| Soomro | |
|---|---|
| Jāti | Rajput[1][2][3][4] |
| Religions |  Islam |
| Languages | Sindhi,Gujarati,Punjabi. |
| Country |  Pakistan, India |
| Region | Sindh,Gujarat,Rajasthan,Punjab. |
| Ethnicity | Sindhi |
| Feudal title | Raja,Rana |
Soomro (Sindhi:سومرو,Devanagari: सूमरो),Soomra,Sumrah orSumra is a tribe having a local origin inSindh,Pakistan. They are found inSindh, parts ofPunjab especially bordering Sindh,Balochistan province, and theKutch district of the Indian state ofGujarat and alsoRajasthan.[2][3][5] The Soomras ruled throughout theSindh andMultan regions.[6]
The Soomro tribe established theSoomra dynasty in 1025 CE, which re-established native Sindhi rule over Sindh following theArab conquests.[2] Many members of the Soomro tribe were among the first inSindh to convert toIslam fromHinduism but initially continued to maintain several Hindu customs and traditions.[3][2]
Many authors have presented conflicting accounts of Soomro's origins.Michel Boivin adds that:
The Sūmras are believed to beSodhaRajputs who embraced Islam through Ismāʿilī influence. After conversion, they adopted the name Sūmra.[7]
Maulai Shedai, a local researcher, believes Soomra areParmarRajputs.[2][3] But Ahmad Hasan Dani claims "of this there is no definite proof" and adds that it is almost certain the tribe has local origins as the kings bore local names.[8] M. H. Panhwar, a Sindhologist, also rejects a Rajput origin and attributes its to James Todd but still accepts native origin.[9] Some writers have detailed about a subdivision inJats with the name "Sumra".[10][11] But HistorianAndré Wink has mentioned that the Soomras were not Jats.[12]
He has also explained that Soomras who were of local Sindhi origin and had been semi-independent rulers after the death ofMahmud of Ghazni were different to pastoral-nomadicJats orMeds. As per him, rise of Soomras was one of the factor in movement of the Jats of lower Sindh towards north.[13] Ghulam Hussain and others argue that the Soomros and other native tribes indigenous to Sindh slowly began to'Ashrafize' themselves by remaking their genealogies to further associate themselves withSyeds whom they possibly intermarried and acquired power through.[14][3]
According to Tarikh Waqa`i Rajisthan, Soomras wereParmarRajputs.[3][15]
Pre-eminent Sindhi scholarNabi Baksh Baloch tried to reconcile all different conflicting accounts of Soomra origin. He considered Soomras, a hybrid race that was mix of Sindhi-Arab blood, emerged after theUmayyad caliphSulayman ibn Abd al-Malik’s decree asking Arab officers posted in Sindh to settle in the land permanently. Consequently they took Sindhi wives and subsequently married their daughters in Sindhi families.[3] Hence, Dr. Baloch writes that:
Soomras were descendents of these hybrid princes, whose ancestors, according to common legend, were either Arabs or their grand-sons on the mothers’ side.[3][16]
Āsoo, Āripotra, Amrani, Alyasani, Buja (Baja), Bāghul, Babrani, Bhayani, Bhein, Bheinan, Bheiyani, Bākhri, Bhākhri, Bhāra, Bharpotra, Bhutani/Bhootani, Chhora,Chhutta, Chatta, Chattani, Chhatani, Chhodawar, Chāki,Dodai, Dodani, Dodepotra, Dhakkar, Dhukar, Dāsra, Dāgha/Dāga, Donar, Danoor, Detha, Dhakan, Dakan, Dakhan, Dowar, Farās, Galahi/Gulahi, Gan, Gāgnani,Gurchani, Gārhepotra, Hamir, Hamirani, Hamad,Halepotro, Holiani/Holani, Hassanpotra, Hamopotro/Hamupotro, Heesani, Heesbani, Hayatani, Hasnani, Issani, Inayatani, Jafrani, Jumrani, Jamrani, Jamarani, Jassani, Junsani, Jonsani, Jothia, Jiya, Jiyepotra, Jakhri, Jakhrepotra, Junejani, Kākar,Kachelo, Karmati, Kalhia/Kolhia, Kandipotra, Khafif, Khafipotra, Kula, Khebta, Khunbhati, Khenera, Khairani, Kala, Khato, Kukusaba, Kokri/Kaksia, Khuhawar, Lākhoria, Landar, Ladha, Luhār, Mundra, Matu, Muja, Matupotra, Marzani, Muhammadpotro, Markan, Markanda, Markhand, Mastani, Mutkani/Matkani, Mirnani,Mirani, Mirzani, Matoi, Mahumia, Motipotra, Mundarpotra, Nurungpotra, Nurungzada, Niroti, Nangarpotra, Porgar, Panjani, Qiyasani, Ratar, Rukan, Raknani, Rainani, Rehanpotra, Rawa/Rawani, Rabu/Rabo, Rangrez, Sākroi, Sāmtio, Samathia, Sābra, Shaikhjapotra, Sākhpotra/Eshaqpotra, Supiya, Sānund, Shaja, Sathia, Sakriani/Sākriani, Sathian, Sāthani, Samisa, Sapiya, Saidha, Sājnani, Sanhiyan, Sanwand, Tāi, Tāipotra, Usta/Osta, Umarpotra, Umarani, Wāhara, Wardali.[17]
..These episodes reflect the rivalry among different Rājpūt clans, especially after some converted to Islam. The Sūmras are among these, as they are said to be Soḍhā Rājpūts who converted to Islam under Ismāʿilī persuasion; after conversion, they changed their name from Soḍhā to Sūmra..
The Soomras are believed to be Parmar Rajputs found even today in Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Kutch and Sindh. The Cambridge History of India refers to the Soomras as "a Rajput dynasty the later members of which accepted Islam" (p. 54 ).
..These episodes reflect the rivalry among different Rājpūt clans, especially after some converted to Islam. The Sūmras are among these, as they are said to be Soḍhā Rājpūts who converted to Islam under Ismāʿilī persuasion; after conversion, they changed their name from Soḍhā to Sūmra..
But as many kings of the dynasty bore local names, it is almost certain that the Soomras were of local origin. Sometimes they are connected with Paramara Rajputs, but of this there is no definite proof.
"Presence of Soomras in Kutch, Gujarat and Rajasthan in small numbers does not make them Rajputs either… All British period historians given in the table at end of this chapter have called Soomras as Rajputs under influence of Todd's writings. Actually they were local converted to Ismailism."
Other important braches and sub-divisions of the Jat in the Siraiki area include Panhwar, Parihar, Chajra, Daha, Jhakkar, Joiya, Guraha, Bhatti, Massan, Bhutta, Sahu, Sial, Jangla, Thind, Samtia, Sehar, Sumra…
The Jats were divided into several tribes. In the Western plain (i.e., West of Lahore) excluding the salt range, and sub - montane tracts were to be found the Tahim, Butta, Langah, Sumra, Sipra and Hans
The Sammas rose to great power in Sind at about 1351 A.D., displacing the Sumras, who were not Jats and had achieved control of Lower Sind shortly after the death of Mahmud of Ghazna.
In Lower Sind however we become dimly aware of the existence in the eighth and ninth centuries of a tribal people, the Sumras, who shortly after the death ofMahmud Ghaznavi became quasi-independent rulers throughout the Multan region, even when it remained nominally incorporated in the Ghaznavid and Ghurid dominion and subsequently in the Delhi Sultanate. The Sumras were a dynasty of local origin, later claiming to be Rajputs as well asArabs, and are clearly distinguishable from the pastoral-nomadic Jats or Mids. In fact, it could very well be that next to theBaluchi immigration from the west, the rise of the Sumras was a factor in pushing the Jats of Lower Sind northward.
Soomra, Samma and Kalhora indigenous castes (locally known as Sammat) were further ashrafized. After conversion to Islam they intermarried with local Arab landowners and thus had acquired great influence and power. By furnishing Tuhfa-tul-Kiram and Beglar Namah, the two books on the history, as the reference, they reconstructed their genealogies to have roots in Arabs and in association with the Sayeds. Hence, the Soomras claimed to be Sumerian Arabs; Sammas, the descendants of Jamshed Abbasi of Persia, and Kalhoras traced their descent to Abbasid Khalifas