History
← Older revision
Revision as of 20:13, 2 May 2014
Line 19:
Line 19:
In the late 18th century, Karachi gained importance when it started to trade with Persian Gulf and a small fort was constructed for its protection which had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Khaara Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) and the other facing the adjoining Lyari river, known as the Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate). The location of these gates corresponds to the present-day city localities of Khaara-dar (Khaara Darwaaza) and Meetha-dar (Meetha Darwaaza) respectively.
In the late 18th century, Karachi gained importance when it started to trade with Persian Gulf and a small fort was constructed for its protection which had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Khaara Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) and the other facing the adjoining Lyari river, known as the Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate). The location of these gates corresponds to the present-day city localities of Khaara-dar (Khaara Darwaaza) and Meetha-dar (Meetha Darwaaza) respectively.
−
The city was developed into an important port when it had caught the attention of the British East India Company who, after sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, conquered the Sindh on 3 Feb 1839 and gained control of the region. During the early Company Rule, Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) and the population of the city was 15,000 in 1838. The city became part of British India in 1843, after which it was made the capital of Sindh in the late 1840s. The British realised the importance of the city as a military cantonment and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping, and started to develop the city. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down in 1852 and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town began rising rapidly. British colonialists embarked on a number of public works of sanitation and transportation
— such as gravel paved streets, proper drains, street sweepers,
and
a network of trams and horse-drawn trolleys.
Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said on his departure in 1847: ''Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!''
+
The city was developed into an important port when it had caught the attention of the British East India Company who, after sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, conquered the Sindh on 3 Feb 1839 and gained control of the region. During the early Company Rule, Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) and the population of the city was 15,000 in 1838. The city became part of British India in 1843, after which it was made the capital of Sindh in the late 1840s. The British realised the importance of the city as a military cantonment and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping, and started to develop the city. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down in 1852 and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town began rising rapidly. British colonialists embarked on a number of public works of sanitation and transportation and Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said on his departure in 1847: ''Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!''
[[File:Empressmkt1890.jpg|thumb|A shot of the Empress Market around 1890]]
[[File:Empressmkt1890.jpg|thumb|A shot of the Empress Market around 1890]]
[[File:Khibandarrd.jpg|thumb|A view of the Bunder Road (now M. A. Jinnah Rd), the Max Denso Hall and tram used to run in the city]]
[[File:Khibandarrd.jpg|thumb|A view of the Bunder Road (now M. A. Jinnah Rd), the Max Denso Hall and tram used to run in the city]]
−
During the British Raj, the city was the largest urban centre in present-day Pakistan
during British rule
and was connected to the rest of British India by rail link
. Public building projects, such as Frere Hall,
and
the Empress Market were undertaken.
Karachi was then enjoying an economic boom: the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 meant the city was 200 nautical miles closer to Europe for shipping than Bombay (now called Mumbai). The developments in the city resulted in a large influx of economic migrants
such as Parsis, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Marathis, Goans, Armenians, Chinese, British, Lebanese and Gujaratis
. The population of the city was about 105,000 by the end of the 19th century, with a cosmopolitan mix of different nationalities. However, before the year 1880, the majority of the population in Karachi consisted of the indigenous Sindhis and Balochis (who spoke Sindhi as their mother tongue). In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city.
+
During the British Raj, the city was the largest urban centre in present-day Pakistan and was connected to the rest of British India by rail link and Karachi was then enjoying an economic boom: the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 meant the city was 200 nautical miles closer to Europe for shipping than Bombay (now called Mumbai). The
constant
developments in the city resulted in a large influx of economic migrants. The population of the city was about 105,000 by the end of the 19th century, with a cosmopolitan mix of different nationalities. However, before the year 1880, the majority of the population in Karachi consisted of the indigenous Sindhis and Balochis (who spoke Sindhi as their mother tongue). In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city.
−
Following
the bloody partition of the British Raj and the independence of Pakistan
in 1947
, rapid growth occurred in the city and it had became the focus for settlement by Muslim migrants from India, and hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees from India (now known as Muhajirs in Pakistan) sought refuge and the population has exploded from about 450,000 to an estimated 23.5 million today. Their settlement in Karachi gave the city its northern Indian atmosphere, as well expanded the city's population and transformed its demographics and economy. Over the next several decades it was one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
+
Karachi was chosen as the capital of Pakistan from 1947–1958 and became a bustling metropolis, with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city’s thoroughfares but following
the bloody partition of the British Raj and the independence of Pakistan, rapid growth occurred in the city and it had became the focus for settlement by Muslim migrants from India, and hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees from India (now known as Muhajirs in Pakistan) sought refuge and the population has exploded from about 450,000 to an estimated 23.5 million today. Their settlement in Karachi gave the city its northern Indian atmosphere, as well expanded the city's population and transformed its demographics and economy. Over the next several decades it was one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
In 1958, the capital was moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi and then later moved to the newly built Islamabad in 1960. A huge crowd of illegal refugees from around the world continued to flock into the city which made the city’s population continue to grow and exceed the capacity of its creaking infrastructure. During the 1960s, Pakistan was seen as an economic role model around the world and that was the golden age of Karachi. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy; one of them, South Korea, copied the country's second "Five-Year Plan", and the World Financial Centre in Seoul is designed and modelled after Karachi.
