THE%20SINDH%20STORY

However, it was not the British system by itself that produced these results. It
was the excellent local response that made real what otherwise was only
potential.
Among the Muslims, the Agha Khan and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, born in Sindh,
made themselves famous in politics. Mirza Kalich Beg became a pillar of
education, administration and literature. Hassan Ali Effendi started the
madrassa in Karachi that produced what little the Sindhi Muslim middle class
there was. G. M. Bhurgri became the first Sindhi barrister.
The Hindus of course produced a whole galaxy of great men, in the tradition of
Gidumal, Awatrai and Naoomal. Those were the days when it took four months
to sail from Karachi to Bombay. (This was hardly to be wondered at in the presteamship
days; why, even Clive, on two of his three trips to India, had his ship
drift away all the way to South America!) The first four matric students ---
Chuharmal Punjabi, Navalrai Advani, Dayaram Jethmal and Kauromal Khilnani
--- found it so trying that only the first one passed the examination. However, the
British were understanding. They encouraged even the non-matriculates with
employment. And what a name they made! Dayaram Jethmal became a leading
lawyer. He helped finance D.J. Sind College --- which bears his name --- with
many Hindus contributing a month’s salary for the college. Navalrai founded the
great school that today bears his and his brother Hiranand’s name --- N.H.
Academy. Kauromal (1844 --- 1916) discovered Sami’s Shlokas that made the
latter the third great poet of Sindh --- along with Shah and Sachal. Kauromal also
presided over teachers’ training and put new life in Sahiti in central Sindh.
Rishi Dayaram
Chuharmal became the first Sindhi graduate, and Tarachand, the first Sindhi
doctor. Sadhu Hiranand edited the first Sindhi magazines, Sind Times and Sind
Sudhar. And Kanwal Singh brought out the first Sindhi daily paper, Sindhvasi
(1914). However, the greatest Sindhi of the British period --- if we leave out
politics --- was Rishi Dayaram. Dayaram, son of Gidumal Shahani (not to be
confused with Gidumal of Kalhora-Talpur days, who gave his name to Gidvanis)
was varily the Yuga Purush of Sindh. He represented the brightest and the best
of Sindh during the British period.
Dayaram (1857--1927) rose to he a great district and sessions judge But his real
work lay outside the court. In addition to helping set up D.J. Sind College, he got
his brother Metharam to donate one thousand guineas to construct the huge
Metharam Hostel in Karachi. His Trust donated one lakh rupees to set up D.G.
National College, Hyderabad.
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