Aror was the capital of Sindh when the Arab General Muhammad Bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 711 A.D. The city was situated on the banks of the river Mehran. In its heyday the city had well-kept parks, large open spaces and thriving market places. This flourishing town declined and probably became unlivable when the river changed its course.
The only standing monument found in Aror are the tombs of two sisters, one married and the other unmarried, belonging to 13th century. The entire surface of the tombs is embellished with cut brick ornamentation. They are a good specimens of exposed brick architecture.
The archeological sites of Aror are situated in the Rohri hills. The walls of the city were by the Indus. It is said that the Mihran River, the ancient course of the Indus, flowed near the city. The channels were the Wahinda and Raini. The citizens of Aror were craftsmen, tillers, masons, shopkeepers, boatmen, brick makers, artisans and potters. The remarkable prosperity of the city shows that it was well watered. It was administrated by Hindu rulers, who collect taxes from the ships which anchored at their ports. Aror was very prosperous and had gold mines at that time.
The site has been described by various travellers and historians, The earliest available source of the history of Sindh is the famous Fatah Namah of Sindh or Chach Namah. It is said to have been written by an Arab historian who accompanied the conquering Arab army and later on settled in Aror. Ali Bin Muhammad Koofi, a Persian writer, was able to get the manuscript from a Kazi family of Aror and translated it into Persian in 1300 A.D. The other source of the history of Sindh, before the Muslim conquest period, is provided by archeological reports, and there are references by Greek writers, in travelogues of Chinese pilgrims and in old Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, Mahabharata and Ramayana.
There was an independent and non-Aryan civilization different from the rest of the subcontinent. In about 1500 B.C., this group settled in the Indus valley plain, Sapta Sindhava, the country of seven rivers. Their arrival was described in the Mahabharata.
According to some historians, the dominion of Musicanus was the most prosperous in India at the time of Alexander the Great. Its capital city was Aror. At the time of the conquest of Sindh by the Arabs under Muhammad Bin Qasim in 711 A.D. Aror was the capital of Sindh and the residence of King Dahir.
The most prominent feature of Aror is the fort. Hindu brick of the very large and ancient kind is seen in the foundations and is being dug out of extensive pits in the bed of what is said to have been the old river channel. The rampart which surrounded the fortress is an irregular oval with a long diameter of perhaps 150 yards. On the eastern crest are two piles of brick work, one tall and the other much eaten away by time, which appear to denote the main gate.
The mosque is attributed to Muhammad Bin Qasim and is situated on the river of Aror. It is said that mosque was built in 712 A.D. Only two walls on the north and south and a small portion of the courtyard have survived. The courtyard is 40 feet long and 34.5 feet wide. The northern wall is 18.8 feet high. The whole structure is made of fired bricks. The bricks are of two types, large 9" x 9" and small 9" x 4". There is much plaster on the stone foundation. There are two arches in the walls on the northern side and one arch in the south wall.
Aurangzeb Mosque is said to have been built by the emperor Aurangzeb. At present only its mihrab survives. The measurement of the bricks is the same as that of Muhammad Bin Qasim's mosque. The grave of Pir Hashu Shah lies under the shadow of Aurangzeb's mosque. Around the grave, four mud walls are erected with a stone foundation, and the superstructure is of mud bricks. Northeast of the ruins of Aror are two tombs. Nobody knows to whom they belong, but are known as tombs of Suhagan and Duhagan. The decoration of the tombs is in small bricks. According to some historians, these were Buddhist stupas converted into tombs. Near the end of the wall, there is a structure, which some say is a tomb, while others insist that it is a mosque. Old inhabitants accepted it as a mosque. The measurement of the the bricks is the same as that of Muhammad Bin Qasim's mosque. In the interior of the dome the bricks are set out very beautifully and systematically. This is the only surviving ruin of the Arab period.
There is a well near the citadel area, which measures 8 feet 7 inches x 8 feet 7inches. Bricks used here are 9.2 in. x 9.2 in. and are from the Hindu period. Towards the east, there are three or four godowns. There is a big storage jar fixed in the wall which contains jawar seeds. This type of storage can also be seen in Mohenjodaro. Near the modern houses of Aror terracotta sewerage pipes have been found underground. The mosque of Maulvi Arif Bhatti and the cave temple of Kalka Devi are from a later period. After excavations a number of coins and pieces of pottery were found, which throw light on how the people lived.
