When Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro invaded Kutch, Yousaf Faqir Lund joined the war party. He also took care of the hungry and impoverished within his realm
Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
I always remember the respondents whom I interviewed and acknowledge their contributions to my research. These village intellectuals and oral historians play a vital role in preserving oral traditions for posterity. During my research on mystics in the Badin district in 2000, I first heard the name of Natho Faqir Lund, who was the custodian of the shrine of Yousaf Faqir Lund in Shadman village. Four years later, in 2004, I met him for the first time and had a second meeting with him in 2007. During our second meeting, I had an in-depth discussion with him about the Mianwal Faqirs, who are followers of the Kalhoras. Natho Faqir Lund himself was a Mianwal Faqir and was recognized as an expert in the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (d 1752).
The meeting with Natho Faqir aimed to learn about the Mianwal mystics from the Badin district. Natho Faqir Lund had extensive knowledge of the topic and shared insights not only about Mianwal mystics but also about other mystical figures and the oral history of various villages in the Badin district. I recorded everything he shared with me. I believe that no one in Badin had as much detailed information about the Mianwal Faqirs as he did.
During an interview, he told me that his ancestors came from Johi Taluka in Dadu District to settle in Badin District. I shared excerpts in this article from the interview with Natho Faqir Lund regarding his family’s migration and the prominent figures who played a role during the reign of the Kalhoras. It was during the reign of Mian Noor Muhammad Kalhoro (1719-1753) that many noblemen were posted in Thatta and Badin. Natho Faqir Lund belonged to the Yousafani lineage of the Pherwani Lund tribe. The Pherwanis trace their ancestry back to Phero Faqir Lund, who was a disciple of Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro. Phero Faqir Lund played an important role in the Mianwal movement of the Kalhoras. After his death, Phero Faqir Lund was buried in the necropolis of Araro in Dadu’s Johi Taluka. The Araro Jagir was bestowed upon Ghanwar Faqir Lund by Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro. Ghanwar Faqir Lund was also a disciple of Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro.
Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro consolidated the southern regions of Garhi with the assistance of Ghanwar Faqir Lund and other Mianwal Faqirs. He appointed both Suleman Faqir Lund and Ghanwar Faqir Lund to drive the Panhwar chief Baha-ud-Din from his headquarters at Araro. Baha-ud-Din Panhwar was the administrator of the Mughal Nawab of Sehwan in the Johi region. Both Ghanwar Faqir and Suleiman Faqir succeeded in driving him from Araro and bringing the area under the dominion of their mentor, Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro. Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro later granted the Jagir (fiefdom) of Araro to Ghanwar Faqir Lund. The Araro graveyard contains the tombs of Kalhora soldiers and followers. Domes of some tombs have caved in, thus they are locally called Buta Quba.
Natho Faqir Lund shared with me that Phero Faqir had two sons: Mojan Faqir Lund and Bado Faqir Lund. Both sons served Mian Yar Muhammad Kalhoro and Mian Noor Muhammad Kalhoro. Mojan Faqir Lund had two sons, Yusaf Faqir Lund and Tagio Faqir Lund. This information is also recorded by Dr. N.A. Baloch in his book, Rehan Hiran Khan, Vol. 1 (2000:183). Yusaf Faqir did not marry, while his brother Tagio Faqir, who was also a Mianwal mystic, did marry. His descendants are called the Yousafani and are named after his elder brother Yusaf Faqir Lund. The Yousafani family produced several mystics over the years. Tagio Faqir Lund’s son, Golo Faqir, was particularly known for his piety. Golo Faqir’s son, Nek Nazar Ali, emerged as another prominent mystic from the Yousafani lineage of the Pherwani Lund tribe.
Yousaf Faqir Lund rose to prominence during the reign of Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro and served him. Yusaf Faqir Lund was posted by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro at Shaikhani Ghari at the periphery of the Rann of Kutch. Moreover, Natho Faqir told that when Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro invaded Kutch, Yousaf Faqir Lund also joined the war party. He also took care of the hungry and impoverished within his realm. His spirituality and righteousness were widely recognized and celebrated.
