Hur Movement in Sindh

The Hur Movement was an anti-colonial tribal and socio-religious resistance led by the Sufi brotherhood of Sindh, known as the Hurs, against British colonial rule. Originating in the early 19th century as a spiritual community, the movement evolved into a fierce guerrilla struggle during the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Rooted in traditional allegiance to their spiritual leader, the Pir of Pagaro, the Hurs mounted armed challenges against imperial expansion, unjust land regulations, and colonial criminal laws in the desert terrain of Sindh.

Socio-Religious Origins and Evolution

Emergence of the Hur Community

The foundation of the community was laid in the early 19th century by Sufi saint Syed Muhammad Rashid Shah. He formed a brotherhood of Sunni Muslims in Sindh and declared them “Hur,” an Arabic term meaning “free” or “not bound to slavery”.

Lineage of the Pir Pagaro

Following Syed Muhammad Rashid Shah, his successor Syed Sibghatullah Shah I inherited the spiritual turban (pagg) and established the line of the Pir of Pagaro (Leader of the Turban). The disciples developed an absolute allegiance to the Pir, forming an organized socio-military force called the Hur Jamaat.

Causes and Early Phases of Resistance

Colonial Annexation of Sindh

The annexation of Sindh by Sir Charles Napier in 1843 brought the region under direct British control. The administration attempted to dismantle traditional Sufi institutions and alter land usage patterns, triggering resentment among the local pastoral and agricultural populace.

Application of Criminal Tribes Act (1898–1900)

To suppress growing defiance, British Commissioner Mohammad Yaqub recommended applying repressive laws to the community. In 1900, the British administration applied the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) of 1871 to the entire Hur population. This act required mandatory registration, restricted movement, and established concentration camps for Hur families.

Early Armed Uprisings

The initial major wave of armed insurgency erupted in the late 1890s under Pir Hizbullah Shah (Pir Pagaro III). Disciples organized guerrilla bands to ambush British supply lines, attack colonial police stations, and target loyalist landholders across Sanghar, Sukkur, and Khairpur.

The 1941–1946 Uprising and Martial Law

Leadership of Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi II

The movement reached its peak under Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi II (Pir Pagaro VI), popularly revered as Soreh Badshah (The Victorious King). Appointed as Pir in 1922, he reformed the movement, raised an armed militia called Ghazis, and advocated complete independence from British rule.

Outbreak of Guerrilla Warfare

In 1941, the Hurs launched a full-scale insurgency against the colonial state. Operating from the dense forests and deserts of Makhi Farash, Hur fighters targeted infrastructure, severed telegraph lines, derailed trains (notably the Lahore Mail in 1942), and raided government outposts.

Martial Law and Counter-Insurgency

The British response was swift and heavy-handed:

• Hur Suppression Act (1942): The Sindh Legislative Assembly passed the Hur Suppression Act, imposing martial law across Sindh from June 1942 to May 1943.
• Military Operations: The British Indian Army, Indian Imperial Police, and Royal Air Force deployed armored cars and aerial bombardment against Hur hideouts.
• Execution of Soreh Badshah: Pir Sibghatullah Shah II was arrested in Karachi, tried in a military court for waging war against the King-Emperor, and executed by hanging on March 20, 1943. His burial site was kept secret by British authorities to prevent it from becoming a shrine.

Continuation of Resistance

The execution of their spiritual leader failed to immediately break the movement. Hur fighters continued low-intensity guerrilla operations against British installations until 1946. The restrictions imposed under the Criminal Tribes Act were finally repealed in 1952.

Structural Overview of the Hur Movement

Fact Sheet for Quick Revision

• The term “Hur” was coined by Sufi saint Syed Muhammad Rashid Shah, meaning “free” or “unbound”.
• The spiritual head of the Hur community holds the hereditary title of Pir Pagaro.
• The entire Hur community was classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 in the year 1900.
• Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi II (Pir Pagaro VI) led the 1941 insurgency and was revered as Soreh Badshah.
• The British colonial administration imposed martial law in Sindh from June 1942 to May 1943 to suppress the movement.
• Pir Sibghatullah Shah II was hanged by the British military court on March 20, 1943.
• The armed resistance continued in the desert regions of Sindh up to 1946.