the review

Karachi lies along several figurative fault-lines. While the economic divide has been easy to see for some time now, the division along belief systems had started to become visible as a mobile middle-class rose on the coattails of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s economic

bubble, and became relatively more vocal.The collapse of that bubble, meanwhile, has created an

entire class which, while disgruntled, is largely unaware of the source of its myriad grievances.

As such, these factors, combined with the fact that the post-Zia-ul-Haq generation, brought up on a steady diet of state-sanctioned bigotry via academia, has now ‘come of age’. And it has led to a dangerously divided populace.

No longer does the maxim that linked poverty to reli-gious extremism hold water – not that it ever did, but now there’s conclusive proof against it. While those who took to the street for the religio-political parties’ latest show of power against amendments in the blasphemy laws might have been primarily from the working class, their reasons for participation were, for the most part, more monetary than ideological.

It was the college-educated, English-speaking, internet-savvy middleclass, on the other hand, that went online right after Salmaan Taseer’s brutal and cowardly assassination to make Facebook pages valorising his murderer, and left com-ments and blog posts all over the internet, endorsing the crime and calling for repeat performances against all who dared to dissent.

Caught in a serious confusion of identity, it was the same economically-mobile middleclass that coined and propa-gated the nonsensical ‘liberal-fascist’ and ‘liberal-extrem-ist’ labels, conflating violence and real threats with merely speaking up for what one believed in. Added to this were state-sanctioned academic syllabi, which further meshed re-ligion with everything under the sun.

When a 12-year-old is taught during chemistry lessons that an atom of oxygen mixes with two atoms of hydrogen, with the will of God, to form a molecule of water, God-will-ing and praise be to God, it is not surprising when the same 12-year-old grows up to define every aspect of life through the prism of the most archaic interpretation of dogma.

Further bigotry is instilled via revisionist history text-books which instil a national identity based solely on Islam, leaving an overwhelming majority to grow up to doubt the patriotism and even the nationality of anyone who does not adhere to the same faith. Several friends who lecture at some of the most ‘elite’ institutions in the city have related stories

about non-Muslim students being singled out by their peers and asked if they were Pakistani; and if so, “how?”

The students’ concerns are honest, for they have rarely heard much else in the way of political debate besides the post-1947 ‘Pakistan ka mutlub kia – La ilaha illallah’ mantra of religiocrats who had opposed the formation of this coun-try in the first place.

In October last year, a young man in Malir was accused of desecrating the pages of the Qur’an. The only ‘evidence’ were burnt pages that were allegedly found around his 60-yard house, and which the local cleric insisted were from the Qur’an. A mob gathered around, and a shady organisation, calling itself the ‘Muhibaan-e Quran Pakistan’, took the cause up with gusto. The alleged ac-cused was forced to flee along with his immediate family, and the house was left empty. Most people, including many of the man’s neighbours, forgot about the incident until the Muhibaan-e Quran Pakistan raised it again a month and a half later, demanding that ‘ghaeretmand Muslims’ kill the al-leged accused because the state “wasn’t doing its job”.

Added to this was the fact that the group were being backed by Sindh Zakat and Ushr Minister MPA Muhammad Sajid Jokhio from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Now one might have expected such shenanigans from religiocrats or local clerics, but the real shocker in this case was the socio-economic background of the office-bearers and mem-bers of ‘Muhibaan-e Quran Pakistan’.

In this case again, college educated, English-speaking, in-ternet-savvy middleclass and upper-middleclass individuals were baying for the blood of a human being for a ‘crime’ that was difficult to prove under the best circumstances. During a conversation, the organisation’s spokesperson was at pains to explain that they were ‘not religious extremists’. But were they not demanding vigilantism against a man whose crime was yet to be proved on common law and religious grounds? “Sure, but that is our duty as God-fearing Muslims,” was the prompt reply. Their next attempt was insidious ‘peer pres-sure’, a tactic that one assumes had worked on the residents of Malir. “Wouldn’t you do the same? Why wouldn’t you? What kind of Muslim are you,” the spokesperson demanded.

