Karachi: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Karachi was known to the ancient [[Greeks]] by many names: [[Krokola]], the place where [[Alexander the Great]] camped to prepare a fleet for [[Babylonia]] after his campaign in the [[Indus River|Indus Valley]]; [[Morontobara]] (probably [[Manora, Karachi|Manora]] island near [[Port of Karachi|Karachi harbour]]), from whence Alexander's admiral [[Nearchus]] set sail; and [[Barbarikon]], a port of the [[Bactria]]n kingdom. It was later known to the [[Arab people|Arabs]] as [[Debal]] from where [[Muhammad bin Qasim]] led his conquering force into South Asia in AD 712.<ref>[http://www.houstonkarachi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44%3Akarachi-history&catid=3%3Aabout-hksca&Itemid=11]{{dead link|date=February 2014}}</ref>

Karachi was reputedly founded as "Kolachi" by [[Baloch people|BalochiBaloch]] tribes from [[Balochistan (region)|Balochistan]] and [[Makran]], who established a small fishing community in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/2002/08/08/fea.htm# |title=DAWN&nbsp;– Features; August 8, 2002 |publisher=Dawn.Com |date=8 August 2002 |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref> Descendants of the original community still live in the area on the small island of [[Abdullah Goth]], which is located near the Karachi Port. The original name "Kolachi" survives in the name of a well-known Karachi locality named [[Mai Kolachi]] in [[Balochi language|Balochi]]. [[Mirza Ghazi Beg]], the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] administrator of [[Sindh]], is among the first historical figures credited for the development of coastal Sindh (consisting of regions such as the Makran coast and the Indus delta),{{where|date=February 2014}} including the cities of [[Thatta]], [[Bhambore]] and Karachi. The ancient names of Karachi included: [[Krokola]], [[Barbarikon]], [[Nawa Nar]], [[Rambagh, Karachi|Rambagh]], [[Kurruck]], [[Auranga Bandar]], [[Minnagara]], [[Kolachi (port)|Kolachi]], [[Morontobara]], [[Kolachi-jo-Goth]], [[Banbhore]], [[Debal]], [[Barbarice]] and [[Kurrachee]].<ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=7tIwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR18&lpg=PR18&dq=karachi+laxmi+salt+works&source=bl&ots=_jNVPU2ZaQ&sig=cjPamo8B37E8mAjIh2Y26if2NII&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GgizU97wNYeKqAakr4KYDA&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=karachi%20laxmi%20salt%20works&f=false Kurrachee: (Karachi) Past, Present and Future]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=Ap8IAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false A gazetteer of the province of Sindh]</ref>

The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as [[Kolachi-jo-Goth]] (Village of Kolachi in [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]). By the late 1720s, the village was trading across the [[Arabian Sea]] with [[Muscat, Oman|Muscat]] and the [[Persian Gulf]] region. The local [[Sindhi people|Sindhi]] populace built a small fort, that was constructed for the protection of the city, armed with cannons imported by Sindhi sailors from Muscat, [[Oman]]. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Kharra Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) ([[Kharadar]]) and the other facing the [[Lyari River]] known as the Meet'ha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate) ([[Mithadar]]), which correspond to the modern areas of [[Kharadar]] and Mithadar.

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During the [[World War II]], about 3,000 [[Polish people|Polish]] refugees from [[Soviet Union]] evacuated to Karachi, by the [[British Raj|British]]. Some of these Polish families settled permanently in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbj.pl/article-54930-polish-pakistan-relations-a-need-for-understanding.html |title=Warsaw Business Journal&nbsp;– Online Portal |publisher=wbj.pl |date=13 June 2011 |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=tNENuKhDGfwC&pg=PA27&dq=polish+refugees+karachi&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1XwcU9_yCIaHygHt8IHwDw&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=polish%20refugees%20karachi&f=false The Exile Mission: The Polish Political Diaspora and Polish Americans, 1939–1956]</ref> There are also communities of American<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/14/news/mn-53634 |title=After Slayings, Americans in Karachi Weigh Choices&nbsp;– Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=12 June 2009 |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref> and British expatriates.

