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History
| Local Government |
Demographics | Local Tribes |
Places of Interest
 Thatta District (Urdu: ٹھٹہ
) (Sindhi:
ٺٽو
) is located in the province of Sindh, Pakistan,
however it is close to the contested disputed boundary of the Kori Creek.
According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,113,194
of which 11.21% were urban.
Search Thatta on Satellite Map
Places of Interest
| Hotels |
Eating & Dining
| Parks & Gardens |
Educational Institutes |
Hospitals |
Sport Centers |
Banks |
ATM |
Fuel Stations |
CNG Stations |
Police Stations |
Shopping /Trade
History
The capital of three successive dynasties and later ruled by the Mughal
emperors of Delhi, Thatta was constantly embellished from the 14th to the
18th century. The remains of the city and its necropolis provide a unique
view of civilization in Sind. Thatta, about 98 km (62 miles) east of
Karachi. At one time Thatta was important as Sind's capital city and as a
centre for Islamic arts. From the 14th century four Muslim dynasties ruled
Sind from Thatta, but in 1739 the capital was moved elsewhere and Thatta
declined. It was believed that this was the place where Alexander the Great
rested his legions after their long march. The town is dominated by the
Great Mosque built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jehan which has been carefully
restored to its original condition. The mosque's 33 arched domes give it
superb acoustics and the tile work, a whole range of shades of blue, is
equally fine. Situated on the outskirts of the new town it is surrounded by
narrow lanes and multi-story houses made of plaster and wood which are top
by badgirs, the wind catchers designed to funnel cool breezes down into the
interiors of buildings. They are also quite common in Hyderabad.
The bazaars of Thatta are known for hand-printed fabrics, glass bangles and
Sindi embroidery work in laid with tinny mirrors, one of the more world
known handicrafts of Pakistan. Thatta is a fascinating town which appears to
have scarcely moved out of the 18th century and is only slowly catching up
with the modern world.
The shifting nature of the Indus makes it difficult to discern the exact
location of ancient Thatta, but the name indicates its strong relation to
the Indus. Thatta, derived from Thatti, Thatt or Thatto, a Sindhi word for a
small settlement on riverbanks, was an important medieval city locally known
as Nagar-Thato. All historic accounts paint Thatta as a populous and
flourishing trading post and a refuge of saints and scholars.
Jam Nizamu-d Din or Jam Ninda, as he was affectionately known, ruled in
Sind's golden age as the leader of Samma Dynasty from 866 to 1461. The rise
of Thatta as an important commercial and cultural centre was directly
related to his patronage and policies. The Samma civilization contributed
significantly to the evolution of the prevailing architectural style that
can be classified as Sindhi-Islamic.
Thatta is famous for its necropolis, which covers 10 km˛ (6 square miles) on
the Makli Hill, which assumed its quasi-sacred character during Jam Nizamu-d
Din's rule. The site became closely interlinked with the lives of the
people. Every year thousands perform pilgrimage to this site to commemorate
the saints buried here. The graves testify to a period of four centuries
when Thatta was a thriving centre of trade, religion and scholarly pursuits
and the capital of Sind. In1768, Thatta's pre-eminence was usurped by
Hyderabad. Though many of the mausoleums and graves are dilapidated, many
are still exquisite architectural examples with fine stone carving and
glazed tile decoration.
Jam Nizamu-d Din's death was followed by a war of succession carried out
between the cousins, Jam Feroz and Jam Salahu-d Din. The Moghul army took
the opportunity and Thatta came under the Arghun dynasty. The refined tastes
of the Arghun and later the Tarkhan, who came from the Timurid cities of
Khurasan and Central Asia enhanced Thatta's cultural and architectural
landscape.
The reign of Mirza Isa Tarkhan's son Mirza Baki however, was one of
persecution. He became reputed as one of the cruelest rulers of Sind. Thatta
witnessed the cold-blooded murder of the Arghuns and the persecution of
people claiming nobility, or religious or scholarly eminence.
Mirza Jani Beg is known to have worked to restore what Mirza Baki had
destroyed. However, when Emperor Akbar sent Nawab Khan Khanan to subjugate
Thatta, Mirza Jani Beg is said to have removed the people to Kalan Kot, a
fortified town built for such occasions, and ordered Thatta to be razed.
Mirza Jani Beg negotiated with the Mughals, and was taken to Akbar's court
where he was confirmed as the governor of Thatta, and in 1591, Sind was
annexed by the Mughal Empire. Mughal rule lasted till 1736 when Thatta
passed into the hands of the Kalhoras. Thatta's importance began to
gradually decline as the Indus River began to shift away and in 1768,
Hyderabad was made the capital of Sind by the Talpur rulers.
