THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Talpurs in history’ (Dec 4) which is dismissive of the Battle at Miani, and says Sindh was lost by the Talpurs in just three hours. This not only distorts the reality, but is disrespectful of the sacrifices of the 6,000 soldiers, including many notables, who gave their lives defending Sindh that day. A battle where 33 people died every minute means those defending their land had not cared about the cost. Those fighting there that day were defending Sindh, and not respecting those who fell defending Sindh is an act of gross injustice.

Unfortunately, the Talpurs had mistakenly believed and hoped that the British would not violate the treaties and yet when the time came, they mustered 27,000 men to defend Sindh. The British forces with superior arms were entrenched at Miani, and the Talpurs had to attack which was an advantage for the British army. The British lost only 256 men.

Moreover, the Talpurs probably were the only rulers in the subcontinent who built forts, and not palaces.

They built forts at Islamkot, Naukot, Kot Diji and Ranikot. While the loss of Karachi has been lamented, it has been conveniently ignored that it was the Talpurs who secured it for Sindh from the Khan of Kalat. More importantly, today’s Sindh comprises the area that the Talpurs brought under their rule.

Those constantly harping on the division of Sindh being the mother of all evils forget that it was an administrative necessity. This also fostered harmony and peace. Dr N.A. Baloch, in his lecture on the foundations of Talpur rule, says: “They (Talpurs) governed by consent, and local community consensus (rajan ja faisla) became the decisive factor.”

As far as the ‘Tal’ and ‘Bur’ fable of Sorley and Dr Mumtaz Pathan is concerned, it does not have a historical basis and is a mere conjecture. And as regards the claims about the Talpurs living a ‘savage life’ in the Iranian plateau, it is again without any historical reference.

Obviously, all human life began as ‘savage life’, but what really matters is the status the Talpurs enjoyed in Dera Ghazi Khan before migrating to Sindh. The reason that the Talpurs were welcomed by the Kalhoras was not based on their ‘savage life’, but on the influence and status they enjoyed in their former homeland. It is not surprising that the British tried their best to discredit, demonise, belittle and malign the native and the vanquished in Sindh, but what is surprising is the bias that local writers show against the Talpurs. This is not only deliberate obfuscation of historical facts, but also an attempt to blame the evils that plague today’s Sindh on the supposed acts of omissions and commissions of the Talpurs whose rule ended 178 years ago.

The critics have had ample time to undo whatever mistakes the Talpurs may have committed, but, sadly, Sindh has gone down and today’s Sindh does not present a pleasant picture. These historians by blaming the Talpurs of misrule aim at exonerating those who have ruled Sindh after the Talpurs of the exploitation and injustices they perpetrated against the land and its people. They are but apologists for those who have exploited and are exploiting Sindh today.

Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2021