Mirpur Khas

Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas
Coordinates: 25°19′N 69°00′E / 25.31°N 69.00°E / 25.31; 69.00
Country	Pakistan
Province	Sindh
Population
- Estimate (2008)	374,371
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Calling code	0233
Number of towns	5

Mirpur Khas (Sindhi: میرپور خاص) (Urdu: میرپور خاص) (meaning the land of the most high mirs) is a city located in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. It is the fifth largest city in the province with an estimated population of 374,371 (2008). Its soil is fertile and the city is known for its horticultural produce and farming, of which the most celebrated is mango cultivation, with hundreds of varieties of mangoes produced each year.

History

The Talpur Princes of Mirpurkhas: Third from the left is Mir Ali Murad Talpur II, the great grandson of Mir Ali Murad Talpur, the founder of Mirpur Khas

Prior to the Islamic conquest of Sindh by the Arabian armies of Muhammad Bin Qasim, the land where Mirpur Khas now stands used to be a thriving Buddhist settlement known as Kahoo Jo Daro. The remnant stupa still remains and as the armies settled in the area, newer buildings occupied the land and led into massively progressive landscapes. Farming became known to people and horticulture and cotton fields blossomed.^[1]

In 1806, Mankani Talpurs shifted their capital from Keti Mir Tharo and laid foundations for Mirpur Khas under the leadership of Mir Ali Murad Talpur. Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur succeeded Mir Ali Murad and built a fort when declared the ruler of the state. He would run a kutchery from within the fort. Mirpurkhas remained capital of Talpur Mirs of Mirpurkhas until 1843 when Sindh was annexed to British India under East India Company. When Charles James Napier attacked Sindh, Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur was the last Talpur ruler to face the British^[2] on 24 March 1843 at the battleground of Dubbo. His battle for the liberation of Sindh has rendered him the title of 'the lion of Sindh'. The kutchery in the fort now has a tablet embedded at the entrance reading, "The fort within which this building stands was residence of Mir Sher Muhammad Khan, the Lion of Sind."

Later Sindh was made part of Bombay Presidency and Mirpurkhas was a part of it. Umerkot was made the district's head-quarter town and Mirpur Khas was ignored until the advent of the Luni-Hyderabad branch of the Jodhpur-Bikaner Railway^[2], a subsidiary of the Scinde Railway to the town. The opening of the Jamrao Canal in 1900 made Mirpur Khas stand out of the rest of the towns in the district. It was constituted a municipality in 1901^[2] and was made the district head-quarter in 1906.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the population of the town was 2,787 with a density of 82 persons per square mile, however the district, as a whole, saw significant growth in the rise of population from 27,866 (1891) to 37,273 (1901). The cotton produced at Mirpur Khas was considered the best in the country when surveyed and the British exploited the produce by exporting it to other nations.^[2]

After the partition, because of its proximity with the Indian border, Mirpur Khas became the first city to welcome refugees from the newly found Indian nation to Pakistan. It acted as a primary railway junction for the first trains to rail across the Rajistan to the Sindh province.

Geography

Lying on the Let Wah Canal at 25°31′39.3″N 69°00′50.6″E / 25.527583°N 69.014056°E / 25.527583; 69.014056, Mirpur Khas is the gateway to the south-eastern edge of the Sindh province. It connects to Hyderabad at 65-kilometres by both road and rail while with Umerkot it connects only by road. Karachi is 220-kilometres south-west to the town. On the extreme east lies the Indian border at 170-kilometres.

Mirpur Khas is positioned atop a fertile land making conditions apt for farming and irrigation. Being connected to the Indus via irrigation canals like the Let Wah, Mirpur Khas has gained an advantage in horticulture and farming over the years. Primary produce includes mangoes (famous for producing mangoes), sugarcane and cotton, wheat, & chillies. Bananas are also widely cultivated around the region and also one of the biggest producer of Bananas in the country

Education

The city houses three government colleges: Shah Abdul Latif Government Science College for Boys, Ibne-Rushd Government Degree College for women and Model College of Arts Education, all affiliated with the University of Sindh. Of the Higher Secondary Education Institutions, Government Shah-wali-Allah Higher secondary school, Government Model High School , Government Comprehensive Higher Secondary School for Boys, Government High School for boys and government High School for Girls, Government Higher Secondary School for Boys Bhansinghabad, and Government Higher Secondary School for Girls Bhansinghabad are actively running in the city. Public School is only residential institution in Mirpurkhas.

