Khamiso Kanju

The Iranian Ismailis in Lasbela however maintained their own Iranian cultural traditions and customs. With the passage of time, they absorbed the local traditions, which richly sounded in their names, such as Nim, Foto, Laung, Aachar, Jaffer, Karami, Ibn, Ibu, Hashu, Shalu, etc. When the Ismaili merchants of Kutchh came into their contact in Lasbela, they however retained their own cultural tendency, which sounded in their names, such as Angaro, Sumar, Araba, Jumo, Khamiso, Chhanchhar, etc. The most prominent family among them was Aloo or Alwani family. Later on, the original Iranian Ismailis in Lasbela immersed in Indian culture through the learning of the religious education from the Ismailis of Kutchh.

The Ismailis, who later on migrated to Karachi and flourished the Lassi jamat, mastered the study of the ginans. How did they know the ginans when they were originally Iranians and had nothing to do with the tradition of ginans? In fact, they learnt the ginans from the Satpanthi Khojas of Kutchh. The Ismailis in Lasbela thus emerged as a new generation of the mixed blood of Iran and India, who began to assume the names henceforward as Bhalu (Baledina), Jafu (Jaffer), Gulu (Ghulam Hussain), Mamu (Muhammad), etc.

The province of Las or Lasbela in Baluchistan is about 100 miles long and 80 miles wide. It is bounded to the south by the sea, to the north by the Jahlawan Hills, and to the east and west by ranges of high mountains, which descend from the great mass occupying Baluchistan, and separate it from Sind and Makran. Lasbela was divided into seven towns (niabats): Welpat, Shehr Lyari, Miani, Hab, Kanrach, Ormada and Uthal.

The Ismailis in Lasbela prospered and spread in different villages. In 1796, a terrible famine in Lasbela forced the local people including few Ismaili families to move towards Karachi, but their information are inaccessible. They, however, said to have built few cottages, and raised a Jamatkhana on the site, presently known as Inayat Ali Mohammad Bachlani Building. Later on, a caravan from Uthal is reported to have proceeded towards Sonmiani, and then to Karachi in 1843. Varas Khatau hailed originally from Kutchh and was a rich merchant in Sonmiani, exporting wool, ghee, gum and oil of different kinds.

In search of a peaceful land when a severe famine broke out in Uthal, few Ismaili families resolved to seek harbour in Karachi. In the form of a caravan of camels, they trekked down to tedious passages of 116 miles in the mountains and reached Karachi after three days. They alighted at the bank of Lyari River. The most prominent among them were the families of Hashu and Shalu. These wretchedly poor Ismailis built some cottages of mud and straw. They had also brought some cattle with them from their native land and entered into the business of hides and skins on small scale. Some also professed in matting, goat-hairs, etc. They made rapid progress and formed the Lassi jamat in Karachi.

Among the predecessors of Mukhi Hashu Tharuani, a certain Kanju deserves special attention. He came from a Persian stock, originally settled in Makran and Persian Baluchistan to the south of Kirman. He had two sons, Khaku and Ghulam Mohammad or Gulu. Beju (or Bijjar) was the only son of Gulu, who left behind three sons, viz. Amir Baksh, Khuda Baksh and Ali Baksh. The son of Ali Baksh was Khamiso, who, owing to draught and scarcity of food grains and fodder, is said to have wandered throughout the Persian Baluchistan in search of bread and butter, and finally settled down in Uthal, which is situated on the Karachi-Bela highway, about 74 miles from Karachi and 38 miles from Bela. It was originally a small quarter, but then became the district quarter.

Khamiso is said to have worked with a Hindu gold merchant to weigh the gold in Lasbela. He had been also in Ormada and Gwadar for several times. He had two sons, Tar Muhammad and Jan Muhammad, who were the local peasants.