The British annexed Sind in 1843 and their immediate concern was to
establish a communication network throughout Sind. The municipality of
Thatta was established by the British in 1854 and several vernacular and
private schools, as well as a post office, a dispensary and a subordinate
jail were built. The British established their residential areas away from
the main city, on higher grounds, west of Makli necropolis.
Thatta regained prosperity because of an improved communication
infrastructure, though the city was never completely revived its prior
importance as capital. The late nineteenth century saw a new class of
merchants who took full advantage of the British need for services and
goods. These merchants became rich and commissioned many buildings inspired
by the elegant mansions constructed by the British throughout the British
Empire.
Post-independence Thatta is rapidly growing and suffers from a severe lack
of basic services. Heavy demands on the resources of the city, coupled with
the general apathy on the part of the local administration, has resulted in
the neglect of the city's historic centre. The Makli monuments and other
historic mosques, although of touristic value, are disregarded with nothing
being done to preserve them.
Find more about
History of Pakistan
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Local Government
The district is administratively subdivided into 7 tehsil - these are
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Ghora Bari
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Jati
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Mirpur Bathoro
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Mirpur Sakro
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Shah Bander
-
Sujawal
-
Thatta
-
Kharo Chan
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Keti Bander
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Demographics
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Religion
Islam:96.72%
Hinduism:2.89% (forming 7.96% of the urban population of the district)
Christianity:0.18%
Ahmaddiya:0.04%
Others:0.17%
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Languages
Sindhi:68.%
Urdu:4.%
Punjabi:3.%
Pashto:2.%
Balochi:1.%
Seraiki:15.%
Others:5.%
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Local Tribes
Memon, Soomro, Palijo, SYED / Shah, Mirbahar/Mallah, Jokhio, Jatoi, Bhanbhro,
Abro, Jatt, Malkani, Shoro, Brohi, Jalbani, Jakharo, Baran, Charan, Qazi,
Pirzada, Kunbhar, Khwaja, Khatri, Khumbati, Khaskheli, Abbasi Kalhora,
Khushk, Effendi, Jamali, Umrani, Chaang, Jamari, Sarki, Lashari, Magsi,
Manganhar, Sahito, Ghaha, Gugo.
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Places of Interest
Thatta's monuments include the Jama Mosque (also Shah Jahan Mosque and
Badshahi Mosque), built by Shah Jahan in 1647-49 and lined with glazed
tiles. This edifice has 101 domes and is designed in such a way that imam's
voice can reach every corner of this building without the help of any
loudspeaker or other device. There are also the tombs of Jam Nizamuddin,
Satihoo Seven Soomro Sisters (reigned in 1461-1509), several Tarkhan rulers
and Mughal officials. A vast old necropolis with thousands of graves may be
found at the nearby Makli Hills.
Thatta is historically an important region of Sindh which has served as a
centre of literature, religious ideologies and socio political clashes. The
amalgamated past of this area made its geographic locations into an
unforgettable scenery. Makli, the heart of interior Sindh is counted among
one of the largest necropolis in the world. Located a few kilometers away
from Thatta , Makli is truly the place where history starts to speak about
its immaculate past and the legends and myths it has undertaken. Makli is an
unforgettable visual experience with the most vibrant archaeological sites
in Pakistan; it covers about 15-1/2 square kilometers. The mausoleums and
[[tombs in Makli are one of the greatest ruins of Sindh and also dictate a
lot about Sindh's communal structure from 14 to 18th century. Apart from the
mausoleums of Jam Nizam al-Din and Jan Beg Takhan, Makli has undertaken a
lot of Sufis, warriors, poets, intellectuals. The artistic monuments at
Makli show proof of Islamic ideologies and the Hindu mythology as well,
which in itself is a great documentation of the socio cultural past of Sind.
The huge graves are made of solid rock and the mosuleums of the sun baked
brick with different kinds of Quranic verses embossed on them. Another
historical landmark that resides in Thatta is the Shah Jahan Masjid built by
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, which is one of the most beautiful gifts given to
Sindh by the Mughal emperor. This mosque was built on the orders of Shah
Jahan, for the people of Thatta because they welcomed him with open hearts
when his father died.
The Shah Jahan Mosque is a great example of highly defined tile work. In
total this mosque has 33 arches and 93 domes which are of different sizes
which adds the flavor to its beauty. White and Blue tiles of glowing texture
have been put together in such a manner that it looks like a beautiful
mosaic. The most surprising fact about this mega structure is that unlike
other Mughal buildings such as Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, this building has
negligible amount of pink sandstone in it. The characteristic that makes
this mosque unique is that it has no minarets in it and it only has one dome
which lies in the central prayer hall.Walking through the mosque if your
eyes move towards the inside of the rooftop, then you cant' stop staring and
only one thing comes to your mind that only a genius like Shahjehan can
think of such a beauty , who also envisioned the Taj Mahal which is counted
among the wonders of the world. Peeping through the landmarks of interior
Sindh.
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