Mirpur Khas city also has a medical college (Muhammad Medical College) affailated with Sindh Medical University, a number of Science & Technology institutes like MIST and CMS affailated with University of Sindh and with an own Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

The City has two very well maintained and up to-date public libraries run by the provincial government, Municipal Library and Allama Iqbal Public Library.

Plans are underway to set up a full-fledged Medical College and a campus of University of Sindh in public sector.

The City has well built and sufficiently equipped Civil Hospital with a state-of-the-art heart disease Center. The hospital, being a (previously) divisional headquarter, caters to a huge number of patients from various parts of the suburb. Apart from the Civil Hospital, there are a number of private health establishments working day and night to cater to the general public needs. Some of them are,Ali MediCare Center, Maria Medical Complex, Alshifa Hospital and so on.

Culture and economy

The city has several shopping centers and bazaars which includes, Baldia Shopping Center, Shahi Bazaar and Khisakpura (in local slang), which sells traditional garments, modern crockery, etc.

Irrigation and farming was revitalised after the Jamrao Canal was built in the 1900s. The city was able to produce and cycle crops to supply mainly grain, cotton products like fabrics, and sugar from the sugarcane cultivations. For a certain period in history, Mirpurkhas enjoyed being the best cotton producer in the country and much of the income of the town came from cotton farming in its heyday.

Nowadays, however, The area is much known its mango produce. The city seeks pleasure in declaring having 250 different varieties of mangoes, of which the most famous variety is the Sindhri_Aam (ctrl-click)">Sindhri_Aam (ctrl-click)">[[Sindhri Aam]] literally the mango from Sindh. The city boasts its mango products at an annual harvest festival showcasing its world-renowned produce.

The district has very fertile land and it produces wheat, suagrcane, cotton, mangoes and other crops. Though Mirpurkhas has small industrial park but no industry is functional over there. However, there are four sugar mills, namely Mirpurkhas sugar mills, Mirawah sugar mills, Digri SUgar Mills and Najma sugar mills, of them Mirpurkhas sugar mills is the oldest one.

Educational institutions

• Govt. Shah Abdul Latif College(Science)
• Govt.Moddle College (Arts)
• Govt.Comprehensive High School
• The Eastern Public School
• Public School
• The Educators
• The Child Care High School
• Khursheed begam free English language center*by All Pakistan Muttahida students organisation

There are dozens of private schools also working here.

• Govt. Commercial training Institute
• Govt. Vocational College for Women
• Govt. Poly Technic Institute
• Govt. Ibn e Rushd Girls College
• Govt. Technical Training Insstitute
• SZABIST IMC

There are higher education institutes also

• Liaquat senter institute of pre eng & pre med science
• Muhammad Institute of Science and Technology
• Muhammad Medical College
• Mirpurkhas Law College
• Teachers Training College

Railway link

Mirpurkhas Railway Station is in middle of city . After 40 years a railway link between Pakistan and India is being opened again. A broad gauge line has been laid from Mirpur Khas to Khokra Par, which is the border town from Pakistani Side. The new link now connects Karachi (Pakistan) to Jodhpur (India) by the new train service Thar Express.

In 2005, work started on converting the metre gauge railway line to Khokhrapar to broad gauge.

Cellular phone companies

• telenor
• ZONG
• Ufone
• Mobilink
• Warid

Private hospitals

• Al-Shifa Medical Center
• Ameer Eye & General Hospital
• Ali Medical Center
• Al-Noor Medica Center
• Bhitai Medical Center
• Maria Medical Center
• St.Teriza's Hospital
• sharifi unani dawakhana
• Shah Medial Center

Mansoor Ali Gilani ( Mehran Auto Parts) Gilani Medical Centre

Society

satellite town which is considered a posh area. In SatelliteTown mostly peoples are urdu speaking. The city is clean and has many places for leisure like parks, a museum, various tea shops, the Sindh Horticulture Research Institute and Fruit Farm.

