Sindh was an independent country until 1843 when it was captured by the British and then was annexed to the British India. Currently it forms the southernmost part of Pakistan. It derives its name from River Indus - the same great river which gives India its name.

Topographically Sindh is divided into three ‘S-shaped bands’ running from North to South. The western part is hilly, the central part is formed by the River Indus and its lush, fertile, irrigated plains and the eastern band is desert. Rainfall is too little and the economy of the area depends on the water brought by the Indus River - its lifeline! The River Indus falls into the Arabian Sea and at its estuary, one can find great mangrove forests and the swamps of the Indus Delta.

Most of the Sindh is flat, rising on the western edge to the Kirthar Hills, which separate it from Balochistan. Most pleasant climate for travelers is winter when temperatures ranges from 07° C to 30° C. to 86°. Its very hot in summer with temperatures between 25° C and 50° C.

The alluvial soil of Sindh, irrigated by the Indus River is perhaps Pakistan's best agricultural land. Wheat, rice, millet, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, chilies and fruits like bananas, mangoes and dates are grown in areas fed by canal water from the Indus River. About two-thirds of Sindh’s rural population is dependent on agriculture

The deserts begin immediately the irrigation ends: a striking contrast between green garden and sandy scrubland can be seen at Umerkot and Naokot areas near Mirpurkhas.

Some desert tribes are settled around wells whereas others pass nomadic lifestyle. They breed camels and goats, grow pulses and millet, and work as migrant laborers in the nearby irrigated areas.

The vast marshy area stretching from Karachi for 250 kilometers southeast to the Indian border forms the Indus delta. The river estuary comprises of myriad of sluggish channels that meander round thousands of mangrove islands, depositing millions of tons of silt every year in the Arabian Sea.

The main occupation of the coastal people is fishing. Karachi restaurants are famous for their seafood.

History:

Sindh’s history goes back some 5,000 years, when the Indus Valley Civilization, which was contemporary with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, stretched from Kabul to Delhi. On the banks of the Indus, was one of the great cities of the ancient world - Mohenjo Daro - which had with a remarkably advanced urban organization and centralized administrative system.

It was in 326 BC the Alexander the Great came to Sindh and captured the main towns along the river. The great Maurya Dynasty ruled Sindh in the third and second centuries BC. Buddhism flourished here during this time. Buddhism was gradually replaced between the sixth and eighth centuries by the Hinduism which introduced the caste system.

Arabs invaded and conquered Sindh in AD 711 in the expedition led by Muhammad bin Qasim. This marked the beginnings of the Islamic era in the subcontinent.

Arghuns from Afghanistan took power in 1524 followed by Tarkhans in 1545 first independently then as governors under the Mughal emperors. With the waning of Mughal power, the Kalhoras from Upper Sindh took control in 1736, ruling the region from Khudabad (near Dadu). The Kalhoras were overthrown by the Talpurs from Balochistan in 1784. Hyderabad was the capital of Sindh during the Talpur period. In 1843 the British defeated the Talpurs at the battle of Miani and Dubbo and ruled the territory until 1947. When British left India, they divided the country on the basis of religion into Pakistan and India and Sindh became a province of Pakistan. During the British Raj the Karachi grew from a small fishing village to a large industrial city.

Both rural cottage industries and large-scale factories are now rapidly developing in Sindh. For some 4,000 years cotton and textiles have been Sindh's major industry (cloth in ancient Greek was sindonion, and in Latin sindon). Textiles and carpets are still the province's most important industries. More recent additions to the industries include sugar, oil, flour and rice mills. Also factories producing steel, fertilizers, cement, electrical goods, pharmaceuticals and rubber have been established more recently.

Most famous items from Sindh are its handicrafts, , particularly its textiles, pottery and lacquered woodwork. Quilts with patchwork, block-printed cloth and striped woven cloth are best items to buy in Sindh. Hala town is famous for is the center for Pakistan's woodworking industry and blue glazed tiles which decorate most shrines and mosques. Mithi, a town in Thar is famous for handicrafts, carpets and hand made clothes.

The Sindhis are no doubt the most colorfully and exotically dressed of people of the country. The favorite color for men's turbans in central Sindh is shocking pink. The embroidered caps, which Sindhi men wear, are adorned with tiny mirrors. They also wear brightly colored long shirts and lunghis (pieces of cloth wrapped round the lower half of the body instead of trousers). Some still wear traditional embroidered slippers with long, pointed, upturned toes. The dress of the women in desert consists of long red skirts and bright tie-dyed shawls.

