Country Pakistan Time zone PKT (UTC+05:00) Province Sindh | Metropolitan Corporation Pre-islamic Hindu-era Local time Friday 9:08 AM | |
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Weather 28°C, Wind SW at 18 km/h, 53% Humidity | ||
Umerkot (Urdu: عُمركوٹ, Sindhi: عمرڪوٽ), formerly known as Amarkot, is a town in Umerkot District in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The city is well connected with the other large cities like Karachi, the provincial capital and Hyderabad.
Contents
Map of Umarkot, Pakistan
History
The name of the city is said to be after the name of a local ruler, Umer, who is part of the legend of Umar Marvi. The story also appears in Shah Jo Risalo and is one of the popular tragic romances from Sindh.
The province was ruled by Sodha clan of Hindu Rajputs. The city held prominence during the Mughal Empire and the British Raj. Mughal Emperor Akbar was born in Umerkot 14 October 1542 when his father Humayun fled from the military defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri. Rana Prasad, the Sodha Rajput ruler of Umerkot, gave him refuge. Later on, Akbar brought northwestern India, including modern day Pakistan under Mughal rule.
The Bhatis of Jaisalmer took the freedom of umerkot in between 1700-1800 and it was made a Jagir by the Maharaval of Jaisalmer . It is believed that the king of Umerkot wanted freedom from the Bhati dominance and that's why joined Pakistan after the partition in 1947 on Jinnah's offer .
Points of interest
Umerkot has many sites of historical significance such as Akbar's birthplace at Umarkot Fort.
There is an ancient temple, Shiv Mandir, Umerkot.
Folklore
The story of Umar Marvi is that Marvi was a young Thari girl abducted by then-ruler, Umar, who wanted to marry her because of her beauty. Upon her refusal she was imprisoned in the historic Umerkot Fort for several years. Because of her courage, Marvi is regarded as a symbol of love for one's soil and homeland.
Education
The city has more than 100 schools, 20 colleges and one polytechnic college.