BELIEVED to be part of a centuries-old city, the ruins and graves in Sindh’s Badin district uncovered by the 2011 torrential rains and the subsequent floods are a picture of neglect, mostly ignored by the provincial government. The historical city, 60km from Hyderabad, is close to Gulab Leghari town and is locally known as Agham Kot or Aghamano.

In the aftermath of the 2011 rains and floods, human bones were disgorged, which had been buried for centuries. Local residents say they saw several skeletons after the rains, which were bloodcurdling, but with the frequent and reckless human activity in the area many of the precious entities have been damaged.

“The skeletons seemed to be laughing and were quite scary, but they were hugely precious,” said Ashraf Leghari, a local social worker who took it upon himself to safeguard the site.

“We asked people to tread carefully but they didn’t listen and shattered almost everything that surfaced then. We appealed to the government to come and protect the ruins. Just a single official showed up,” who soon retired, said Mr Leghari.

Agham Kot has its own myths and legends, narrating how stubbornly it survived a slew of wars and attacks by marauding troops for centuries. The ruins included structures made of stone and centuries-old designs. The site contains an early mosque, called ‘Patan-wari maseet’ (mosque along the quay). The building was in shabby condition, with its bricks falling apart, while there was no one to stop visitors from openly stealing the precious artefacts.

Legend has it that the city along the river was founded by Agham Lohano, a local king, and the mosque was constructed along its jetty where passenger and cargo boats would frequently arrive and depart. The city was said to be part of ancient Brahmanabad province of Sindh that was governed by Raja Agham until Raja Chach ousted him.

Clambering further, one reaches several tombs, one of which is Bibi Maham’s. Locals believe she had come from Arabia, having a sacred ancestral background. A headstone says she died in 170 Hijri (more than 1,200 years ago). However, experts said she actually died in the 11th century according to the Islamic calendar, meaning the tomb was around 500 years old. Besides, her name indicated that she had actually come from Central Asia, they added.

Another tomb is related to Makhdoom Mohammad Ismael, who was believed to be one of the judges on a panel that had given a verdict to execute the 16th-century saint Makhdoom Bilawal by crushing him in a seed grinder. But that anecdote is neither denied nor corroborated by historians.

A little distance away lies the shrine of Shah Abdul Majeed, a figure highly revered by the Lohanas, who practise Hinduism. It is close to the ruins of another mosque that locals say had been destroyed for some unknown reason.

Sindh’s Watayo Faqir, an equivalent to Mullah Nasruddin of Central Asia, known for his wisecracks, was said to have an abode in Agham Kot and was forced to leave by the ruling elite for his witticism and independent thinking. “Before leaving Agham Kot, Watayo cursed the city and destruction started with the falling of this mosque,” said Mr Leghari, relating the legend.

The rocks and buildings show dark spots and lines here and there. Black articles believed to be burnt human limbs are easily found; it is said that the city was among the several parts of Sindh which Afghan invader Madad Khan had ravaged and burnt.

Books such as Chach Nama and Tohfat-ul-Karaam mention that Raja Agham Lohano ruled the area before the Arabs invaded Sindh. Brahmanabad was dominated by Brahmins and Buddhists and was ruled by Raja Agham’s dynasty on behalf of Rai Saheeras, son of Rai Sahisi, of the Rai dynasty.

Several stones engraved with ancient scripts and decorations have already been removed by the visitors and some local influential people have reportedly kept them in their bungalows or had sold them in the market.

The site has not been preserved as it has not been recorded on the provincial government’s list to ensure its protection. An official, however, says the site along with hundreds of others — equally important — is on the government’s ‘tentative list’. This means it could get official protection and funds, pending several mandatory expert investigations. “It is highly unfortunate,” admits the official, “that our rulers are playing with the relics of Sindh.”

Wars and violence wreaked havoc on ancient places, but it is believed that most cities and civilisations died due to economic reasons and the ancient economy of this part of the world flourished on the flow of rivers. “This city continued to flourish until the 18th century,” said Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, a renowned archaeologist who formerly headed the provincial antiquities and archaeology department. He says: “Agham Kot died once the Indus changed its course in 18th century and subsequently the maze of roads constructed by the British did not consider it a priority. The town was left to the rigours of time.”

Mr Leghari said people in his village, located near the ruins, had earlier established a separate room where they kept precious relics to protect them from thieves. “We try to protect this heritage to the best of our capabilities until the government wakes up and relieves us of this responsibility,” he smiles.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2015

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