While such thoughts have existed for quite some time in this society, they had, until recently remains just that: thoughts and personal opinions. Then the Lal Masjid fiasco happened, and in Karachi, which had in the 1970s, kicked the Lal Masjid clerics out of their jurisdictions for hate-mongering, forcing them to seek refuge elsewhere in the country, now began to valourise them. Obscurantism now

began to be vocalised and practiced more freely. Now, things have reached a point where seemingly ‘normal’, everyday in-dividuals seek (and see) ‘nur’ in the face of a murderer.

In the face of this shift in ideas and ideals, the supposed-ly secular, mainstream political forces have decided to main-tain criminal silence. Not a word has been spoken by the usually-fiery Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief, Altaf Hussain, and other party stalwarts who are known to go into attack mode at the slightest provocation. The Awami National Party (ANP), which is fighting the same forces of obscurantism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has also decided to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the dangerous goings-on in

Karachi. The PPP, on the other hand, has apparently decided to give in completely by abandon-ing all leaders and cadres who speak against these practices.

Contrary to the MQM’s claims, meanwhile, this shift towards religious obscurantism has little to do with the Tali-ban or alleged ‘Talibanisation’. A majority of the conservative

middleclass of the city (and I suppose this holds true for the whole country) would actually baulk at the imposition of Swat-style Shariah in the city – not only will it damage business opportunities, it will also put a heavy dent in the incomes of white-collar workers (banks and multinationals aren’t supposed to be very ‘Islamic’, after all).

Ironically, in their search for an identity during times of economic flux, the same people fall prey to religious funda-mentalism in the most dangerous forms.

When 18-year-olds seeking a National Identity Card are made to ‘declare’ certain sects as outside the fold of Islam, then accepting the ‘fact’ that dissenters are ‘wajibul qatl’ is a relatively small step to take. Elite universities in the city now have ‘Islamic Awareness Societies’ which proudly host grad-uates from institutions such as the Binori Town Madressah, known for their close ties and sympathies for fundamental-ists, while secular political forces which pretend to take prin-cipled stances on various issues bury their heads in the sand, perhaps hoping that this too shall pass.

In their quest for political power, they fail to see how their voters are now busy converting the concept of democ-racy into repugnant ‘mobocracy’ by stifling rational thoughts and opinions and imposing their version of Pakistan on to all and sundry.

As a friend said recently, the forces of obscurantism and their supporters now have a new message for anyone who disagrees with them: ‘Yeh watan humara hai – tum ho khwam wakha iss mein’ (This country is ours; you have no place here).

By Urooj Zia

2 Best Books of 2010 3 A Passage Across Pakistan 4 King of the CastleSunday, 16 January, 2011

In the face of this shift in ideas and ideals, the supposedly secular, mainstream political forces have decided to maintain criminal silence

A people divided

By Adiah Afraz

THE CONFESSIONJohn Grisham is one of America’s most

widely read fiction writers. American media has termed him as the master of legal thrill-ers, and his fans know that his stories are never just empty nail biters.

His latest, The Confession, is a treat for all those who have read and re read The Pelican Brief and The Firm already, and are waiting for a new addition to their collec-tion. This one is equally brilliant.

A must read primarily because of its entertainment value, this book is also a critical commentary on the casualties of the death penalty. This is the story of an inno-cent man “growing old in a six by ten cage with no one to talk to”.

Add this book to the list of must dos for the Christmas break. It would be worth it to unwind with Grisham.

OBAMA’S WARSThis book has been quoted in the head-

lines of the Pakistani print media, over the past many weeks. Read it out of curiosity if nothing else. And if you are interested in

knowing about America’s policies for our part of the world, then this is the book that would add perspective to your viewpoint.

The best part of the book is the insight one gets about what happens when a news-paper reporter and editor is granted access not only to the official documents of the most powerful man in the world, but also an opportunity to have extensive interviews with his closest aides and the very man himself? The result is a text book lesson in the art of reporting if nothing more.

