gods. The Aryans, in exchange for their supernatural tendencies, borrowed from the Dravidians their god of Shakti, later on canonised as Siva, in place of Aryan god Rudhra, and thus the Hindu trinity was completed. With the sway of the Aryans, the Sindhi culture underwent a big change. The adversity of subjugation made Sindhis a bit fatalistic. Much of their martial fervor was gone while the Aryans perfected, rather embellished their religion, after their contact with the indigenous population of Sindh.

ABOUT SINDHI LANGUAGE

Sindhi language is an ancient language spoken in Pakistan and many other parts of the world. It is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 41 million people in Pakistan, and 12 million people in India; it is the second most spoken language of Pakistan, mostly spoken in the Sindh province. It is a recognized official language in Pakistan, and also an official language in India. Government of Pakistan issues National Identity Cards to its citizens only in two languages; Sindhi and Urdu.

SINDHI LITERATURE

History

Sindhi language is ancient and rich in literature. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature in both poetry and prose.  Sindhi literature is very rich, and is one of the world's oldest literatures. The earliest reference to Sindhi literature is contained in the writings of Arab historians. It is established that Sindhi was the first Eastern language into the Quran, when it was translated in the eighth or ninth century A.D. There is evidence of Sindhi poets reciting their verses before the Muslim Caliphs in Baghdad. It is also recorded that treatises were written in Sindhi on astronomy, medicine and history during the eighth and ninth centuries.

Sindhi Poetry

Sindhi poetry is also prominent in Sindhi culture. Poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai &. Sachal Sarmast is very famous amongst all of Pakistanis. Regional poets are Shaikh Ayaz, Ustaad Bhukhari, Ahmed Khan MAdhoosh, Adal Soomro, Ayaz Gull, Abdul Ghaffar Tabasum, Rukhsana Preet, and Waseem Soomro. Many Sindhi poets are doing their poetry work continuously.

Sindhi Music

Music from Sindh province is sung in Sindhi, and is generally performed in either the "Baits" or "Waee" styles. The Baits style is vocal music in Sanhoon (low voice) or Graham (high voice). Waee instrumental music is performed in a variety of ways using a string instrument. Waee, also known as Kafi, is found in the surrounding areas of Balochistan, Punjab, and Kutch.

SINHI SUFI MUSIC

Shah Jo Raag

The traditional compilations of Shah Jo Risalo by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai include 30 Surs (chapters) which are sung as raags. The oldest publications of Shah Jo Risalo contained some 36 Surs, but later most of the linguists discarded 6 Surs, as their language and content did not match with the Shah's style. Recently, Dr. Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, the most renowned linguist of Sindhi language has compiled and printed a new edition after 32 years of research in folk culture, language and history of Sindhi language.

The traditional 30 Surs included in Shah Jo Risalo are

§                     Bilawal

§                     Kalyaan

§                     Yaman Kalyaan

§                     Khanbhaat

§                     Suri Raag

§                     Samundi

§                     Sohni

§                     Sasui Aburi

§                     Maazuri

§                     Desi

§                     Kohyari

§                     Husaini

§                     Laila Chanesar

§                     Mumal Ranu

§                     Marvi

§                     Kaamod

§                     Ghatu

§                     Sorath

§                     Kedaro

§                     Sarang

§                     Asaa

§                     Ripp

§                     Khahori

§                     Barwo Sindhi

§                     Ramkali

§                     Kapa'iti

§                     Purab

§                     Karayal

§                     Pirbhati

§                     Dahar

Common Instruments Used In Sindhi Regional Music

§                     Ektara known as Yaktaro in Sindhi

§                     Tanpura known as Danburo in Sindhi

§                     Alghoza Flute

§                     Bansuri

§                     Pungi known as Been in Sindhi

§                     Narr

§                     Naghara

§                     Dhol