After [[Pakistan Movement|independence]] of [[Pakistan]], a considerable number of [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Muslim]]s from Pakistani Punjab settle in Karachi. Punjabi and Pashtun are two out of three major ethnic groups in Karachi. The [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]], originally from [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Afghanistan]], the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] and northern [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], are now the city's second largest ethnic group after Muhajirs, these [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] are settled in Karachi frompost decadesindependence. <ref name=pbs>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2009/07/karachis_invisi.html|title=Karachi's Invisible Enemy|author=Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy|publisher=PBS|date=2009-07-17|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref><ref name="The National">{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090825/FOREIGN/708249931|title=In a city of ethnic friction, more tinder|publisher=The National|date=2009-08-24|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref> With as high as 7 million by some estimates the city of Karachi in Pakistan has the largest concentration of urban [[Pashtun diaspora|Pakhtun population]] in the world, including 50,000 registered [[Afghan refugees]] in the city, <ref name="tribune.com.pk">{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/43827/the-pakhtun-in-karachi/ |title=Columnists &#124; The Pakhtun in Karachi |work=Time |date=28 August 2010 |accessdate=2011-09-08}}</ref><ref name="thefridaytimes.com">[http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110715&page=5], thefridaytimes</ref> meaning there are more Pashtuns in Karachi than in any other city in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.dawn.com/2009/02/10/local9.htm|title=UN body, police baffled by minister’s threat against Afghan refugees|publisher=Dawn Media Group|date=2009-02-10|accessdate=2012-01-24}}</ref> As per current demographic ratio [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] are about 25% of Karachi's population.<ref>[http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110715&page=5], thefridaytimes</ref>▼

After [[Pakistan Movement|independence]] of [[Pakistan]], a considerable number of [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Muslim]]s from Pakistani Punjab settle in Karachi. There is also a sizeable community of [[Kashmiri Muslims]] from the [[Kashmir Valley]].<ref>{{cite web|author=M R Narayan Swamy |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_where-malayalees-once-held-sway_4610 |title=Where Malayalees once held sway &#124; Latest News & Updates at |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=5 October 2005 |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref>

▲The [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]], originally from [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Afghanistan]], the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] and northern [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], are now the city's second largest ethnic group after Muhajirs, these [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] are settled in Karachi from decades. <ref name=pbs>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2009/07/karachis_invisi.html|title=Karachi's Invisible Enemy|author=Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy|publisher=PBS|date=2009-07-17|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref><ref name="The National">{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090825/FOREIGN/708249931|title=In a city of ethnic friction, more tinder|publisher=The National|date=2009-08-24|accessdate=2010-08-24}}</ref> With as high as 7 million by some estimates the city of Karachi in Pakistan has the largest concentration of urban [[Pashtun diaspora|Pakhtun population]] in the world, including 50,000 registered [[Afghan refugees]] in the city, <ref name="tribune.com.pk">{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/43827/the-pakhtun-in-karachi/ |title=Columnists &#124; The Pakhtun in Karachi |work=Time |date=28 August 2010 |accessdate=2011-09-08}}</ref><ref name="thefridaytimes.com">[http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110715&page=5], thefridaytimes</ref> meaning there are more Pashtuns in Karachi than in any other city in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.dawn.com/2009/02/10/local9.htm|title=UN body, police baffled by minister’s threat against Afghan refugees|publisher=Dawn Media Group|date=2009-02-10|accessdate=2012-01-24}}</ref> As per current demographic ratio [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] are about 25% of Karachi's population.<ref>[http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110715&page=5], thefridaytimes</ref>

According to the last official census of the city, which was held in 1998, the linguistic distribution of the city was: [[Urdu language|Urdu]]: 48.52%; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: 13.94%; [[Pashto language|Pashto]]: 11.42%; [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]: 7.22%; [[Balochi language|Balochi]]: 4.34%; [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]]: 2.11%; others: 12.44%. The others include [[Dari (Eastern Persian)|Dari]], [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Dawoodi Bohra]], [[Memon language|Memon]], [[Marwari language|Marwari]], [[Brahui language|Brahui]], Makrani, [[Khowar language|Khowar]], [[Burushaski language|Burushaski]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Persian language|Farsi]] and [[Bengali language|Bengali]].<ref name="demographics">{{cite web|url=http://www.findpk.com/cities/html/karachi.html |title=Karachi |publisher=Findpk.com |date= |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref>