- Pir Pagaro
Pir Pagaro the Seventh ( _ur. پیر پگاڑو) ( _sd. پير پاڳارو) or
Pir Pagara is the title given to the leader ofSunni Muslim Sufi order ofHurs inSindh province ofPakistan . It comes from Persian word Pir (Chief) and Sindhi word Pagara (Chieftain's Turban). The turban that Pir Pagaro's used to adorn was thought to belong toProphet Muhammad .Per legend, the first Pir Pagaro was such a high scholar that he won many scholarly debates. As per Sindh's tradition, the defeated scholar would submit his turban. With so many turbans on his head, he was declared Pir Pagaro or Chief with Many Turbans.
The current Pir Pagaro is Shah Mardan Shah II, who became Pir Pagaro in 1954. He and his offspring are widely known to use their influence and name for intimidation, much like the
Mafia . People use their connections with pagara as possible threats.His father Pir Syed Sabghatullah Shah Pagaro was given the chair; he was hanged on 20th March, 1943 by the British colonial government after he was found guilty, in a sham trial, of inciting an armed uprising ofHur followers.Lineage
*
Pir Rozeh Dhani
*Pir Tajar Dhani
*Pir Mafaay Dhani
*Pir Banglay Dhani
*Pir Kot Dhani
*Soreh Badshah (Sabghatullah II) (1921-1943)
*Pir Pagaro the Seventh/Shah Mardan Shah II (Incumbent)External links
* [http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?200099 Pir Pagara to head united Muslim League]
Further reading
*"Sufi Saints and State Power: The Pirs of Sind, 1843-1947", by Sarah F. D. Ansari, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521522986
*"Freedom at the Gallows", by Khadim Hussain Soomro
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