Written by: Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Posted on: March 27, 2025 | 
| 中文
A view of Boshen Waro Muqam. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Boshen-Waro-Muqam (Boshi Graveyard), is a historical necropolis that is located about 2 km north of Taung village in Jamshoro's Thano Bula Khan. This site is well-known for its exquisitely carved graves. Thano Bula Khan taluka boasts several necropolises containing stone-carved graves, commonly called Rumi graves or Rumi tombs. Most of these Rumi tombs were constructed between the 13th and 19th centuries. While the tradition of tomb building continues in Thano Bula Khan, the decorative style has evolved over time.
Not much is known about why this graveyard is called Boshen-Waro-Muqam. The local community calls it Boshi Pat (Boshi Plains), where the cemetery is located. It is likely that ‘Boshi’ was either the name of a person, a clan, or a tribe. According to local accounts, dignitaries of the Chang tribe are interred in Boshen-Waro-Muqam, suggesting that a few notable members of this tribe were buried there. Before the Burfat tribe took over Taung village and surrounding areas in Thano Bula Khan, the region was believed to be under the dominion of the Chang tribe. It is thought that Baran Chang, after whom the Baran ephemeral river is named, was a prominent tribal leader who wielded significant influence in Thano Bula Khan before the rise of the Burfat tribe in the area.
Tombs in Boshen Waro Muqam, near Taung. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
It appears that, based on the style of the Rumi tombs and their decorations, dignitaries from other tribes, not just the Chang tribe, are also interred in this graveyard. In addition to the stone-carved graves, the cemetery also contains several standard graves.
This graveyard contains several single and double-chambered tombs. Not all of these tombs are elaborately carved; some are undecorated. The earliest cenotaphs in the graveyard feature simple decorations. The tombs can be classified into three categories.
The first category includes tombs with flat headstones. These Rumi tombs are constructed using three or four slabs. They consist of undecorated base slabs and two covering slabs and are topped with a flat headstone or gravestone. Such tombs with undecorated slabs and headstones are commonly found in various graveyards in Thano Bula Khan. These types of cenotaphs are the oldest in the area. While some flat headstones may feature carvings, many appear simple and unadorned.
Tombs in Boshen Waro Muqam. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The second category of tombs in the Boshen-Waro Muqam consists of single-chambered tombs. These tombs are built over undecorated base slabs, while the caskets often feature decorative elements on their side slabs. Some are constructed on a single base slab, while others are supported by double base slabs. In the latter, the decorative slabs can be found on the eastern and western sides of the casket. In a rare instance, a single-chambered grave displays a rosette on the northern and southern side slabs, while the western and eastern slabs of the casket are plain. Some single-chambered tombs exhibit exquisite carvings. Moreover, the headstones of these graves often include carvings, primarily featuring geometric or floral patterns. A few cenotaphs also showcase perforated headstones.
There are three perforated gravestones located in Boshen-Waro Muqam. These unique gravestones can also be found in other graveyards in Thano Bula Khan. In the Rababi Dhoro graveyard, one of the oldest in Thano Bula Khan, seven tombs feature perforated gravestones. Within the funerary enclosure at Rababi Dhoro, there are three tombs, while outside the enclosure, four cenotaphs also display perforated gravestones. It is quite rare to see these types of gravestones in Sindh. I have visited over a hundred graveyards that contain stone-carved graves, but I have only found five graveyards where a few perforated gravestones can be observed.
Two exquisitely carved tombs in Boshen Waro Muqam. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Several tombs in the Boshen-Waro-Muqam feature rectangular cuts or perforations on their lower caskets, which were created for decorative purposes. These tombs also display simple decorations, including rosette designs on the side slabs. Additionally, some tombs exhibit signs that likely represent tribal brands, which the artists intended to convey. Similar tombs can be found in other graveyards in the Jamshoro, Thatta and Malir districts of Sindh.
The third category of cenotaphs in Boshen-Waro-Muqam consist of double-chambered tombs, characterized by their considerable height and rich ornamentation. These tombs are built over two slabs with tall ornamented headstones. The first casket or chamber is set over a decorative slab and comprises two rectangular slabs on the eastern and western sides. All slabs are elaborately adorned with geometric and floral patterns. The second casket is positioned on top of the decorative covering slab and features a series of rosettes in relief, enhancing its aesthetic appeal through intricate geometric designs. Additionally, the southern and northern slabs also display rosettes. The gravestone or headstone, which rests on three decorative covering slabs, showcases a variety of motifs. A common feature of these headstones is the pair of rosettes. Moreover, these headstones are topped with a boss, a decorative element predominantly found on tombs that first appeared in the fourteenth century.
A detail of decoration on a tomb. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Some of the headstones in the tombs display figural patterns, with the most distinctive being the motif of a peacock and snake. This motif appears on the headstones of several tombs in Sindh, but the most striking example is found in the tomb of Jam Mehmood in Taung. The artist has intricately engraved a snake along the entirety of Jam Mehmood's gravestone from south to north, while the peacock is depicted grasping a snake in its beak. This remarkable piece of art is rare to see elsewhere in Sindh. Although peacock and snake motifs exist in other Chaukhandi or Rumi tombs in various graveyards in the Malir and Thatta districts, they do not match the refinement and magnificence of the motif found on the cenotaph of Jam Mehmood. A similar peacock and snake motif can also be observed in the tomb of Bapar Aali in the necropolis of Jam Lohar in Taung. Furthermore, depictions of the peacock and snake motif can be seen in several other tombs at the Sonda and Lakho Pir graveyards. The peacock and snake motif are also present on the canopy of Badi-uz-Zaman at Makli.
Peacock and Snake motif on a tomb at Boshen Waro Muqam. (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
In addition to the peacock and snake motifs, one can also find a depiction of a sword and shield on an unidentified tomb in Boshen-Waro-Muqam. Like other graveyards in Sindh, the tombs at Boshen-Waro-Muqam feature various floral and geometric designs, whereas figural motifs are quite rare. Only two tombs exhibit figural patterns. Some tombs are constructed on common platforms, suggesting that they may belong to the same family members. Both single and double-chambered tombs are present on these platforms. However, a few tombs are not built on common platforms but stand as individual or separate structures.
The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 17 books on Pakistan's cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com
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