The Sindi are a quiet, industrious race, tall and handsome, and can undergo much fatigue, but are not very noted for activity. They are nearly all cultivators. They are untruthful, illiterate, and superstitious.
Languages. — The Larayi dialect of Sind is spoken in Chanduka ; it differs much from the Sarhaiki spoken north of Larkhana. Persian is the polite language.
The Kalhora and Talpur tribes furnished the last dynasties, and though the one deduced its origin from the Abbassides of Persia, and the other advanced pretensions to descent from the both were alike Baluch.
Yar Muhammad, Kalhora, assisted by the Rind Baluch, overthrew the Puar Rajputs, who held dominion in Sind. He directed that a number of clubs should be suspended in front of his tomb, as a memorial of the ease with which the conquest was effected. The clubs were still hanging in 1847 in front of his tomb at Khodabad.
The Talpur have their name from the town (poora) of palms (tal or tar), and are said to amount to one-fourth of the population of Lohri or Little Sind, which misnomer they affixed to the dominion of Hyderabad. There are none of the Talpur in the t'hul. They emigrated from Chet to Sind about A.D. 17G0, and, after attaining power, ruled from Al).. 1799 to 1843, when they were overthrown by the British. The family have four principal branches,—the Shallwani, the Shatuulani, the Khanani, and the 3lunikhani. A minor branch is the Jumidani. The Talpur are of the Shiah sect, and claim to be Syuds.
The Lughari family is a subordinate branch of the Talpur. The Lughari of the Dehra Chazi Khan plain dwell south of the Khosa, extending from Viddore to Gungchur, between Choti Bala and Hur rund. The Lughari joined Lieutenant Edwardes' camp in his advance against the dcwan Mulraj. The Talpur of Sind was one of their sections. The Lughari claim to be able to trace their pedi gree up to their departure front Arabia. They have 55 sub-sections, of whom a large number reside in the hills.
Burgari, a minor tribe of I3aluch in Sind, are also connected with the Talpur The Daoudputra inhabit generally the country of that name in the north, but are to be met with in various parts of Sind.
The Desert of Sind lies between the frontier of Rajputana and the valley of the Indus, and from Daoudputra on the north to Buliari on the Runn, 220 miles long and 80 broad, or 17,600 square miles. It is one entire t'hul, with few villages and a few shepherds ; 50 miles without water, the wells 70 to 500 feet deep, and the sand-hills little mountains. It was through this tract that Humayun sought refuge to the Dhat country and its capital, then °market, where Akbar was born. Arora, there, is a ruined town. Omerkot was wrested from the Soda race by the Rahtor tribe of Marwar, and since then the chiefs of the expelled clan have dwelt in Chore, 15 miles N.E. of Omarkot. At one time, every third year brought famine. The Soda women of this desert tract of Dhat are proverbially handsome. In this desert, and in the valley of the Indus, are the Soda, Kat'ha, and Mallani, descendants of the Sogdi, Kat'hi, and Math, of Gete and Yuti, many of whom call" themselves Baluch, or keep the ancient name of Numri, whilst the Zj'hut or Jat retain their primitive appellation. There are also remains of a Johya and Dahya, who, with Gete, Jat, or Hun, hold places amongst the 36 royal races of ancient India. The Baraha and Lohana tribes are there ; the Sahrai, the great robber of the desert ; the Bhatti, Rahtor, Joda,Chauhan,Mallani,Kaorwa, Joshya, Sultano, Lohana, Arora, Khumra, Maisuri, Vishnavi, Jakhur, Shiag, Ashiag, and Punjab. Jakhur, Shiag'h, and Punjab, harmless, industrious, in the desert and the valley, are denominations of the Jat race, but most of these sections have become Muhammadans, and call themselves Zj'hut.
Tho Nyad or proselytes from Rajput or other Hindu tribes are—Zj'hut, Rajur, Sumra, Mair, Mer, Mor or Mohor, Baluch, Lumria or Luka, Sumaicha, Mangulia, Baggreah, Dahya, Johya, Kairui, Jangurea, Undur, Berowi, Bawuri, Tawuri, Chrendea, Khosa, Sudani, Lohana. These converts aro ferocious and intolerant.
The Soda is scattered over the desert, some are Muhammadans.