Sindhi Hindus

For demographics of Hindus in Sindh, see Hinduism in Sindh.

Sindhi Hindus

Total population
c. 7 million
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan	4,176,986 [1] [2] [3]
India	2,772,264 [lower-alpha 1] [4] [5]
Languages
Sindhi Additionally Hindi–Urdu, and English
Religion
Hinduism (incl. Nanakpanthi)
Related ethnic groups
Sindhi Muslims, Punjabi Hindus, Gujarati Hindus, Rajasthani Hindus

Jhulelal , the Ishtadevata of the Sindhi Hindus.

Sindhi Hindus are Sindhis who follow Hinduism. They are spread across modern-day Sindh, Pakistan and India. After the partition of India in 1947, many Sindhi Hindus were among those who fled from Pakistan to the dominion of India, in what was a wholesale exchange of Hindu and Muslim populations in some areas. Some later emigrated from the Indian subcontinent and settled in other parts of the world. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

According to the 2017 Pakistani census, there are 4.18 million Sindhi Hindus residing within the Sindh province of Pakistan with major population centers being Mirpur Khas Division and Hyderabad Division that combined account for more than 2 million of them. ^[3] Meanwhile, the 2011 census listed 2.77 million speakers of Sindhi in India, including speakers of Kutchi, ^[9] a number that does not include Sindhi Hindus who no longer speak the Sindhi language. The vast majority of Sindhi Hindus living in India belong to the Lohana jāti , which includes the sub-groups of Amil, Bhaiband and Sahiti. ^{[10] [11]}

Hinduism in Sindh

Main article: Hinduism in Sindh

Prior to Arab invasions, majority of Sindh's population practiced Hinduism, although a significant minority adhered to Buddhism as well. ^[12] During the Arab invasions, majority of Sindhi Hindus were a rural pastoral population, who lived mostly in upper Sindh, a region that was entirely Hindu; while the Buddhists of Sindh were a mercantile population, who lived entirely in the urban areas of lower Sindh. ^[13]

After many successful raids, collaboration by the local Buddhist population, and resistance by the local Hindu population, the army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Muhammad ibn al-Qasim successfully invaded and conquered Sindh in 712CE, against the last Hindu king of Sindh, Raja Dahir. ^[14]

Sindh, under the control of Qasim, saw a decline of Buddhism, as most Buddhists started converting to Islam. The later reign of the Delhi Sultanate, led to further decline, with both Buddhism and Hinduism becoming minority religions in Sindh. Buddhism later collapsed and ceased to exist in Sindh, while Hinduism remained persistent, managing to survive and flourish throughout the centuries as a minority religion. The consistency of Hinduism in Sindh is credited the dependency of the rural Hindu population on Brahmins. ^[13]

Prior to the partition of India, as per the 1941 census, the Sindhi Hindu population accounted for around 27% of Sindh's population, most of whom moved to India. Today, Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan number around 4.2 million, around 9% of the region's population. Sindhi Hindus are the largest ethnolinguistic Hindu group in Pakistan. ^[15]

Castes

Indian Sindhi Hindus

Most Sindhi Hindus in India belong to the Lohana caste, who are historically traders, merchants and government officials, and belong to the Vaishya varna. The Sindhi Lohanas are further divided into different sub-groups for example Amils, Bhaibands, Hyderabadi Bhaiband (Sindhi Varki), Sahitis, Shikarpuris, Hatvaniya/Hatwara, Thattai, Bhagnari etc, these sub-groups have their own hundreds of surnames. ^[16]

Other notable castes include Bhatias (Larai) and Aroras (Riasti), who are also called as Wāniya and Deewan in the Sindhi language, and who also belong to the Vaishya varna and Kshatriya varna of the Hindu caste system, respectively.

A small minority of Hindu Sindhis in India belong to the Brahmin caste, who can be further divided into the three endogamous subcastes- Pokarnos, Shrimalis and Saraswats. ^[17]

Pakistani Sindhi Hindus

Hindu Rajputs are mainly found in Thar region of Sindh.

