KARACHI: The launch of Dr Muhammad Rafique Mughal’s coffee-table book The Antiquities of Banbhore on Friday provided a glimpse into the history of Sindh and the work of historians such as Dr Fazal Ahmad Khan and renowned scholar Dr Nabi Bux Baloch, whose reports and findings about Banbhore being located at the same site as the legendary port of Debal, have also been included in the book.

The launch was organised by the publishers of the book, the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT), at the Mohatta Palace Museum.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, who is also the daughter of Dr Nabi Bux Baloch, said that Dr Mughal’s ground-breaking work enriches the understanding of Sindh’s historical and cultural legacy.

She appreciated the EFT dedication to preserving Sindh’s remarkable cultural heritage. “This publication is not merely a chronicle of history. It is a beacon of hope, exemplifying how scholarship and collective action can safeguard the treasures of our past for future generations,” she said.

Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch says author’s work enriches understanding of historical and cultural legacy of Sindh

“Dr Mughal’s meticulous research brings Banbhore to life as a key trading and cultural heart that once connected Sindh to the Islamic world, the Far East and beyond. The discoveries of Arab Sasanian and Arab Byzantine coins, inscriptions and architectural remains reveal a history of cultural exchange and economic vitality that resonates even today. His work builds upon the pioneering efforts of scholars such as Dr F.A. Khan and my late father Dr N.A. Baloch, whose visionary research identified Banbhore as a likely site of Debal, the ancient city from Sindh’s rich history.

“The launch of this book is not just an academic milestone. It is a reminder of the potential that lies in embracing our history as a source of inspiration and opportunity. As we celebrate the meticulous work of Dr Mughal, we must also pledge to carry forward the mission of preserving and promoting our heritage not as static relics but as dynamic elements of a collective identity.

“On a personal note, this moment resonates deeply with me as it reflects on values championed by my late father, Dr N.A. Baloch, who believed that preserving our cultural heritage was not just a duty to the past but also a gift to the future,’ she concluded.

In a recorded message played on the occasion, the book’s author Dr Mughal said that the publication is only a part of his research that has so far been done on various categories of antiquities in which very limited evidence was utilised based on pottery.

“Along with the study of pottery there is a need to engage students and teachers from the academia from different institutions not only for training but also for writing thesis and books on various aspects of Banbhore, along with the ceramics and materials, which are available. And I hope it will be possible to organise regular programmes, training, teaching and seminars at different places for this. There is an urgent need to start trainings on the early archaeology of Sindh,” said Dr Mughal.

Speaking on the occasion, Hameed Haroon, the managing trustee of Mohatta Palace Museum and DawnMedia CEO, said Dr Mughal’s book is the last stand of consolidating work on Banbhore with the Islamic period.

“When it comes to the identity of Sindh, we are playing a cat and mouse game. We would all like to believe, for some reason, that we are the descendants of Central Asian conquerors of Muslims that came from Iran, Central Asia or the Arab world. While it is true for some of us, it does not distinguish us from the others here, who were indigenous,” he said.

He lamented how rulers such as Ziaul Haq tried to cover up the real history of Sindh and how governments, federal governments and universities here have said that one can’t do research on anything before 712 AD, the invasion of Mohammad Bin Qasim.

“EFT through its various production of volumes, such as this book, intends to explore the early identity of Sindh. And we will continue in the trend and hopefully coax universities into taking more open understanding of Sindh’s past,” he added.

About Banbhore, Mr Haroon said that many believe that Banbhore was Debal. Many also believe that it could be Karachi as like Debal, Karachi is also a port city. “But I think we are looking at a triple paradox here. Karachi as we know till the 18th century was no more than a small fishing village amongst a conglomerate of fishing villages in the region. And each of them deserve special study and consideration.

“So Karachi is certainly not Debal. And Karachi is not Banbhore. Because if Karachi is Debal, where are the ruins of Debal? Debal was a very major city. I think that within a particular geographical area, and this has gone on for several centuries in Sindh, settlements, towns, villages and ports tend to move and migrate and within the same conglomerate, the same name is repeated for a new port or a new town or a new village or settlement. Of course, this is something that has happened to create this triangular confusion of Karachi, Debal and Banbhore,” he said.

About the book’s author, Dr Mughal, Mr Haroon said that he is the last scholar giant of the old generation of Pakistani archaeologists and historians, which brought him to Dr N.A. Baloch’s research on Sindh’s past.

“Dr Baloch is really the grand daddy of the Sindh intelligentsia in the last 50 years. His work is so invaluable,” he said, adding that EFT’s chairman Jahangir Siddiqui has been wanting to embark on a project to translate the 35 to 40 odd volumes in Dr Baloch’s cultural compendium.

“We will not have the proper basics for understanding the indigenous culture of Sindh until we go to Dr Baloch’s work. There is clarity, there is explanation, there is research, there is interaction with the readership. I think that we need to translate Dr Baloch’s work so it can be available as a major node of scholarship in Sindh for people both within and outside this country,” he added.

Earlier, in his welcome address, EFT Chairman Jahangir Siddiqui said that it is not an easy task to write a book on the equities of Banbhore. “Dr Muhammad Rafique Mughal is a prolific writer who has written on the diversity of archaeology,” he said.

“The Endowment Fund Trust is honoured to publish this comprehensive study on Banbhore,” he added, explaining about how the writer of the book has carefully divided all the antiquities excavated from there into bronze, copper, iron, etc.

EFT Secretary and Mohatta Palace Museum Trustee Abdul Hamid Akhund also spoke.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2024