Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota

Umar Bin Mohammad Daudpota (25 March 1896 – 22 November 1958) (عمر بن محمد داؤد پوٽو) was a Sindhi researcher, historian, linguist and scholar of the Indus Valley.

Life
Daudpota was born on 25 March 1896 at Talti, Dadu District, British India. His primary education was in his hometown. Eventually, he matriculated from Sind Madrassa in Karachi and then to D. J. Science College, Sindh at Karachi, where he received his BA and MA degrees. His education continued in England at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, where he was awarded a Ph.D. degree.

After completion of his doctoral degree, he returned to his homeland and was appointed as Principal of Sind Madrassa. In 1930, he joined Ismail Yusuf College, Bombay, as professor of Arabic. He was appointed Director of Public Instruction in Karachi in 1939, taking over from Khan Bahadur Ghulam Nabi Kazi, and remained in that post until 1948. He was given the honorary title of Shams-ul-Ulama ("Sun of the Scholars") by the British Government.

Daudpotra was a member of the Pakistan Public Service Commission from 1950 to 1955. He performed Hajj in 1955. He served as superior (caretaker) of Quarterly Mehran in 1957.

Daudpota did his scholarly research in English, Arabic, Persian, and Sindhi. His fields of research included history, poetry, criticism, biography, religion and Sindhi literature. He wrote more than two dozen books and a number of columns and essays.

Death
Daudpota died on 22 November 1958 at Karachi. His last resting place is at the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai at Bhitshah, Sindh.

Daudpota was the father of Air Marshal Azim Daudpota who also was a Governor of Sindh and a former chairman of Pakistan International Airlines.