سنڌي ورچوئل لائبرري

Whenever a new book is published, its readers look at the Preface by the author in order to get to the depth and purpose of the author’s writing. This is followed by an Introduction about the author. Both these items are present in this book too – but for a different and novel reason. In order to reach the depth of my thoughts, you will have to read at least 20 pages; and I am sure that by the time you read the last page you would forget what my feelings about the language are. Instead, you will find, Sindhi language, with all its niceties, converse, sing  and smile to you. You will find an Introduction by M. Ibrahim Joyo but that is not about me. He has not considered me worth introducing; for him there is only one thing worthy of that---and that is his, mine and our Sindhi language. This Introduction is more like a peep at languages, and it will always have a permanent place in Sindhi literature. Ibrahim Joyo is that worthy son of the soil for whom Sheikh Ayaz had to borrow words from Shah A.Latif :

ڪنهن ڪنهن ماڻهوءَ منجهه اچي بوءِ بهار جي

There are some people, from whom

Emanates the fragrance of spring.

This slender and skeletal gentleman, who has nurtured Sindh and Sindhi language in his heart and soul and has a solid bond with his motherland, is a very stubborn man and his constant pressure is the reason behind the writing of this book. In 1959 an article was published in the  quarterly “Mehran” by the esteemed scholar Dr Nabi Bux Khan Baloch entitled “A Short History of Sindhi Language”. It had created a veritable storm in my mind. I had told him, “Ibrahim, Dr. Baloch’s article will create a very wrong and illogical impression in peoples’ minds and people abroad will carry an impression of Sindhi language and culture as being a borrowed one”.

“Why don’t you write an article in response?” For a moment he remained engrossed in thought and then continued, “Such articles could disarray the sanctity of our language, is out of question. Everyone has a right of expressing his views—and so has Dr Baloch done! If you have a different opinion, you should pen it for others to know; readers will accept the view that is supported by scientific and academic proof.”

We went on discussing and I slipped off from there. When we met a fortnight or so later, the first question he greeted me with was, “Did you write?” I replied, “What about?” He said, ‘About the language”.

I had mixed feelings of perplexity and disbelief: how would my response fare against an article by Dr. Nabi Baksh Baloch, the Dean of Arts Faculty of the Sindh University! But the stubborn and winning type that Ibrahim is, he persevered—at times with sarcasm and at others with a smile and encouragement. He finally prevailed and had me write a response. On going to print, it created a storm! Some complimented, some raised their hand tamely, while some others criticised me. But at all this, I did feel that my article had compelled people to “think”. It had created a response, so it did have a sting!

Dr Baloch responded by writing another article, which prompted me to pen down yet an other article on the subject. This sequence of events in 1959 produced an inexplicable stance in my approach about Sindhi language and civilization. One can imagine my state of mind that took me to the ruins of Mohen-jo-Daro five to six times in the winter of 1960. Like a tramp I wandered in the ancient city trying to explore the facts. Even in my dreams I could see the people of Mohen-jo-Daro, their typical trimmed beards and short hair with a central parting,… and their women wearing bangles made of ivory and a wooden comb stuck in their hair… speaking to me in Sindhi. I spent some three years in those dreams and during that period I kept reading various books on ancient languages, manuscripts and similar other topics. By 1963 the notes that I used to gather became such a heap that my younger brother Inam (who has designed the title cover of this book) was about to sell it as waste material. In the meantime Dr Baloch had his articles compiled with some editing and got them published in the form of a book. This brought renewed pressure from my friends; (Joyo) Ibrahim, (Shaikh) Ayaz, Tanveer (Abbasi), Rabbani, Shamsher and (Maulana) Graami, during our sittings in Karachi Hotel or Farewell Hotel. Sipping black coffee they would ask, ‘Siraj, when is your book coming? (In fact Ayaz, once at a party on the banks of Kirar lake, where Dr. Baloch was also present, had pleaded with me to write). The way they kept asking, I felt I must come to their expectations as they were waiting for me to deliver!!

Anyway, I finally completed the book that is in your hands. Initially responding to Dr Baloch’s articles I wanted to negate the hypothetical issue that he had postulated,  I too had not been methodical, for example I had just denied his hypothesis as being wrong. But even so, in that article I had said that although there were indications of Sindhi and Sanskrit being closely related languages, but the history of Sindhi was more ancient and in a way Sanskrit and its times had been preceded by Sindh and Sindhi language. While conducting research (for about 4 years) about the history of languages, Sindhi civilization and Mohen-jo-Daro, I came across some astonishing facts. The most important one was that the scholars of language and history had treated Sindhi language and civilization very unjustly.

Another observation that kept disturbing my mind was that although Sindhi and Sanskrit were related but not as closely as they had generally thought and discussed. If Sindhi language absorbed a few words from Sanskrit, the latter had a larger debt towards Sindhi. In a way Sanskrit took its origin from Sindhi, even if not directly. It was a thought for which I felt the world would call me insane, so without providing proof it would be an exercise in vain. That was why I concentrated on the language of Mohen-jo-Daro and when I was able to decipher it a bit, I almost missed a heart-beat.

Here I want to admit that I have no misconception about having deciphered the language of   Mohen-jo-Daro. No one has deciphered it yet, although a lot of experts have tried many times. This book should also be considered as an attempt in that direction. It is quite possible that my efforts may be entirely wrong, in which case I would urge the readers and scholars to think of it as an endeavour by a passionate student and lover of the language. But the things that have encouraged me to feel that I might be right, are: Firstly, I have identified persistent indicators in the seals for terms or phonemes, which I have not duplicated, which means that I have not exchanged or swapped the values of these finds from one place to another. I have kept the same values in my writings. Secondly, these indicators have been based on present findings and evidences. And thirdly, from these common indicators arise meaningful words from which emerges, though an unrefined and unpolished, glimpse of the language. With the help of that there might be a chance of correct decipherment of the ancient language. Indeed, this is a very limited attempt. Although I have plenty of material but the original seals and books related to the subject and the facilities of research are not available to me. Such things can only be found in the British Museum or some Oriental institution of America.  Moreover the time and financial requirements of such research are usually not available to authors like me. The publishing of books on Mohen-jo-Daro after comprehensive research can be done only by an educational institution, Sindhi Adabi Board or Sindhi Academy etc. But again if life and circumstances give me a better chance I hope I shall try to write a more detailed and complete book on Mohen-jo-Daro.

In the end, I am extremely grateful to my much respected friend Mr. M Ibrahim Joyo, who not only encouraged me all along but has also written a very scholarly ‘Introduction’ for this book. He has given very useful suggestion about the matter and its presentation and has also done the proof- reading. I will always remain indebted to him. I am grateful to my father Muhammad Yaqoob ‘Niaz’ who too gave me valuable suggestions and to my brother Inamul Haque Aziz, who designed a very beautiful title cover (without charging me, just in return of showing him one movie). I am thankful to all the friends and writers who encouraged me, especially people like Shaikh Ayaz, Tanveer Abbassi, Ghulam Rabbani, Ghulam Muhammad Graami, Shamsherul Haidery, Niaz Humayuni and the famous scholar of Urdu, Mr Jamil Jalibi who always gave valuable advice to me. Despite all efforts, there remain a few errors of proof-reading for which a corrigendum has been added at the end.

Siraj