Thul Hairo Khan
A view of Thul Hairo Khan (Buddhist stupa)
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
RegionSindh
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusStupa ruins present
Year consecrated500 CE – 700 CE
StatusArtifacts Removed
Location
LocationPakistan

The Thul Hairo Khan (Sindhi: ٺلھ هيرو خان) is a Buddhist stupa, built possibly between the 5th and 7th centuries CE near the modern-day town of Johi, in Sindh, Pakistan.[1] It is constructed with baked and unbaked bricks fixed with a material made from mud mixed water. The stupa is 50 feet high and 30 feet wide in size. The stair from the north side of the stupa leads to its top. The stupa has an arched tunnel at the ground level which crosses from north to south. It is believed that stupas like Hairo Khan were built in Sindh between the 5th and 7th centuries CE. Thul of Hairo Khan appears to be series of discovered in other regions of Sindh.[2][3]

History

According to some accounts Buddhism spread in Sindh in the 3rd century BCE during the period of Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire.[4][5] Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Empire who was supported by kingdoms of Sindh and Punjab, defeated Greek dominance there.[6] Sindh became a division of the Maurya Empire in 305 BCE; and during the Maurya Empire, Buddhism thrived in Sindh at large, particularly through the realm of Ashoka the Great.[4][5] During the time of Mauryan rule, Sindhi monks (Bhikshus) attended the second and third Buddhist councils held in 278 BC and 253 BC.[7] Faxian came to Sindh in 641 CE[8] and recorded eighty-eight thousand stupas up to the borders of Sindh. Sindh was a hub of Buddhism during the Rai dynasty.[9] Chach was a pioneer of the Brahman dynasty of Sindh. His brother Chandra was Buddhist. According to Chach Nama, a first written source material on the history of Sindh, during the monarchy of the Rai kings together with Brahmans, Buddhiya country (division) was a part of Sindh.[10] Buddhism remained and flourished side by side with Hinduism in every part of Sindh up to the 13th century CE[11] during the Soomra dynasty of Sindh. Stupas were considered as sacred and religious remains of Buddhism.[12]

Construction

The construction of Thul Hairo Khan is of a rectangular type. The measurement of the round shaped top of the stupa is 5’-11" while the measurement of the circumference is 14’0". The baked bricks used in the stupa are of 11"x 6"x 2" size. Meanwhile, the baked bricks used in round shape like circle at the top of the stupa are 11.6"x 2"x 5" in size.[2]

Location

Thul Hairo Khan is located towards the west of the village Hairo Khan at walking distance and is situated towards the north of the village Haji Khan Laghari in (Kachho) Taluka Johi, Dadu District of Sindh [13] at a distance of 10 kilometers and towards the north-east of Johi Town at a distance of 15 kilometer; at Latitude: 26°49'40.3", Longitude: 67°28'28.81.

References

  1. ↑ "Schools for Hairo Khan". The Nation. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  2. 1 2 "Hairo Khan Thull, Dadu". heritage.eftsindh.com. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  3. ↑ Kingrāṇī, ʻAzīzu (2012). Sindh Tourism: An Archaeological Journey. ISBN 9789699543111.
  4. 1 2 DADUZEN, Dayal N. Harjani aka (2018-07-19). Sindhi Roots & Rituals – Part 1. Notion Press. ISBN 9781642492897.
  5. 1 2 "Time check: Mediaeval India: The Arab conquest of Sindh". DAWN.COM. 2010-06-19. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  6. ↑ Thorpe, Showick Thorpe Edgar (2009). The Pearson General Studies Manual 2009, 1/e. Pearson Education India. ISBN 9788131721339.
  7. ↑ Siddiqui, Habibullah (1987). Education in Sind: Past and Present. Institute of Sindhology, University of Sind. ISBN 9789694050096.
  8. ↑ Sindh, Past, Present and Future. Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Chair, University of Karachi. 2006.
  9. ↑ Avari, Burjor (2013). Islamic Civilization in South Asia: A History of Muslim Power and Presence in the Indian Subcontinent. Routledge. ISBN 9780415580618.
  10. ↑ Quarterly Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society. Pakistan Historical Society. 1999.
  11. ↑ Sind Quarterly. Mazhar Yusuf. 1985.
  12. ↑ Juergensmeyer, Mark; Roof, Wade Clark (2012). Encyclopedia of Global Religion. SAGE. ISBN 9780761927297.
  13. ↑ "Appeal to CJP to help recover missing youth". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.