Draft:Hur Insurgency
| Hur Insurgency | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Anti-colonial rule in British India | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
|
| ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Pir Syed Sibghatullah  Syed Shah Mardan Shah |
Governor Hugh Dow Ghulam Rasul Shah † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Dozens killed, several soldiers wounded | ||||||
Hur Insurgency was an armed insurgency against East India Company, fought from 1941 to 1946 in the Sindh region of British India (now part of Pakistan). The movement was led by the Pir of Pagaro, Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah, and was a response to the colonial oppression faced by the local Muslim community.
Background
[edit]During the period of Company rule in India, Sufist religious leader Syed Muhammad Rashid Shah formed a community of Sunni Muslims which rejected any forms of British authority. Shah declared his community as "Hur" (Sindhi: 'free'). His successor, Syed Sibghatullah Shah, declared himself as the first Pir (spiritual leader) of Pagaro. In response to the actions of the Hurs, Commissioner Mohammad Yaqub recommended the application of the 1871 Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) to the group in 1898. Two years later, the CTA was applied to all Hurs, which remained in effect until 1952.[1]
In 1941, Pir of Pagaro VI led the Hurs in an insurgency against British colonial rule. Pagaro's followers attacked police, military, and civilian targets, killing dozens. In response, Governor Hugh Dow called for the introduction of martial law to Sindh, which was passed through the Sindh Assembly via the 1942 Hur Suppression Act; martial law remained in effect in Sindh from June 1942 to May 1943.[2] British Indian Army, Indian Imperial Police and Royal Air Force elements were engaged in counterinsurgency operations against the Hurs, arresting several leaders, including Pagaro himself.[3] Pagaro was tried in a military court on charges of "conspiring to war against the King," found guilty, and executed on 20 March 1943.[4][5]
Lahore Mail Train Attack
[edit]One of the most famous incidents during the Hur Insurgency was the attack on the Lahore Mail Train. The Hurs ambushed and derailed the train, targeting British officials and their loyalists. The attack resulted in multiple casualties and led to increased counterinsurgency measures by the British.[4][6]
The Battle of Khenwari
[edit]The Battle of Khenwari was a confrontation during the Hur Insurgency. Approximately 150 Hur fighters launched an attack on a fortified rest house, where the Nazim of Police, Ghulam Rasul Shah, and his guards were stationed.
What made this attack particularly notable was, first, the massive number of Hurs involved; second, their willingness to confront well-trained and heavily armed personnel with minimal resources; and third, their ability to kill the Nazim using hatchet blows, ultimately decapitating him. This method, though gruesome and risky, was preferred despite the availability of firearms, which would have accomplished the task more quickly and with fewer Hur casualties.
The battle resulted in significant casualties for the police during the confrontation.[4][7] [8]
Aftermath
[edit]Following the death of Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah, his son and successor, Syed Shahnawaz Shah, continued the movement. Despite the decimation of the insurgent forces, the Hur community's resistance against British rule was viewed as a significant episode in the broader Indian independence movement. The British authorities, while able to suppress the insurgency, were unable to entirely extinguish the spirit of defiance.
The region of Sindh remained a hotbed of political activity, and after the partition of India in 1947, Sindh became a part of Pakistan. The Hur community, despite suffering heavy losses, played an important role in the early years of Pakistan's formation. Their struggle for autonomy and freedom resonated with the broader struggles for independence across the Indian subcontinent.
In 1947, Sindh was incorporated into Pakistan after the partition, with the Hur community's resistance marking a significant chapter in the region's history. The Hur movement is often cited as a precursor to the eventual separation of Sindh from British India and its incorporation into Pakistan.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Maj General Wisal Muhammad Khan (2018-03-15). Hur Operations In Sind Maj Gen Wisal Muhammad Khan.
- ^ "Martial law declared in Hur community uprising and armed resistance in Sindh Pakistan". British Pathé. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "PIR OF PAGARA SHOT BY BRITISH IN INDIA; Would-Be King of Sind Executed for Plot Against Throne". The New York Times. 1943-03-22. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ^ a b c Nabi, Aftab. Policing Insurgency: The Hurs of Sindh (PDF). Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ^ Cheesman, D. (1980). Rural Power and Debt in Sindh in the Late Nineteenth Century: 1865-1901 (PDF) (Ph.D. thesis). University of London.
- ^ Shah, N.; Mujtaba, H. (1995). "Raiders of the Past". Newsline. 6 (9).
- ^ Cox, Sir Edward (1909). My Thirty Years in India. London: Mills and Boon Ltd.
- ^ Eates, Kenneth Ray. "Chapter XVIII". The Kingri Pirs and Hurs of Sind.
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