Tribal groups like Dhed, Bhils, Meghwals and Kolhis etc form the largest group among Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan and are mostly found in the Southern and Eastern parts of Sindh.

Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan do not have a caste based hierarchial division, nor the concept of higher caste or lower caste, nor do they practice untouchability. ^[18]

Sindhi Hindus in India

Main article: Sindhis in India

During the first half of 1948, approximately 1 million Sindhi Hindus immigrated to India. ^[19] Various refugee colonies have been set up by Government of India for accommodation of Sindhi refugees across the nation like: Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, Kandla and Adipur camps in Gujarat, Sindhi Camp bus stand in Rajasthan's capital Jaipur, Cox Town camp in Karnataka's capital Bangalore and Ulhasnagar (Kalyan Camp) in Maharashtra. ^[20]

According to the 2011 census of India, there are around 2.8 million Sindhi-language speakers living in India, however, this number does not include ethnic Sindhis who no longer speak Sindhi. ^[21] Sindhis formed a major-chunk of population of Ulhasnagar Municipality (Mumbai Metropolitan Region), Maharashtra. The population of Ulhasnagar city is 500k, out of which 400k of the residents are Sindhis, thus constituting 80% of the city's population as per 2011 census report. Ulhasnagar is also known as India's "Mini Sindh" due to having the highest concentration of Sindhis in one city in India. ^{[22] [23] [24]}

Partition of India

Main article: Sindhis in India

After the partition of India in 1947, the majority of Sindh's Hindus migrated to India, mainly forced by the religious-based persecution sponsored by Muhajir refugees at the time. ^[25] They settled primarily in the neighbouring Kutch district of Gujarat, which bears linguistic and cultural similarities to Sindh, and the city of Bombay. As per Census of India 2011, there are around 1,741,662 Sindhi speakers living in India (not counting Kutchi speakers, who are sometimes seen as speaking a Sindhi dialect). ^[26] There are also sizable Sindhi Hindu communities elsewhere in the world, sometimes termed, the 'Sindhi diaspora'.

Family Names

Conventions

Sindhi Hindu family names often derive from a patronymic tradition, commonly ending with the suffix "-ani". This suffix signifies descent from a shared male ancestor. One explanation suggests that "-ani" is a Sindhi adaptation of "anshi", originating from the Sanskrit word "ansh", meaning "descended from". The initial component of a Sindhi Hindu surname typically reflects the name or location of an ancestor. In northern Sindh, surnames ending in "ja" (meaning "of") are also prevalent. A person's surname often includes the name of their native village followed by "ja". Sindhi Hindus frequently append the "-ani" suffix to the name of a great-grandfather and adopt it as their family name. ^{[27] [28] [29]}

