December 8, 2005

Today famous for sweat meats and pickle production, Shikarpur was once the most important trading centre of the subcontinent. The land was gifted to the Daudpotas in 1667 who built it under the guidance of Pir Syed Sultan Lakhivi.

The new city attracted people from far flung areas and flourished immensely due to its unique geographical location. Gradually, it became a hub of trade activities where caravans from Afghanistan and Central Asia used to come to sell their merchandise.

Shikarpur was made a district in April 1842 and it retained this status till 1883. The status was revived in 1977.

The city has produced many literary figures such as Shaikh Ayaz, Deen Mohammad Wafai and prominent lawyers A.K. Brohi, and Khalid Ishaq. Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidyatullah, former governor and chief minister of Sindh, was born in Shikarpur.

Shikarpur was also famous for its educational institutions. A high school was opened in 1873 and the degree college known as C&S Govt. College was inaugurated in 1933.

The Shikarpuris had a great aesthetic sense and their lifestyle bore testimony to this. Their houses and other building structures were a proof of their artistic taste. Most of the houses were made of red bricks with teakwood beams and brackets decorated with lime plaster carvings, beautiful marble tile floors with coloured glass, and cut-work on window and doors. Houses were built with high ceilings to neutralize heat and cold.

Sadly, the grandeur of Shikarpur has mostly been destroyed. Ninety per cent of the city's original structures have either been demolished or destroyed owing to official neglect.

Today, the district, located about 540 kms from Karachi has very few structures of architectural excellence to boast of. The new generation is also completely unaware of the past glory of Shikarpur.





The cultural department of Sindh should take measures to protect and preserve the remaining historic structures in the interior of Sindh.

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