soomro

Many authors have presented conflicting accounts of Soomro's origins. Michel Boivin adds that:

{{Blockquote|The Sūmras are believed to be Sodha Rajputs who embraced Islam through Ismāʿilī influence. After conversion, they adopted the name Sūmra.{{cite journal |last1=Boivin |first1=Michel |title=Indigenous People of Sindh |journal=Brill's Encyclopedia of the Religions of the Indigenous People of South Asia Online |date=16 September 2021 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-encyclopedia-of-the-religions-of-the-indigenous-people-of-south-asia-online/*-COM_033382#d24437846e749 |publisher=Brill |language=en |quote=..These episodes reflect the rivalry among different Rājpūt clans, especially after some converted to Islam. The Sūmras are among these, as they are said to be Soḍhā Rājpūts who converted to Islam under Ismāʿilī persuasion; after conversion, they changed their name from Soḍhā to Sūmra..}}}} Maulai Shedai, a local researcher, believes Soomra are Parmar Rajputs. But Ahmad Hasan Dani claims "of this there is no definite proof" and adds that it is almost certain the tribe has local origins as the kings bore local names.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_xtAAAAMAAJ&q=soomra+dynasty|title=History of Pakistan: Pakistan through ages|last=Dani|first=Ahmad Hasan|date=2007|publisher=Sang-e Meel Publications|isbn=978-969-35-2020-0|language=en|quote=But as many kings of the dynasty bore local names, it is almost certain that the Soomras were of local origin. Sometimes they are connected with Paramara Rajputs, but of this there is no definite proof.}} M. H. Panhwar, a Sindhologist, also rejects a Rajput origin and attributes its to James Todd but still accepts native origin.{{cite book | last=Panhwar | first=M.H. | author2=Soomra National Council (Pakistan) | title=An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Soomra Kingdom of Sindh: 1011-1351 AD | publisher=Soomra National Council, Pakistan | year=2003 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-BtuAAAAMAAJ | access-date=2022-07-27 | page= 26 (on pdf) |quote= “Presence of Soomras in Kutch, Gujarat and Rajasthan in small numbers does not make them Rajputs either… All British period historians given in the table at end of this chapter have called Soomras as Rajputs under influence of Todd's writings. Actually they were local converted to Ismailism.”}} Some writers have detailed about a subdivision in Jats with the name "Sumra".{{cite book | last1=Khan | first1=H.A. | last2=Choonara | first2=S. | title=Re-Thinking Punjab: The Construction of Siraiki Identity | publisher=Research and Publication Centre (RPC), National College of Arts | year=2004 | isbn=978-969-8623-09-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nV71AwAAQBAJ | access-date=2022-07-27 | page=130 | quote= Other important braches and sub-divisions of the Jat in the Siraiki area include Panhwar, Parihar, Chajra, Daha, Jhakkar, Joiya, Guraha, Bhatti, Massan, Bhutta, Sahu, Sial, Jangla, Thind, Samtia, Sehar, Sumra…}}{{cite book | last=Bhatia | first=S. | title=Social Change and Politics in Punjab, 1898-1910 | publisher=Enkay Publishers | year=1987 | isbn=978-81-85148-13-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qnVuAAAAMAAJ | access-date=2022-07-29 | page=24 |quote= The Jats were divided into several tribes. In the Western plain (i.e., West of Lahore) excluding the salt range, and sub - montane tracts were to be found the Tahim, Butta, Langah, Sumra, Sipra and Hans}} But Historian André Wink has mentioned that the Soomras were not Jats.{{Cite book |last=Wink |first=André |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCVyhH5VDjAC&dq=samma+andre+wink&pg=PA159 |title=Al-hind: The Making of the Indo-islamic World |date=1991 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-09249-5 |pages=159 |language=en|quote=The Sammas rose to great power in Sind at about 1351 A.D., displacing the Sumras, who were not Jats and had achieved control of Lower Sind shortly after the death of Mahmud of Ghazna.}}

He has also explained that Soomras who were of local Sindhi origin and had been semi-independent rulers after the death of Mahmud of Ghazni were different to pastoral-nomadic Jats or Meds. As per him, rise of Soomras was one of the factor in movement of the Jats of lower Sindh towards north.{{Cite book |last=Wink |first=André |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2m7_R5P2oAC&q=al+hind+andre+wink |title=Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India and the Expansion of Islam 7Th-11th Centuries |date=2002 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-0-391-04173-8 |pages=166 |language=en |quote=In Lower Sind however we become dimly aware of the existence in the eighth and ninth centuries of a tribal people, the Sumras, who shortly after the death of Mahmud Ghaznavi became quasi-independent rulers throughout the Multan region, even when it remained nominally incorporated in the Ghaznavid and Ghurid dominion and subsequently in the Delhi Sultanate. The Sumras were a dynasty of local origin, later claiming to be Rajputs as well as Arabs, and are clearly distinguishable from the pastoral-nomadic Jats or Mids. In fact, it could very well be that next to the Baluchi immigration from the west, the rise of the Sumras was a factor in pushing the Jats of Lower Sind northward.}} Ghulam Hussain and others argue that the Soomros and other native tribes indigenous to Sindh slowly began to 'Ashrafize' themselves by remaking their genealogies to further associate themselves with Syeds whom they possibly intermarried and acquired power through.{{cite journal | last=Hussain | first=Ghulam | title=Dalits are in India, not in Pakistan: Exploring the Discursive Bases of the Denial of Dalitness under the Ashrafia Hegemony | journal=Journal of Asian and African Studies | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=55 | issue=1 | date=2019-08-02 | issn=0021-9096 | doi=10.1177/0021909619863455 | pages=24 | s2cid=201404746 | quote= Soomra, Samma and Kalhora indigenous castes (locally known as Sammat) were further ashrafized. After conversion to Islam they intermarried with local Arab landowners and thus had acquired great influence and power. By furnishing Tuhfa-tul-Kiram and Beglar Namah, the two books on the history, as the reference, they reconstructed their genealogies to have roots in Arabs and in association with the Sayeds. Hence, the Soomras claimed to be Sumerian Arabs; Sammas, the descendants of Jamshed Abbasi of Persia, and Kalhoras traced their descent to Abbasid Khalifas

