Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota

Life

Daudpota was born on March 25, 1896 at Talti, Dadu District. His family was poor. His father, Mohammad Daudpota, was a farmer and Carpenter. His primary education was in his hometown. For secondary education, he went to Larkana in 1914 and later to the Madressah school of Naushahro Feroze. Eventually, he matriculated from Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam in Karachi. He got first position in 1917. After passing his Matriculation, he went to D. J. Science College, Sindh at Karachi, where he passed his examinations getting first position overall. The Government of India awarded him a scholarship for higher studies at Cambridge University.

In 1927 he wrote his doctoral thesis entitled "The effect of Arabic Poetry on Persian Poetry" and got the degree of Ph.D. After completion of his doctoral degree he returned to his homeland in 1927 and was appointed as Principal of Sindh-Madrasa-tul-Islam. Later on, he joined Ismail College Bombay as professor of Arabic. He worked there for nine years. He was appointed Director of Public Instruction in Sindh in 1939 taking over from Khan Bahadur Ghulam Nabi Kazi. He was given the honorary title of Shams-ul-Ulama ("Sun of the Scholars") from the British Government in 1940. He was a member of the Pakistan Public Service Commission from 1950 to 1955. He performed Hajj in 1955. He served as superior (care taker) of Quarterly Mehran in 1957.

Daudpota is the father of the famous Dr. Q. Isa Daudpota, a physicist currently based in Islamabad.

Daudpota did his scholarly research in English, Arabic, Persian, and Sindhi. His fields of research included history, poetry, criticism, biography, religion and Sindhi literature. He wrote more than two dozens books and a number of columns and essays.

Daudpota died on November 22, 1958 at Karachi. His last resting place is at the Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai at Bhitshah.