Most of the people in the Mirpurkhas district in rural areas they speak Sindhi language and Sairki language[Sairki]. From the census of Pakistan 1998, but in urban areas mostly peoples speak Urdu language. following is the demographic composition of the district:

Religion
Muslims: 66.37%
Hindus: 32.73%
Christians: 0.50%
Ahmadis: 0.27%
Others: 0.12%

Languages
Sindhi: 61.90%
Urdu: 5.15%
Punjabi: 10.73%
Balochi: 1.90%
Pashto: 0.91%
Seraiki: 18.34%
Others: 6.07% (mainly Gujarati/Memon)

Political personalities

Traditionally, Talpur and Syed families have been influential political families of the district. Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah, Syed Khadim Ali Shah, Syed Qurban Ali Shah, Ali Nawaz Shah, Ali Qutub Shah]] were among the prominent figures. While from Talpurs (Mirs) [[Mir ALi Bux Talpur, Mir Mohammed Bux Talpur, Mir Mohammed Hayat Talpur are prominent. In the later stage Pir Ghulam Shah Jilani also joined politics of Tharparkar. He basically belonged to Kohistan area, but his in-laws were from Mirpurkhas. His two sons Pir Aftab Shah Jilani(he remained minister in provincial and federal cabinet) and Pir Shafqat Shah Jilani(former district Nazim Mirpurkahs) continued it.

For a certain period Wassan of Kandiari now district Sanghar had got say in the politics of this district. Khanbahdur Ghulam Mohammed Wassan was important personality. Later from this family Ghulam haider Wassan and Niaz Mohammed Wassan were also elected on the assemblies. Bhurgri family also enjoy influence in some areas, as Khair Mohammed Bhurgri has been chairman of district council. After creation of Umerkot district some part of Sanghar was included in the Mirpurkhas district, this created a role of Mohammad Khan Junejo family and Pir Pagaro in the district. Daughter of Late Junejo Dr Sughra Junejo was elected district Nazim in local bodies elections of 2005. and a personality of Mirpurkhas district administrator Ghulam Rasool Junejo. Comrade Ghulam Mohammed Leghari (a peasant and left wing leader) and advocate Yousuf Leghari a former student leader and leader of 4th March student movement of 1967.

Famous personalities

Dr Abdul Majeed Memon renowned child specialist and PRESIDENT PPA Mirpurkhas

Prof. Shafqat Ali

Dr Abdul Saboor

Dr Masoom Syed

Sayed Ghulam Nabi Shah

Sayed Khadim Ali Shah

Pir Aftab hussain Shah Jilani(18Feb 2009) (Fedrel Minister Of Sports,Member of Kishmir Dispute Cometi)

Media and literature

Mir Mohammed Bux Talpur was writer and used to promote literary activities. For the first time he arranged Marvi Melo in Bhalwa, which was largely attended by the literary figures of the province. Other literary personalities are Mujrum Leghari, advocate Yousuf Leghari, Sarwaich Sajnani, Masoom Thari, Dr. Inayat Hussain Leghari, Amar Sindhu, Comrade Ghulam Mohammed Leghari, Mehmood Halai, Mustafa Khan, Allah Jurio Shad and Makan Shah Rizvi, Engineer Majid Raza.

There has been no daily newspaper from this district, however dozens of weeklies were published. Weekly Hamdrad is the oldest one, while others included Weekly Sachai, JAGGARTA, Bedari and Sach Digest of Comrade Leghari, Paigham Sindh of Dost Ali Bhatti. Declarations of Weekly Bedari and Bedari were canceled in 1978 by General Ziaul Haq martial law government.

Urdu speakers account for the largest group in the urban area of the district, at 47.92%, followed by Sindhis at 28.71%.

Neighbouring towns and cities

• Digri
• Mirwah Gourchani
• Jamrao
• Mirwah Gorchani
• Kot Ghulam Muhammad Bhurgri
• Kachhelo
• Tando Jan Muhammad
• Jhudo
• Roshanabad
• Ratanabad
• Khipro
• Umerkot
• Sherwah
• Sanghar

Important buildings

• Kutchehri - Residence of Mir Sher Muhammad Talpur. Now a days being used as Mukhtiarkar office under revenue department.
• Partab Bhawan - A palace constructed by Partab Rai. Now badly needs restoration and preservation. It is being used as the largest girls high school of the city.
• Ghulam Nabi Shah Hall - Now being used as District Council office.
• Durbar Hall - Used as meeting place by head of district government. Previously and under British used as office of District Collector.
• Municipal Musafirkhana - Historical building now badly needs preservation
• Firdous Cenima Building - Established in 1938 Founder Noor Bhai Mamoojee Currently look after Fidahussain Mamoojee Hasnain Abbas Mamoojee Murtaza Mamoojee
• S.L.D Building - Established in 1935 Founder K.B.Ghulam Hussain

Historical places

• Chitorri - Historical graveyard with many sandstone tombs of Talpur rulers
• Kahu-Jo-Darro - Ancient Buddhist archaeological site
• Jhalori- Ancient village near Jamrao Canal famous for its crops.

References