ABSTRACT
For the century in which the British governed the area, vast changes came to Karāchi. In 1843 Karāchi became the administrative capital of Sind province, with Sir Charles Napier as its governor. As a result of developing and modern izing the port and introducing the railway, thousands of immigrants streamed into Karāchi, from as far away as the Ottoman Empire and China. By 1848 there were 50,000 inhabitants. Economic opportunity was evidenced by the many banks that sprang up and by the huge homes of mer chants. Added to the polyglot population was distinctly Brit
ish architecture; the Victorian railway station, Mereweather Tower, Frere Hall, the baroque Sind Club, the Masonic Hall, and the Victoria Museum all were built before the turn of the century. Churches also were constructed: St. Andrew's Church, built in English medieval style, became the tallest structure in the city with its 147-foot spire. Roman Catholics soon built an imposing church, convent, bishop's residence, and school; subsequently, generations of Muslim Indians were educated in St. Patrick's school. On the outskirts of Karāchi, the British built Clifton, resembling a typical En glish coastal resort town (now a tourist attraction). The streets in the five-square-mile downtown area bore English names, and the British-controlled city council was not long in intro ducing street paving and cleaning. Toward the end of the century, the council also took measures to eradicate or contain long-standing illnesses such as malaria. All this time, the British rigidly segregated themselves from the non-European population, which was treated as inferior and subordinate.
