Hurs
Encyclopedia
Hur is a Sufi Muslim
community in the province of Sindh
, Pakistan
. Their spiritual leader is Pir Pagaro
.
The Hurs cannot be said to have been defeated as they continued their struggle even after the hanging of the Pir Sahib, right up to the time of the independence of Pakistan, Pakistan having acquired the status of an independent country. The British were forced by Hurs and a number of other movements to leave the 'Jewel in the British Crown'. Pir Pagaro Sayyed Sibghatullah Shah was hanged on March 20, 1943 and the British left Pakistan in four years' time on 14th of August 1947. Long after the end of British rule, Pir Pagaro's two sons, who were in British custody in England
, were released and came back to lead their community. Sindh was a province in the newly independent Pakistan
. The sons of Sibghatullah Shah Shaheed were brought to Pakistan in December 1951 after long negotiations. The elder son, Pir Sikandar Shah, Shah Mardan Shah, became the new Pir in February 1952. Shah Mardan Shah II
is the current Pir Pagaro.
, the Southern desert sector was a mere sideshow to the major battles fought in the Punjab and in Kashmir. However the Indians had placed two divisions in the desert with the aim of tying down Pakistani troops.
Facing a shortage of troops and unable to divert any substantial forces from the Punjab and Kashmir sectors (where the main Indian thrust has come), the commander of the Pakistan Rangers
, Brigadier Khuda Dad Khan, turned to local help. Hurs volunteered in droves. Given only basic training and light weapons, the Hurs nevertheless gave a fine account of themselves in the conflict. Fighting alongside Rangers and regular army units (known collectively as the Desert Force
), the Hurs used their knowledge of the desert to good effect and helped to blunt the Indian offensive. But, perhaps their most famous (and militarily important) action was the capture of the Indian fort of Kishangarh
, a feature located several kilometers inside India.
became the president and then the prime minister of Pakistan. Under his government, the Government of Sindh started a crackdown on Hurs. Matters got worst when four prominent fakir
s were gunned down by police. Their photos appeared in the newspapers as dacoits gunned down by police in armed combat. This happened despite the fact that Sindhies considered Hurs as Sindh's heroes and the historic Bhutto family personally respected Pir Pagaro. In the general elections of 1977, Pir Pagaro decided to break the tradition of not becoming involved in power politics and ran for the seat of parliament from Mr. Bhuttos hometown of Larkana
. This was a symbolic gesture of protest but Pir Pagaro was arrested. This saw a bloody clash of Hurs and government leaving hundreds of Hurs and government officials dead.
, who was looking for some foothold in Sindh, restored the status of Hurs in the Pakistani army. He also appointed a famous Sindhi civil servant, Bashir Ahmed Siddiqui as Inspector General of Sindh to face the growing problem of dacoits, especially Paro Chandio. Siddiqui formed a militia called Hur Force out of Hurs; this had 1965 war hero Faqir Jamal Mangrio killed by Chandio, but also saw the death of Chandio by the hand of Siddiqui.
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
died in an air crash and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
's daughter Benazir Bhutto
was elected as Prime Minister
. Benazir Bhutto's government decided to replace the Hur Force with a new force called Magsi Force, consisting of militants from the tribe of Mir Nadir Ali Magsi, a rival of Hur
s. Benazir Bhutto encouraged and supported clash between forces and after bloody clashes the Hur Force was weakened substantially.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community in the province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Their spiritual leader is Pir Pagaro
Pir Pagaro
Pir Pagara is bigest is the title given to the leader of Sunni Muslim Sufi order of Hurs in Sindh province of Pakistan. It comes from the Persian word Pir and the Sindhi word 'Pagara' meaning:....
.
History of the Hur Movement
During the British rule, Pir Pagaro declared his community "Hur" (free from British slavery). The British tried to crush the uprising and that started an armed resistance by Hurs. Ultimately the British passed the infamous law "Hur Act" where the entire Hur community was declared criminals and were ordered to be shot to death on sight.The Hurs cannot be said to have been defeated as they continued their struggle even after the hanging of the Pir Sahib, right up to the time of the independence of Pakistan, Pakistan having acquired the status of an independent country. The British were forced by Hurs and a number of other movements to leave the 'Jewel in the British Crown'. Pir Pagaro Sayyed Sibghatullah Shah was hanged on March 20, 1943 and the British left Pakistan in four years' time on 14th of August 1947. Long after the end of British rule, Pir Pagaro's two sons, who were in British custody in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, were released and came back to lead their community. Sindh was a province in the newly independent Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The sons of Sibghatullah Shah Shaheed were brought to Pakistan in December 1951 after long negotiations. The elder son, Pir Sikandar Shah, Shah Mardan Shah, became the new Pir in February 1952. Shah Mardan Shah II
Shah Mardan Shah II
HAZRAT PIR SYED MARDAN SHAH II is a political leader of Pakistan from the province of Sindh. He is the Pir Pagara, the leader of Sunni Sufi community of Sindh known as Hurs....
is the current Pir Pagaro.
