Jhirk
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

{{Infobox settlement , official_name = Jhirk (Jerruck) , settlement_type = Town , nickname = , motto = , subdivision_type =
Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
, subdivision_name =
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, subdivision_type1 =
Province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
, subdivision_name1 =
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
, subdivision_type2 = District , subdivision_name2 =
Thatta Thatta is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh. Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Its construction was ordered by Jam Nizamuddin II in 1495. Thatta's historic signif ...
, subdivision_type3= , subdivision_name3= , timezone = PKT , utc_offset = +5 , timezone_DST = , utc_offset_DST = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , elevation_ft = , coordinates = {{coord, 25, 3, 15.48, N, 86, 15, 19.44, E, region:PAK, display=inline,title Jhirk, also spelled as Jerruck, is a small town on the right bank of the
Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...
in the
Thatta Thatta is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh. Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Its construction was ordered by Jam Nizamuddin II in 1495. Thatta's historic signif ...
district of the province of
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
.


History

In the 19th century, Jhirk was the busiest river port and center of commercial activity in
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
. It also served as the headquarters of the Indus Flotilla, which was the most advanced navigational system of its time.
Karachi Port The Port of Karachi (, ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water Port, seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Karac ...
was connected to Jhirk. The headquarters of the Indus Flotilla was initially in Jhirk, near
Kotri Kotri (, ) is a city and the headquarters of the Kotri Taluka of Jamshoro District of Sindh province in Pakistan. Located on the right bank of the Indus River, it is the 118th most populous city in Pakistan. Name The name ''Koṭri'' is the d ...
, before relocating to
Mithankot Mithankot ( Punjabi / ) also known as Kot Mithan, is a city in Rajanpur District in Punjab, Pakistan. Mithankot is located on the west bank of the Indus River, a short distance downstream from its junction with Panjnad River. Most of its inhabita ...
in
Rajanpur district Rajanpur () is a District (Pakistan), district of Dera Ghazi Khan Division in the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, with its administrative headquarters the city of Rajanpur. District of Rajanpur was formerly part of Dera Ghazi K ...
and later to Makhad in
Attock Attock ( Punjabi, ), formerly known as Campbellpur (Punjabi, ), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest c ...
. This section of the Indus Flotilla was known by both the Punjab Flotilla and the Indus Flotilla names. The British Indus Flotilla of
steamboats A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
, which once navigated the
Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...
River, is described by Shaw (1998).
Hassan Ali Effendi Hassan Ali Effendi ( ; 14 August 1830 – 20 August 1895) was an educationist in South Asia who is credited as the founder of one of the first Muslim schools in British India: the Sindh Madrasatul Islam (established in 1885), located in Karach ...
, the renowned educationist who played a key role in establishing
Sindh Madrasatul Islam Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMI University; ; ) is a university in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Founded in 1885, it is one of the oldest educational institutions in South Asia. History Sindh Madrasa was founded on 1 September 1885 by Ha ...
, worked with the Indus Flotilla in his early years while learning English.
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pak ...
was one of his students at the
Sindh Madrasatul Islam Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMI University; ; ) is a university in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Founded in 1885, it is one of the oldest educational institutions in South Asia. History Sindh Madrasa was founded on 1 September 1885 by Ha ...
in Karachi. The Indus River was a crucial communication route between Karachi and Jhirk, which was a significant river port near
Kotri Kotri (, ) is a city and the headquarters of the Kotri Taluka of Jamshoro District of Sindh province in Pakistan. Located on the right bank of the Indus River, it is the 118th most populous city in Pakistan. Name The name ''Koṭri'' is the d ...
. The Indus Flotilla used large quantities of firewood to fuel its steamboats, and
Hassan Ali Effendi Hassan Ali Effendi ( ; 14 August 1830 – 20 August 1895) was an educationist in South Asia who is credited as the founder of one of the first Muslim schools in British India: the Sindh Madrasatul Islam (established in 1885), located in Karach ...
kept track of the wood and steamboat operations. Due to its commercial significance,
