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• Indo-Aryans

Sindhis (सिन्धी, سنڌي) are an Indo-Aryan language speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating in Sindh which is part of present day Pakistan. Sindhis that live in Pakistan are predominantly Muslim, while many Sindhi Hindus emigrated to India when British India was divided in 1947. The Sindhi language is an Indo-Aryan tongue with an eclectic history not unlike the Sindhis themselves.

The original inhabitants of ancient Sindh were believed to be aboriginal tribes speaking languages related to Munda languages. The Dravidian culture blossomed over the centuries and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India (now in present-day Pakistan) around 3000 BC. The Indus Valley Civilization went into decline; historians cannot agree on the cause of the decline, but some theories include arrival of tribes from Eastern Europe or the change in the path of the Indus River.

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 language of the Indus Valley Civilization which remains undeciphered.

In Sindhi, Mohan-Jo-Daro (Mohan means "delightful", "charming", or "attractive". Mohan may also refer to people) Jo means of and Daro means mount . A branch of the Aryan migrants called the Indo-Aryans are believed to have founded the Vedic Civilization that have existed between Sarasvati River and Ganges river around 1500 BC and also influenced Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in South Asia.

Arab travellers, specifically Al-Beruni in his book 'Kitab-ul-Hind', has declared that even before the advent of Islam into Sindh (711 A.D.), Sindhi was prevalent in Sindh. It was not only widely spoken but written too in different scripts. Al-Beruni has described many Sindhi words leading to the conclusion, that Sindhi was widely spoken and rich in vocabulary in his times.

Sindh was often the final stop for Middle Eastern and Central Asian empires such as the Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks and Afghans this gave Sindh a distinct and unique culture even before the arrival of Islam.

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 regions to become predominantly Muslim and was part of the earliest Islamic empires of the Abbasids and Umayyids. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in Sindh. The Muslim Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. Settled by Turks, Afghans, and Mughals, Sindh continued to evolve as a frontier state and by the time of British involvement was ruled by Balouchi kings.

Main article: Partition of India#Sindh

In 1947, India attained Independence. Partition of India took place and Pakistan (West Pakistan and East Pakistan, which is present day Bangladesh) was created. Sindh became was alloted to Pakistan by the British. Majority of Hindu Sindhis were forced flee when violence errupted on the streets as Urdu speaking Muslims started to pour in from different parts of India. The Hindu Sindhi community was not protected and were forced to leave with nothing. Many Hindu Sindhi hoped to return to Sindh when violence dies down, but it was not possible. The homes, business and assets of the Hindus was taken.

A majority of migrated Hindu Sindhis left Sindh for India. Today Sindhis are scattered throughout the world and have shown that despite this massive Tsumani, they are a community that can survive and succeed.

Today a big community is in the city of Ulhasnagar, which was originally an army barracks used to settle the Hindi Sindhis.

A pair of Sindhi ceremonial shoes, c. 1930.

Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan language speaking people who have been modified by mainly Iranian, Turkic, Afghan and indigenous tribal populations over time. As a result of their geographic location and countless invasions and migration, the Sindhis display a wide variety of phenotypes.Also, the Sindhi language has borrowed some Arabic, Persian, and Balochi words over time.

As regards the composition of the Sindhi population the two main stocks that inhabit Sind are related to, and common, one with the Punjab and another with Balochistan. The majority stock is that of Rajputs and Jats who are the partial descendants of Sakas (Indo-Scythians, Kushans and Huns who also constitute the majority of the population of the Punjab. The title Huna, i.e. Huns, remains in use by some clans and is possibly a reference to this partial ancestral lineage. During Kalhora,tribes such as the Phariro live in Ali Muhammad Phariro,Khanwahan, NushaheroFeroze KandiaroPhariro rule a number of Jat tribes such as the Sials, Joyas and Khawars came from the Punjab and settled in Sindh. They are called Sirai i.e., people from the north, and speak Siraiki, a group that overlaps and is sometimes considerable transitional between the Punjabis and Sindhis.

The two main Rajput tribes of Sind are: the Samma, a branch of the Yadav Rajputs who inhabit the eastern and lower Sind and Bahawalpur; and the Sumra who, according to the 1907 edition of the Gazetteer are a branch of the Parwar Rajputs. Among others are the Mahar/Mahers, Bhuttos, Ghanghros, Bhattis, Buriros, Lakkha, Sahetas, Lohanas, Mohano, Dahar, Indhar, Chachar, Dhareja, Rathors, Dakhan, Langah etc. The [[Moh