The only standing monument found in Aror are the tombs of two sisters, one married and the other unmarried, belonging to 13th century. The entire surface of the tombs is embellished with cut brick ornamentation. They are a good specimens of exposed brick architecture.
The archeological sites of Aror are situated in the Rohri hills. The walls of the city were by the Indus. It is said that the Mihran River, the ancient course of the Indus, flowed near the city. The channels were the Wahinda and Raini. The citizens of Aror were craftsmen, tillers, masons, shopkeepers, boatmen, brick makers, artisans and potters. The remarkable prosperity of the city shows that it was well watered. It was administrated by Hindu rulers, who collect taxes from the ships which anchored at their ports. Aror was very prosperous and had gold mines at that time.
The site has been described by various travellers and historians, The earliest available source of the history of Sindh is the famous Fatah Namah of Sindh or Chach Namah. It is said to have been written by an Arab historian who accompanied the conquering Arab army and later on settled in Aror. Ali Bin Muhammad Koofi, a Persian writer, was able to get the manuscript from a Kazi family of Aror and translated it into Persian in 1300 A.D. The other source of the history of Sindh, before the Muslim conquest period, is provided by archeological reports, and there are references by Greek writers, in travelogues of Chinese pilgrims and in old Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, Mahabharata and Ramayana.
There was an independent and non-Aryan civilization different from the rest of the subcontinent. In about 1500 B.C., this group settled in the Indus valley plain, Sapta Sindhava, the country of seven rivers. Their arrival was described in the Mahabharata.
According to some historians, the dominion of Musicanus was the most prosperous in India at the time of Alexander the Great. Its capital city was Aror. At the time of the conquest of Sindh by the Arabs under Muhammad Bin Qasim in 711 A.D. Aror was the capital of Sindh and the residence of King Dahir.
The most prominent feature of Aror is the fort. Hindu brick of the very large and ancient kind is seen in the foundations and is being dug out of extensive pits in the bed of what is said to have been the old river channel. The rampart which surrounded the fortress is an irregular oval with a long diameter of perhaps 150 yards. On the eastern crest are two piles of brick work, one tall and the other much eaten away by time, which appear to denote the main gate.
The mosque is attributed to Muhammad Bin Qasim and is situated on the river of Aror. It is said that mosque was built in 712 A.D. Only two walls on the north and south and a small portion of the courtyard have survived. The courtyard is 40 feet long and 34.5 feet wide. The northern wall is 18.8 feet high. The whole structure is made of fired bricks. The bricks are of two types, large 9" x 9" and small 9" x 4". There is much plaster on the stone foundation. There are two arches in the walls on the northern side and one arch in the south wall.
Aurangzeb Mosque is said to have been built by the emperor Aurangzeb. At present only its mihrab survives. The measurement of the bricks is the same as that of Muhammad Bin Qasim's mosque. The grave of Pir Hashu Shah lies under the shadow of Aurangzeb's mosque. Around the grave, four mud walls are erected with a stone foundation, and the superstructure is of mud bricks. Northeast of the ruins of Aror are two tombs. Nobody knows to whom they belong, but are known as tombs of Suhagan and Duhagan. The decoration of the tombs is in small bricks. According to some historians, these were Buddhist stupas converted into tombs. Near the end of the wall, there is a structure, which some say is a tomb, while others insist that it is a mosque. Old inhabitants accepted it as a mosque. The measurement of the the bricks is the same as that of Muhammad Bin Qasim's mosque. In the interior of the dome the bricks are set out very beautifully and systematically. This is the only surviving ruin of the Arab period.
There is a well near the citadel area, which measures 8 feet 7 inches x 8 feet 7inches. Bricks used here are 9.2 in. x 9.2 in. and are from the Hindu period. Towards the east, there are three or four godowns. There is a big storage jar fixed in the wall which contains jawar seeds. This type of storage can also be seen in Mohenjodaro. Near the modern houses of Aror terracotta sewerage pipes have been found underground. The mosque of Maulvi Arif Bhatti and the cave temple of Kalka Devi are from a later period. After excavations a number of coins and pieces of pottery were found, which throw light on how the people lived.