For Pakistanis, living in the heart land of Obama’s Wars, this book is a must read account of Obama’s significant decisions about the overt and covert wars his country is fighting in our region.

THE SCORPION’S TAIL

Zahid Hussain is an award winning journalist and the writer of widely ac-claimed book Frontline Pakistan: The struggle with Militant Islam. His new book the Scorpion’s Tail is especially useful for those Pakistanis who, despite the incessant

incidents of terror all around them, still don’t know why these times are referred to as the times of terror.

Most of us, though born in the years of radical islamization of our immediate communities, have still not grasped how a few loosely organized militant groups with vague identities; have become a terror force to reckon with.

Zahid Hussain has seen it all himself, and his meticulously researched account of the rise of Taliban in Pakistan and their sup-port networks, is a must read especially for those of us who are still in two minds about the exact definition of the word Taliban. Read it in context of the WikiLeaks revela-tions and you realize that our story can beat the most outrageous screenplays of Holly-wood thrillers.

MY LIFE WITH THE TALIBAN

The year 2010 was surely dominated by books on the Afghan Pak region. My Life with the Taliban is a valuable addition to

this genre of writing.It is an autobiography of Afghanistan’s

ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Za-eef, and is a firsthand account of an Afghan’s induction in to the Taliban movement, his arrest by the American forces and his time in detention in Guantanamo Bay.

Customary to the tradition of autobi-ographies, My Life with the Taliban might only give us a subjective account of things, but it is an insight to a contemporary phe-nomenon that is in dire need of assessment from diversified perspectives. Read this book, especially if you have the tolerance to assimilate a sympathetic handling of the Taliban phenomenon.

THE POWER OF CO CREATION

Co creation is a business related con-cept formulated by authors Ramaswamy and Goullart, and used successfully by brands such as Unilever for Sunsilk, Star-bucks for Mystarbucks.com, Nike for a con-nected community of runners and many more.

the

revie

w02

- 03

Sund

ay, 1

6 Jan

uary,

2011

Illus

trat

ed &

Des

igne

d by

Bab

ur S

aghi

r

Best Books of 2010

Interpreting the Rural PunjabBooks

A Muslim Russian émigré in Turkey, ZekiyeEglar (1910-1983) was basically an an-thropologist. The present work comprises two separate

but kindred ethnographic studies viz., ‘A Punjabi Village in Pakistan’ and‘The Eco-nomic Life of a Punjabi Village’, the first forming a focal part of her PhD dissertation at Columbia University while the second, its sequel, belonged to her subsequent re-search work at Harvard.

‘A Punjabi Village in Pakistan’ was first published by Columbia University Press in 1958 later followed by Oxford University Press in Great Britain, Pakistan and India.

Well-known Pakistani Journalist Been-aSarwar, inspired by Fazal Ahmed Chow-dhry (Eglar’s old friend and her ‘principal informant’ on the project), has managed the publication of this volume vicariously fulfilling as it were, his obligation to Zekiy-eEglar.

BeenaSarwar’s ‘introduction’ to the book is an erudite summation of its con-tents and their multiple implications rel-evant to today’s rural life in Pakistan as it

tells ‘the fascinating tale of a way of life that, in spite of radical changes, continues to in-form the present’. The two parts taken to-gether serve as ‘an in-depth outsider-insider perspective into the social and economic patterns of a village in Pakistan prior to the Green Revolution of 1958 which heralded the beginnings of change in village agricul-ture and land ownership’.

In her Preface 2010 appended to the book, Mary Catherine Bateson, the illustri-ous daughter of the renowned anthropolo-gist Margaret Mead (ZekiyeEglar’s teacher and guide), remarks that ‘understanding between peoples is achieved not by monu-ments and great achievements so much as by getting the flavour of everyday life – and perhaps by imagining what it feels like, as everyday life is radically altered within a generation, as it has been for village farm-ers throughout the subcontinent’. The book is thus viewed as one of ‘many bridges; be-tween generations and cultures as well as between past and present’.

