Chaukhandi Tombs - Meanings and Translations

Meanings and Translations

There are various opinions as to the meaning of the word Chaukhandi. Shaikh Khurshid Hasan writes:

(...) Some scholars believed that Chaukhandi is the name of a place. Others take it to be an architectural term. On the type site of 'Chaukhandi', there is the tomb of Jam Murid bin Haji, which contains the word Chaukhandi, along with the name of the deceased. (...), therefore, considered Chaukhandi to be the name of the place. Moreso, when Banerji visited the Chaukhandi graveyard in 1920, he referred it as "the little village Chaukhandi". According to Mumtaz Hassan, Chaw in Sindhi language means four and Khundi corner or pillar. Chaukhandi thus refers to the four pillars supporting the umbrella shaped dome over the tomb and would apply to all tombs having the same construction. However, this argument does not find support because all the tombs covered with umbrella shaped domes or with a rectangular pavillion at Chaukhandi have more than four pillars or columns. Even Mangophir, canopy over similar graves has more than four pillars. As regards the view that Chaukhandi is the name of a place, Mumtaz Hassan feels that such a view derives strength from the fact that in the popular imagination the name Chaukhandi has come to be associated particularly with the tombs near Landhi. There is also a tomb at this site, as mentioned above, on which the word Chaukhandi is engraved. That might signify the location rather than the structural style of the monument. It is possible that while the word Chaukhandi originally referred to the style of construction, it has come to be associated with one particular site more than any other and has become localised.

Brohi's view is that Chaukhandi is used for a domed roof, a kind of chhattri (umbrella) which is supported by four to eight pillars, while the sides are left open. According to Lashari, the word Chaukhandi as it is inscribed on the grave of Jam Murid bin Haji is a compound word with Sahib. So it is to be read as such and not alone (...). It is similar to . It makes the meaning clear that Jam Murid is the owner of the Chaukhandi or Chaukhandi is erected over his grave. In support of his contention he has referred to an inscription on a grave at Got Raj Malik (...), therefore, does not agree that Chaukhandi is the name of a place.

(...) Dr. Baluch has explained the meaning of the word Chaukhandi. Literally, it means a four walled enclosure open from above (...). In the cultural tradition of Sindh, only that four walled enclosure is called a Chaukhandi which is constructed out of respect around the grave of a revered person (...). Chaukhandi as such is not a grave or tomb in itself, but the four walled enclosure in which the revered person(s) has been buried. Referring to the burial place, it would be said (...) a Chaukhandi (...)

Salome Zajadacz-Hastenrath is of the opinion that the original age and history of Chaukhandi tombs are still entirely unclear. She writes

The tombs are often referred to as 'Baluch Tombs' – a name based on local traditions linking the tombs to various tribal groups, namely the Burfat, Kalamati, Jakhara and Jokhiya. The fact that the cemeteries lie in an area in which the Baluchis are either the only ethnic group or live alongside other tribes provides support for this description.

However, the area across which the cemeteries are spread is by no means identical with that of the Baluchis, but includes only a tiny fraction of it. For this reason, the term 'Baluch tombs' does not appear very accurate. It suggests the conclusion that this type of tomb is a peculiarity of the Baluchis and might be explained in some way through the common culture and history of the tribe as a whole – although there is no evidence of this. It would seem to make better sense to assign to the tombs the name of the subgroup of the tribe to which they can genuinely be traced – assuming that this could be identified with any precision. Similar difficulties arise when one attempts to attribute the tombs to any tribe other than the Baluchis.

Salome Zajadacz-Hastenrath also comments on Mumtaz Hassan’s theory and says

(...) it does not seem possible to establish a convincing connection between the word 'Chaukhandi' and the tombs themselves. Admittedly, the word is also used to refer to other square structures – for example, the Chaukhandi Stupa in Sarnath. The Chaukhandi tombs themselves are also 'square' in contrast to the round or oval tombs that are also seen in Sindh and Baluchistan; but, as a characteristic, this lacks the striking quality that might justify the use of this name for them.

In her book she says the term Chaukhandi tombs is used in the sense of tombs resembling those found at the cemetery in Chaukhandi.