Jhirk

Jhirk also spelled as Jerruck is a small town on the right bank of the River Indus, in the Thatta district, of the province of Sindh, Pakistan.

History

In the 19th century, Jhirk was the busiest river port and centre of commercial activity in Sindh. It also served as the headquarters of the Indus flotilla, which used to be the most modern navigational system. Karachi Port near Karachi used to be connected to Jhirk. The headquarters of the Indus flotilla was in Jhirk, near Kotri, before moving to Mithankot in Rajanpur district and then to Makhad in Attock. This part of the Indus flotilla was called by both the Punjab flotilla and the Indus flotilla. The British Indus flotilla of steamboats which once plied the Indus river is described by Shaw 1998. Hassan Ali Effendi, the famous educationist who was instrumental in establishing Sindh Madrasatul Islam used to work at the Indus flotilla in his early years while learning English. Quaid-i-Azam was one of his students at the Sindh Madrasatul Islam in Karachi. The river Indus was an important artery of communication between Karachi and Jhirk, located near Kotri, was an important river port. The Indus flotilla used large quantities of firewood which was kept to fuel steamboats. Hassan Ali Effendi kept account of the incoming and outgoing wood and steamboats.

It was because of the commercial importance of the town that the Aga Khan I, constructed his palace in Jhirk. Jhirk has one of the oldest British era schools in Sindh, 15 years older than Karachi's Sindh Madrasatul Islam, which is still functioning.

The Biritsh Captain April, a spy of the British crown in the 1800s described the majesty and weather of the city. He was stationed here from 1832 to 1839 wrote that Jhirk was a great city consisting of a bazaar of 200 shops and that goods were available here at cheaper prices than Karachi.

Aga Khan I migrated from Iran to Herat after the First Afghan War of 1839, when the British were in Herat. After the British defeat at the hands of Dost Mohammed of Afghanistan, he settled himself in Jhirk in 1843 under British protection. Aga Khan I built his mahal or palace which still exists in a good condition. He and his followers which were at least one thousand strong, as well as some British there to protect him settled with him in Jhirk.

Sir Charles Napier initially made Jhirk the headquarters for the British Army in Sindh when he came to Sindh which was part of the Bombay Presidency at that time.

The grandfather of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first leader of Pakistan, came to visit Jhirk for Aga Khan I’s Deedar settled here for the rest of his life and is also buried in Jhirk where his grave can be found. His eldest son Jinnahbhai Poonja, father of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was married to Sheeren Bai, the daughter of Moosa Jumo in 1874, who had also migrated along with the Agha Khan.

Some believe that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born in Jhirk, "but most historians and biographers go along with the official line". A maternity home built by the Agha Khan community was described by the Archaeology Department as the proper birthplace of Quaid e Azam and a blue plate remained fixed on the same with such information by the Department for over 2 decades after partition.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was admitted to the primary school of the town established in 1870. The school's General Register is missing. Before the controversy, his birthplace was listed as Jhirk in the curriculum taught in Pakistan until 1962. It was then changed to Wazir Mansion in Karachi, which became listed as the Quaid-i-Azam Birth Place and controversy rose again about the birthplace of Quaid-e-Azam.

A Buddhist stupa on the other side of river Indus indicates the historical position of the city.

Present

Jhirk's present situation is very critical. Very few income sources exist in Jhirk. People depend on special aid and grants from the government. Since the majority of the population lives below the poverty line as a result of the lack of water in the Kotri river, Jhirk has been deserted by people. All sources of fishing and farming have been depleted. Many graduates and youth from the Mallah fishing community sell brambles or live on meager rural incomes.