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SINDE. 
SINDE, an extensive province of Hindostan, formerly 
included in that of Moultan, and situated on both sides of the 
river Indus, lying principally between the latitudes of 24. 
and 27. N. This country bears a very striking resemblance 
to Egypt. It consists of a level plain, with a noble river 
fertilising the banks as far as the inundation extends, after 
which the face of the earth becomes a sandy desert, beyond 
which rises a range of barren mountains. During the 
months of June, July and August, while the rains are falling 
in other parts of India, the sky becomes overcast with clouds; 
but it is seldom that the rain falls. During these months 
the thermometer ranges from 90° to 100°; but in the northern 
parts it is cool from August to March. The islands in the 
Delta of the Ganges are composed of sand, and are covered 
with a prickly shrub, very nourishing to camels, on which 
account a great number are bred in this district. The culti¬ 
vation in Sinde depends on the proper management of the 
irrigation by means of canals and drains from the river, 
from which the water is frequently raised by wheels. The 
produce is sugar, indigo and all kinds of grain; they have 
also extensive pasturage; but agriculture and commerce have 
both much declined since the accession of the present rapa¬ 
cious rulers of Sinde, whose government is that of military 
despotism; and their revenues are supposed not to exceed 
525,600/. per annum. The principal towns are Hyderabad the 
capital of Tatta, Bhukorand Corachie: the latter is the chief 
port, the river being now unnavigable for ships up to Tatta, 
and Lary or Lahary Bunder, having fallen to decay, in con¬ 
sequence of the impediments in the navigation. Sinde pro¬ 
duces but few articles of commerce. Its exports are confined 
to rice, butter, pot-ash, hides, saltpetre, assafoetida, frankin¬ 
cense, indigo, horses and camels. Its imports are sugar- 
candy, spices, pepper, cocoa-nuts, ivory, metals of all kinds, 
Bengal and China silks, porcelain and pearls. The present 
rulers of Sinde do not keep up a standing army, but there 
are 42 tribes who hold their lands on a military tenure, and 
are obliged to furnish a certain number of cavalry when 
called on, by which means a numerous army is shortly col¬ 
lected. They have also a considerable number of fortresses 
dispersed throughout the country, and garrisoned by local 
troops. The natives of Sinde are now mostly Mahometans 
of the Soony sect. The men are generally of a middle size, 
well made, and more robust than those of the South of India. 
The women are also much fairer, and some of them hand¬ 
some. 
Of the ancient history of Sinde, little is known from the 
period when it was overrun by the Greeks under Alexander, 
till about the middle of the 6th century. It was then go¬ 
verned by a dynasty who bore the title of Sasee, whose 
dominions are said to have- extended as far north as Cabul, 
and to the south-east as far as Surat. During the reign of 
Suheer Sing, an army of Persians invaded Sinde, and 
having killed the rajah in a general engagement, returned 
home loaded with plunder and captives. After three succes¬ 
sive reigns, the dynasty of Sasee was put an end to by a 
Brahmin named Chuch, who mounted the throne, and is 
said to have died in the year 671. He was quietly succeeded 
by his son Daher, but his repose was soon disturbed by an 
invasion of Arabs, who are said to have been instigated by 
an affront offered to the dignity of the khalif. This event 
took place in A. D. 712; the Arabs were commanded by 
Mohammed Ben Kasim ; a general engagement took place, 
the rajah was killed, and his troops entirely routed. From 
this period till the end of the 10th century, Sinde was go¬ 
verned by a viceroy nominated by thekhalifs; but during 
the reign of Kadir Billah, he found it requisite to withdraw 
the troops from Sinde, for the defence of his own dominions. 
