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Karachi - History |
Karachi
is the capital city of the province of Sindh and the largest city of Pakistan.
It is situated on the eastern coast of the Arabian Sea.
This
metropolitan city of Karachi was until 1725 A.D. just a barren piece of land,
washed on three sides by the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. A few fishermen
lived in small huts on the sunny creek. There was a pool of water on this barren
piece of land which was known as Kalachi-jo-Kun. Kalachi was the name of the
fisherman whereas Kun meant a deep ditch. Therefore, "Kalachi-jo-Kun"
meant the deep ditch of Kalachi, the fisherman.
A few mud huts sprang around this point and their numbers increased. Gradually a
village came into being. This village was called as
Kalachi-jo-Ghote.
The
city was developed as a port and trade
centre by Hindu merchants in 18th century.
In
1839, Karachi, a small fishing and trade centre, was captured by the British and
annexed three years later. Under British rule, it became the chief outlet for
Indus Valley cotton
and grain exports.
Fifty years after the arrival of the
British, who built a military cantonment here, some of the main features of the
modern city had been laid down, including the Bohri Bazaar, Saddar Bazaar and
Empress Market-still Karachi's luxury shopping area. The British made the city
the seat of the Sindh government, a military outpost, and a major seaport.
In 1947 the new state of Pakistan was born and Karachi was established as its
capital. During the early years of independence Karachi
grew rapidly as the chief port and industrial centre of West Pakistan, and many
Muslim refugees from India settled here.
Though
Karachi is no longer Pakistan's capital, having
surrendered
that honour to Islamabad in 1959, its dominance in the national economy is
beyond dispute.
The city is considered as commercial and industrial capital of Pakistan. The
port is one of the most important shipping-centres in South Asia. About one
quarter of the country's industry is located here.
Karachi is a Cosmopolitan city with people coming from different parts of the world. It is a mingling of old and new, east and west. It has absorbed the charm and beauty of modern and conventional way of life.