Surnames

Caste	Surnames [30]
Sindhi Amil Lohana	Advani, Ahuja, Ajwani, Bathija, Bhambhani, Bhavnani, Bhagtani, Bijlani, Chhablani, Chhabria, Chhugani, Chugani, Dadlani, Daryani, Dudani, Essarani, Gabrani, Gidwani, Gurnani, Hingorani, Hemrajani, Idnani, Issrani, Jagtiani, Jaisinghani, Jhangiani, Kandharani, Karnani, Kewalramani, Kewlani, Khubchandani, Kriplani, Haswani, Lalwani, Mahtani, Makhija, Malkani, Manghirmalani, Manglani, Manshani, Mansukhani, Mirchandani, Motwani, Mukhija, Panjwani, Punwani, Ramchandani, Raisinghani, Rijhsanghani, Sadarangani, Shahani, Shahukarani, Shivdasani, Sipahimalani (shortened to Sippy in many instances), Sitlani, Sarabhai, Singhania, Takthani, Thadani, Tanwani, Vaswani, Wadhwani and Uttamsinghani
Sindhi Bhaiband Lohana	Aishani, Agahni, Anandani, Aneja, Ambwani, Asija, Bablani, Bajaj, Bhagwani, Bhaglani, Bhojwani, Bhagnani, Balani, Baharwani, Biyani, Bodhani, Chandiramani, Channa, Chattani, Chothani, Chughani, Dalwani, Damani, Dhingria, Dolani, Dudeja, Gangwani, Ganglani, Gulrajani, Hiranandani, Hotwani, Harwani, Jagwani, Jamtani, Jobanputra, Juneja, Jumani, Kateja, Kodwani, Khabrani, Khanchandani, Khushalani, Kirpalani, Lakhani, Lanjwani, Longan, Lachhwani, Ludhwani, Lulia, Lokwani, Manghnani, Mamtani, Melwani, Mirani, Mirpuri, Mirwani, Mohinani, Mulchandani, Nihalani, Nankani, Nathani, Parwani, Phull, Qaimkhani, Ratlani, Rajpal, Rustamani, Ruprela, Rajwani, Rijhwani, Ramnani, Sambhavani, Santdasani, Shamdasani, Soneji, Setia, Sewani, Tejwani, Tilokani, Tirthani, Wassan, Vangani, Varlani, Vishnani, Visrani, Virwani and Valbani

