Cholistan

History, Life Style, Culture and Traditions

Presented by: Farrukh Basheer (Roll# 142546)
(BS English-Semester 2)

Cholistan
The Indus Valley in Pakistan, spanning along the River Indus, from the fertile plains of Punjab to the
lower course of Sindh along, was the first cradle of civilization in the subcontinent, emerging in 2000 years BC.
The basin is divided from that of the Ganges by a
desert known as Cholistan in Bahawalpur Division,
and Thar in Sindh. It is a part of great desert called
Marusthali or Region of Death.
Cholistan is spread over 10,000 square
miles, occupying about two third's area of present
Bahawalpur Division. Administratively, it is
divided between the three districts of Bahawalpur
Division: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim
Yar Khan. On its northern and western sides flows
the River Sutlej, the desert region of Rajasthan lies
on its east and south, and its southwestern boundary
is formed by the desert region of the Province of
Sindh.
Cholistan is called Rohi in the local dialect. The word has a Turkish origin, Chol meaning a ' desert'. But
Cholistan has not always been a desert. It is separated from the central tract of Bahawalpur Division by a
depression called Hakra, which at one time carried the waters of a large river, which flowed all around its length
and breadth. Thus the area was fertile, well cultivated, and well-populated till the early twentieth century, when
with the changes in the courses of the river Sutlej and Sindh took place and turned it into a sandy barren land.

History
The Indus Valley Civilization
The history of Cholistan starts from the history of Indus Valley civilization, which prospered from about
2500 BC to 1500 BC around the Indus River. No one is sure about the people who formed Indus civilization. It
is believed that they were Aryans, but there is also some evidence of the presence of the Proto-Australoids or
some of the wild hill tribes of the sub-continent in this area. However according to the latest analysis no less than
six racial elements have contributed to build up the population of the sub-continent. The modern South India is
usually a blend of Mediterranean and Proto-Australoids, the two chief ethnic factors in the Harappa culture. The
Harappa religion, language, and culture suggest that the Harappa folks were Dravidian. The fine sculptures,
human figures engraved on the numerous seals found at Harappa and Moenjo Daro also determine the various
racial factors, but still the identification of the people of the Indus civilization and the nature of that society will
always remain a secret. The reason may be that the area being on the riverside has always been dwelled by
nomads, the people who had never known a city.

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Cholistan ………. Presented by Farrukh Basheer (BS English-Semester 2)
The Aryans
The Aryans cannot be declared as the sole executioners of the Indus civilization. Moenjo Daro provides
the evidence of trouble and decay over several centuries before 1500 BC. The date now roughly agrees to the first
Aryan immigrations through the passes of Hindu Kush. These Aryans were prominent and boastful inhabitants
of the Subcontinent. They are supposed to be the destroyers of the fortified brick-built towns of the Indus Valley
urbanities. Still the Aryan invasion of India was not a single concentrated action but it spans over centuries, and
involved perhaps many tribes speaking different languages and belonging to different races. So there is a little
knowledge of Aryans, just as of the Indus civilization. The basic knowledge about Aryans comes through their
legends, hymns, rituals, folklore, and charms. Their second invasion pushed across the Jamuna River about 1000
BC.

The decline of Harappa

It is supposed that the Harapans of the Indus valley came to a decline in about seventeenth century BC
before the Aryans appeared on the scene. It is also not sure if the Aryans were actually responsible for the demise
of Indus culture. The fact is the fall in the Indus state was followed by a dark period of about one thousand years,
and there is a little knowledge about it. It appears that the Aryans did not stay in the Indus Valley for a long time
because they were nomads.

The Jats and Meds

According to Sanskrit legends, the original inhabitants of the Indus region were Jats and Meds. The present
population of Cholistan contains the clans of Jats Rajput’s and Bloch’s. The largest clan among these is Jats, and
the area is considered to be their birthplace. The ancestors of Jats and Rajput’s entered the area in different periods
of history.

The Arains
Cholistan is the cradle of another important clan called Arain. They claim to be the descendants of Aryans.
Amongst the old races, they were the first to accept Islam through the influence of Sufis of Uch, which was the
first center for the propagation of Islam in the subcontinent.

The Arrival of Islam

The Indus valley gained its Islamic character when the Arabs established their own dynasties, and Saiyyed
families came to exercise authority over upper and lower Sindh. Among the early noble saints here were Saif ud
Din, Jalal-ud-Din Bukhari, and Muhammad Ghaus. Later the region saw the arrival of Mohammad Bin Qasim
and Mahmood of Ghazni.

