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In Shikarpur, merchant and elite families held education in the highest regard, viewing it as the cornerstone of progress. Leveraging their extensive networks and influence, they turned their social capital into meaningful legacies by establishing schools and colleges. These institutions were funded through generous donations from Shikarpur’s merchant elite, as well as contributions from patrons in towns and villages throughout Sindh. From Hopeful Academy to Ishwari Bai Sitaldas Girls’ High School to Manghanmal Surtamal Bajaj Hindu Sindhi School No1, every educational institution was a collective effort of the community.
Philanthropists, traders, and the town’s wealthy people all played a part in this educational revolution. Some of the academic institutions built before 1947 include Qazi Mohalla Primary School, Lakhidar Primary School, Jumani Hall Primary School (formerly known as Vernacular School No 2), Hathidar Primary School (formerly called Hindu Sindhi School No 4), Sindhi Saddar Primary School (formerly Vernacular School No 3), Urdu Saddar Primary School, Kiri Atta Muhammad School, Pritam Dharam Sabha School, Training School, New Era High School (now called Qazi Habibullah High School), Ishwari Bai Sitaldas Girls High School, Chellasing and Sitaldas College, Government Boys High School No 1 and Government High School No 2 and others.
Chellasing and Sitaldas College, also called C&S College, was an important institution established by two affluent merchants in the town to provide education for the community. According to Naqsh Nayyab Mangi, the author of Shikarpur Hik Abyas, credit for establishing the college goes to Seth Sitaldas and Tirathdas, who proposed the project. In 1926, to materialise his proposal, Seth Sitaldas worked tirelessly and used his social capital to help construct the college.
Many individuals supported his dedicated efforts to establish the institution, leading to the registration of the Upper Sindh College Association, based in Sukkur. Notable supporters of this cause included Thakur Das, Narain Das, Seth Chellasing Satramdas, Professor Shivaram Pherwani, Seth Daulat Ram, Seth Shivaldas, Dr Bhagwan Das, Dr Kishan Chand and Diwan Wadhumal Goklani, among others. Diwan Wadhumal Goklani, the founder of Hopeful Academy, recognised the significance of education and worked tirelessly alongside Sitaldas to further this mission.
The story of Hopeful Academy began in 1900 at the Musafirkhano building, which belonged to the Shikarpur Municipality. Initially, it was leased to Diwan Wadhumal Goklani for a modest Rs 5, but it was eventually acquired for Rs 1,500. In the early days, Diwan Wadhumal Vehromal Goklani brought over a table from his home and Munshi Pokar Das, a local bookseller and publisher, donated three chairs. Furthermore, Diwan Veromal Begraj and Pessumal Advocate provided financial support to the academy. The commitment and contributions of these individuals, especially Pokar Das, who was instrumental in promoting a reading culture in Shikarpur, highlight the humble origins and growth of the school. This reflects how individuals played their part in supporting education in the town.
Under the Upper Sindh College Association, a group of individuals was entrusted with collecting donations to build a college. This group travelled to Sukkur and Larkana and met with prominent people in Shikarpur to share their idea of establishing the college and the need for funds. They were tasked with collecting approximately Rs 25,000. The initial donation was made by Seth Sitaldas, who was also the pioneer in proposing the college in Shikarpur. Later, Seth Chellasing Satramdas Bajaj, one of the wealthiest merchants of Shikarpur, contributed Rs 65,000. Together, the Bajaj family of Shikarpur donated Rs 500,000. The amount was used not only for the construction of the college but also for a hostel and other facilities. The Bajjaj family, like many other trading families in Shikarpur, was among the first to donate to every school, hospital and welfare project in the area. The four most prominent people in the Bajaj family were Seth Lunidasing, Seth Jaisasing, Seth Narainsing and Seth Chellasing.
Collecting donations was a challenging endeavour. Another challenge for the association was obtaining approval from the University of Bombay (Mumbai), with which it was to be affiliated. The proposal was presented to the vice chancellor, who sent a team to inspect the location in Shikarpur. After a thorough examination of the site and its facilities, the team rejected the proposal. The college, they determined did not have adequate land and infrastructure to commence operations.