BeenaSarwar’s ‘Epilogue 2008: An Era of Change’ and the Boston-based Iranian anthropologist ShahlaHaeri’s Afterword followed by ZekiyeEglar’s biographical sketch tend to enhance the contextual value of the book.

Village Mohla lying in the heart of the Gujrat district in the Punjab, situated at a distance of some 112 kilometres north-west of Lahore, forms the centre-piece of the twin studies. In Book I, chapters are captioned as The Village, The Compound, The Village Castes, Land and Prestige, The Farmer’s Calendar, The Village in Winter, The Calendar of Religion, The Family and the Kin Group, Parents and Children: The Years of ‘Untying the Knots’, The Meaning of VartanBhanji, The Daughter’s Role, The Groups Involved, The Rules, Establishing Relationships, Women’s Role and Men’s Role, At a Marriage, The Focus of Giving and Epilogue: Mohla in a Changing World, 1949-1955.

In Book II, chapters are titled as Intro-duction, Social Organization, Geography and Inter-village Relations, Demogra-phy and Caste, Family Organization and Household Economics, Land, Village Set Up, Agricultural Cycles, Khushi: A Tenant Farmer, Cattle – Buffalo, Cattle in Agricul-ture, Cattle – Fodder, The Farmer’s Budget, Categories of Cultivators and Epilogue 2008: An Era of Change.

The titles are mostly self-explanatory. The author gives a graphic picture of the village life dwelling liberally on the broad

By Syed Afsar Sajid

The ConfessionBy John GrishamNo of pages: 382

Price Rs. 680

OBAMA’S WARSBy Bob Woodward

Price: Rs 2419No of pages: 439

THE SCORPION’S TAILBy Zahid Hussain

Price: Rs. 1195Number of Pages: 254

My Life with the TalibanBy Abdul Salam Zaeef

Price: Rs. 995No of Pages: 358

A Punjabi Village in PakistanPerspectives on Community, Land,

and EconomyAuthor: ZekiyeEglar

Publisher: Oxford University Press, Karachi

Pages: 475; Price: Rs1295

The book will surely attract sociologists, anthropologists and readers interested in our ethnography, more specifically rural

Best Books of 2010

The ideas in the book involve value creation, designing products and services that catch the eye, and transformation of risk management while minimizing the costs.

What makes this book an inter-esting reading for business profes-sionals and laymen alike is the illus-tration of business success stories of brands we are all familiar with. It is a story of the co creative practices that made Apple generate over $1 billion in two years.

Any one of us, whether em-ployed or unemployed, can benefit from this book as it chronicles the authors’ hands on experiences with practices that ‘win more’ and earn more. Read it, especially, if you are employed by an organization that aims for enhanced productivity and optimal growth.

THINK AND GROW RICH

EVERY DAYThis is a bestselling self help

book on ideas of prosperity and opportunity. Think and Grow Rich Every Day, as the name suggests, is all about making every day matter, and making the most of.

It is authored by one of the most quoted experts on success and wealth, and combines his previous works such as The Law of Success, and what has come to be termed as Hill’s ground breaking philoso-phies, to give the reader a lesson in life for every day.

THE GRAND DESIGN

After almost a decade of lull, Stephen Hawkings is back again. Termed as one of the world’s great-est thinkers, Hawkings with Mlodi-now answers the ultimate questions

about the ‘grand design’ and the ori-gin of universe with the perspective of the quantum theory.

We all have questions about our existence and place in the universe. We ask ourselves if we understand the concepts of reality and nothing-ness, and if our faith in the benevo-lent Creator can ever be proved by science.

Some of these questions might be philosophical in nature, some might be theology related, but still how science deals with them is a matter of interest for many who believe in empirical evidence. The Grand design is a book about all these questions and more. It is an account of how science answers these questions in view of the latest advances and breakthroughs.

