Under Samma Tak
Shari Alvine
According to Chachnama, Jats of Lohana tribe included Sammas.[9] Sarah Ansari states both Sammas and Soomros to be Rajput tribes when they converted to Islam. Their chiefs were followers of Suhrawardi Sufi saints with their base at Uch and Multan.[10] Firishta mentions two groups of zamindars in Sindh, namely Sumra and Samma.[11]
For a period the Sammas were therefore subject to Delhi again. Later, as the Sultanate of Delhi collapsed they became fully independent.[13] During most of period of Samma rule, the Sindh was politically and economically tied to the Gujarat Sultanate, with occasional periods of friction. Coins struck by the Samma dynasty show the titles "Sultan" and "Shah" as well as "Jam", the Jadeja rulers of western Gujarat also part of Samma tribe and directly descended from Jam Unar, the first Samma sultan of Sindh.[14] Sandhai Muslims are Samma of Sindh. Even the Chudasama Rajputs of Gujarat are also part of Samma tribe, who are still Hindu, and distributed in Junagadh District and Bhal Region of Gujarat.[15][16]
The Samma dynasty took the title "Jam", the equivalent of "King" or "Sultan", because they claimed to be descended from Jamshid.[17] The main sources of information on the Samma dynasty are Nizammud-din, Abu-'l-Fazl, Firishta and Mir Ma'sum, all lacking in detail, and with conflicting information. A plausible reconstruction of the chronology is given in the History of Delhi Sultanate by M. H. Syed.[17]
Jam Unar was the founder of Samma dynasty mentioned by Ibn Battuta, the famous traveller from North Africa (Ibn Battuta visited Sindh in 1333, and saw Samma's rebellion against Delhi government[13]). Jam Unar, the Samma chief, taking advantage of the strained relation between the Soomra and the Sultanate of Delhi, defeated the last Soomra ruler, son of Dodo, and established Samma rule.[citation needed]
Jm Salhuddn bin Jm Tamch was the successor of his father Jm Tamch. He put down revolts in some parts of the country, by sending forces in those directions and punished the ringleaders. Some of these unruly bands fled to Kachh, to which place Jm Salhuddn pursued them, and in every engagement that took place he defeated them and ultimately subjugated them. He died after a reign of 11 years.[citation needed]
Jm Al Sher bin Jm Tamch ruled the country very discreetly. Tamch's other sons Sikandar and Karn, and Fateh Khn son of Sikandar, who had brought ruin on the last Jm, were now conspiring against Jm Alsher. They were therefore looking for an opportunity to fall upon him while he was out enjoying the moonlight as usual. They spent their time in the forests in the vicinity of the town. One Friday night, on the 13th of the lunar month, they took a band of cut-throats with them, and with naked swords attacked Jm Alsher who had come out in a boat to enjoy the moonlight on the quiet surface of the river and was returning home. They killed him, and red-handed they ran to the city, where the people had no help for it but to place one of them, Karan, on the vacant throne. The reign of Jm Al Sher lasted for seven years.[citation needed]
Mirz Pr Muhammad soon went to Delhi, which place he took and where he was crowned as king. Multan remained in the hands of Langhs, and Sind in those of the Sammah rulers as before.[citation needed]
Jm Taghlak was fond of hunting and left his brothers to administer the affairs of state at Sehwn and Bakhar. In his reign some Balch raised the standard of revolt in the outskirts of Bakhar, but Jm Taghlak marched in the direction and punished their ring-leaders and appointed an outpost in each parganah to prevent any future rebellion of the kind. He died after a reign of 28 years.[citation needed]
Jm Sikandar bin Jm Taghlak was a minor when he succeeded his father to the throne. The governors of Sehwn and Bakhar shook off their yoke, and prepared to take offensive steps. Jm Sikandar was obliged to march out from Tatt to Bakhar. When he came as far as Nasarpr, a man by name Mubrak, who during the last Jm's reign had made himself celebrated for acts of bravery, proclaimed himself king under the name of Jm Mubrak. But as the people were not in league with him, he was driven away within 3 days and information sent to Jm Sikandar, who made peace with his opponents and hastened to Tatt. After a year and a half, he died.[citation needed]
After Jam Salahuddin's death, the nobles of the state put his son Jm Nizmuddn I bin Jm Salhuddn on the throne. Jam Nizamuddin ruled for only a few months. His first act of kindness was the release of his cousins Sikandar, Karn and Bahuddn and mar, who had been placed in captivity by the advice of the ministers. He appointed every one of them as an officer to discharge administrative duties in different places, while he himself remained in the capital, superintending the work done by them and other officials in different quarters of the country.[citation needed]