On this event, Sinde was for many years the scene of extreme 
anarchy and confusion, owing to the numerous competitors 
for the sovereignty, till at length the Hindoo family of 
Soomrah acquired the superiority over all their rivals, and 
became masters of the southern districts, while Moultan and 
the northern parts became subject to the Afghans. The 
Soomrah dynasty were succeeded in the beginning of the 
14th century, by a Hindoo, who took the title of Jam, the 
fourth person in succession from whom was converted to the 
Mahometan faith, and took the title of Salah addeen, the 
purifier of religion. One of his successors named Jam Ba- 
beenuh was taken prisoner by the army of Feroze III., em. 
peror of Delhi, in the year 1364, but was permitted to 
govern Sinde as viceroy of the Afghan monarch; which 
system continued under their respective successors, till the 
beginning of the 16th century, when the throne of Hindos¬ 
tan was transferred to the Moguls. On this event, Sinde was 
taken possession of by a Mahometan named Meerza Eesa 
Toorkhan, under the modest title of nabob. His successors 
continued to pay tribute to the Moguls, till the decline of 
their empire, when a tribe of Arabian descent obtained the 
superiority in Sinde. They were styled the Kulora or Galore 
nabobs, and paid or withheld the tribute, according to the 
exigency of the case. In 1739, all the territories west of the 
river Indus were ceded by the emperor Mohammed Shah, 
to the Persian usurper Nadir Shah. The assassination of 
that person in the year 1747, liberated the rulers of Sinde 
from their allegiance to Persia, and they again nominally 
professed themselves subjects of the court of Delhi. In 1756, 
the feeble emperor of Hindostan, Alumgeer II. made over 
the provinces of Sinde and Punjab, to the Afghan prince 
Timour, as the dower of his daughter; but political events 
did not permit the Afghans to take possession. In the 
month of June 1779, a Mahometan tribe of Balooch origin, 
called Talpoories, rebelled against the authority of the 
Kulora nabob of Sinde, and after putting some hundreds of 
his adherents to death, compelled him to flee to Cabul. 
Timour Shah immediately dispatched an army to reinstate 
the nabob in his rights, in which they succeeded without 
difficulty; but no sooner had the Afghans returned home, 
than the Talpoories again rebelled and were victorious. In 
consequence of this success, they were enabled to raise a 
considerable force, and to set the Afghans at defiance. If 
was not till the year 1786, that Timour Shah again attempted 
to interfere with the politics of Sinde: the Afghans were, how¬ 
ever, completely routed ; after which a negociation was set on 
foot, which terminated in the Sindian chiefs acknowledging 
themselves feudatories of Cabul, and agreeing to pay an 
annual tribute, while the Shah issued a commission to Futteh 
Aly and his three brothers, constituting them Ameers, or 
rulers of Sinde, on his behalf. A little more than three years 
elapsed before the Ameers declined paying any tribute, and 
the Afghans were not then at leisure to enforce it. As soon 
as Zeman Shah found himself firm on the throne of his 
father, he marched in the year 1793, with a powerful army, 
to the boundaries of Sinde; but finding the Ameers very 
powerful, he accepted 350,000/., being a quarter of his de¬ 
mand, and returned to his own dominions. The frequent 
revolutions at the court of Cabul, enabled the Sindians to 
accumulate their riches and strength ; and it was not till 12 
years afterwards that they could be compelled to pay a 
further tribute of about 400,000/. On the nomination by 
Timour Shah in 1786, of Futteh Aly to the supreme autho¬ 
rity of Sinde, that chief made over extensive tracks of coun¬ 
try to different branches of his own family who had assisted 
him in usurping the government, and these chiefs are now 
become independent of the supreme authority. On the death 
of Futteh Aly, the three remaining brothers agreed to govern 
the province conjointly, and that their successors should 
continue the same system. The whole of the revenue, 
amounting to about 460,000/., was divided in four shares; 
two of which were assigned to Ghoolam Aly, the eldest, on 
condition of his paying the permanent civil and military 
expenses; each of the other brothers received a share. In 
1812, Ghoolam Aly was killed by accident, on which event 
his son took the lower seat in the triumvirate, and the two 
brothers ascended a step each. It is difficult to conjecture 
how long this very peculiar system of government may 
endure, but at present the members appear to act with great 
concord and unanimity. The total amount of the revenues 
of Sinde may be calculated at 700,000/. per annum; but as 
the chiefs are gradually extending their territories, they are 
supposed to be increasing. In the strong fortress of Arner- 
kote, 