The fascinating ideas of multi-verses and quantum fluctuations, the model dependent theory, and the concept that there are various universes in co existence but gov-erned by different laws of nature,

are delineated in refreshingly sim-ple language.

The best thing about this book is its reader friendly approach, its rich illustrations and its deliciously concise dealing of one of the most sought after mysteries about our ex-istence in nature.

BEAUTIFUL FROM THIS AN-GLE

If you want a riveting page turner, and give your soul some food for thought, buy this debut novel about Karachi’s Bold and the Beautiful. This is a book about a gossip column writer and her two friends. Maha Khan Phillips pres-ents her observations weaved in a story line that never loses its depth. Dealing with issues of high society, the media and feudal fundamental-ist nexus, this book must be read

primarily because it is interesting, and secondly because it about the underground realities of our lives.

The depiction of the ugliness behind beautiful facades is surreal at points and yet realistic and very witty.

DECISION POINTS

Whether you like him or hate him, read George W Bush- the 43rd President of America, talk about himself, his presidential campaign, his assessment of the world lead-ers and his most serious concerns about Iraq war in particular and his own internal policies in general.

The Bush that we know in the light of his decisions that have im-pacted our lives for generations to come, talks about his journey to quit drinking as well as his quest to conform to Christian faith. He talks about his disappointment in him-

self for not presenting Osama Bin Laden to the world. And he does it all in a way that doesn’t irritate his critics.

ZUBAIDA TARIQ’S COOK BOOKS

If you haven’t bought Zubaida Tariq’s books in 2010, buy them now. Whether you are a working woman fighting the battle of a daily menu planning, or a college girl try-ing to impress the nosy aunties, a bachelor saving on the expense of eating out, or a homemaker want-ing to cook tasty for the family, these books are life savers for all.

Zubaida Tariq recipes have straight forward ingredients, are practical on your budget, and to top it all, are very very tasty indeed. Buy these books and make your life easier.

spectrum of its socio-cultural dy-namics. Verily, it is ‘one of the au-thor’s strengths that she could access information from both genders. She found that unwritten social con-tracts and relationships known as vartanbhanji bound the community at many different levels – socially, economically, and in dispute resolu-tion and that, although vartanbhanji were vital within the male sphere, it was the women who were central to the process and thus to the economic as well as the social well-being of the community’.

Doubtless therefore, this work distinguishes itself ‘in its recordings of particular patterns of familial rela-tions, forms of land ownership, and the specific reciprocal bond of re-lationship that land ownership and landlessness created between mem-bers of the same community’. The book is thus an apt commentary on the socio-economic patterns of a vil-lage in Pakistan preceding the Green Revolution of 1958 which marked the inception of change in agriculture and landownership in the country.

The book will surely attract soci-ologists, anthropologists and readers interested in our ethnography, more specifically rural.

A Passage Across PakistanThe landscapes on display range from the stone dry beauty of Baluchistan to the pastoral tranquility of Punjab, and the vibrancy of Lahore’s old city

Royaat Gallery this last week opened a dynamic multiple-artist exhibition, “A Passage Across Pakistan”. The exhibi-tion – opened on January 8,

will continue till January 22 – has on display works of some 10 painters, and the theme is Pakistan’s rich landscape.

Depicted some breathtaking rural scenes, the painters have employed a variety of techniques and colour palates. The range is the width and breadth of the country – ranging from the stone dry beauty of Balo-chistan to the pastoral tranquility of Punjab, and the vibrancy of Lahore’s old city.

The artistic influences prevalent among contemporary Pakistani painters were high-lighted in the exhibition. The fact that the artists displayed such a vast variety of styles

and colour palettes showed their inspira-tions, and what they tried to express.

