The Long Journey of the Word 'Sindhi'

Many of the people often see things around, and yet choose to ignore. This can include things like tribes, politics, and communities. One such community is Sindhi community. Although the name is often recognizable, however very few actually know the long history that the community holds.

Sindhis commonly combine the name of their great-grandfather with 'ANI,' which forms their surname; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

After being dominated by Arabs for almost 300 years, the Sindhi population was ruled for the following 500 years by Local Sindhi Converted Muslims-Soomra Dynasty during 1026-1440 AD followed by the Samma Dynasty during 1351-1524 AD. This period is known as the "Golden Age of the Sindhi Community," and it was characterised by peace and progress.

Persian had mostly superseded Arabic by that time. This marked the birth of the Sufi worldview and high-quality poetry. With the passage of time, the Sindhi population abandoned their own Sandhavi alphabet in favour of an Arabic script that included several Persian terms. Sindhis were therefore given a separate identity.

For the first time in history, the holy Quran was translated into Sindhi in 1759. Under the Islamic administration of Muqarrab Khan in the 10th century, Hindus were forced to convert to Islam on a vast scale. Hindu-Sindhis are supposed to have worshipped and fasted for 40 days on the banks of the Indus River. Following this, an oracle said that a kid would be born in Nasarpur, Sindh, who would deliver them all from their predicament. And it came true in 1007, on the day of Cheti Chand, in the month of Chaitra. A kid with heavenly abilities was born, teaching the universe the message of brotherhood and saving Sindhi-Hindus from conversion. Jhulelal's birth anniversary is Cheti chand. Jhulelal is believed to be Lord Varun's avatar (the god of water).

Sindhi-Sufism arose from the union of Iranian Sufi poets and devotional poets. It's intriguing that Sindhi-Hindus and Sindhi-Muslims both revere the same guru under different titles. Sindhi Muslims refer to the Saint of the Sindhu River as Khwaja Khizr or Sheikh Tahir. Hindus refer to him as Darya Shah or Udero Lal. Sindhis have a high regard for Muslim saints and their graves as a result of the influence of Sufism. In reality, the Makli Cemetery, located in Sindhi near Thatta, has between 5 and 10 lakh tombs and mausoleums. Which at the time outweighed the number of residences erected in the neighbourhood. UNESCO designated this location as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

During British administration, Sindhis with a progressive mindset easily adapted their new norms and language. As a result, they gained greatly in terms of employment and industries. Sindhis began exporting things in addition to producing. They formerly possessed 42% of Sindh's land despite constituting only 23% of the population.

The majority of Sindhis have 'ANI' at the end of their surname. For instance, Vaswani, Makhijani, Nathani, and so on. ANI is a Sanskrit term that signifies 'descendant,' according to research. It is known as ANI in Sindhi. Sindhis commonly combine the name of their great-grandfather with 'ANI,' which forms their surname.

Times changed, authorities changed, and conditions altered after the Sindhi community was established. Sindhis have been through numerous ups and downs, I n such a way that during India's partition, they had to face the agony of abandoning even their country. This community, though, still hasn't given up, and have always progressed effectively.