The Abbasid Rule

The year 1726 was the turning point in the history of Cholistan, when Amir Sadiq Muhammad Abbasi
laid the foundation of Bahawalpur State. He was the descendant of Abbasi Caliphs of Baghdad. After the dismissal
of their magnificent Caliphate in Baghdad from Mongol Invasion, they joined the Mumelukes in Egypt, where
they enjoyed a very significant influence. In 1370 AD Amir Sultan Ahmed II, emigrated to Sindh and conquered
a considerable territory.
The Abbasid ruling clan of Bahawalpur became a very powerful local tribe. They were great warriors, and
were the foundation of the army of Ex Bahawalpur State. They used to fight their enemies single handedly. They
snatched the areas from the Rajputs. They encouraged many Balochi clans like Khosas, Rinds, Derajats, and Jatois

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from Sindh to move and settle here. Other tribes who came to Sindh were Machies, Samas, and Chachars. During
Ranjeet Singh's rule of Punjab many Pathan families of Punjab also came to settle in Cholistan in order to save
their honor from Sikhs. They included the Saddozais, Khakwanai, Ghoris, Popalzais, and Babars. In addition
many Syed and Qureshi families also sought refuge in Bahawalpur for the same reason.

The present dwellers

The current major clans Cholistan include Jats Rajputs and Balochis. Their sub-clans include Chatta,
Cheema, Warraich, Janjua, Rathore, Bhatti, Leghari, Lashari, and Dashti. Though these clans are unique because
of their historical past and maintenance of their tribal traditions.
The rich tradition of the art of architecture in Cholistan got its inspiration from Uch, which before the arrival of
Islam was a flourishing beautiful city, and afterwards it became a great seat of Muslim learning when it was
selected as the capital of Sindh. It started with mosques and tomb mosques when mosques were used not only for
the religious purpose, but also for social and political activities.
The ordinary Cholistani used to live in a Kacha house known as gopa or jhok that had roof covered with
thatch of grass. But the Cholistani people's art of construction is projected through their fort building. These forts
were first built in a line by the Rajput rulers in the Hakra depression as a defense against intruders. As these forts
were merely used as check posts, these were made with mud having iron gateways, and did not have any
worthwhile architectural designs or motifs attached to them.
During Abbasid rule the Cholistani cities and towns were virtually littered with forts royal palaces, villas,
havelis, gateways, gardens, fortifications and city walls. The main feature of the palaces their airy rooms, open
courtyards, and roof terraces. And the main feature of all Cholistani forts was their mosques, and the Mughal style
of architecture was introduced in all buildings as well as in mosques.
It was a need of time to build some cool and cozy spot amidst usually hot and dusty surroundings. The
royal palaces at Bahawalpur like Noor Mahal, Gulzar Mahal and Daulat Khana specially served as recreational
centers. They were surrounded by long rows of gardens with running brooks and lush green lawns.

Noor Mahal Palace

Noor Mahal Palace is a beautiful blend of Gothic and Mughal architecture. Built
in red brinks with lime mortar, it is a feat of engineering skill.

Jamia Mosque Bahawalpur

Jamia Mosque Bahawalpur is a large mosque. Its building started over a
hundred years ago by Amir Sadiq, but is still incomplete. On its completion, it
would be able to accommodate 20,000 people for prayers, and in size it would rival
the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad and Shahi mosque Lahore. The building has about
21 domes; each about 16 feet in diameter, supported by pillars. Its main praying
hall is quite spacious and courtyard quite vast.

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Cholistan ………. Presented by Farrukh Basheer (BS English-Semester 2)
The Ghazi Mosque
The Ghazi mosque at Bhung village is a picture of craftsmanship of local
artisans. The mosque has three marble domes, a picturesque verandah and a
colorful main hall with a very beautiful golden dome. With the use of white and
green marble, mirror work, and stained glass, that reflects light and creates
beautiful images even at low light of nights. Its decoration includes Quranic
inscriptions in golden colors, Islamic decorative motifs, and pencil-shaped small
minarets. The mosque is thus a rare combination of Central Asian, Mughal,
Iranian, and Saracen architecture. This is the mosque, received the Agha Khan
award for the year 1986 for its uniqueness and diversity in style, and can be considered to be a jewel in the desert.

Public Buildings
Architecturally, even the public institutes and government offices in Bahawalpur are capped with white
or off white domes supported by arches, all together weaving an atmosphere of the Arabian nights against a
background of wide open spaces, sand dunes, and palm trees. No other town in Pakistan contains such oriental
and Muslim touch of architecture.

A Historian's Account
A historian's very true statement reasons the past and present condition of Cholistan: "Muslim have a
knack of creating wonders even in deserts, treeless mountains, and the unrelieved monotony of infinite vistas.
Environmental factors, however dull and monotonous they be have never hindered their creative abilities right
from the Atlantic to the sea of China".
Cholistan may be considered a rural area, but it is richer in history, tradition, culture, and arts and craft
compared with well-developed urban areas of Pakistan.