Before long, however, his cousins, very ungratefully made a conspiracy among themselves and stealthily coming to the capital attempted to seize him. But Jm Salhuddn learning their intention in time, left the place at the dead of night with a handful of men and made his escape to Gujrat. In the morning, men were sent after him, but before any information could be brought about him, the people summoned Alsher, son of Jm Tamch, who was living in obscurity, and raised him to the throne. Meanwhile, Jm Nizmuddn also died in his flight and his cousins too being disappointed in every thing, lived roving lives.[citation needed]
On Rinah's death, Sanjar (Radhan) Sadr al-Din became the Jm of Sind. He is said to have been a very handsome person, and on that account was constantly attended by a large number of persons, who took pleasure in remaining in his company. It is believed that before his coming to the throne, a pious fakr had been very fond of him; that one day Sanjar informed him that he had a very strong desire to become the king of Tatt though it should be for not more than 8 days; and that the fakr had given him his blessings, telling him that he would be the king of the place for 8 years.[citation needed]
Jm Sanjar ruled the country very wisely. Under no ruler before this had the people of Sind enjoyed such ease of mind. He was very fond of the company of the learned and the pious. Every Friday he used to distribute charities and had fixed periodical allowances for those who deserved the same. He increased the pay of responsible officers. One Kz Maarf, who had been appointed by the late rulers to be the Kz of Bakhar, was in the habit of receiving bribes from the plaintiffs as well as from the defendants. When this fact came to the notice of Jm Sanjar, he sent for the Kz and asked him about it.[citation needed] The Kz admitted the whole thing. "Yes", said he, "I do demand something from the plaintiffs as well as the defendants, and I am anxious to get something from the witnesses too, but before the case closes, they go away and I am disappointed in that". Jm Sanjar could not help laughing at this. The Kz continued: "I work in the court for the whole day and my wife and children die of hunger at home, because I get very little pay". Jm Sanjar increased his pay and issued general orders for the increase of every government post of importance.[citation needed]
Shortly after his accession, he went with a large force to Bhakkar, where he spent about a year, during which time he extirpated the freebooters and robbers who annoyed the people in that part of the country. After that, for a period of forty-eight years he reigned at Tatta with absolute power.[citation needed]
In the last part of Jm Nind's reign, after 1490 CE, a Mughul army under Shah Beg Arghun came from Kandahar and fell upon many villages of Chundooha and Sideejuh, invading the town of gr, Ohndukah, Sibi Sindichah and Kt Mchin. Jm Nind sent a large army under his Vazier Darya Khan,[20] which, arriving at the village known by the name of Duruh-i-Kureeb, also known as Joolow Geer or Halkhar near Sibi, defeated the Mughuls in a pitched battle. Shh Beg Arghun's brother Ab Muhammad Mirz was killed in the battle, and the Mughuls fled back to Kandahr, never to return during the reign of Jm Nizmuddn.[21]
Jam Feruz bin Jam Nizam was the last ruler of the Samma dynasty of Sindh. Jm Ferz succeeded his father Jm Nizmuddn at a minor age. Jm Ferz was a young man, and as from the commencement the management of the state affairs was in the hands of his guardian he spent his time in his harem and seldom went out. But he was fearful of his ministers.[citation needed]
As a precautionary measure he enlisted in his service Kbak Arghn and a large number of men belonging to the tribes of Mughuls, who had during his reign, left Shhbeg Arghn and came to Tatt. Jm Ferz gave them the quarter of the town, called Mughal-Wrah to live in. He secretly flattered himself for his policy in securing the services of intrepid men to check Dary Khn, but he never for a minute imagined what ruin these very men were destined to bring on him. For, it was through some of these men that Shhbeg Arghn was induced to invade and conquer Sind in 926 AH (1519 AD) at the Battle of Fatehpur, which resulted in the displacement of the Sammah dynasty of rulers by that of Arghn.[citation needed]
The rise of Thatta as an important commercial and cultural centre was directly related to Jam Ninda's patronage and policies. At the time the Portuguese took control of the trading centre of Hormuz in 1514 CE,[23] trade from the Sindh accounted for nearly 10% of their customs revenue, and they described Thatta as one of the richest cities in the world. Thatta's prosperity was based partly on its own high-quality cotton and silk textile industry, partly on export of goods from further inland in the Punjab and northern India. However, the trade declined when the Mughals took over. Later, due to silting of the main Indus channel, Thatta no longer functioned as a port.[24]
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