Aga Khan I Prince Hasan Ali Shah (; 1804 – 12 April 1881), known as Aga Khan I (), was the 46th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ilis. He served as the governor of Kerman and a prominent leader in Iran and later in the Indian subcontinent. He was t ...
constructed his palace in Jhirk. Jhirk also boasts one of the oldest British-era schools in Sindh, which is 15 years older than Karachi's
Sindh Madrasatul Islam Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMI University; ; ) is a university in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Founded in 1885, it is one of the oldest educational institutions in South Asia. History Sindh Madrasa was founded on 1 September 1885 by Ha ...
and is still operational. British Captain April, a spy for the British crown in the 1800s, described Jhirk’s majesty and climate. Stationed there from 1832 to 1839, he noted that Jhirk was a prominent city with a
bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
of 200 shops, where goods were available at lower prices than in
Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
.
Aga Khan I Prince Hasan Ali Shah (; 1804 – 12 April 1881), known as Aga Khan I (), was the 46th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ilis. He served as the governor of Kerman and a prominent leader in Iran and later in the Indian subcontinent. He was t ...
migrated from Iran to
Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...
after the First Afghan War of 1839, when the British were in Herat. Following the British defeat by Dost Mohammed of
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, he settled in Jhirk in 1843 under British protection.
Aga Khan I Prince Hasan Ali Shah (; 1804 – 12 April 1881), known as Aga Khan I (), was the 46th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ilis. He served as the governor of Kerman and a prominent leader in Iran and later in the Indian subcontinent. He was t ...
constructed his
mahal Mahal may refer to: Places * Mahal, India, a small town in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India * Mahal, Punjab, a village in Jalandhar district of Punjab State, India * Mahal, Paschim Bardhaman, a census town in Pandabeswar CD Block in ...
or palace, which remains well-preserved. He and his followers, who numbered at least one thousand, along with some British personnel assigned to protect him, settled in Jhirk. Sir Charles Napier initially established Jhirk as the headquarters for the British Army in
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
when he arrived in the region, which was part of the Bombay Presidency at that time. The grandfather of
Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...
, the first leader of Pakistan, came to Jhirk for
Aga Khan I Prince Hasan Ali Shah (; 1804 – 12 April 1881), known as Aga Khan I (), was the 46th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ilis. He served as the governor of Kerman and a prominent leader in Iran and later in the Indian subcontinent. He was t ...
’s ''Deedar''. He settled in Jhirk for the remainder of his life and is buried there, with his grave still accessible. His eldest son,
Jinnahbhai Poonja Jinnahbhai Poonja (c. 1857 – 15 April 1902) was a merchant in British India. He was the founder and chairman of Jinnahbhai & Co. and Graham's Shipping and Trading Company. He is best known for being the father of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the fo ...
, who was Muhammad Ali Jinnah's father, married Sheeren Bai, the daughter of Moosa Jumo, in 1874. Sheeren Bai had also migrated with Aga Khan I. There is a belief that
Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...
was born in Jhirk, though most historians and biographers adhere to the official account.Remembering the Quaid - Daily Dawn
/ref> A maternity home built by the Agha Khan community was described by the Archaeology Department as the official birthplace of Quaid-e-Azam. A blue plaque with this information was displayed by the Department for over two decades after the partition. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was admitted to the town's primary school, established in 1870. The school's General Register is missing. Until 1962, Jhirk was listed as Jinnah's birthplace in the curriculum taught in Pakistan. The designation was then changed to
Wazir Mansion Wazir Mansion (), officially known as Quaid-e-Azam Birthplace MuseumWazir Mansion forgotten?
Dawn (newspap ...
in Karachi, which became recognized as Quaid-i-Azam's birthplace, leading to renewed controversy over his true birthplace. A
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
on the opposite side of the
Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...
reflects the historical significance of the area.


Present

Jhirk's current situation is critical, with very few sources of income available. The population relies heavily on special aid and government grants. Due to the lack of water in the Kotri River, most residents live below the poverty line, leading to widespread abandonment of the area. Fishing and farming resources have been exhausted. Many graduates and young people from the ''Mallah'' fishing community either sell brambles or subsist on minimal rural incomes.


References

Populated places in Thatta District