A tribute to the scholar he deserves
Mir Ali Sher Qan’e Thattvi bin Izatullah (1728 AD-1788 AD/1140-1203 AH)
Mir Ali Sher Qan’e is the first writer who wrote on the life and tombs of Sufis saints of Sindh with great love and toil. Tuhfat-ul-Karaam and Makli-Namah (Bostan Bahaar) are his great works. His works are spread over forty books, including ‘Maqaalat- al-Shu’ura and Tarikh Abbassia. He completed his famous book Tuhfat-ul-Karam in 1203 AH. His writings are precious gifts for his readers in which we can see the culture and spirituality of Thatta in his times and before him. The books tell us about the mindset and social life of people of that time, and we learn about the shrines most visited by them. The festivals and dates of mahafils held there in the past continued for days, men and women folk joining the occasions wearing colourful silky dresses and boat riding in on Indus during full moon nights. Nothing poetic has been missed by Mir Sahib. Many past things that he witnessed have vanished over time; the spring of Pir Assat, the pond of Shaikh Jeeo, the bridge of Peer Jee’o, Shah Paryaan, Narain-sar spring, Bharasar pond, Hindu temples, Kheersar pond, Peer Ghaib, Aghor Pond and many things, only echo is in the air we listen to his work.
On Makli, Mir sahib has documented from Samui to Kalaankot, i.e from North to south Shah Murad Sherazi, Shaikh Issa Langoti, Shaikh Hamad Jamali, Jame Masjid Makli, Jam Nizamuddin, a pond near Jams’ tomb, Shaikh Jee’o, Peer Āssat, spring near the tomb, enclosure of Khusro Khan, Shah Paryaan, Mirza Issa enclosure, Kaalkaan temple and many other monuments and events have been written.
His grave is located in the Shukur Illahi Syed family’s graveyard at Makli necropolis, a World Heritage Site. The grave carried no inscription or date and had an abandoned look. EFT, on the identification of the Shukur Illahi family in July/ August 2019, decided to repair, restore and build a stone canopy over the cenotaph of the grave, keeping the traditional architecture and art in mind and pay a proper tribute to the scholar deserves. A small canopy of the size 8’x5’x8’ was completed over the grave in July 2022.