Thar and Parkar District
| Thar and Parkar District | |
|---|---|
| [[Image:|250px| ]] | |
| Presidency: Bombay | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Altitude: | |
| Present Day Details | |
| Place Name: | Mirpurkhas District; Sanghar District; Tharpakar District; Umerkot District |
| State/Province: | Sindh |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| Transport links | |
During the British period Thar and Parkar was a district of Sind division of Bombay Presidency. It covered an area of 13,638 square miles. It included the Thar Desert (or Great Desert) on its eastern side.
Headquarters
- Umarkot (? - 1906)
- Mirpurkhas (1906 - ?)
Neighbours
- North: Khairpur State
- South: Rann of Cutch
- East: States of Jesalmir and Marwar.
- West: Nawabshah District and Hyderabad District
History
In November 1912, it surrended Sinjhoro taluka to the newly created Nawabshah District and received Digri taluka from Hyderabad District.
Geography
It included the Thar Desert.
Population
The district's population in 1911 was 433,398. Of these 236,693 were Muslims (54%) and 194,201 Hindus. 2,504 practiced other religions.
Cities and Towns
Sub-divisions
- Desert Division: It was further divided into 4 talukas; Nagar Parkar, Chhachhro, Mithi and Diplo.
- Mirpurkhas Sub-division: It was further divided into 3 talukas; Mirpurkhas, Jamesabad and Digri. It was administered by a colonisation officer up to 1912.
- Nara Valley: It was further divided into 4 talukas; Umarkot, Pithoro, Khipro and Sanghar
Education
Schools
- Mirpur Khas: 2 Anglo vernacular schools; Railway School and Church Mission School
Library
- Hudson Library (1915), Mirpur Khas
Newspaper
- Mirpur Khas Gazette (weekly vernacular paper). Circulation: 600
Health
Hospitals
There were no hospital in the district until 1913. That year saw the opening of a dispensary at Mirpur Khas which was intended to become the Civil Hospital of the district.
Dispensaries
- 8 dispensaries
Veterinary Dispensary
- Opened at Mirpur Khas in 1913.
Judicial System
District Magistrate was by law a first class Magistrate while Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Resident Magistrates were ordinarily of the first class.
Jails
- 11 sub jails (one at each taluka headquarters)
- 15 police lockups
- Hyderabad Central Jail was the prison for the district.
Transportation
Rail
Mirpurkhas became a railway junction in the early 20th century. Until 1909 there was only a metre gauge(MG) line running through the district, from Hyderabad to Marwar Junction. In 1909, the Sind Light Railway Co Ltd opened a line from Mirpurkhas to Jhudo.
External Links
- Thar and Parkar Imperial Gazetteer
Further Reading
- Gazetteer of the Province of Sind, Thar and Parkar District. Compiled by JW Smyth. 1919. Reprinted by Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore 2005