Mirza Kalich Beg

Mirza Kalich Beg (Sindhi: مرزا قليچ بيگ‎) is a scholar known for his contributions to the Sindhi literature. He was born on 4 October 1853 in Tando Thoro on the bank of Phuleli Canal in Hyderabad, Pakistan.

History

The ancestors of Mirza Kalich Beg, were from Georgia, his grandfather was a Christian Emir in Kakheti, due to subsequent turmoil between Nadir Shah and the Ottoman Empire; Georgia was annexed and the grandfather of Mirza Kalich Beg was captured along with Mirza Kalich's Father Sedini (later named Mirza Faridun Beg by Nadir Shah).

Mirza Faridun Beg, converted to Islam and served in the Qizilbash cavalry units of Nadir Shah. He served alongside Mir Tala Khan (the founder of the Talpur dynasty). They sacked the fortifications of the ruling Kalhora Nawabs of Sindh and probably served during the dramatic Battle of Karnal.

In the late 18th century, the Talpurs had taken hold of the Pacco Qillo in Hyderabad and were declared official rulers of the city and the Emirs of Sindh. It was during this reign of the Talpurs, that Mirza Faridoon Beg settled in the outskirts of this thriving city. In the years to come his father had made cordial relations with the then ruler Mir Karam Ali Talpur and became his courtier. He was invited to live in the Hyderabad fort (the Pacco Qillo) and married a Talpur princess.

When the British led by Charles Napier took annexed Sindh after the Battle of Miani, the remaining Mirs surrendered and were imprisoned in Calcutta leaving Mirza Faridun Beg no one to serve and he resorted to the small fishing village of Tando Thoro on the banks of the Phuleli Canal. It was here that Mirza Kalich Beg was born.

Family chronicle

The lives of the Mirza family and their Georgian connections are a subject of the 2005 book A Georgian Saga: From the Caucasus to the Indus by family's scion Meherafroze Mirza Habib, Vice-President of All Pakistan Women's Association.^[1]

Books

Mirza Kalich's books include:

• Maqalat-ul-Hikmat *
• Khoodyari
• Alamat-ul-Quran (Signs of Quran)
• Bagh ae Bayani
• Hashrat-ul-Arz
• Zameen pokhin jo ilm ae Hunr
• Keemya-e-Saaat
• Sao Pan Karo Pano (Auto-Biography)

References