The Dr NA Baloch Institute of Heritage Research, Jamshoro, has recently published its 38th book, Hyderabad and Beyond: Historical and Cultural Insights. This anthology, written by Dr Zaffar Junejo, brings together a remarkable collection of essays that continue his long-standing contribution to the intellectual landscape of Sindh through thoughtful explorations and rare compilations on history and archaeology.
The book is elegantly produced. Following a scholarly foreword by the distinguished author, historian and archaeologist Parveen Talpur, and an evocative introduction by poet Rishika Williams, the author’s preface leads the reader into two main sections. The first part, “Structures and Events that Speak a Lot,” contains 18 essays, while the second, “Art and Culture”, comprises 15 essays. As its subtitle suggests, the work opens up profound historical and cultural insights into Sindh.
Parveen Talpur rightly observes that “each article is rich with relevant information, placing the subject matter in its proper context. Specifics are well supplemented with references from Gazetteers, books, and oral histories. Importantly, citations include works by local historians and are not limited to the oft-repeated British sources.”
Rishika Williams, in her introduction, notes: “The book is a meditation on the interplay of memory, history, and geography – a reflection on how the physical spaces we inhabit through time are inextricably interwoven with our collective consciousness. The exploration is as much about the past as it is about an ongoing living narrative…The book echoes the duality of existence as its structure divides focus between tangible monuments of the past and the ephemeral artistry of cultural memory.”
Every essay is enhanced by carefully crafted sketches, while Sindhi terms scattered throughout the text are helpfully explained in a glossary
While most essays are historical in nature, their subjects are strikingly original, often exploring terrains that local writers have rarely touched. What makes them more appealing is Junejo’s engaging style, which bridges scholarship and accessibility for the general reader.
The opening essay, along with several others, highlights the deteriorating state of sacred Hindu and Christian monuments, such as Swami Shyam Gir ji Marrhi in Shahdadpur, Qandharani Khalsa Sangat Akal Bhoongo, Christ Church Kotri, Magical Sardharoo, and other sites in Nagarparkar. These pieces capture both the architectural and historical value of these structures and the plight of Sindh’s religious minorities.
Four interconnected essays – “The Fall of Sindh to the Company: A Defeat with Many Names”, “Painting the Fall of Sindh: Depictions of the Battle of Miani”, “War Memorials for Them, Dheveris for Us: In Search of the Battlefields of Miani”, and “Firepower and Regular Pay: How British Arms Overwhelmed Talpur Warriors” – revisit the British conquest of Sindh, offering fresh perspectives on how these events have been remembered, memorialised, and sometimes forgotten.
The collection also includes essays on unusual yet fascinating subjects, such as “Women’s Things of Their Own”, “Young Women Artists of Nagarparkar”, “Giddu to the People, Mental Hospital to the State”, “Thar Desert’s Old Method of Identifying Animals”, and “The Forgotten Notebook of Comrade Hyder Baksh Jatoi”.
Museums, as living repositories of heritage, form another recurring theme. Essays like “Learning Through Our Museums: A Path Rarely Travelled” and “Sukkur’s Lloyd Barrage Museum: A Space for Alternative Education” emphasise their role in fostering public learning and alternative education.
The recurring motif of environmental negligence surfaces in “The Sociology of Sinking: A Case of Khairpur Nathan Shah”, “A Tale of Negligence”, “Housing for the Dispossessed”, and “Averting the Urban Flood: Let Us Learn from the Masters”, which expose the consequences of greed, mismanagement, and state apathy.
Hyderabad, the book’s titular focus, features prominently. Essays such as “Hyderabad’s Windcatchers”, “Tilk Incline”, and “Annie Besant Hall” explore the city’s distinctive urban features, while the longest piece, “Hyderabad’s Om Mandli: An International Spiritual Movement”, reconstructs the social history of the city in the 1930s.
Other memorable essays – “Daryah Khan’s Autaq: Then and Now”, “Nari Publications: A Women’s Publishing House”, “Footprints in the Sands of Sindh: What the Youth Read in the 1980s”, “Khori Garden, Karachi: Once a Gold Mine for Book Lovers”, “Malh: Challenging the Equals”, and “Once Sindh’s Capital, Then the Amir’s Palace, and Now a Communal Graveyard” – extend the scope to sociology, anthropology, and the cultural imagination of Sindh.
Every essay is enhanced by carefully crafted sketches, while Sindhi terms scattered throughout the text are helpfully explained in a glossary, adding depth and authenticity to the reading experience.
Hyderabad and Beyond is more than a collection of essays; it is a sensitive, deeply informed engagement with Sindh’s past and present. It offers both scholars and general readers a chance to rediscover forgotten spaces, overlooked histories, and living cultural memories.