Hurs in the 1965 War
In 1965 war between India and Pakistan about 65,000 Hurs served in various fronts especially that of SindhSindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, the Southern desert sector was a mere sideshow to the major battles fought in the Punjab and in Kashmir. However the Indians had placed two divisions in the desert with the aim of tying down Pakistani troops.
Facing a shortage of troops and unable to divert any substantial forces from the Punjab and Kashmir sectors (where the main Indian thrust has come), the commander of the Pakistan Rangers
Pakistan Rangers
The Pakistan Rangers are part of the Paramilitary forces of Pakistan, and consists of members of the Pakistan Army under the direct control of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pakistan Government. The Rangers are an internal security force with the prime objective to provide and maintain...
, Brigadier Khuda Dad Khan, turned to local help. Hurs volunteered in droves. Given only basic training and light weapons, the Hurs nevertheless gave a fine account of themselves in the conflict. Fighting alongside Rangers and regular army units (known collectively as the Desert Force
Desert Force
The Desert Force , AKA Desert Patrol, was a paramilitary force of Transjordan. Its main task was to guard Jordanian borders with neighboring Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria as well as to provide protection for oil pipe lines of Iraqi Petroleum Company .It also participated in campaigns of Syria and...
), the Hurs used their knowledge of the desert to good effect and helped to blunt the Indian offensive. But, perhaps their most famous (and militarily important) action was the capture of the Indian fort of Kishangarh
Kishangarh
Kishangarh is a city and a municipality in Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It lies 18 miles north-west of Ajmer. It is well connected via Indian Railways and National Highway #8. It is the birth place of the Kishangarh style of painting, which is known for the beautiful depiction...
, a feature located several kilometers inside India.
Persecution of Hurs by Bhutto Government
In 1972 Zulfikar Ali BhuttoZulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
became the president and then the prime minister of Pakistan. Under his government, the Government of Sindh started a crackdown on Hurs. Matters got worst when four prominent fakir
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
s were gunned down by police. Their photos appeared in the newspapers as dacoits gunned down by police in armed combat. This happened despite the fact that Sindhies considered Hurs as Sindh's heroes and the historic Bhutto family personally respected Pir Pagaro. In the general elections of 1977, Pir Pagaro decided to break the tradition of not becoming involved in power politics and ran for the seat of parliament from Mr. Bhuttos hometown of Larkana
Larkana
Larkana or Larkano is the fourth largest city in the north-western part of Sindh Province, Pakistan, and is located within Larkana District.The old name of larkano is chandka which was changed in 1901. In August 2000 Larkana celebrated its hundred years of existence...
. This was a symbolic gesture of protest but Pir Pagaro was arrested. This saw a bloody clash of Hurs and government leaving hundreds of Hurs and government officials dead.
Creation of Hur Force
In 1977 coup which overthrew Mr. Bhutto, the newly empowered dictator General Muhammad Zia-ul-HaqMuhammad Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq , was the 4th Chief Martial Law Administrator and the sixth President of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988...
, who was looking for some foothold in Sindh, restored the status of Hurs in the Pakistani army. He also appointed a famous Sindhi civil servant, Bashir Ahmed Siddiqui as Inspector General of Sindh to face the growing problem of dacoits, especially Paro Chandio. Siddiqui formed a militia called Hur Force out of Hurs; this had 1965 war hero Faqir Jamal Mangrio killed by Chandio, but also saw the death of Chandio by the hand of Siddiqui.
Persecution of Hurs by Benazir's Government
In 1988, PresidentPresident of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq , was the 4th Chief Martial Law Administrator and the sixth President of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988...
died in an air crash and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
's daughter Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
was elected as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
. Benazir Bhutto's government decided to replace the Hur Force with a new force called Magsi Force, consisting of militants from the tribe of Mir Nadir Ali Magsi, a rival of Hur
Hur
Hur may refer to:* Hur, a Korean family name, also spelled Heo.*HuR, the ubiquitous RNA binding protein also known as Drosophilla ELAVL1*HUR, Ukraine's military intelligence branch*Hurs , are a Muslim Sufi order in Sindh, Pakistan...
s. Benazir Bhutto encouraged and supported clash between forces and after bloody clashes the Hur Force was weakened substantially.