History of Karachi
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| History of Karachi |
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| Prehistoric period |
| Ancient period |
| Classical period |
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| Local dynasties |
| British period |
| Independent Pakistan |
The area of Karachi (Urdu: کراچی, Sindhi: ڪراچي) in Sindh, Pakistan contains a natural harbor and has been strategically used as fishing port by local fishermen belonging to Sindhi tribes since prehistorical times. Archaeological excavations have uncovered a period going back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which shows the significance of the city's strategic location since the Bronze Age. The port city of Banbhore was established close to the area which now situates modern-day Karachi, where it served as an important trade hub in the region. Throughout its lifetime, the ancient Greeks referred to the port by a variety of names, such as Krokola, Morontobara, Barbarikon (a sea port of the Indo-Greek Greco-Bactrian Kingdom), and as Ramya according to some Greek texts. The Arabs knew it as the port of Debal, from where the Umayyad commander Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering forces into Sindh on 712 AD. Lahari Bandar (alternatively, Lari Bandar) succeeded Debal as a major port of the Indus; it was located close to Banbhore in modern-day Karachi. The first modern port city near Manora Island (now Manora Peninsula) was eventually established during the British colonial rule in the latter half of the 19th century.