It was a custom in the Indian subcontinent for the provincial ruling dynasties to assume political power and, after ruling for a short while, disappear into historical oblivion. Some of them came to power by military means, while others through conspiracy and intrigue. But the rule of the one differed from the other. Those who acquired power through military means did not have to justify their rule because their military power would engender authority among the people and there was no fear of rebellion. But those who came to power without military means had to legitimise their rule in order to govern. Such dynasties would find a royal link that was respected among the people. This could be exemplified by two dynasties in the history of the Indian subcontinent. One was Ghais al din Balban (1266-1286) who came to power with the help of conspirators in the court. He then tried to associate himself with Afrasiab, the legendary king of Persia, to glorify his dynasty, so that he could earn respect and obedience of the people. On the other hand Allauddin Khilji (1296-1316), who killed his uncle and came to the throne by means of military power, did not have to use any of the aforementioned tactics to justify his rule. 

In the Indian subcontinent, before the Mughals, there was a rapid change in the ruling dynasties during the Sultanate period. Therefore people would be mentally ready for the change and recognized any individual who wielded power. Later when the central government of Delhi disintegrated, the provincial governors became independent and there emerged independent states, such as in Deccan, Gujarat,Junpur and Bengal. Contrary to the Sultanate, the Mughal period is important in the respect that they ruled India for a long period of time. During their rule the independent provincial governments became part of the Mughal rule. Their long rule earned them prestige and respect among the people. When the downfall of the dynasty became evident during the reign of Aurangzeb and his successors, the provincial governments started becoming independent. However, even in the time of crisis, they kept their loyalties with the Mughal kings.

The situation of Sindh was different from the rest of the Mughal provinces. Due to its geographical isolation it was not fully attended and remained subordinate to Multan province. All the Subedars (governors) who were sent to the Sindh province were neither famous Mansabdars (rank holders) nor experienced administrators. As a result Sindh's political, social and economic situation deteriorated. The powerful landlords of Sindh took advantage of the growing anarchy and unrest and with the help of their armies occupied the lands and enhanced their political status. 

In the end the Mughal dynasty became so entangled in external and internal conflicts that it weakened its military power. They could no longer maintain their rule in Sindh and their income from the province constantly decreased. Therefore Sindh lost its importance in the eyes of the Mughal Mansabdars. The political and economic anarchy led to the emergence of the Kalhora dynasty in Sindh. Their religious beliefs played a part in their political success. In the beginning they became the Sufi saints and attracted people in their religious order. And soon a class of hardline Faqirs was formed which addressed the elders of the dynasty as "Mian" and "Shah", respectable titles which signified their spiritual lordship over their disciples. 

It is said that one of the elders of this dynasty Adam Shah (1520-1600) had taken an oath of allegiance to Syed Mahdi of Jaunpur. It is also said that when the Mughal mansabdar, Abdal Rahim Khan Khanan (d.1505), invaded Sindh he requested him to pray for his victory. After his success he bestowed him a land in Chandoka. Apart from his religious interest he also had political ambitions. To strengthen his power he wanted to occupy the lands of other landlords which constantly engaged him in fights with other zamindars of the area and on their complaint the Subedar of Multan arrested him. He died in prison.

His disciples continued with his policies and enhanced their influence by occupying more lands. Alongwith this they also paid attention to the fertility of their lands. For example Shah Ali or Shah Ali Mohammed constructed a rivulet for the purpose of irrigation. He snatched the lands of Sangi and Abra tribes and distributed them among his companions. In this process he fought with several tribes and died in one of the wars (d. 1607).

In this light the rise of the Kalhora dynasty could be very well understood. The Mughals had lost their interest in Sindh. Conspiracies and civil wars had weakened their military power and they weren't in the position to keep peace in Sindh. In these circumstances the Kalhora dynasty got the opportunity to slowly consolidate their economic and political power. Their spirituality helped them since their followers were attached to them both politically and spiritually. Mysticism, which originated from Adam Khan, helped to increase the disciples for his family. These disciples were not only his devotees but also his soldiers. With their help they fought with the tribes and the landlords. Although in these fights Adam Shah and Shah Ali Mohammed died, they left family's political, religious and economic solidarity intact.We can judge their administrative capabilities by their irrigation system, which earned them enough income. Due to which not only their influence was strengthened but the number of their disciples and soldiers also increased. 

