Ghulam Shah Kalhoro
Mian Muhammad Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, also known with the honorific Samsam al-Dawla and as Shah Wardi Khan, was the 3rd Nawab of Sindh. He was enthroned by tribal chiefs of the Kalhora dynasty replacing his brother Muradyab Khan in August 1757. With a brief interregnum in 1757–1758, his rule ended with his death in August 1772 and was succeeded by his son Sarfraz Khan.
He was able to bring stability to Sindh after the rule of Noor Mohammad Kalhoro; he reorganized the country and submitted to the authority of Marathas in 1758. He is considered to be one of the greatest rulers of Sindh alongside Asimuddin Bhoongar and Nizamuddin Nindo. During his reign the Kalhora territory stretched from Derajat to Kutch. Ghulam Shah fought the Battle of Ubauro and Battle of Jara in Sindh and the Third Battle of Panipat while accompanying Ahmad Shah Durrani in his campaigns in India. Ghulam Shah ordered the construction of the Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in 1772. He is regarded as the founder of Hyderabad, Sindh and [Tomb of Mian (title)|Mian Ghulam Kalhoro|his tomb] is also situated there.
Early years
Ghulam Shah Kalhoro was born in 1724, in Khudabad. He was the second son of Noor Mohammad. His mother, Mai Gulan, was a dancing girl from the [List of Sindhi language|Sindhi tribes|Dahri tribe] who was betrothed to Kalhoro in 1720 in an attempt to strengthen ties with the local tribes. She once attended the royal assembly of her husband, where the renowned court poet and religious scholar Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai was so deeply moved by her performance that he asked her if she desired any blessing from him. She requested a son, and her wish was fulfilled with the birth of Ghulam Khan. The child was named in devotion and humility toward the great scholar, and Shah Abdul Latif was proclaimed his godfather. He also prophesied the child’s future greatness by saying:Thus, after the birth of his beloved son, Noor Mohammad elevated her to the rank of consort and even had a palace built for her in Tando Ghulam Hussain. Noor Mohammad Kalhoro was the ninth Mian of the Mianwal order and was proclaimed Nawab of the entirety of Sindh in 1737 by Emperor Muhammad Shah Rangila. Ghulam Shah was the second of his seven sons. His elder brother, Muradyab Khan, succeeded their father as the second Nawab of Sindh. His younger brothers included Athar Khan, Ghulam Nabi, Abdul Nabi, Sadik Ali, and Ahmad Yar Khan. Ghulam Shah had only one full sibling, his sister Mai Sherbano.
He spent the early years of his life in the capital of Khudabad and trained to manage the political and religious affairs of the Kalhora dynasty. He studied Persian and Sindhi as part of his formal education under the spiritual guardianship of Bhittai. Persian was used for government business and diplomacy, while Sindhi was his mother tongue used to communicate with the public. As a member of the Mianwal order, his upbringing combined religious studies with military training. He worked alongside his father, Mian Noor Muhammad, to learn how to manage the irrigation systems and the economy of Sindh. By his late teens, he was given command of military units and led campaigns to secure the borders of the kingdom.