Notable Sindhi Hindus

Main article: List of Sindhi people

• Bherumal Meharchand Advani, late linguist, historian, novelist, poet and researcher
• Kalyan Bulchand Advani, late poet, critique and scholar
• Kiara Advani, Indian actress
• L. K. Advani, Indian politician and former Deputy Prime Minister of India
• Nikkhil Advani, Indian movie director and screenwriter
• Pankaj Advani, Indian billiards and professional snooker player
• Suresh H. Advani, oncologist who pioneered Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in India
• Asrani, Indian actor and director
• Kirat Babani, late writer, journalist and progressive activist
• Babita, former Indian film actress
• Anant Balani, late Bollywood film director and screenwriter
• Rana Bhagwandas, late Pakistani jurist
• Tamannaah Bhatia, Indian actress ^{[31] [32]}
• Deepak Bhojwani, Indian diplomat
• Aarti Chabria, Indian actress and former model
• Master Chander, late singer, musical director and poet
• Brahma Chellaney, Indian geostrategist
• Vishal Dadlani, Indian singer, songwriter, actor and music composer.
• Jairamdas Daulatram, late Indian political leader
• Raja Dahir, the last Hindu king of Sindh
• Bhai Pratap Dialdas, late Indian businessman, philanthropist and freedom fighter
• Harish Fabiani, Indian (NRI) businessman based in Madrid
• Khialdas Fani, late Indian writer, poet, stage artist and singer
• Sobho Gianchandani, Pakistani Sindhi social scientist and revolutionary writer
• Gope, late Indian actor
• Hotchand Molchand Gurbakhshani, late educationist and scholar.
• Hari Harilela, late Hong Kong Indian businessman
• Jimmi Harkishin, actor
• Anita Hassanandani, Indian actress
• Gopichand Hinduja, Indian-British billionaire businessman and co-chairman of the Hinduja Group
• Indira Hinduja, Indian gynaecologist, obstetrician and infertility specialist
• Arjun Hingorani, late Indian Bollywood director, producer and actor
• Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani, late Indian Navy flag officer
• Lakhumal Hiranand Hiranandani, late Indian otorhinolaryngology, social activist and philanthropist
• Niranjan Hiranandani, Indian billionaire businessman, co-founder and managing director of Hiranandani Group
• Popati Hiranandani, late Indian writer
• Surendra Hiranandani, Indian-born entrepreneur, co-founder and managing director of Hiranandani Group
• Rajkumar Hirani, Indian film director
• Narendra Hirwani, former Indian cricketer
• Micky Jagtiani, late Indian billionaire businessman
• Gurumukh Das Jagwani, Indian politician
• Jeet, Indian actor, film producer, singer, entrepreneur and television presenter
• Kamna Jethmalani, Indian actress
• Ram Jethmalani, late Indian lawyer and politician
• Motilal Jotwani, late Indian writer, educationist, gandhian and a former post doctoral fellow of Harvard Divinity School
• Hemu Kalani, late freedom fighter
• Atul Khatri, Indian stand-up comedian and YouTube personality
• Raj Kiran, former Indian actor
• Chanda Kochhar, Indian banker
• Krishna Kohli, Pakistani politician
• Rooplo Kolhi, late freedom fighter
• J. B. Kripalani, late Indian politician
• Jayant Kripalani, Indian film, television and stage actor, director and trainer
• Krishna Kripalani, late Indian freedom fighter fighter, author and parliamentarian
• Ajith Kumar, Indian film actor
• Gulu Lalvani, British businessman, founder and chairman of Binatone
• Kartar Lalvani, British-Indian businessman, founder and chairman of Vitabiotics
• Nikita Lalwani, Indian novelist
• Tej Lalvani, British businessman and the CEO Vitabiotics
• Shankar Lalwani, Indian politician
• Kishore Mahbubani, Singaporean diplomat and geopolitical consultant
• K. R. Malkani, late journalist, historian and politician
• Mangharam Udharam Malkani, late Indian scholar, critic, writer, playwright, literary historian and professor
• N. R. Malkani, late social worker and freedom fighter
• Rajeev Masand, Indian film critic and journalist
• Rajesh Mirchandani, communications executive and former British television journalist
• Mac Mohan, late Indian actor
• Hansika Motwani, Indian actress
• Rajeev Motwani, Indian American professor of Computer Science at Stanford University
• Kabir Mulchandani, Indian-born, Dubai-based real estate and hospitality businessman and philanthropist
• Bhagwanti Navani, late Indian singer and actress
• Govind Nihalani, Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter and producer
• Pahlaj Nihalani, Indian film producer
• Seth Vishandas Nihalchand, late Sindhi Hindu politician, social reformer, and philanthropist
• Archie Panjabi, British actress
• Lila Poonawalla Indian industrialist, philanthropist, humanitarian and the founder of Lila Poonawalla Foundation
• Kala Prakash, late Indian novelist, short story writer and poet
• Moti Prakash, late Indian writer
• Chandru Raheja, Indian billionaire businessman and chairman of K Raheja Corp
• Sushil Rajpal, Indian director and producer
• Bhagat Kanwar Ram, late Sindhi Sufi singer and poet
• Sheila Ramani, late Indian actress
• Bulo C Rani, late Indian music director
• Gulabrai Ramchand, late Indian cricketer, cricket coach and administrator
• Ishwardas Rohani, late Indian politician
• G. S. Sainani, Indian general physician, medical researcher, medical writer and an Emeritus Professor of the National Academy of Medical Sciences
• Meera Sanyal late Indian banker and politician
• Aftab Shivdasani, Indian actor, producer and model
• Hari Shivdasani, late Indian character actor
• Sadhana Shivdasani, late Indian actress
• Sonu Shivdasani, British hotelier, founder and CEO of Soneva
• Ranveer Singh, Indian actor
• G. P. Sippy, late Indian film producer and director
• Ramesh Sippy, Indian film director, actor and producer
• Sobhraj Nirmaldas Sujansingani, late Indian prose writer and poet
• Anjana Sukhani, Indian actress and model
• Dalip Tahil Indian film, television and theatre actor
• Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani, late Indian Navy flag officer
• Tarun Tahiliani, Indian fashion designer
• Hiten Tejwani, Indian television actor
• Sundri Uttamchandani, late Indian writer
• Sunil Vaswani, Indian-born Nigerian billionaire businessman and chairman of the Stallion Group
• Harchandrai Vishandas, late Sindhi attorney and politician
• Romesh Wadhwani, Indian-American billionaire, chairman and CEO of Symphony Technology Group
• Tulsi Ramsay, late Indian film director
• Shyam Ramsay, late Bollywood film director

See also

• Sindhis
• Hinduism in Sindh
• Sindhis in India
• Hinduism in Pakistan
• Darya Lal Mandir

Notes

1. Includes speakers of the Sindhi and 1 million speakers of the Kutchi language; some Sindhi and Kutchi speakers, especially in Kutch in Gujarat and in western Rajasthan, are Muslims while many ethnic Sindhi Hindus no longer speak the language.

