After the death of Mian Illyas Muhammad Kalhoro in 1621, his younger brother Mian Shah Ali alias Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro became the new leader of the Mianwal movement. And Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro shifted his daira from Haitri to Fatehpur in Larkana. He became a popular spiritual leader of the Mianwal movement of Fatehpur in Chanduka Pargana (now Larkana).
Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro gained popularity and he took a keen interest in agriculture. As the movement gained strength, the number of his disciples also multiplied.
He dug ‘ghar’ (channels) which brought a boom in the local economy of the area. They began to till the uncultivated land and the resources of the Jamaat (i.e. the Mianwal movement) increased manifold. Mir Ali Sher Qani writes in Tuhfat ul Kiram that the number of the disciples of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro was rising rapidly. His growing power annoyed the local chiefs, who complained against him to the Mughal-backed Nawab of Bakhar, Abdul Wahid. Some skirmishes took place between the disciples of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro and the local chiefs. Two of his disciples, Jam Sidique and Jalal, also sided with local chiefs – abandoning their affiliation with the Mianwal movement.
Graves of Mian Shah Hasan and Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro
Some clashes also took place against the troops of the Mughal Nawab of Bakhar. Many historians of Sindh believe that Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro was killed in one of the encounters with the army of the Mughal Nawab of Bakhar – which is not correct. However, Mian Beg Muhammad ‘Nami,’ the author of Tarikh Nawabeen Bakhar, presents a full account of the battle that Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro fought against the Mughal Nawab of Bakhar. He writes that he was not killed in battle, but instead was invited for peace talks to Bakhar and killed there.
What follows is an account of how this happened.
In order to rein in the growing power of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro, the Mughal Nawab Abdul Wahid decided to arrest him. Nawb Abdul Wahid marched to the headquarters of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro and camped at Popti village in Chanduka (now Larkana). Local chiefs and tribesmen also joined the war party of Abdul Wahid. Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro also marched along with his disciples to Popti village.
Khudabadi script on a wall of the tomb of Chakar Khan Khuhawar
A battle ensued between the disciples of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro and troops of Nawab Abdul Wahid. Many followers of Abdul Wahid, particularly seven Syeds of his court, his ‘bakshi’ Mir Buzrug and his ‘vakeel’ Dhramdas were also killed in the battle. Likewise, some followers of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro were killed in the battle.
His growing power annoyed the local chiefs, who complained against him to the Mughal-backed Nawab of Bakhar
Abdul Wahid retreated from the battle. Thus, Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro won the battle and increased his power. In the wake of this victory, he also increased the number of his disciples.
News of the defeat of Nawab Abdul Wahid had already reached the Mughal imperial court of Delhi. Abdul Wahid was sacked at the end of 1656 and Nawab Shaikh Ahmed was appointed the new governor of Bakhar in the same year in 1656. Nawab Shaikh Ahmed was asked to punish Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro. As soon as Shaikh Ahmed took the charge of fojdar of Bakhar, he decided to attack Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro.
Another view of the Khudabadi script seen on a wall of the tomb
For this, he marched against the headquarters of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro and camped at Popti village where Abdul Wahid had earlier lost and retreated from the battleground. Like Abdul Wahid, he also camped at Popti village. Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro also reached there to face Nawab Ahmed Shaikh. The battle was about to begin when Abdul Awal Purani (d. 1682), who enjoyed good relations with both Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro and Nawab Shaikh Ahmed, diffused the tension between them and the battle was averted. Abdul Awal Purani, who was a grandson of Abdul Baqi Purani (d. 1610), was known for his piety in Bakhar and other regions of Sindh. He was greatly respected by many people as he belonged to the respectable Purani family who played a very important role in the annals of Sindh. Known for being a noble and honourable person, he had friendly relations with Mian Shaal Muhammad Kalhoro. Abdul Awal Purani wanted to diffuse the volatile situation sincerely but Nawab Sheikh Ahmed, the fojdar of Bakhar, was not sincere and resented the humiliating defeat of his predecessor Nawab Abdul Wahid.
Front of the tomb of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro
Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro was invited for peace talks to Bakhar, which he accepted when he knew that Abdul Awal Purani was acting as intermediary. However, when Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro reached Bakhar, he was killed by deceit. In short, Nawab Sheikh Ahmed proved to be a deceitful person who even did not respect Abdul Awal Purani’s sincere words and efforts. This incident took place in 1657 AD.
M.G Haig in The Indus Delta Country, A Memoir Chiefly on its Ancient Geography and History writes that “a remarkable thing about the Kalhoras was their habit of combing violence and rapine with preserving industry in the cultivation of the land. It was they who dug the Larkana canal called the Ghar, and first made Chanduka the garden of Sindh, and whenever they carried their lawless self-assertion they turned the wastes into productive fields and laboured hard to justify the claim that none so well as they made good use of ill-gotten gains.”
Tomb of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro
For a short period of time, the supporters of the Mughals rejoiced in his killing and the crushing defeat of the Mianwal movement. But it turned out to be more formidable than they had thought
Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro was buried in Fatehpur, Larkana on the right bank of Ghar Wah which is located 8 km east of Kamber town. His martyrdom and sacrifice paved the way for the foundation of the Kalhora dynasty. For a short period of time, the supporters of the Mughals rejoiced in his killing and the crushing defeat of the Mianwal movement. But it turned out to be more formidable than they had thought.
The fortunes of the movement revited under the leadership of his nephew Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro. He became the new spiritual leader of the Mianwal movement after his slain uncle Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro.
The tomb over his grave was built by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro (r.1757-1772). In fact, the grave of his son Mian Shah Hasan is also located in the tomb of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro.
Tomb of Chakar Khan Khuhawar
Today, the shrine of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro is the most popular in Kamber Taluka of Kamber-Shahdakot and Larkana districts. At the time of the annual mela, thousands of people visit his shrine to pay him homage to his fight for his homeland against the Mughals and their supporters.
The cemetery of Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro was dotted with the tombs of his deputies and disciples, but unfortunately, the majority of the tombs have now collapsed. In this cemetery are buried some of his eminent deputies and disciples Rajo Leikhi I, Mahi Faqir Lakhtio, Chakar Khuhawar etc.
Near the main entrance to the tomb of Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro is located the tomb of his disciple Chakar Khan Khuhawar. The Khuhawars were followers of the Kalhoras. The tomb of Chakar Khan Khuhawar is adorned with paintings. The notable thing about this tomb is the Khudabadi/Khudawadi script which is found there. The Khudabadi script was developed by Hindu Amils of Khudabad, hence its name. Khudabad was founded by Mian Yar Muhammad Kalhoro, and served as the capital of Sindh during his reign from 1700 to 1718.
The writer is an anthropologist. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com
