travelgrove Travel Guides
 
 

Karachi History, Pakistan

The former capital, and largest city of Pakistan, Karachi is found on the Arabian Sea, near the Indus River delta. It is the chief seaport for Pakistan, an industrial center and a unique city in various ways.

At independence, the city had a population of 500,000 but has today way exceeded the 10 million mark. The city has an area of about 3,366 sq. km with about 18 towns and 6 cantonment boards. Though the city is located on a semi-arid zone, its closeness to water offers it a moderate climate.

This city was once a fishing village

Not much is known about the history of Karachi till the occupation of Talpurs in the eighteenth century. This was when Karachi was a fishing village with more of Kulachis, a dominant tribe of fishermen.

It was in 1797 that Fateh Ali Talpur had built a fort in Manora while the British had built a factory on Lyari River banks in 1799. However, with the Mir growing suspicious of the British, they were expelled from the city the following year with the closing down of the factory. British then took over Karachi in 1839, before Sindh annexation.

The shifting of the capital

With this annexation in 1843, Napier had shifted the capital from Hyderabad to Karachi. This was when cantonments were established by the British outside town limits. Napier had by then established water supply to the city and a basic police and judicial level.

 Throughout the nineteenth century, the population of the city started growing steadily and by the start of the twentieth century, 55% of them were Muslims and 41%, Hindus. As Karachi is a city with a natural harbor, lots of space and fair weather, it always had the potential to grow into a great metropolis.

Importance of Second World War to Karachi

This is why Alexandra, who had stayed here for 27 days about two thousand years ago, had called the city ‘the bridge between east and west’ because of the potential of the city.

This is how the Muslim general Muhammad Bin Qasim had entered Pakistan to bring about Islam religion here. It was towards the end of the eighteenth century that the deep sea port, Gawadar was developed near Karachi.

It was during the Second World War that Karachi gained importance as the air gateway to the subcontinent. However, it remained a quiet town with an efficient municipality where the population was stable until independence where its face completely changed.

This is when everyone wanted to go to Karachi to be in the capital and urban area of Pakistan. Today, Karachi has grown beyond one’s expectations.

 
Ask our travel experts a question about Karachi

Things about Karachi you may be interested in

Be the first who requests a site listing for this page.
 
 
 

Read our members' reviews about Karachi



No reviews have been added yet for this category. Be the first to add a new one.
 

Read our members' travel tips about Karachi



No travel tips have been added yet for this category. Be the first to add a new one.
 
 

Community

Members Who Have Been to Karachi

Community Galleries About Karachi

Browse our members' Karachi galleries to get a better impression of the place
 
show alladd gallery
 
 
the best travel deals provided by TravelZoo...
  • cheapoair.com$942Qatar Airways flightQatar Airways
    Inbound
    Houston, TX (IAH)  Karachi, PK (KHI)
    04/26/2024 06:05 pm
    Outbound
    Karachi, PK (KHI)  Houston, TX (IAH)
    05/02/2024 04:00 am
  • cheapoair.com$982Thy Turkish Airlines flightThy Turkish Airlines
    Inbound
    Newark, NJ (EWR)  Karachi, PK (KHI)
    04/26/2024 12:05 am
    Outbound
    Karachi, PK (KHI)  Newark, NJ (EWR)
    05/05/2024 06:00 am
  • cheapoair.com$1069Qatar Airways flightQatar Airways
    Inbound
    Toronto, ON (YYZ)  Karachi, PK (KHI)
    04/09/2024 10:23 am
    Outbound
    Karachi, PK (KHI)  Toronto, ON (YYZ)
    04/30/2024 04:00 am

Karachi City Ratings

  • Ratingunrated
    City Rankunrated
     
  • History & Culture: not rated
  • Night Life & Entertainment: not rated
  • Family & Fun: not rated
  • Outdoors Activities: not rated
  • Food: not rated
  • Sightseeing: not rated
  • Shopping: not rated
  • Public Transportation: not rated
  • Must visit this place: not rated
  
 
 
 
  
ToolsBookmark and Share

Popular destinations

 
 
   Welcome to Travelgrove  register tell a friend bookmark it 
 
 
*