References

1. Centre for Land Warfare Studies https://archive.claws.in Archived 3 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine  › roots-of-si... Roots of Sindhi-Hindu Exodus from Pakistan
2. "Hindu Population (PK) – Pakistan Hindu Council". Archived from the original on 15 March 2018.
3. "Table 9: Population by Religion, Sex and Rural/Urban" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
4. Data on Language and Mother Tongue. "Census of India 2011" (PDF). p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
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6. Rita Kothari, Burden of Refuge: Sindh, Gujarat, Partition, Orient Blackswan
7. Nil (4 June 2012). "Who orchestrated the exodus of Sindhi Hindus after Partition?". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
8. Nandita bhavnani (2014). The making of exile: sindhi hindus and the partition of india. Tranquebar Press. ISBN   978-93-84030-33-9 . Retrieved 12 September 2015.
9. Data on Language and Mother Tongue. "Census of India 2011" (PDF). p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
10. Ramey, S. (27 October 2008). Hindu, Sufi, or Sikh: Contested Practices and Identifications of Sindhi Hindus in India and Beyond. Springer. ISBN   978-0-230-61622-6. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
11. Schaflechner, Jürgen (2018). Hinglaj Devi: Identity, Change, and Solidification at a Hindu Temple in Pakistan. Oxford University Press. pp. 71–75.
12. Malik, Jamal (31 October 2008). Islam in South Asia: A Short History. BRILL. p. 40. ISBN   978-90-474-4181-6. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023. Sind's majority population followed Hindu traditions but a substantial minority was Buddhist.
13. Maclean, Derryl N. (1989). "Religion and Society in Arab Sind". BRILL. pp. 123–132. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
14. Hiltebeitel, Alf (May 1999). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi Among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits. University of Chicago Press. p. 281. ISBN   9780226340500. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023. While the results of Buddhist collaboration in Sind were short-lived, the history of Hinduism there continued in multiple forms, first with Brahman-led resistance continuing in upper Sind around Multan...
15. "Hindus of Pakistan reject CAA, do not want Indian Prime Minister Modi's offer of citizenship". Gulf News. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
16. Hīrānandāṇī, Popaṭī (1984). History of Sindhi Literature: Post-independence, 1947-1978. Prof. Popati R. Hiranandani. p. 26.
17. Burton, Sir Richard Francis (1851). Sindh, and the Races that Inhabit the Valley of the Indus. W. H. Allen. p. 310. As usual among the Hindoo race, wherever it is settled, they have divided themselves into different tribes. The Satawarna, or seven castes of Indians in Sindh, are as follows:--1. Brahman; 2. Lohano; 3. Bhatio; 4. Sahto; 5. Waishya (including a number of trades as Wahun, grain-toaster; Khatti, dyer, &c.); 6. Panjabi; and 7. Sonaro. Five of these belong, properly speaking, to the Waishya (the third, or merchant) division of pure Indians. The seventh is a mixed caste, descended from a Brahman father and a Shudra mother.
18. Hīrānandāṇī, Popaṭī (1984). History of Sindhi Literature: Post-independence, 1947-1978. Prof. Popati R. Hiranandani.
19. The Partition Museum https://www.partitionmuseum.org Archived 18 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine  › ... Partition of India - 1947 Partition, History
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Sources

• Bherumal Mahirchand Advani, "Amilan-jo-Ahwal" - published in Sindhi, 1919
• Amilan-jo-Ahwal (1919) - translated into English in 2016 ("A History of the Amils") at sindhis