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Mir Abdul Baqi Purani Tomb, Sukkur

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Amir Mirak Shah Ba Yazid Hussain, a native of Purani, a locality in Hirat (Afghanistan), traveled to Sindh in 928 AH (1521 AD) in the company of Mirza Shah Hussain Babar. He was appointed Governor of Bakhar, but after some time he quit and eventually his son Syed Abdul Baqi Purani succeeded him. Purani's tomb is located south-west of Deputy Commissioner's bungalow. A narrow lane opposite to Maki Masjid on Minaret Road also leads to it. An inscription in Persian on the top of tomb's entrance reads as follows:

"Mir Abdul Baqi Purani, the Qutb, who was the Chief of the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the cream of the chosen people of Goa. Shaikh Qazi Shah Muhammad composed the chronogram of his death. Alas, Mir Abdul Baqi Purani gave his life on the 3rd of the month of Ramzan, night of Saturday 1019 AH (1610 AD)."

To quote Henry Cousens, close beside the tomb to the west, the intervening space being crowded with graves, or the walls of two ruined buildings, probably both mosques, upon which still remain large areas of coloured tilework in designs and combinations of tints very different in their treatment to what is found in other parts of Sindh. What makes this difference is the free use of plain, unglazed brick or terracotta surfaces, alternating with the coloured tile work, and this produces a soft, subdued tone to the whole which is distinctly pleasing. The tilework around the door of the shrine of Khwaja Khizr was of the same style, so was probably of about the same date, namely 1019 AH (1610 AD).

Unfortunately, none of the building, mosque or graves around the Purani's tomb presently exist. Moreover, the ancient tomb structure has been demolished and new building has been built.

(Documented on November 7, 2013)

[Source: Sukkur: Nostalgia of things past by Momin Bullo | Coordinates: EFT]