For instance, in one of his paintings, Kaleem Khan depicts a man tending to don-keys, in the barren landscape of what seems like Balochistan. The man is seen from be-hind, walking away from the viewer, while in the background there are beautiful majestic rocky hills typical of the province’s topogra-phy. The style is unique and powerful. Just like the ragged hills, the paintbrush too is used creating jagged edges, and a rough look. The style is such that it almost seems as if the heat waves can be seen, with the blurry and impressionist style of painting. The work is so intricate that even the shadows can be seen with precise detail, and if the painting is divided into a detailed grid, each small square has a different colour, which as a whole translates into a multi dimensional effect.

“Influences range from classical to real-istic, and expressionist to cubist,” says Faryal Latif, the curator. She says that the work is a testament to the rich and sophisticated land-scape painting tradition in Pakistan.

Evoking the classical style of landscape painters, several paintings on display repre-sent the pastoral fields using fine, detailed strokes. Mohammad Arshad’s painting of a tree without any leaves is painted in fine de-tail and you can see which way the wind is blowing. The tree appears to be captured in mid-autumn, while its bare branches carry only a few leaves and flowers. The only thing full of life is the green bushy hedge behind it. It is truly a remarkable piece of work.

Some of these paintings have captured light at different times of the day which give moods to the works. While in one painting by Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi, sunlight is seen flitting through the trees peeping out on the road

below, Shehla Farooq’s impressionist work of a mud road with leafless trees on both side, easily depicts that the time of the day is morning, with the bright corn-flour blue sky, and the light at level with the eye.

Quite a few paintings remind the viewer of the energy of the city, employing bright colours and bold strokes. Others depict of-ten seen images of places that are loved by many, but painted in a new perspective.

Iqbal Hussain’s view of a lake with hous-es on its side is a picturesque scenario. A boat floats on the water, while the houses lie so close to the lake that their impressions are reflected in the lake. Some trees, with their tops reddening as autumn approaches line the edge of this city corner.

Depicting idyllic views, the exhibition provides a source of inspiration for painters and art lovers and shows us the promise and beauty of our landscape.

By Xari Jalil

THE POWER OF CO CREATION

By Venkat Ramaswamy & Francis Goullart

Number of pages: 286Price: Rs. 1195

THINK AND GROW RICH EVERY DAYBy Napoleon Hill

Number of Pages: 446Price: Rs.1295

The Grand DesignBy Stephen Hawking &Leonard Mlodinow

Number of pages: 250Price:Rs. 1122

BEAUTIFUL FROM THIS ANGLE

By Maha Khan Phillips

Number of pages: 240Price: Rs. 495

DECISION POINTSBy George W Bush

Number of pages: 512Price:Rs. 2,395

Zubaida Tariq’s Cook Books

By Zubaida TariqNumber of Pages: As

many as you wantPrice: Never above

Rs.300

Art

the review

I saw Kot Diji for the first time ever in 1984 in June with the heat flaring off the bleached limestone hill on which the fort sits. And what a magnificent sight it was! Crowning the hill smack by N-5, the artery that connects Karachi

with the rest of the country, the fort of Kot Diji is shaped like the figure 3 with a handle on the upper crook. Its west, north and east sides embrace the highest point of the hill, while the lower southern side affords entry.

The heavy timber door is spiked with fifteen-centimetre long iron barbs that would put the mind of any attacker to rest about ramming the door with an elephant. Mir Sohrab Khan, the first ruler of the Khairpur family of Talpurs was one smart tactician to have sited his fort on this hill: with his force concentrated to beat back an attack on the east side, he could have well left the other three sides virtually un-defended because there was no way an as-saulting force could have taken the fort by escalade. The walls rise up from the sheer sides of the hill making it impossible for

scaling ladders to be put in place. And even if attackers were to bomb or mine a breach, a mere handful of defenders inside could beat back the badly winded assault-ers with ease.

This time again, it was similar weather when I returned to Kot Diji. Little seemed to have changed– little save the half dozen or so transmission towers that now make it impossible to photograph the fort with-out them spiking their impressive bas-tions. The broad enceinte inside the first gate, if memory serves, had a couple of 18th century cannons and a pile of chert balls. These were now gone. The path leading up to the second gateway (spiked like the first one) had now been turned into a brick concrete walkway with an iron banister.

I sent up a few good Punjabi curses for the mindless do-gooder who could not tolerate the fort in its pristine condi-tion. But then surely there would have been monetary considerations and even a few rupees skimmed off from this foolish scheme were not to be sniffed at. The cor-ridor whose walls are topped with pointed crenels and punctuated with massive tur-rets narrows as it gains height leading to a third gateway, again spiked. The builder of the fort was just not taking any chances with battering elephants.

And then one is in the main enceinte that curves east-west along the highest point of the hill. Humans are creatures of habit, and like the first time, I turned right. The lovely little building with shut and padlocked doors that I had then imagine would have been the zenana, was gone. All that remained in its place were its thick square pillars. But the cool, darkened in-

teriors of the galleries within the thick defensive walls were still intact. Their arches with the peeling plaster still kept their magic as the soft late afternoon light filtered in from the openings.

Signs of renovation were evident at the east end of the fort and I was horri-fied to see that they had used cement. The raised arcade where the Amir of Khairpur would have spent lazy winter afternoons watching the sun dip below the horizon was unchanged. Unchanged from the time in the early 20th century when they raised it because the iron rods for the parapet on the roof were still sticking out. Again I found myself wondering why the arcade was never completed.

Back-tracking, I walked past the com-mand post turret on my left. It stands atop the third gateway and was now adorned with a Shia alam – something I did not re-call from my earlier visit. Bricks were piled around everywhere along the base of the walls and it was evident that some serious restoration work was in progress. If only, they would use the original lime plaster instead of cement!

Past the old water tank that would once have had a roof, I climbed up the stairs of the turret in the western extrem-ity of the fort. This is the highest point of the fort with great views all around. And the most spectacular of them all is the village of Kot Diji below with its ruin-ous hulks and magnificent three-storeyed havelis. But these make an article in them-selves and standing there in the turret, I resolved to return sometime in the winter.

When Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur or-dered the building of Kot Diji, little did he know that not long after its completion,

his country would be ceded to the British. Having suffered their most humiliating defeat in the First Afghan War in 1841, the British fell upon Sindh in almost vengeful frustration. ‘We have no right to seize Sindh, yet we shall do so; and a very advantageous, useful and humane piece of rascality it will be.’ These words of Charles Napier who led the assault on Sindh two years later, so aptly capture the spirit of the times.

And rascality it was. Sindh was then ruled by the three Talpur families of Khairpur, Hyderabad and Mirpur and British agents successfully sowed dissent among them. Winning over Mir Ali Mu-rad to their side, the British proceeded to demolish the kingdom of Sindh. The first battle was fought in February 1843 out-side Hyderabad on the banks of the Fuleli Canal by the forest of Miani. In short order, matchlock, sword and shield suc-cumbed to the superior power of musket and bayonet. Five thousand brave Sindhi

warriors went down that day.Just two months later, the Battle of

Dubbo sealed the fate of Sindh. Apocry-pha tells of Napier having sent a cryptic one-word message to the Delhi govern-ment: Peccavi. This Latin word is an ad-mission of sin. But Napier was making no confession; merely playing on words: in plain speak what he wrote was ‘I have sinned (Sindh)’.

Khairpur remained in the hands of Mir Ali Murad Talpur as reward for the truce he had made with the British. In a way, this was a blessing for Kot Diji re-mained with its masters, and surely that is why it still looks so neat and prim. But if the judicious Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur had hoped for his fort to thwart aggres-sion against his kingdom, that never hap-pened.

–Salman Rashid is a travel writer and photographer who has travelled all around

Pakistan and written about his journeys. He is rated as the best in the country

Mir Sohrab Khan, the first ruler of the Khairpur family of Talpurs was one smart tactician to have sited his fort on this hill

King of the Castle

By Salman Rashid

Sunday, 16 January, 2011 04

Pix by the Author