The history of Sindh is filled with the heroic tales of its brave warriors, rulers, and kings. Sindh is the only region around the world that is known for different historic events that occurred and brought colours to the local people. The Indus civilization is indeed the most advanced example that highlights the living standards of the people in that old era. An archaeological site near Larkana “Moen Jo Daro” is a small town that was discovered earlier in the 1900s which depicts that Sindh had not only a rich culture but also the simplest art of engineering to resolve basic life problems such as modern canals, baths, and grooves. In the past, Sindh has been the centre of several wars which brought life-saving lessons to its people. Among all kings, the story of Dodo Soomro is also famous among the Sindhi people due to his heroic sacrifice.
Sindh is known as the Gate of Islam. In 711AD under Umayyads Dynasty, Spain was invaded by Tariq Bin Ziyad. And In 712AD, an Arabian ship carrying valuable items along with passengers including men, women and children was kidnapped in the warm seas of Sindh. The Umayyad ruler Hajjaj Bin Yousuf then sent a letter to the Hindu ruler of Sindh Raja Dahir requesting for investigation of the incident. Upon Raja Dahir’s unsatisfactory responses, Hajjaj Bin Yousuf sent his nephew Muhammad Bin Qasim to conquer Sindh.
The invasion came into being in 714AD while ending the Hindu rule and creating an Islamic state of Sindh. Until 850AD, the state remained under the control of the Arab ruler (Ummayads Dynasty) and it falls again under the control of local Rajputs known as “Sodha Rajputs”. After 850AD, royal Sodha Rajputs ruled Sindh until 1013AD when one of its King accepted Islam and converted to become a Muslim. Upon his conversion, his number of warriors and people of his whole tribe also converted and accepted Islam to practice the true religion sent by Allah. From that period, the King started to call himself “Soomra Rajput” to differentiate himself and his tribe from Hindus soon after the acceptance of Islam. Thus, the period from 1013-to 1326 is considered the Golden years of Sindh under the “Soomro Dynasty” Although, the “Soomro Dynasty” is the only longest-ruling Sindhi Muslim dynasty of Sindh.
The first Dodo had two wives: one a blacksmith’s daughter and the other a Rajput woman. The first wife gave a daughter and a son called Bhagi and Chanesar Soomro respectively. When Dodo Soomro fell in battle with his enemies, his wife was pregnant when the child was born named “Bhongar". Next after him, his son was given the name Dodo Soomro II as his father (Dodo I) died during the battle.
Upon the death of Bhongar, the chieftains gathered to decide who should wear the crown and lead them. Since Bhagi and Chanesar were of so-called low birth, the lot fell in favour of Dodo. But it is also said that in a meeting, Chanesar Soomro was chosen to rule the caliphate. Once Chanesar was chosen then he ran to his mother to ask whether he should rule or not. The sardars or the ministers fell in doubt and lack of confidence in Chanesar upon his act. The chiefs started to talk about how a person that involves and asks everything from her mother can lead a Sindhi Empire that is spread over a large area. However, the courtier reverts their decision and made Dodo II as next King of the Soomro Dynasty. While Bhagi contrived to get a resignation from Dodo II when she saw her brother Chanesar being deprived. On the other hand, courtiers wanted to appoint a high-born Rajput ruler and opposed Chanesar. In the end, the will of the majority prevailed over Chanesar Soomro and her sister.
When Dodo II was announced as the new king, Chanesar immediately left the Sindh and went to the Sultan of Delhi (Sultan Alauddin Khalji) complaining about his de-crowning. The Chanesar asked for help from Sultan and expressed his wish to engage her beautiful sister Bhagi with Sultan. The Sultan agreed and sent his Turkish army with Chanesar via the Thar desert. At Virawah, the Turks were confronted by the Rajputs under Dodo Soomro and his army general Nangar. When the Turks arrived on the battleground, then they demanded Bhagi from Dodo Soomro for the marital purpose.
Soomras proved that they were men enough to defend the honour of not just their princess, but of every common people, and then incensed Sindhis drew into the battle lines. The conflict remained tough and hard for both forces, but after many missions, a worthy man was cut down on both sides; the brave Nangar went down in desperate combat. The Rajputs withdrew to Vighekot where Dodo Soomro II made his second stand. But he died after several attacks from his opponents while fighting bravely for the sake of his nation and sacrificed his life during the battle with the largely outnumbered army of the Sultan. Not only the Soomros but other Sindhi tribes were sad upon the death (Shahadat) of Dodo that they called him the hero of the nation.
When Dodo died, his dead body was mistreated and kicked off by the Turkish army sent by Alauddin Khalji. The Chanesars' inner Muslim woke up and felt anger; he then tried to stop Turkish forces not to hurting the body of his dead brother. Unfortunately, the Turks didn’t stop kept asking for Bhagi such that Turks killed Chanesar also upon his denial.
The royal historian and poet, namely, Bhago Bhan left the lost battle to gather the royal women and take them to the fort of Abro Jam. Whereas in Rajput fashion, he deposits them as saam. This meant that the Abros would defend their guests even to the last drop of their blood. As the Turks went against the Abros, another battle took place between the two armies. When defeat seemed imminent, the Abros committed Johar: they set alight their fort with the women and children inside and rode out to battle knowing there was no withdrawal that day.
In the South of Badin (Sindh), in the heart of the Great Rann of Kutch, there is a place known as Rupa Mari (Palace of Rupa). Where in the empty spaces sits a lowered cone-shaped mound of clay and grave under a timber canopy. The land with pottery shards reminds us of a forgotten town. There the ruins are named after the queen of Bhongar, the second of the Soomra kings of Sindh, who built this town. The grave is that of their grandson, Dodo Soomro II. Along with the shrine, his brother Chanesars' grave is also situated near the tomb.
In the end, that is the romance of Dodo and Chanesar as passed down through the generations. While history tells a slightly different tale. May Allah, bless Dodo Soomro the highest place in Jannah, who came forward to be known as the real son of Sindh. We have learnt that misunderstanding between the family members can be a big problem not only for the Dynasty but for the whole nation as well, leading to the fall of the Empire. We should be brave enough to fight against evil and do everything for the sake of national safety. Living without love and patience can be harmful, and once a thing goes wrong that can’t be undone. A pre-treatment and dialogue are always a solution to every issue.
The Article Covers:
- Where Dodo Soomro was born?
- How Soomro dynasty became the greatest of the empire in Sindh?
- How did Sultan Dodo Soomro become a Sindhi Legendary Hero?
- How was the Sindhi ruler became a great Sultan of Sindh?