Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 6.djvu/21

 HIS HIGHNESS MEEE YAR MAHOMED WITH ATTENDANT. (278)

T has been already noted in the preceding historical sketch of Sind, that the Talpoor family were the last who possessed sovereign power. At the period of the war in 1843 they were entirely independent, and had been virtually and practically so for many years previously. The only power which pretended to authority over them was the King of Kabool, to whom a yearly tribute used to be paid; but it had not been demanded for many years, and though claimed by the ex-King, Shah Shoojah, on his advance into Afghanistan, and to some extent paid, it would have been impossible of realization except from the presence and support of a powerful British army.

The Talpoors, originally a Beloch family, settled in Sind early in the last century, and were military retainers of the Kulora dynasty, which then ruled the country. The Talpoors conspired against their sovereign, and deposed and expatriated him and his family, who took refuge in Persia and Afghanistan. The Kuloras had reigned about fifty years, and left many beautiful monuments of their good taste and civilization. The causes which led to the usurpation, as given in Lieut. Felly's Report on Khyrpoor, Records of Bombay Government 1854, are as follows:—"Shahdad, descended from Kaka, the common ancestors of the Talpoors, settled near the ancient city of Brahminabad, and founded a town which bears his name. One of his sons, named Behram, was murdered either by, or under order of, the Kuloras. His brother became a prosperous zemindar, or landholder. In 1783, Futeh Ali, grandson of Behram, in revenge for the murder of his grandfather and another kinsman, revolted, and was joined by others, and having defeated the Kuloras, established himself at Hyderabad, in Lower Sind. The elder branch of the family, however, remained on their patrimonial estate, and founded the principality of Khyrpoor. The Talpoors subsequently divided the province of Sind into four family portions, the head of each branch ruling under the title of