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Sindh has played a very significant role from the period of the ancient Indus Vally Civilization (3000 B.C.) to the modern period when the English colonized South Asia. Besides its commercial importance another factor was the British desire to control the Punjab (under the Sikhs) and Afghanistan so as to check the Tsarist Russian threat. The same imperial considerations led them to merge the Sindh with Bombay province, adversely affecting the local people particularly the Muslims.
Introduction
None of the maritime colonizing European powers, the Portuguese, Dutch or French regarded Sindh as a lucrative region to explore or control. The English East India Company was the first to explore its commercial value and later to occupy it.
For its commercial significance the English East India Company instructed its officials to incorporate the region of Sindh in their trading activities. The first British ship landed at the port of Lähri Bandar in 1022/1613; Sir Thomas Roe (c. 1581-1644), the ambassador of King James I (1603-1625) arrived in India in 1615 during the reign of Emperor Jahângïr (1605-1627). The East India Company showed great interest in exporting saltpetre to Europe, mainly needed for manufacturing gunpowder. They were exporting local textiles and indigo also. They founded a business headquarter or factory (Kothi) in Sindh as early as 1635 at Thatta during the reign of Emperor Shähjahän (1628-1658), which they closed down in 1662 due to lack of good profit.1 Later they managed to get a trade licence from Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora (1757-1772), the ruler of Sindh in 1758, but the venture was again closed down in 1775 along with another 'factory' at Shäh Bandar.2 Due to this permit they got many concessions and freedom to trade in Sindh. The ruler gave these concessions on the understanding that in times of need the English would help him but they never helped him using always false excuses.3 Meanwhile, the sovereignty of Sindh was transferred to the Tälpürs in 1784. The officials of East India Company signed agreements with the new rulers, the Mirs of Tälpürs (1784-1843). They made a long-term plan to capture Sindh.4 The English aimed at Occupying Afghanistan to check Russian expansion so that it may not fall to the Russians who wanted access to warm...