A number of Mianwal mystics hailed from various lineages of the Lund tribe across different districts of Sindh
The tomb of Yousaf Faqir Jatti Satti, as he is popularly known, is located about 45 km south of Badin in Shadman Lund village. It is located west of the village within walking distance. I visited the tomb with Ghalum Shabir, the son of Natho Faqir Lund, and my two fellow anthropologists, Mushtaque Ali Umrani and Khan Muhammad Lashari. The tomb is built on a square plan with a hemispherical dome. The corner kiosks are the distinctive feature of the tomb. There are two principal graves in the tomb that belong to Yousaf Faqir and his brother Tagio Faqir Lund.
Natho Faqir Lund showed me the turban (Bachi) which was worn by Yousaf Faqir Lund. This was referred to as Bachi in the Mianwal Tariqa. Bachi is a specific type of turban associated with the followers of Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro. It was tied in the Mian’s style, wrapping the first half around the head in an anti-clockwise direction and the second half in a clockwise manner, thus creating a niche above the forehead. This style also served to differentiate the Mianwal Faqirs and non-Mianwal followers.
There are several other shrines of Mianwal mystics in Badin and Tharparkar districts. Some of the shrines include Jaro Faqir Lund, Mehro Faqir Jamali, Nebaho Faqir, Lehno Faqir Lund, Jaindo Kararo, Aziz Faqir, and Rakhio Faqir Lund. Rakhio Faqir was a disciple of Haibat Faqir Jamali. The shrine of Haibat Faqir Jamali is located 8 km southeast of Nindo town in Badin. The necropolis of Haibat Faqir Jamali contains many tombs of Mianwal Faqirs of the Kalhoras who died either fighting against the enemies while defending their land or spent their lives in preaching the thought and ideology of their mentor Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro (d 1692), his grandson Mian Noor Muhammad Kalhoro (d.1753) and great-grandson, Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro (d 1772).
Azi (invocation), which is important to the identity of all the shrines of the Mianwal Tariqa of Kalhoras throughout Sindh, is also recited at the shrine of Yousaf Faqir Lund. Azi is an invocation to God and the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The names of the following Mians are specifically named in the Azi: Mian Adam Shah Kalhoro, Mian Daud Kalhoro, Mian Muahmmad Illyas Kalhoro, Mian Shahal Muhammad Kalhoro, Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro, Mian Yar Muhammad Kalhoro, Mian Noor Muhammad Kalhoro, and Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, for the granting of health, peace, and prosperity. Apart from Azi, several other Mianwal rituals and customs are performed at the shrine of Yousaf Faqir Lund.
According to Ali Bha, the historian from Badin town, Natho Faqir died on 28 July 2020. Abdul Ghafoor Chandio, a journalist from Kadhan town, shared that after the death of Natho Faqir Lund, his son Ghulam Shabir became Gaddi Nashin (custodian), who died in 2023. Today, Abdul Malik, son of Natho Faqir, takes care of the shrine of Yousaf Faqir Lund.
Another prominent nobleman from the Pherwani family was Mitho Faqir Lund, the son of Bado Faqir Lund. He served Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro and was known for his piety. His shrine is located in the Sanghar district. There is a story about his love for an Oad woman. It is said that he commissioned her family to build a mud wall. Once the wall was completed, they requested payment so they could move to another place for work. However, Mitho Faqir did not want the Oad family to leave, thinking he would not see his beloved again. After payment, he commissioned them another task, and he asked them to build a mound of mud (der), which took several months to finish. Once the mound was completed, Mitho Faqir lost his reason to keep them from leaving and felt helpless to stop them. In his sorrow, he began composing poetry. When he died, he was buried on the mound (der) built by the Oad family, earning him the title Mitho Faqir Der Waro.
A number of Mianwal mystics hailed from various lineages of the Lund tribe across different districts of Sindh. Among them, Yousaf Faqir Lund stood out as the most eminent Mianwal mystic in the Shakhaini Ghari area of Badin.
Read: The Necropolis of Mian Naseer Muhammad Kalhoro
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Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro is a renowned anthropologist of Pakistan. He is author of 16 books on anthropology.
First published in The Friday Times Lahore
