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There are two segments of Sindhi people:
- Sindhis that are a sub-cast of Hindus that are the followers of Jhulelal, the avatar born to protect Sindhis according to the divine message as depicted in Bhagvad Gita . Hindu-Sindhis have origins from the Sindh province which is part of present day Pakistan. Most of these Hindu-Sindhis that were followers of Jhulelal emigrated to India when British India was partitioned in 1947.
- The citizen of Sindh province of Pakistan. Most of these Sindhis from Sindh province of Pakistan are predominantly Muslim.
Sindhi Language
Sindhi is an Indo-Aryan tongue with an eclectic history not unlike the Sindhis themselves.
History
The ancient civilization of what came to be known as Harappa and Mohenjodaro both derive their modern location names from the Sindhi Language as opposed to the hypothetical Elamo-Dravidian language of the Indus Valley Civilization which remains undeciphered. In Sindhi language, Mohan-jo-daro literally translates to Dead-of-Mound or the "mound of the dead."
The Sindhi language was brought to the region by Indo-European invaders millenia ago and a distinct culture emerged in the region. Over time, Sindh developed a multi-cultural society composed of Buddhists, Hindus, and other smaller religious and cultural groups. Sindh was often the final stop for invaders from the west such as the Persians, Greeks, and Arabs and this gave Sindh a distinct and unique culture even before Islamic invasions. The site of a great deal of historical activity, Sindh was at the crossroads of civilization sitting at the edge of South Asia. Sindh was also one of the few Indic regions to become predominantly Muslim and was part of the earliest Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. Overrun by Turks, Afghans, and Mughals, Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state and by the time of British involvement was ruled by Baluchi kings. In 1947, a majority of Sindhis, that included residents of Sindh including all Hindus and Muslims voted to join the new state of Pakistan.
Culture and society
Sindhis are a Northern Indian people who have been modified by mainly Iranian peoples and Turkic invaders over time. As a result of their geographic location and countless invasions and migration, the Sindhis display a wide variety of phenotypes.
Sindhi culture is a combination of Islamic traditions and Northwest Indian customs and civilizations with variances that include an adherance to a Muslim diet including a penchant to eat meat that most Indians tend to avoid. Religious tolerance was the norm in Sindh prior to partition as both Muslim and Hindu Sindhis found common ground through Sufism and veneration of Sufi saints remains common for both groups. Sindhi culture also absorbed considerable Arab cultural influence as well as that of the Iranian Baloch who still comprise a significant minority that have assimilated well with the Sindhis. Sindh is home to the vast majority of Hindus who have remained in Pakistan as well as other religious groups such as Parsis. Muslim Sindhis tend to follow the Sunni sect, but Shia Muslims are a substantial minority.
Sindhi women are still very traditional overall, but many wear very colorful clothes, while donning a 'chadore' on their heads; men traditionally wear white and/or blue clothes and sometimes wear turbans or a traditional Sindhi cap on their heads. This, however, has changed in cities where some more devout women can be seen wearing the hijab, while the shalwar kameez and Western clothing have become common for men.
Sindhis usually flourish in business particularly that of cloth and textiles. Many also work in agriculture and manufacturing jobs. Literacy remains lows but is improving for Sindhis.
Muslim Sindhis tend to have Islamic names, but with sometimes with localized variations, while most Hindu Sindhis are identifiable by the "ani" at the end their last names like Daswani, Dudani, Motwani, Lalwani, Pardasani,Totani,Ambwani,Changrani,Gursani,Adwani,Raisinghani and others. Some famous Sindhis include the Bhutto family, who are a Sindhi political dynasty in Pakistan, and Shah Abdul Latif who was a writer of Sindhi poetry.
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