Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro

This article is about the Sindhi shah. For the 20th century king of Sindh, see Kalhora.

Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro (urdu) ميان نصير محمد كلهوره:was the famous king of the Kalhora Dynasty that ruled Sindh from 1108 AH (1696 AD).

History

On his death, Mián Sháhal Muhammad was succeeded by his son Mián Nasír Muhammad, in the year 1108 AH (1696 AD) This Mián acquired more celebrity for piety and virtue than any of his predecessors, and therefore was envied by most of the people of his time. Accordingly the natives of the place came and incited the Mughuls of Bakhar to harass and trouble him. Mián Nasír Muhammad was therefore obliged to leave the place and go to a sandy desert. After some days of hardship and want, he returned and fixed his residence in the land of the Pan­whárs. Mír Panwhár, the chief of the Panwhárs, taking an army from the governor of Bakhar, commanded among other leaders by Mírzá Khán Piní, the governor of Siwí, came and fought with Miàn Nasír Muhammad, but soon a truce was made and Mián Nasír Muhammad was sent to the Emperor Álamgír,* who kept him in confinement for some time. During this period, fighting went on with the Mián’s followers, until Mián Nasír Muhammad managed to escape and returned to his native place. He once more settled his affairs satisfactorily and began to lead a comfortable and secure life among his followers. He laid the foundation of a new town on the land of the Panwhárs, bounded on one side by the hills of Róh and on another by a stream of cool water. He called the town by the name of Khárí and himself took up his residence in it. The village of Hatrí he gave to Faojah Fakír, one of his followers, and the land of Káchhah to another of his Fakírs by name Ináyet Sháh. His followers, who so long had deserted their villages and strongholds, returned and settled permanently and occu­pied themselves in extending their landed property and territorial possessions. On one occasion they had to fight in an open field with Mír Yakúb Khán, the governor of Bakhar * and were victorious Similarly they fought several times with the governors of different neighbouring places and on all these occasions their arms were attended with success. The parganah of Lákhát was taken from the Mughuls of Síwistán* on a farming contract. Makan Mórah was secured through the exertions of Faríd Bhágat, and the parganah of Sáhtí was brought into possession through Feróz Wírar, who built a town there calling it Naoshahrah.* After this, the Siráís * were firmly established in different parts of the country. After a successful reign of 35 or 36 years Mián Nasír Muhammad died and was buried on a red sand-hill in the village of Khárí.

It is said that in olden days, two brothers, both models of virtue and piety, lived at this place and maintained themselves by cultivating land. One of them was single and another was married. When they raised their crops the single brother, considering that his brother had a family and that his expenses were greater, removed a large quantity of corn from his own heap and put it, unseen, into his brother’s heap. At the same time, the brother having a family believing that his brother was a good man and did not much care for worldly profits, added a portion of his own granary to his brother’s. Both the brothers continued doing so for some time, without knowing each other’s actions and motives. Owing to the piety of their minds and the honesty and goodness of their principles, though they continued consuming the produce of their land for their usual wants, it never could be exhausted. After all they died leaving a large heap of corn, which changed into a red sand-hill, that can still be seen about the place.

References

This article includes content derived from "History of Sind - translated from Persian books" by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg (1853–1929), published in Karachi in 1902 and now in the public domain.