Written by: Sirat Gohar Daudpoto
Posted on: May 29, 2024 | 
| 中文
Ruins of Moomal Je Maarri (Photograph taken by Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh)
A woman can be perceived in archaeology as a discoverer and also as the discovered. To put it in plain words: a woman is both an archaeologist and an ancient character. What I am striving for is that the archaeological heroines are not just historically and culturally popular women, but all the women we know about through archaeology, as well as those who did/do archaeology, are heroines in archaeology. And the good thing is that they have been represented this way. If you visit museums or look at the history of archaeology in past hundred years, you would come to know of prominent and different portrayals of both modern and ancient women in archaeological world.
Remains of the Fortification of Moomal Je Maarri (Photograph taken by Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh)
It is very intriguing to know about the growing interest of Pakistani archaeologists and the archaeology department in the ancient remains that are associated with women. We are aware of archaeologists interested in historical/ancient male characters (e.g. Macedonian Alexander, Siddhartha, Ashoka etc.), but their interest in ancient female figures is very unique, as it is something that has never been done before in the history of archelogy in Pakistan. This article acknowledges and highlights the work of Pakistani archaeologists on the famous archaeological site, Moomal Je Maarri, which is associated with the historical character, Moomal, in order to reconstruct the history this site and Moomal.
An exhibit at Moomal Je Maarri Museum (Photograph taken by Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh)
Moomal is the most famous of all the folk heroines of Sindh, and almost every Sindhi has heard about the romance of Moomal and her lover Rano. The story of Moomal and Rano is sung by popular folk Sindhi singers, and it also features in the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Shaikh Ayaz. Their story has been narrated in Sindhi folk gatherings for centuries, and depicted on tombs. In his book on the wall paintings of Sindh, Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro mentions that the folk tale of Moomal and Rano is painted in Marri and Jamali in Sindh. There are several Indian and Pakistani versions of this romance, however, a popular version of the story can be found in both India and Pakistan. As written in Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro’s above mentioned book, the story goes as follows:
“In the old days, Thar was ruled by Hamir Soomro. He was very fond of hunting and one day while hunting with his three friends, who were also his ministers, he met a yogi. He heard about Moomal’s beauty from a yogi. Curious to see this woman, Hamir and three of his friends went to look for Moomal in Kak Mahal. When they got to Moomal’s palace, the men realized that they couldn’t proceed any further as the mahal was protected by magic, fake ponds and illusions. It is said that any man who wished to marry Moomal would have to go through a series of obstacle to win her heart. Three out of the four men retreated. Rano, one of Hamir’s ministers, who was known for his wisdom and intellect, successfully made his way inside the palace and to his future wife. When Hamir Soomro learnt about Rano’s success, he was furious. He put his friend behind bars. Hamir told Rano that the only way he could get out of jail was if he promised to never see Moomal again. He was eventually freed. Back in Kak Mahal, Moomal had not heard from Rano for many days. In order to make Moomal smile, her sister, Soomal, decided to dress up as Rano and sleep next to her. Unfortunately, while the sisters were asleep, the real Rano showed up and thought that Moomal was sleeping with another man. Dejected, he fled leaving his cane behind. When Moomal realized what had happened, she went to find Rano to clear the misunderstanding, but he wouldn’t listen. Eventually, Moomal dressed like a man, bought a house opposite to Rano’s house. She tried to prove her chastity and realizing that Rano was not paying heed to her innocence she began preparing a funeral pyre to set herself on fire. Rano realized the truth quite late when she was already on the funeral pyre. When he reached the cremation ground, she was in flames, Rano also jumped into the fire and both were united after death.”
Objects scattered on the mound of Moomal Je Maarri (Photograph taken by Saeed Ahmed Mahar)
There is an ancient site locally called Moomal Je Maarri, which has been associated with Moomal. It is located at a distance of about ten kilometers south of the Ghotki city, in the Ghotki District of the Sindh province. Moomal Je Maarri is a Sindhi name for the site, meaning “the palace of Moomal” or “Moomal’s mansion”. It is believed by the local people that the site shows the ruins of the palace of Moomal, which is mentioned as Kak Mahal in folk tales and poetry. A local resident of the area, Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh, who teaches at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Mathelo, said that Moomal Je Maarri is a very old and historical site, and it was a fort where Raja Nand was ruling under Raja Dahir. During the invasion of Sindh by Arabs this fort was destroyed by Muhammad Bin Qasim. The reason for its popularity were the seven daughters of Raja Nand, namely Moomal, Soomal, Sodhi and others. Among his daughters, Moomal was extremely gorgeous, whereas Soomal was bright and cunning. He also said that it was the birthplace of Moomal and Soomal, and because of this, the site was known as Moomal Je Maarri.
A view of village from Moomal Je Maarri (Photograph taken by Saeed Ahmed Mahar).
Excavation of the site was conducted under the supervision of Naheed Zahra in 2018, to discover as to what was buried inside the mounds at Moomal Je Maarri, with the help of the Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department and the Exploration and Excavation Branch. Three tranches were dug by the team exposing the structural remains and gathering a variety of archaeological record, including pottery, beads, figurines and coins. The coins, two in number and made of copper, date to the thirteen century CE and are of Khilji rulers Jalal-ul-Din Feroz Shah and Ala-ul-Din Muhammad Shah. Overall, the excavated material shows a long occupational history of the site, although nothing can be said with authority about the antiquity of the site and its relationship with folk romance of Moomal and Rano. To unravel the mysteries, further excavations should be carried out at Moomal Je Maarri, as the significance of the site is very immense in the history and culture of the region.
Moomal Je Maarri Archaeological Site (Photograph taken by Ghulam Murtaza Shaikh)
I would like to state that the archaeologists, Naheed Zahra and Babra Shaikh, who excavated the site made Moomal, Soomal and their other sisters, archaeological heroines of Sindh.
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