The story of the college’s creation is, in many ways, the story of a united community.
This rejection did not discourage the association. Sitaldas and his friends continued to acquire land and meet other requirements identified by the team from the University of Bombay. One of the local merchants promised to allocate land and a certain amount of funds for the college.
The estimated costs for the hostel and other facilities were revised, and a second proposal was sent to the University to start the construction of the college building. More faculty and staff were hired, and classes were started in a building on Garhi Yasin Road in Shikarpur. Furniture and equipment were purchased before the arrival of the evaluation team.
This time the team from Bombay, comprising two senior professors from the University, was satisfied with the improvements and approved the project for the college.
The inauguration ceremony was held on July 17, 1933. HT Sorely, the deputy collector of Sukkur, laid the foundation stone for the college building. The college was named after Chellasing and Sitaldas, two prominent citizens, who were instrumental in conceiving the idea and funding the project.
Classes meanwhile continued in the Garhi Yasin building. It took four years to complete the building. In 1937, classes started in the new building. The college building became one of the landmarks of Shikarpur town. In 1948, the college was placed under the administrative control of the Sindh government.
Hostels were built for both students and teachers. It was realised that students from far-flung areas could not commute daily. The teachers’ hostel was a single-storey building, and the students’ hostel a double-storey building. Today, the teachers’ hostel has been renovated. However, the students’ hostel is in a dilapidated condition.
The principal’s bungalow was built initially by the philanthropists of Shikarpur. Today, the original building no longer exists. A new one has been constructed in its place. These structures were funded through donations from traders and elites of Shikarpur, as well as from nearby villages and towns. Some of the donor plaques are affixed to the college walls. The main façade of the college prominently displays the names of Seth Chellasing and Sitlasdas. As one enters through the main entrance to access the rooms and the main Assembly Hall of the college, several donor plaques can be seen above the doorways and corridors. Just above the Assembly Hall door, there is a plaque honouring Seth Lunidasing Bajaj and Narainsing Bajaj. This hall is also known as Bajaj Hall as it was constructed with donations from Seth Lunidasing and Seth Narain Singh Bajaj. Seth Lunidasing Bajaj was a well-known trader and philanthropist who, like many other Bajaj nobles and merchants, played a vital role in welfare projects in Shikarpur town.
Three laboratories were established at C&S College, on each for biology, physics and chemistry. These laboratories were set up with donations from various donors, whose names are displayed on plaques affixed to the walls of each lab. In the Physics laboratory, a donor plaque features the names of Seths Jetaram, Newandram, Chhugomal, Dendomal, Pessumal and Dholandas, who were all sons of Manghoomal Acchipalia. In the biology wing, a plaque carries the name of Seth Lachmandas Chellasing Bajaj, indicating that this wing was constructed through his donation.
The story of the college’s creation is, in many ways, the story of a united community. Contributions poured in not only from Shikarpur and its surrounding villages and towns, but also from Larkana, Sukkur, Dadu and Karachi in Sindh, and places as distant as Quetta in Balochistan. Together, these donors transformed a shared vision into an enduring institution of learning.
There is a donor plaque on the wall of the teachers’ room that bears the name Kisharam Hassanand Khatri, zamindar (landlord) of Jagan village in Shikarpur tehsil. Another donor plaque features the name of Seth Jeramdas Naoomal Bajaj Karachiwala.
The college also had a grand library and a cafeteria. A playground and a park were other features of the college. Over the years, renovations and extensions have altered the face of the college. As a result, some of its old charm has faded. Today, the premises also host Shaikh Ayaz University, marking a new chapter in its story. Although the old buildings have lost some of their appeal because of these renovations, they still remind teachers, students and visitors of the collective efforts of philanthropists who built educational institutions with the hope of a better future for the residents of Shikarpur. This sentiment still resonates in the hearts of the Shikarpuris.
The writer is an anthropologist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets kalhorozulfiqar. He may be contacted at zulfi04hotmail.com