In last three decades, living communities are not the only ones to have been threatened by climate change. The cultural heritage of Sindh has also been damaged. Many historic tombs and other structures have become victims of climatic change and natural calamities.
In the floods of 2010, many historic structures were swept away. Many tombs caved in, following the floods of 2010. Amongst these more prominent were the Jamali tombs. I had visited these tombs several times and documented the precious mural paintings which are now lost.
These tombs were located in Shahdadkot taluka in Kamber-Shahdadkot district. In Imam Bakhsh Jamali village, which is located about 18 km northwest of Shahdadkot, were located two tombs that belonged to Mir Sobdar Jamali and Bhai Khan Jamali.
Tomb of Mir Sobdar Jamali which collapsed in the flood of 2010
Mir Sobdar Khan Jamali was the chief of the Jamali tribe during Kalhora period (1700-1783). Mir Shaho Khan, who was a son or descendant of Mir Sobdar Jamali, is believed to have been built the tombs. The tomb of Mir Sobdar was decorated with paintings depicting many folktale romances: Sasui-Punhun, Leela-Chanesar, Nuri-Jam Tamachi, Leila Majnun, Suhni-Mehar and Moomal-Rano.
About 12 km northwest of Shahdadkot on the same road to Imam Bakhsh Jamali village, there was located the tomb of Shakal Jamali. According to local traditions Shakal Jamali was the head of his village. The other version is that he was a shepherd and he had built the tomb himself during his lifetime. His descendants later finished it and from the inside it was adorned with paintings.
Tomb of Bhai Khan Jamali
About 20 km north of Shahdadkot there was located tomb of Saeed Khan Jamali in the village named after him and locally known as Qubo Saeed Khan. He is believed to have been the disciple of Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro (1657-92). The tomb was very simply built and decorated with floral paintings.
About 12 km west of Shahdadkot, on the road leading to Ghari Khairo near the village of Noor Nabi Junejo was situated a tomb belonging to Rehan Khan Jamali. He is believed to have been a landlord of his village. The tomb was also believed to have been built by him during his lifetime. It was a huge building resting on a square plan.
Depiction of the folktale of Leela-Chanesar in the tomb of Mir Sobdar
One of the distinctive features of the tombs of the Jamalis was the presence of paintings. Except for the tomb of Saeed Khan Jamali, all the other tombs depicted animal and human figures. Folktales and dancing scenes were common features of the paintings in Jamali tombs.
And so, for instance, the tomb of Mir Sobdar Jamali was replete with depictions of dancing scenes and popular folktales, principally of King Dyach and Bijal, Sasui-Punhun, Nuri-Jam Tamachi, Moomal-Rano, Laila-Majnun, Leela-Chanesar and Suhni-Mehar. Similar folktales can also be seen depicted in the tomb of Rehan Khan Jamali. The tomb of Shakal Jamali also depicted dancing scenes.
Several panels represented folk romances and other such cultural references in the tomb of Mir Sobdar Jamali. One of the panels depicted two folktales of Moomal-Rano and King Dyach and Bijal. The romance of Moomal and Rano was depicted in all three tombs of Mir Sobdar Jamali, Shakal Khan and Rehan Khan. In the tomb of Mir Sobdar was found a painting of Rano with his two friends, all on horseback, depicted going to Kak Mahal, a palace. Moomal was shown sitting with her sisters in the palace. Similar depictions were found in the tombs of Rehan Khan and Shakal Khan.
Painting of Suhni-Mehar in the tomb of Mir Sobdar Jamali
The folk story of Rai Dyach was also painted in the Jamali tombs. The main characters of the folk story of King Rai Dyach, including the king himself, Sorath, her maid and Bijal were painted. Bijal, who was a famous bard of Junargah, was shown sitting outside the main entrance of palace. In the tale, Bijal had promised Ani Rai to bring him the head of Dyach. In the painting Bijal was shown playing his fiddle on the stairways of palace. Rai Dyach was shown presenting his severed head to the bard. Below the image of Rai Dyach were two women figures – Sorath and her maid, who were shown mourning over the death of the king.
Another panel depicted several hunting and combat scenes and the folktale of Jam Tamachi. The tombs of Shakal Khan and Rehan Khan also depicted that folk romance.
It is also interesting to see paintings of Laila-Majun in the Jamali tombs. The romance of Laila-Majnun is not Sindhi – it is Arabic in origin. However, it captured the imagination of Sindhi artists who painted it in many tombs in upper Sindh. All three tombs of the Jamalis depicted the tale, with Majnun seated under a tree. Laila was shown approaching Majnun. A person with an axe was also painted to the left side of Majnun’s image in the Jamali tombs – he was perhaps going to cut a tree.
Paintings of Sasui and Punhun also adorned the tombs of Mir Sobdar Jamali, Shakal Khan and Rehan Khan. The panels depicted the in-laws of Sasui taking Punhun on a camel back to Kech Makran, his hometown. Sasui was shown following the footprints of the camel to meet her beloved. Her friends tried to stop her from treading on the difficult path that passed through looming mountains. The panel also showed a shepherd who was spinning yarn and grazing the goats. In the wilderness, Sasui met the shepherd, who was elated to see her. The artist focused and captured four characters of the story, Sasui, Punhun, his brothers and the shepherd. There were also similar depictions on all three tombs. However, the tomb of Rehan Khan depicted a more imposing painting of Sasui and Punhun.
The depiction of Umar-Marvi was exclusive to the Rehan Khan Jamali tomb. It represented Marvi with her friend at the well. Umar was shown forcibly taking Marvi on camelback to his palace in Umarkot. The friends of Marvi were shown beseeching Umar to leave her alone.
All the Jamali tombs caved in during the floods of 2010. There are many other tombs which withstood the vagaries of weather. The authorities concerned should chalk out a viable strategy to conserve all those tombs, so as to save the precious paintings from further decay and destruction, before they become history like the Jamali tombs.
The author is an anthropologist. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com