LIFE IN CHOLISTAN
Cholistan is a composed of dry, wet, and green area. Its southern area is called Greater Cholistan, where Tibbas
rise to as much as several hundred feet. The northwestern portion called Lesser Cholistan is a loamy soil with
abundance of vegetation. In the dry season the vegetation decreases but even a few drops of rains in the rainy
season brings back the vegetation on which the desert dwellers' livelihood depends.

The economy of Cholistan depends on rain though on the whole it can be considered as a rainless tract. Rain falls
mostly in summer, but is scanty and irregular, not exceeding six inches annually. Sometimes there is no rainfall
for years, but only an inch of rain can bring miraculous transformation and turn the exhausted dry land into fresh
and green pastures.

In Greater Cholistan people store water in natural depressions or man-made ponds called Tobas. When the water
in the Tobas is exhausted, people shift to their semi-permanent settlements in Lesser Cholistan where wells are
available for water. These wells are the centers of great hustle and bustle, for people here are found gossiping
while drinking or attaining water for themselves and their animals in a systematic way. Within months the wells
gets dry, and the people have to move near canals and rivers till it rains and fills the Tobas and the wells again.
The riverine areas not only avert the curse of famine, but also provide fodder to the cattle.

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Cholistan ………. Presented by Farrukh Basheer (BS English-Semester 2)
The areas in Lesser Cholistan are now irrigated by canals, and have got a refreshingly green wooded appearance.
The vast system of irrigation canals originating in the Satluj River is responsible for magical transformation in
the area, turning the rough sandy wastes, with scanty growth of dull desert plants into a vigorous green land that
is well cultivated.

CULTURE AND TRADITIONS

Local Festivals
Various fairs and festivals are common in the Indus Valley. The Aryans were fond of beauty and soma-
intoxicating liquors. The sages of Vedas expressed delight in the charm of female beauty. However certain
festivals gradually became part of their religion as they settled in the sub-continent. The story of Ramayana is
enacted in the form of a drama festival called Rama Lilla. The festival culminates with the burning of effigies of
the wicked Ravana and his associates. But in Aryan society such festivals were limited and their purpose was to
teach people the values of conjugal fidelity, brotherly love, and obedience to paternal authority. However in Indo-
Scythian society fairs, festivals, and melas were a permanent feature of the social life. These fairs and festivals
were not held for the sake of pleasure alone, but their venues also served as places where city dwellers, farmers
and nomads would meet once or twice a year to exchange their wares and good directly or through the
intermediary of bazaar dealers. In the desert areas of Pakistan the utility of such fairs cannot be denied that are
parts of valley's social structure now. But what makes Cholistan most conspicuous in this respect is that here the
greatest Mela of the Indus Valley is celebrated in the best Indo-Scythian tradition. It is held every year in March
in the desert settlement of Channar Pir.

The Local Dialect

The language of Cholistan also reflects a number of features of its historical and geographical background.
The local dialect was believed to be spoken by a rough, rude, and warlike people who liked to disobey every law
and rule of grammar imposed by the so called super-cultured class of the Brahmans and their purified and gifted
Sanskrit, which was the language of Indian Hindus.
The Saraiki language is an Indo-Aryan speech, and is spoken in Cholistan as well as in a large part of
central Pakistan. It is no more a neglected language, once attributed to the camel-driving Jats and semi-nude
Baloch tribes. It has always been as orthodox and conservative as the people who speak it. Even today the likes,
dislikes, attitudes, and values of the people are the same as their forefather centuries back. Khwaja Ghulam Farid
was a Sufi poet, who through his mystical writings and poetry not only developed the language a lot, but also
gave it a boost. The language suffered a great loss when the Saraiki-speaking Hindus migrated to India during the
Partition, and were replaced by the Muslim refugees from there. However, the majority of them lived in the cities
and a very few in the Greater Cholistan. During the Partition, they moved to the safety of the neighboring Hindu
states of Bikaner and Jaisalmar.

Arts and Crafts

In harsh and barren land where rain is more of a dream than reality, Cholistanis rely mainly on their
livestock of sheep, goats, and camel. However in cold nights of winter they huddle indoor and engage themselves
in various arts and crafts such as textiles, weaving, leatherwork, and pottery.

Local Crafts
As mentioned above, the Indus Valley has always been occupied by the wandering nomadic tribes, who
are fond of isolated areas, as such areas allow them to lead life free of foreign intrusion, enabling them to establish
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their own individual and unique cultures. Cholistan till the era of Mughal rule had also been isolated from outside
influence. During the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar, it became a proper productive unit. The entire area was
ruled by a host of kings who securely guarded their frontiers, and their mutual competition helped promoting the
development of arts and crafts. Each raja in his domain wanted to prove to the other rajas that his own artisans
were the best. Because of this, not only the various crafts underwent a simultaneous and parallel development,
but their designs, motifs, colors and textures also influenced the others. The rulers were the great patrons of art.
Mesons, stone carvers, artisans, artists, and designers started rebuilding the old cities and new sites, and with that
flourished new courts, paintings, weaving, and pottery. The fields of architecture, sculpture, terra cotta, and
pottery developed greatly in this phase.

Livestock
The backbone of Cholistan economy is cattle breeding. It has the major importance for satisfying the area's
major needs for cottage industry as well as milk meat and fat. Because of the nomadic way of life the main wealth
of the people are their cattle that are bred for sale, milked or shorn for their wool. Moreover, isolated as they were,
they had to depend upon themselves for all their needs like food, clothing, and all the items of daily use. So all
their crafts initially stemmed from necessity but later on they started exporting their goods to the other places as
well.

Cotton and Woolen Products

Cholistan produces very superior type of carpet wool as compared to that produced in other parts of
Pakistan. From this wool they knit beautiful carpets, rugs and other woolen items. This includes blankets, which
is also a local necessity for the desert is not just a land of dust and heat, but winter nights here are very cold,
usually below freezing points. Khes and pattu are also manufactured with wool or cotton. Khes is a form of
blanket with a field of black white and pattu has a white ground base. Cholistanis now sell the wool for it brings
maximum profit.

Textiles
It may be mentioned that cotton textiles have always been a hallmark of craft of Indus valley civilization.
Various kinds of khaddar-cloth are made for local consumption, and fine khaddar bedclothes and coarse lungies
are woven here. A beautiful cloth called Sufi is also woven of silk and cotton, or with cotton wrap and silk wool.
Gargas are made with numerous patterns and color, having complicated embroidery, mirror, and patchwork. Ajrak
is another specialty of Cholistan. It is a special and delicate printing technique on both sides of the cloth in indigo
blue and red patterns covering the base cloth. Cotton turbans and shawls are also made here. Chunri is another
form of dopattas, having innumerable colors and patterns like dots, squares, and circles on it.

Camel Products
Camels are highly valued by the desert dwellers. Camels are not only useful for transportation and loading
purposes, but its skin and wool are also quite worthwhile. Camel wool is spun and woven into beautiful woolen
blankets known as falsies and into stylish and durable rugs. The camel's leather is also utilized in making kuppies,
goblets, and expensive lampshades.

Leatherwork
Leatherwork is another important local cottage industry due to the large number of livestock here. Other
than the products mentioned above, Khusa (shoes) is a specialty of this area. Cholistani khusas are very famous
for the quality of workmanship, variety, and richness of designs especially when stitched and embroidered with
golden or brightly colored threads.
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Jewellery
The Cholistanis are fond of jewellery and have a craze for gold. The chief ornaments made and worn by
them are Nath-nose gay, Katmala-necklace Kangan-bracelet, Pazeb- anklets, and Chandanhar etc., Gold and silver
bangles are also made and worn with pride. The locals are experts in enamel works, and it is done on buttons of
all sorts, earrings, bangles, and rings etc.

Love for Colors

The great desert though considered to be colorless and drab, is not wholly devoid of color. Its green portion
plays the role of "color belt" especially after rains when vegetation growth is at its peak. Adding to that the locals
always wear brightly colored clothes mostly consisting of brilliant reds, blazing oranges shocking pinks, and
startling yellows and greens. Even the cloth trappings of their bullocks and camels are richly colored and highly
textured.

Terra Cotta
The Indus Civilization was the earliest center of ceramics, and thus the pottery of Cholistan has no parallel
in beauty, delicacy, and perfection. This is due to the fact that the local soil is very fine, thus most suitable for
making pottery. The fineness of the earth can be observed on the Kacha houses which are actually plastered with
mud but look like white cemented. The chief Cholistani ceramic articles are their surahies, piyalas, and glasses,
remarkable for their lightness and fine finishing.
In the early times only the art of pottery and terracotta developed, but from the seventh century onwards,
a large number of temples and images were also built on account of the intensified religious passions and the
accumulation of wealth in cities. The building activity reached to such an extent that some cities actually became
city temples. In fact the area particularly came to be known for its forts, villas, palaces, havelis, gateways,
fortifications, and city walls.

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Cholistan ………. Presented by Farrukh Basheer (BS English-Semester 2)