There are several historical cemeteries located in the Baran Valley in Thano Bula Khan, which I have been visiting since 2001. During my travels that year along the Karchat-Taung road, I came across numerous stone tombs, locally known as Rumiyon. I specifically explored the tombs near Rababi Dhoro. Since these stone tombs are located in the vicinity of Rababi Dhoro, they can be referred to as Rababi Dhoro Wariyoon Rumiyoon (the Tombs of Rababi Dhoro).
In 2006, I again travelled the same road, Karchat-Taung Road, to explore rock art and revisit tombs near Rababi Dhoro. Then, in 2009, I returned to visit several historical graveyards with the late Haji Haseen Khaskheli of Thano Bula Khan. Our first stop was the Pir Gaibi graveyard, after which we met Ameer Bakhsh Rind, a poet and oral historian from the same village. I interviewed him about various stone tombs located along the Baran Valley, particularly those on Karchat-Taung Road, to learn about their historical significance and the identities of those buried there. He was well-informed on many topics, yet he could not provide much information about the stone-carved graves, including those located near Rababi Dhoro.
Local residents do not know much about the ancient graves found in their area. Most of these tombs were erected in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and sixteenth centuries, long before the establishment of their villages near these ancient graveyards. During my initial visit in 2001, I observed that Rababi Dhoro Wariyon Rumiyoom (Tombs of Rababi Dhoro) were in relatively good condition. In contrast, my visit in 2009 revealed that several gravestones dislodged. Upon returning in 2017 during my rock art exploration in Chandam Dhoro, a tributary of Baran Valley, I once again visited the tombs of Rababi Dhoro. Rababi Dhoro originates from Khirthar, flowing through the villages and ending at Esso Barijo and Mehrab Rind villages. The waters of Rababi Dhoro irrigate the agricultural lands of a few villages in Kohtrash.
There are 26 plain and carved cenotaphs located to the east of the Rababi Dhoro. The most notable structure in the graveyard is a funerary enclosure, which is unfortunately in a state of poor preservation. Many stone slabs of the enclosure have deteriorated, and those that have fallen to the ground have been placed on the wall again. Inside the enclosure, there are about 12 graves, most of which bear inscriptions but are unfortunately in a severely deteriorated state. One particularly notable inscribed slab located on the entrance door features the name "Jasoda Notak," a name that also appears again on one of the graves within the enclosure itself. Other inscribed graves include those belonging to Shahi Notak and Bado Hasu Notak.
It seems that the descendants of those interred in this graveyard ceased to use it as their family burial site in the first or second quarter of the 15th century
During my initial three visits to the site, I observed that the inscribed slab at the main entrance of the funerary wall remained fully intact. However, during my fourth visit in 2017, I discovered that the previously intact slab, which bears the inscription "Yadgar Saeed Muhammad Ya Muhammad Ya Ali," was lying dislodged on the ground.
The graves are constructed on plain base slabs, creating a uniform appearance. Some of the graves have a single chamber with two to five three-covering slabs that support tall gravestones or headstones, giving them a prominent stature. In contrast, a few of the low-lying graves feature flat gravestones. These particular graves are positioned on base slabs that consist of a single covering slab, further illustrating the variation in the design and style of the graves.
There are seven tombs with perforated gravestones in Rababi Dhoro graveyard. There are three tombs inside the funerary enclosure. Outside the enclosure are four cenotaphs with perforated gravestones. Two cenotaphs consist of a single casket with three covering slabs to support perforated gravestones. The individual slabs of the casket depict rosettes on each side. The third Rumi or tomb is set over an undecorated slab, consisting of a single chambered with five covering slabs to support tall perforated gravestone. The perforated gravestone of the fourth cenotaph is partially broken.
These punctured gravestones can also be found in other graveyards in Thano Bula Khan, particularly at Boshen Jo Muqam (Boshi Graveyard), located about 2 km north of Taung. There are three perforated gravestones in Boshen Jo Muqam. It is quite rare to see punctured gravestones in Sindh. I have visited over a hundred graveyards that contain stone-carved graves, but I found only five graveyards where one can see a few perforated gravestones. One of the punctured gravestones from the Rababi Dhoro tombs that resembles the perforated gravestone at Gaz Makan in Kalo Kohar in Thano Bula Khan. This graveyard also has two funerary enclosures with punctured windows, which were constructed during the early Samma period (1351-1524).
Some of the graves at Rababi Dhoro are likely contemporaneous with the Kalo Kohar graves. Furthermore, the funerary enclosure in the Rababi Dhoro graveyard is the earliest constructed enclosure in Thano Bula Khan. I have visited at least seven funerary enclosures in the Thano Bula Khan taluka.
The Rababi Dhoro graveyard also contains a few crude graves erected over plain base slabs. Outside the funerary enclosure, some gravestones feature rosettes on the casket slabs. Additionally, a few tombstones are decorated with geometric designs. Among the most fascinating elements in the graveyard are two tombs that display unique decorative motifs. Each of these tombs is characterized by a prominent zigzag line, which seems to flow across the surface, creating a dynamic visual effect. From each point of the zigzag line, a three-pronged symbol emerges, possibly representing a stylized plant. I have not seen such a motif elsewhere in Thano Bula Khan taluka.
The tombs in the Rababi Dhoro graveyard were likely constructed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It seems that the descendants of those interred in this graveyard ceased to use it as their family burial site in the first or second quarter of the 15th century, possibly due to their migration to another location where they may have built their own tombs. The tombs at Rababi Dhoro provide valuable insight into the evolution of stone tombs built during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in the Thano Bula Khan area.