−
Karachi
was chosen as the capital of Pakistan from 1947–1958 and became a bustling metropolis, with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city’s thoroughfares.. In 1958, the capital was moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi and
then
later moved to the newly built Islamabad in 1960. A huge crowd of illegal refugees from around the world continued to flock into the city which made the city’s population continue to grow
and
exceed the capacity of its creaking infrastructure. During the 1960s, Pakistan was seen as an economic role model around the world and that was the golden age of Karachi. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy; one of them, South Korea, copied the country's second "Five-Year Plan", and the World Financial Centre in Seoul is designed and modelled after Karachi.
Life of Karachi was peaceful and orderly in those days as compared to now. The public transport system was quite good and a number of urban tramway systems used to operate. A local train service, the "Karachi Circular Railway", was started in 1969 with the aim of providing better transportation facilities to the people of Karachi. The Karachi-Mumbai Ferry Service also
operated
until 1965, and the Karachi airport was served by many major airlines and was
one
of
the busiest airports in the world. The city was the country's most liberal and secular
, and it still is today in comparison with the rest of the country
. The city had more than five hundred cinemas, over three dozen bustling night clubs, and numerous bars and liquor shops
.
Burmese,
Chinese (during Mao’s Cultural Revolution in late 1960s), Nepalese, Sri Lankans and Indians started to migrate to
the city. The city was one of the most beautiful cities of the east after Beirut and Cairo and was very safe as compared to nowadays. It became the entertainment capital and, although drugs were easily available and alcohol and gambling were legal, there was comparatively less crime as compared to today. The crime rate was very low and gun crime was nonexistent. Surprisingly, women used to wear western clothes in an Islamic country, used to cycled to schools and even walking alone late at night was not uncommon. By the late 1960s, tourism as an industry in the city was flourishing and many young western travellers
and "Hippy" types used to venture down to the city, especially for its finest natural beaches. Karachi was a very different city to what it became many years later.
+
{{Infobox|
Karachi then and
now|
Life of Karachi was peaceful and orderly in those
old
days as compared to now. The public transport system was quite good and a number of urban tramway systems used to operate. A local train service, the "Karachi Circular Railway", was started in 1969 with the aim of providing better transportation facilities to the people of Karachi. The Karachi-Mumbai Ferry Service
was
also
in operational
until 1965, and the Karachi airport was served by many major airlines and was
ranked
among
the busiest airports in the world
at the time
. The city was the country's most liberal and secular. The city had more than five hundred cinemas, over three dozen bustling night clubs, and numerous bars and liquor shops
scattered
throughout
the city. The city was one of the most beautiful cities of the east after Beirut and Cairo and was very safe as compared to nowadays. It became the entertainment capital and, although drugs were easily available and alcohol and gambling were legal, there was comparatively less crime as compared to today. The crime rate was very low and gun crime was nonexistent. Surprisingly, women used to wear western clothes in an Islamic country, used to cycled to schools and even walking alone late at night was not uncommon. By the late 1960s, tourism as an industry in the city was flourishing and many young western travellers and "Hippy" types used to venture down to the city, especially for its finest natural beaches.
In brief,
Karachi was a very different city to what it became many years later
and for what it is known today
.
}}
In the 1970s during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Indian Navy launched Operation Trident and its follow-up, Operation Python, on Karachi harbour that resulted in the first use of anti-ship missiles in the region, as well as the first sinking of naval vessels during hostilities in the region since World War II. During the operation it also targeted Kemari oil storage tanks on the south of the harbour, which were burnt and destroyed causing heavy losses to the country. In 1972, Karachi witnessed major labour unrest (the Karachi labour unrest of 1972) in its industrial areas of the S.I.T.E Industrial Area and Korangi-Landhi. Several protesting workers were killed or injured by police during this period. In a number of cases, workers briefly occupied their factories.
In the 1970s during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Indian Navy launched Operation Trident and its follow-up, Operation Python, on Karachi harbour that resulted in the first use of anti-ship missiles in the region, as well as the first sinking of naval vessels during hostilities in the region since World War II. During the operation it also targeted Kemari oil storage tanks on the south of the harbour, which were burnt and destroyed causing heavy losses to the country. In 1972, Karachi witnessed major labour unrest (the Karachi labour unrest of 1972) in its industrial areas of the S.I.T.E Industrial Area and Korangi-Landhi. Several protesting workers were killed or injured by police during this period. In a number of cases, workers briefly occupied their factories.