}}

According to Tarikh Waqa`i Rajisthan, Soomras were Parmar Rajputs.{{Cite web |last=Molai |first=Rahim Dad Khan |title=Jannat Sindh - Sindhi Adabi Board Online Library (History) |url=http://www.sindhiadabiboard.org/catalogue/history/Book50/Book_page9.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124173139/http://www.sindhiadabiboard.org/catalogue/history/Book50/Book_page9.html |archive-date=2022-01-24 |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=www.sindhiadabiboard.org}}

Pre-eminent Sindhi scholar Nabi Baksh Baloch tried to reconcile all different conflicting accounts of Soomra origin. He considered Soomras, a hybrid race that was mix of Sindhi-Arab blood, emerged after the Umayyad caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik’s decree asking Arab officers posted in Sindh to settle in the land permanently. Consequently they took Sindhi wives and subsequently married their daughters in Sindhi families. Hence, Dr. Baloch writes that:

Soomras were descendents of these hybrid princes, whose ancestors, according to common legend, were either Arabs or their grand-sons on the mothers’ side.{{Cite web |title=Soomran Jo Daur - Sindhi Adabi Board Online Library (History) |url=http://www.sindhiadabiboard.org/catalogue/history/Book37/Book_page1.html |access-date=2023-01-10 |website=www.sindhiadabiboard.org}}

Āsoo, Āripotra, Amrani, Alyasani, Buja (Baja), Bāghul, Babrani, Bhayani, Bhein, Bheinan, Bheiyani, Bākhri, Bhākhri, Bhāra, Bharpotra, Bhutani/Bhootani, Chhora, Chhutta, Chatta, Chattani, Chhatani, Chhodawar, Chāki, Dodai, Dodani, Dodepotra, Dhakkar, Dhukar, Dāsra, Dāgha/Dāga, Donar, Danoor, Detha, Dhakan, Dakan, Dakhan, Dowar, Farās, Galahi/Gulahi, Gan, Gāgnani, Gurchani, Gārhepotra, Hamir, Hamirani, Hamad, Halepotro, Holiani/Holani, Hassanpotra, Hamopotro/Hamupotro, Heesani, Heesbani, Hayatani, Hasnani, Issani, Inayatani, Jafrani, Jumrani, Jamrani, Jamarani, Jassani, Junsani, Jonsani, Jothia, Jiya, Jiyepotra, Jakhri, Jakhrepotra, Junejani, Kākar, Kachelo, Karmati, Kalhia/Kolhia, Kandipotra, Khafif, Khafipotra, Kula, Khebta, Khunbhati, Khenera, Khairani, Kala, Khato, Kukusaba, Kokri/Kaksia, Khuhawar, Lākhoria, Landar, Ladha, Luhār, Mundra, Matu, Muja, Moosepotra, Marzani, Muhammadpotro, Markan, Markanda, Markhand, Mastani, Mutkani/Matkani, Mirnani, Mirani, Mirzani, Matoi, Mahumia, Motipotra, Mundarpotra, Nurungpotra, Nurungzada, Niroti, Nangarpotra, Porgar, Panjani, Qiyasani, Ratar, Rukan, Raknani, Rainani, Rehanpotra, Rawa/Rawani, Rabu/Rabo, Rangrez, Sākroi, Sāmtio, Samathia, Sābra, Shaikhjapotra, Sākhpotra/Eshaqpotra, Supiya, Sānund, Shaja, Sathia, Sakriani/Sākriani, Sathian, Sāthani, Samisa, Sapiya, Saidha, Sājnani, Sanhiyan, Sanwand, Tāi, Tāipotra, Usta/Osta, Umarpotra, Umarani, Wāhara, Wardali.{{Cite book |last=Khair Mohammad Buriro Sewhani |url=http://archive.org/details/san_0600 |title=ذاتين جي انسائيڪلوپيڊيا |date=2005 |pages=477 |language=Sindhi}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Sindhi tribes}}

Category:Rajput clans

Category:Surnames

Category:Sindhi tribes

Category:Rajput clans of Sindh

Category:Maldhari communities