The
site of *Banbhore is situated on the northern
bank of the GHARO creek, about 40 miles south
east of Karachi on the highway to Hyderabad.
The site conceals the remains
of a settlement of considerable size. It is dividend
into two parts; a wellfortified citadel area measuring
over 2000 feet from east to west and 1200 feet
from north to south, and an outer unwalled city
extending over a large area on the north and east
round an ancient lake.
Lying on the mouth of an old channel
of the mighty Indus, the site is ideally situated
to have been an inland port of some importance.
Some archaeological scholars and historians have
suggested its identification with DEBAL, the famous
port which fell to the young Arab General Muhammad-bin-Quasim
in 712A.C. The incident awhich led to this first
conquest of Islam in the subcontinent is this:
A few Arab ships carrying beautiful
Muslim ladies and also presents from the king
of Surandeep (Lanka) to the Caliph were robbed
while anchored at Debal. Similar incidents occurred
before and Arab shipping in the coastal area was
very mush distyrbed by the local pirates. Failing
to ger any redress for such outrages from the
ruling king Dahir. Hajjaj-bin Yusuf, the Governor
of the Eastern Provinces of the Umayyad Caliphate,
sent two small punitive expenditions which were
not successful. The third one under Muhammadbin-Quasim
entered Dahir's Kingdom after crossing the Hab
river, and gave a shattering blow to his power
at Debal in 712SA.C. Within three years the whole
country of Sind was conquered and Muslim rule
was firmly established here. New Arab cities like
Nirun, Alor, Sehwan, Mansura, Mahfuza etc. grew
up, all of which have been identified except Debal.
The excavations have revealed
the plan of a wellfortified harbour-town of considerable
size with some details of art, architecture and
a wealth of material objects of early Islamic
period. The large pottery collection in particular
hs emabled the excacators to study and classify
for the first time the early Islamic pottery of
the sub-continent which is expected to serve as
a dependable basis for further investigations
in this field. Deep diggings at half a dozen points
have provided an almost complete cross-section
of the mound from top to bottom, revealing the
remains of three distinct periods-the Scytho-Parthian,
Hindu-Budhist and early Islamic-datable from the
1st century B.C.-to 13th Century A.C.
The site of Banbhore was known
to the archaeologists for a long time and was
visited by a few of them who collected surface
finds from it. Mr. Alcock, Pak archaeologist undertook
preliminary excavations on the mound in1951. his
investigations showed that the town which flourished
at this spot in ancient times was Arab origin
and that there was nothing to identify it with
Debal.
The antiquities which he recovered
from the excavations were of Islamic character,
and no cultural material of Hindu-Buddhist origin
was observed. But some foreign experts who visited
the site and collected coins, pieces o glazed
pottery and other objects from the surface, were
sure about the culture of Hindu-Buddhist origin.
The re-examination of the site have revealed that
there was definitely some settlement at Banbhore
before pre-Islamic period.
In the present excavations, extensive
remains of the Islamic period have been unearthed
in different parts of the site in the upper levels
of occupation, which appear to have lasted from
the 8th to 13th centuries A.C.
Here are some of the findings
of the Islamic period:
FORTIFICATION
WALL
Of the Islamic period building remains, the most
impressive is the fortification wall which gridles
round the citadel mound. Its existing height is
19 feet. The original fortification wall was built
with large semicircular bastions at regular intervals.
It was supported by a solid stone revetment at
the base. This early wall, characterized by massive
solidity and strength, undoubtedly suggests a
period of consolidation and property. At places,
this later period wall was pierced through by
narrow lanes, and residential houses were also
built against it, which must have reduced its
defensive character.
CITY
GATES
Sa far, three gateways of the citadel have been
uncovered. The eastern gateway overlooking the
lower city and connecting the citadel with the
ancient lake on its north eastern corner by a
flight of badly preserved broad steps, appears
to have been used mainly for the supply of drinking
water to the city reservoir which lies just beside
it. Its broad steps indicate the probable use
of pack animals for water carrying purposes.
The
other tow gateways with flights of finely dressed
large stone blocks are
well-preserved and impressive. The north-eastern
corner gateway connects a palatial house of semi-circular
shape with the lake, probably for the exclusive
use of the inmates of that house. Its breadth
is 10 feet. In later times this entrance was blocked
by stone and earth filling. The front of this
gateway was paved with large, thin stone slabs,
at the foot of which lies the stone embankment,
pierced by a well-preserved staircase with 17
treads of dressed lime stone block
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