QUEEN ZAINAB TARI OF SOOMRA DYNASTY OF SINDH.
Research by Qamar Din Muhammed Hayat Soomro.
M.A English - M A. Philosophy.
Email: qamar.soomro@hotmail.com
She was daughter of the Soomra King Asamuddin Daula Dodo Soomro. He ascended the throne of Sindh after the death of his father Asimuddin Bhoongar Soomro in 448 A.H or 1064-65 A.D with the title of Dodo-I. Long before he ascended the throne, he was blessed with a daughter, Princess Zainab Tari. Since no male issue followed her, the King appointed competent tutors for the Princess, who trained her how to rule the Kingdom and defend it from the enemies.
King Dodo-I ruled Sindh for 15 years. During this period of his rule a son was born to him whom he named Shahabuddin Sanghar. While Sanghar Soomro was still a minor, Dodo-I abdicated the throne in the year 1092 A.D, in favour of his daughter Zainab Tari, to live a retired life.
Since the Prince, Shahabuddin Sanghar was a minor, the Council of Ministers and Sardars, unanimously followed the wishes of their Monarch and crowned Sanghar’s sister Princess Zainab Tari as the sovereign Queen of Sindh.
Queen Zainab Tari was a very brave and a wise queen. Her diplomacy was so successful that during her reign, neither any foreign armies invaded Sindh nor any internal conspiracies took place. Prosperity, peace and tranquillity prevailed throughout her domain.
The Capital city Thari expanded and prospered and being near the sea, trade with foreign countries flourished under her ten- yearlong rule. .
Under her tutelage, her brother, Shahabuddin Sanghar grew up to be a fine youth excelled in the art of warfare etc. and became competent to rule the kingdom. Therefore after the tenth year of her rule, under rule of succession, she declared, Sanghar as the king of Sindh. Consequently, Sanghar was crowned as the Sovereign King of Sindh and Queen Tari retired to lead a family life.
Since the ancient times the Sindh was ruled by Hindu Rajas (kings) and later by the Persians and Greek invaders from the North and later by the Arabs. Then the Sindhi rulers of Soomra Dynasty succeeded the Arabs and ruled their country for 500 hundred year? Then the Sindhi rulers of Sama Dynasty succeeded them and they ruled for about 200 years.
Except Queen Tari Soomro, no other queen ever ruled Sindh as an absolute ruler. Therefore, she has the distinction of being the first and the last Sindhi Queen from ancient to present times. This also proves that women were treated with honour, respect and dignity and were raised to the highest position as per sharia in this Islamic Kingdom of Soomra Dynasty in Sindh.
REFERENCES:
- Chronological Dictionary of Sindh by H.M.Panhwar. 1983.
- An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Soomra Kingdom of Sindh (1351- 1011 A.D.). By H.M.Panwhar.
- “Tareekh-e-Sindh” (History of Sindh). By Allama Syed Sulleman Nadvi. 1947.
- “Salient Features of the Rule of Soomra Dynasty in Sindh”. Research Articles(Queen Zainab Tari/Golden period of Sindhi women/Renaissance etc.) by Research Scholar Qamar Din. M. Hayat Soomro. 2009.
