Digri Tehsil

Digri () is the second largest city of Mirpurkhas district, established as a tehsil in 1903. The city’s foundation dates back to the British era. Initially, Degree was a small settlement of fishermen belonging to the Kolhi community of Sindhi fisherfolk. Kolhis in the subcontinent have many clans engaged in fishing, some of whom lived here. At that time, a seasonal small stream passed through the current location of Degree, which still exists. Due to the seasonal nature of rains in Sindh, this stream was dry most of the year.

Later on, this stream was mistakenly called Sarfraz Wah, although Sarfraz Wah actually passed south of Degree near the Karaniyo area, now inhabited by the Jarwar community, near the famous Khaki Pir site. During the Kalhora period, around 1773, it was named Sarfraz Wah, and after the British built a barrage, it came to be called Aliabad Branch. The name Sarfraz Wah was incorrectly linked to the seasonal stream near Degree.

In Degree, the Talpur Khannani family migrated between 1880-1885 from the Khun village near Samaro tehsil in Umerkot district. The Talpurs initially lived in Bhawn village south of Degree. Along with them came their spiritual guide Baba Jelani Badshah, who was about 10-12 years old then and stayed at the site which now is his shrine instead of going to Bhawn.

Around six km from Degree, west of Mirpurkhas Road, was the prosperous village Sunhari, where Degree’s residents used to work. There was a Kondho Shidi man who fetched water for people’s homes; his descendants still live south of the Jelani shrine in Degree.

Kondho Shidi’s family had two sons, Maghan Shidi and Alhajrio Shidi, descendants of Khalifa Muhammad Shidi, called "Khalifa" because their ancestors served Baba Muhammad Shah Jelani. A Kolhi woman used to use a wooden paddle in the water during rains to easily catch fish. She also cleaned the Jelani Baba’s shrine but her grave is not in the Jelani cemetery as she belonged to the Kolhi community. Today, Kolhi descendants live in Degree’s Ward 1, known as Thakur Mohalla.

Just as Jelani Baba called the Talpur family from Bhawn to settle at the present place, Degree grew. The Kolhi woman who cleaned the shrine and helped people cross the stream during rainy season was named Dargri, which later corrupted to Degree. Even today Kolhi women call the city Dargri.

Among the Talpur family from Khun were two brothers: Mir Jan Muhammad Talpur I and Mir Wali Muhammad Talpur I. Mir Jan Muhammad Talpur had a son named Haji Ghulam Haider Talpur. Haji Ghulam Haider had three sons: Haji Mir Jan Muhammad Talpur II, Haji Mir Ahmad Khan Talpur I, and Haji Mir Fateh Khan Talpur (father of the famous politician Mir Haji Muhammad Hayat Talpur from Degree and grandfather of current Sindh government minister Mir Tariq Ali Khan).

While much of Degree’s history is accurate, some parts have been exaggerated or copied without original research. History tends to repeat itself.

—Akram Qamberani

Location in sindh

Digri Tehsil
Location in Sindh
Coordinates: 25°09′24″N 69°06′44″E
Country	Pakistan
Region	Mirpurkhas
Government
• Type	Taluka Municipality
Area
• Urban	4 km2 (1.5 sq mi)
Population
• Urban	50,000 approximately
Time zone	PST
Area code	92(0233)

Geography

Digri is connected to several towns by main roads:

• Tando Ghulam Ali Road (District Badin)
• Tando Bhago Road (District Badin)
• Mipurkhas Road
• KGM Road - Linking to District Umarkot
• TJM Road - Linking to Tharparkar

Communities

Digri is a culturally diverse town. As the small town has grown rapidly in the last few decades, the diversity has also increased with Arain Community , Talpur Community , Malhi Community, Lohana Community, Maheshwari Community, Kolhi Community, Bheel Community, Muslim Rajputs, Kaim Khani Community, Jarwar, Baloch, Jatt and Pashtuns living there. 65% of the population of Digri are Sindhi people. The most common languages in the town are Sindhi and Urdu and also tribal languages like Dhatki as well.^[1]

There are many communities have been living since the partition of Hindustan.^[2]

Economy

Livestock and poultry rearing, agricultural farms, and transportation are the main sources of income, while more than 20% population rely on government and private jobs. A sugar mill, Digri Sugar Mills, provides further job opportunities for local people.^{[citation needed]}