Bhago Bhan, (1) the Court poet of the Soomra kings of Sindh, composed this great classic epic poetry orally, in Sindhi language. As per oral poetic traditions, poetry was transmitted to the audience and from performer to performer (singers) by oral means, as argued by Albert Lord and Milman Parry. (2)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
In the year 1296-97, Sultan Allauddin Khilji of the Sultanate of Dehli, commissioned his General Zaffar Khan to crush the rebellion in Sindh. General Zaffar khan came to Sindh with a huge Imperial army and crushed the rebellion in Bakhar and Sehwan. (3)In Sehwan, he came to know that there was a rift between the Soomra brothers, Dodo and Chanesar , that Chanesar was dethroned and Dodo had become the king of Sindh. General Zaffar Khan was an unscrupulous man and saw an opportunity to plunder and destroy the Soomra kingdom. He sent out his men to go to Soomra Capital Muhammad Tur (Toor) and assure Chanesar of his support in getting back the throne from Dodo. King kamaluddin Chanesar Soomro, though a great warrior, was simple and a gullible man. He threatened Dodo that he will go for help to king Allauddin’s armies to get the throne back from him. Accordingly, he came to Zaffar khan in Sehwan and was welcomed and promised full help.
General Zaffar khan then sent his emissaries to King Asad-al-Millat Dodo to send tributes of royal gifts and Princess Baghi as bride for Sultan Allauddin, else he will wage a war against him and will take everything by force. (4)
King Dodo called for his Council Ministers and all Sardars (lords) for consultation. It was decided unanimously that no Soomro Princess should go to Sultan Allauddin who was a Turk by caste. They started to prepare for war against the Sultan’s hordes.
Consequently, Zaffar Khan, with Chanesar by his side, marched towards the Soomra Capital of Tur. Both the armies arrived at a place ‘ Thaar Banghar ‘ at a good distance from the Capital city of Tur. A decisive battle was fought in which thousands of Zaffar Khan’s soldiers were killed and on the other side the Valliant King Asad-al-Millat Dodo was martyred along with Prince Muhammed and Nangar sons of Chanesar, with their armies. (5)
General Zaffar Khan then proceeded to the capital Muhammad Tur to plunder, kill and to capture the royal Soomro ladies with Princess Baghi. Chanesar was displeased and admonished Zaffar Khan not proceed to the royal harems as they now belonged to him, as with the martyrdom of Dodo, he was the king of Sindh. Zaffar khan put him under surveillance and proceeded to the Palace. He found the Palace deserted and was enraged. In frustration, he ordered to sack the City. He sent out his spies to find out as to where the harems had gone. In a few days, his spies came, they told him that they taken refuge in Kutch under the protection Chieftain Abro Samo.
Zaffar Khan sent his envoy to Abro Samo to surrender the “Saams” (Royal Soomra ladies of the House of Tur) else he will destroy him. Abro Samo was a great warrior and was sure of the help of neighbouring Chiefs, so he replied to Zaffar Khan that he would rather die in battle than surrender the “Saams” to him. Zaffar khan therefore ordered his remaining armies to prepare for war with Abro Samo. (6)
When chanesar found that Zaffar khan was to chase the royal harems to Kutch, he managed to confront Zaffar khan with his companions and they killed hundreds of soldiers of his army but ultimately they were martyred.
Here it will be appropriate to say that the armies of Zaffar khan had dwindled as thousands of his soldiers had lost their lives in the battles of Bakhar, Sehwan and Soomras also had killed thousands of his soldiers. Even so, he prepared for war with Abro Samo and proceeded to Kutch. Here also, a great battle was fought and Abro Samo, his son Mamut and his armies were martyred.
The “Saams” had already left for nearby mountain refuge where finding no other go, they prayed to God Almighty to save their honour. Suddenly with great thunder, tremors took place and the mountains were split at many places and the ladies jumped into these chasms and with a second thunder the chasms closed upon them. Some corners of their scarves were left out. When Zaffar Khan saw all this, he was awed and disappointed. (7)
Now with very little army, he decided to return to Mirpur Mathelo and to Dehli through the desert route.
These battles had resulted in public uprising and the patriotic people of Sindh of every caste armed themselves with whatever arms they had at hand and followed Zaffar Khan and his men, awakening the villagers on either side of this route to fight(8). Gradually food and water became scarce and his soldiers kept dying of hunger and thirst. The people massacred many soldiers by gorilla war tactics. The result was a miserable defeat and Zaffar Khan suffered an ignominious death in the desert of Sindh.
1 comments:
I'm surprised to read "The Greatest Epic Poetry of Sindh" article published by you on Friday, October 8, 2010, because I had read the same article in the "Salient Features of Rule of Soomra Dynasty in Sindh" published in wordpress.com on April 25, 2010, created by the Research Scholar Qamar Din M. Hayat Soomro. I think you've copied it from there without any compunction/permision which becomes an act of theft. Please note and clarify.
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