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Up until now text books have taught students all over Pakistan that Hazrat Shah Waliullah was the first in the subcontinent to translate the Quran into Persian during the 16th century. This is generally considered untrue because the earliest documented translation of the Quran into Persian is thought to have been done earlier in the 15th century by Hazrat Makhdoom Noon of Hala. If the two Persian translated manuscripts preserved in Kotri Academy are properly dated, they might trigger yet another controversy. There is a copy dated 1075 and inscribed: "Name of writer/calligrapher Abdul Sami Bin Mulla Muhammad bin Makhdoom Dawood, resident of Qasbatul Lahore Alati, Wai-e-ul Fe Punjab Ali Sahal Chenab". Yet another copy, written in 1210 lists the name of its calligrapher as "Abdullah Lahori".

As many as six undated manuscripts, one of them in Kufic script, contain the name of calligrapher "Hafiz Muhammad Atif, son of Muhammad Alam Sewestani" (Sehwan).
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Makhdoom Ghaus said he has been collecting and preserving old manuscripts of the Quran as well as other religious materials since the late 1950s and calls himself the "Mujawir" or worshipper of religious tracts. He avoided disclosing the sources from which he continuously enriched his collection except for a few rare manuscripts of the Quran which he received from his elders. Almost the whole of the ancient "Kutub Khana" or library of the Dargah which flourished till 1962 was destroyed by termites. "My elders immersed the destroyed historical records in the river Indus with broken hearts", says the Makhdoom with regret in his voice.

Makhdoom Ghaus with his collection

Then the Makhdoom picked out another rare copy of the Quran from a shelf in a cupboard and told me of its incredible provenance: "My some miracle, this Quran escaped a fire that destroyed the place it had been housed at and was found in a neighbouring pond. When I picked it up, there was smoke still coming out of its pages".

Sindh's invaders have much to answer for in the destruction of her heritage and this includes marauding Afghans, Persians and later the British. It was during these times of wars and hostility that the academic and cultural life of the province almost came to a standstill. A large number of libraries were burnt down and several scholars were done to death by the invaders. These included Pathans who escaped to Afghanistan and the central Asian states and sold the looted treasure of Sindh. Today, when Afghanistan itself is hostage to war and plunder, the centuries old lot of rare books and manuscripts of Sindh have started returning to their original homes via Pathan vendors-cum-smugglers.
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The manuscripts stolen from Sindh's educational institutions were bound with leather, which was used by the invaders for utilitarian purposes. Today, most of the rare books recovered from exile after 200 years in foreign libraries contain the year of publication and their writer's names. For example, a rare manuscript of the Quran written in the year 1146 Hirjri by Haji Muhammad Ali Joolai Bin Muhammad Qasim, which was sold back to Makhdoom Ghaus by an Afghan smuggler for Rs. 17,000, originally belonged to the famous Madrassa of Derbelo, Noshehro Feroz.

Quranic manuscript which went from Sindh to Afghanistan and back to Sindh

Another book entitled "Ruqaat Farsi", was written by the Sindhi scholar Harjeve Das (year unknown). The art of calligraphy with tree paper once used to flourish in Sindh and one of its products has also been smuggled back to the Kotri academy. "The Afghan smugglers have no idea about the rarity or the value of a book. They demand money on the basis of whim and native cunning. But for us, the writer, year of publication and place are important," says Makhdoom Ghaus.

A manuscript comes home to Sindh from Afghanistan

"The smugglers belong to the same breed of plunderers who took away these books from our institutions at Noshehro Feroz, Sehwan Sharif, Rohri, Sukkur, Larkana, Thatta, Badin, Matiari and Chotiari. Ironically the current generation of those plunderers of yore are once again doing the same thing as their forefathers and have started desecrating the libraries and museums of Afghanistan. Yes, history is merciless and it has taken its own course," Makhdoom Sahib says with an ironic smile.

This 55 year old gentleman, scion of one of Sindh's most distinguished houses, has done his share for his heritage. He has not only saved and preserved tens of rare books, he has bought many more and built up a great intellectual and spiritual resource for his countrymen and women. The Makhdoom's achievements are not limited to this; he is author of over a dozen books, and he has established a two-room museum near the library hall. This museum contains an ancient statue of Raja Dahir riding an elephant, utensils used by the great Sindhi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and some swords and pottery.

The Makhdoom is a true son of the soil of Sindh and particularly of Kotri Kabir, and his efforts should be recognised and encouraged.

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