Sindh (1737–1843), also referred to as Scinde or Sind, was a tributary state and later a princely state in the Sindh region of the Indian subcontinent. Sindh seceded from the Mughal Empire in 1737 under the Kalhora dynasty which ruled until 1783 when they were replaced by the Talpur dynasty. The Talpur dynasty was defeated by the East India Company in 1843.

History After the Mughal conquest of Sindh, the area was ruled from 1593 to 1629 by a Faujdar (under the Mughals, an executive head of a sarkar), who was directly appointed by the Mughal Emperor from Delhi despite Thatta being a Sarkar (Division) of the Multan Subah. The Sarkar was predominantly (but not entirely) influenced by the Tarkhan dynasty with Jani Beg, Ghazi Beg and Isa Khan II serving as Faujdar of Thatta. In 1693, Thatta Sarkar became part of a new province called Thatta Subah. It comprised three administrative divisions: Bukkur Sarkar, Sehwan Sarkar, and Thatta Sarkar. Thatta Subah itself held limited political importance. Later, the Kalhora clan rose to power, and Thatta Subah became independent under the Kalhora dynasty. Sind, along with Hyderabad and Awadh, supported the Mughal Empire during Nader Shah's invasion but was subdued by him in his Sindh expedition with Sibi given to Kalat and Shikarpur granted to Bahawalpur. These areas were recaptured by Noor Mohammad shortly after Nader Shah's departure. During Ahmad Shah's invasion, Sind became a tributary state of the Afghan Empire and also reached its greatest glory under Ghulam Shah Kalhoro who not only defeated the Khan of Kalat Nasir Khan I Ahmadzai and Rao of Kutch Godji II but also formed a marital alliance with Nawab of Bahawalpur Mubarak Khan II Daudpotra. Ghulam Shah also took part in the Third Battle of Panipat alongside Ahmad Shah Durrani against the Maratha Confederacy. Tensions arose between Ghulam Shah and Ahmad Shah who wanted to appoint Muhammad Atur Kalhoro to the throne of Sind. Bahadur Khan was sent by Ahmad Shah but was defeated by Ghulam Shah in the Battle of Ubauro. In 1768, Ghulam Shah shifted his capital from Khudabad to the newly built city of Hyderabad which was built on the ruins of an ancient city Neroon Kot by constructing the Pacco Qillo. After the untimely death of Ghulam Shah in 1772, four Kalhora Nawabs were successively enthroned in just 11 years while two battles were fought: the First Battle of Shikarpur in 1781 and the Battle of Larkana in 1782, to decide the fate of Sind.

In 1783, the Talpur Mirs, who long served the Kalhoras as their prime ministers, revolted under Fateh Ali Talpur and replaced the last Kalhora Nawab, Abdul Nabi Kalhoro, in the Battle of Halani. Fateh Ali expanded his domain by reclaiming Karachi that the Kalhoras had lost to Kalat. He also defended his territories during the Shikarpur campaign in which the Talpurs had to face the allied armies of the Afghans, the Khan of Kalat and remnants of the Kalhora dynasty. Under the hegemony of the Talpurs, Sind was divided into three fiefdoms: Hyderabad under the Shahdadani branch, Mirpur Khas under the Manikani branch and Khairpur under the Sohrabani branch, forming a federation and later a confederacy. Sind gradually became a princely state to come under British paramountcy signing a subsidiary alliance agreement in 1809. After the Anglo–Sind War, Sind, except from Khairpur, was annexed by the East India Company and was made a part of the Bombay Presidency. The Mir of Hyderabad, Nasir Khan Talpur, and the Mir of Mirpur Khas, Sher Muhammad Talpur, were defeated in the Battle of Miani (17 February 1843) and the Battle of Hyderabad (24 March 1843) respectively while the Mir of Khairpur, Ali Murad Talpur, continued to resist the British but eventually gave up attempts and entered into treaty with them with Khairpur becoming a princely state in 1853.

List of Nawabs and Mirs Nawabs (Kalhora dynasty) Title Personal Name Reign Nawab Mian Noor Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1737–1755 Nawab Mian Muradyad Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1755–1757 Nawab Mian Ghulam Muhammad Shah Kalhoro 1757–1757 Nawab Mian Atur Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1757–1758 Nawab Mian Ghulam Muhammad Shah Kalhoro 1758–1772 Nawab Mian Sarfaraz Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1772–1775 Nawab Mian Ghulam Nabi Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1775–1776 Nawab Mian Abdul Nabi Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1776–1781 Nawab Mian Sadik Ali Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1781–1782 Nawab Mian Abdul Nabi Muhammad Khan Kalhoro 1782–1783

Mirs (Talpur dynasty) Shahdadani Talpurs of Hyderabad Title Personal Name Reign Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur 1783–1801 Mir Ghulam Ali Khan Talpur 1801–1811 Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur 1811–1828 Mir Murad Ali Khan Talpur 1828–1833 Mir Noor Muhammad Khan Talpur 1833–1840 Mir Muhammad Naseer Khan Talpur 1840–1843

Sohrabani Talpurs of Khairpur Title Personal Name Reign Mir Sohrab Ali Khan Talpur 1783–1811 Mir Rustam Ali Khan Talpur 1811–1842 Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur 1842–1894 Mir Faiz Muhammad Khan Talpur 1894 – 5 March 1909 Mir Imam Bakhsh Khan Talpur 5 March 1909 – 8 February 1921 Mir Ali Nawaz Khan Talpur 8 February 1921 – 25 December 1935 Mir Faiz Muhammad Khan Talpur II 25 December 1935 – 19 July 1947 Mir George Ali Murad Khan Talpur II 19 July 1947 – 10 November 1954

Manikani Talpurs of Mirpur Khas Title Personal Name Reign Mir Tharo Ali Khan Talpur 1783 – 1806 Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur 1806 – 1829 Mir Sher Muhammad Khan Talpur 1829 – 1843

See also Thatta subah Sindhu Kingdom Notes

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