The language of Sindh is Sindhi, which is both spoken and written. The Sindhi script is based on the Arabic alphabet, with some additional letters. A number of dialects of Sindhi are spoken in Sindh, which include Thari in the Thar Desert, Kutchi in the Rann of Kutch, Lari in lower Sindh, and Seraiki in upper Sindh. The capital of Sindh is Karachi, however due to massive demographic changes, its central areas now doesn’t appear to be the representative of the culture rest of the Sindh. However, the rural and suburban areas of Karachi are still very much reflective of Sindhi countryside. Most of the inhabitants of the central Karachi are Urdu speaking Mohajirs (immigrants) from India and their descendants, who came at the time of the partition in 1947.

The best time to visit Sindh is the winter months, from mid-November to mid March. During this time, the daytime temperature fluctuates between 15° C and 25° C whereas in summer it hovers around 35° C to 45° C. It is very humid in monsoon season (June, July and August) though there is often little rain.

It is located at the National Highway from Karachi to Hyderabad on the western side of the Indus at a distance of 22 kilometers from Thatta. It was formerly known as Kalri Lake and is 32 kilometers and 10 kilometers (six miles) wide It has also been developed as a resort and offers sailboats for hire, fishing facilities and excellent bird-watching. One can book the PTDC motel here for night stays. To many it is a good place to spend the night.

In the lake on a kind of island, there is the tomb of Noori, a fishergirl from the Mohana tribe who married King Jam Tamachi of the Sammah dynasty. This romantic rags-to-riches story is very popular in Sindh. Jam Tamachi is buried at Makli Hill near Thatta, another place to see and take photographs.

Sonda Graveyard, at 14 kilometers from Keenjhar Lake on the National High way, has some Chaukundi-style decorated stone tombs.

Hyderabad, after Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad-Rawalpindi, is the fifth largest city of Pakistan - a bustling industrial metropolis on the Indus River. Tumbling in all directions from its central hill, the city is a maze of narrow streets without any signposts or street signs. So be patient to unravel its mysteries. It would be better if you take a local guide. Hyderabad's chief attractions are its bazaars, forts and tombs.

Earlier, the city was known as Neroon-kot. It may also have been the site of one of Alexander's cities on the Indus - perhaps the Pattala of Alexander. The present city was laid out by one of the Kalhora rulers in 1782 to replace the former capital of Khudabad. It was the capital of Sindh from 1789 to 1843 under the Talpur Mirs (kings) of the Sindh.

In 1838, when the First Afghan War broke out, the British forces passed en route Sindh to Kabul. Sir Charles Napier wrote in his private journal: 'We have no right to seize Sindh yet we shall do so, and a very advantageous, useful, humane piece of rascality it will be.' He attacked the Talpur Mirs army but they resisted his onslaught. Nonetheless, at the final battle for Sindh at Miani on 17 February 1843, the British emerged as victors. Napier subsequently telegraphed to London: 'Peccavi' (or 'I have sinned').

The area from Hyderabad to Umerkot is irrigated and agriculture flourishes there. Mirpurkhas lies approximately in the middle of Hyderabad and Umerkot. The area from Mirpurkhas to Naokot is also irrigated and fertile with rich agriculture fields. The irrigation water is fed by two of the great canals that leave the Indus at Sukkur. These are Nara Canal and Rohri Canal. This fertile belt is one of the fruit gardens of Pakistan. Shady avenues of shisham, acacia and neem trees line the roads from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas and other towns in the East of Hyderabad. Rows of eucalyptus windbreakers can be see dividing the banana gardens from dark green mango orchards interplanted with wheat, lucerne, vegetables and cotton. One can also see the sugarcane plantations in all stages of development, from newly planted reedy spikes to densely packed mature canes. The road and railway run east together from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas and passes through Tando Jam (tando meaning place, mostly founded by Talpurs), a shady, peaceful academic town with Sindh’s agriculture university. Khesano Mori is located at six kilometers from Tando Jam and is a popular spot for the young who swim in the canal. One can have lunch at one of the many local roadside cottage restaurants.

Its at about one and a half hours journey by road or train from Hyderabad. Mirpurkhas is the district headquarters town. Known today as the 'City of Mangoes', its name actually means 'Town of the Mirs'. It was important in the fourth century AD for its Buddhist monastery and stupa, the sad remains of which (Kahu Jo Daro) are located on its northern outskirts on the road to Khan town. Many Buddhist treasures were uncovered here. However, unfortunately, it has been robbed even of its brick facing. A long bare mound is all that remains.

Mirpurkhas is the jumping-off point for trips into the Thar Desert. The railway to the border with India is a metre-gauge track with twice a week service to Khokhrapar just before the border. This border has remained closed since the war of 1965 but India and Pakistan have many times hinted about opening this border.