In doing so the Kalhora dynasty spread its political influence and the Mughal government let them rule Sibi and Dahdar. Their leader Yar Mohammed Kalhora was given the title of "Khuda Yar Khan". When the Mughal reign further deteriorated the Kalhora dynasty was given the land ownership of Bhakkar and Sewistan. The mansabdars who came to Sindh as administrators could not earn much income due to political anarchy and started giving their lands on contracts. The situation worsened to such an extent that they lost all their interest in administration as well as management. Sindh, as a result, suffered and disorder prevailed everywhere. 

The Sindh province was possessed by Amir Khan who in 1736 gave the province on contract to Nawab
Sadiq who, in order to earn money, did not want to suffer any losses and was only interested in extracting as much profit as he could. He was particularly cautious since during that time the administration was in a shambles and there were not many sources available to earn income. The powerful landlords had refused to pay taxes and revenue. As a result Nawab Sadiq's income in the first year was negligible and suffered detriment in the next year. Unable to find any attraction in the Sindh province, he decided to give away Sindh's government to Mian Yar Mohammed Kalhora's vakil Sheikh Ghulam Mohammed. Thus the government of Thatta and Sawistan was transferred to the dynasty without any bloodshed. 

To assume power in Sindh the Kalhora dynasty neither had to fight nor did they have to conspire, instead their political and spiritual influence played an important role. Thus this dynasty made its way without any rebellion and without defying the sovereignty of the Mughal emperor. However, they remained within the clutches of the Mughal rule and did not establish themselves independent of the Mughal empire. This reveals lack of confidence in their own government and their inability to govern on their own. They faced this dilemma because they did not struggle for Sindh's independence instead they
emerged as petty landlords. They had their own dynastic interests and did not care about the Sindh province and its people. 

Their lack of confidence was also revealed in their attempt to associate Muslims coming from Arab lands, Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan who were respected while the native clans were considered below them. This is because most of the rulers were either Arabs, Turks or Mughal who appointed the foreigners on high official positions and neglected the natives. Thus the rulers in Sindh aligned themselves with the foreigners at the cost of locals. The local people were deprived of material benefits while the ruling elite included the rich Saddats, Sufis, Mashahiks and ulema. All the land, wealth and economic and political power belonged to them. As a result of this discriminatory policy of the successive dynasties, most of the natives lived in villages and worked as farmers and craftsmen. They were politically weak and their only task was to be loyal to the government of the day.  Thus, a native family could only be recognized if it had military power, otherwise it could not be accepted by the ruling class of foreign origin. As the ruling elite considered itself superior to the natives, both politically and culturally, it could not accept the natives as their rulers. 

Under these circumstances, the Kalhoras claimed to belong to the Abbasid dynasty in order to get recognition from the elite and the people, who had more respect for the foreign origin Muslims rather than locals. Family and not merit was the criterion of recognition. Although, the Abbasid dynasty had practically become extinct, the memory of its glorious rule was embedded in the minds of the people. The Muslims of the subcontinent were especially devoted to this dynasty, and myths of their greatness were popular among the people.

The names of the pioneers of the Kalhora dynasty were Odhana, Thal, Bhel and Channa which indicates that they were the natives of Sindh, but to satisfy the elite they broke all their ties with Sindh (the province which they ruled) and found their roots outside.  This proves that the foreign influence was so strong in Sindh that it had pushed the natives in the background. Mentally the natives were so incapacitated that even if they rose powerfully on their feet, they pretended to be foreigners. Only that way they were regarded respectable. 

After coming to the throne the Kalhora dynasty did not root itself in society, as a result Noor Mohammed (1719-1753) and his successors pledged their allegiance to the Afghani rulers and failed to establish their sovereignty in Sindh. This weakness of the Kalhora dynasty encouraged the Afghans to invade Sindh from time to time and rob it. The Kalhora rulers failed to defend the country and its people and retained their rule at the cost of people's misery. History proves that those who did not secure their roots in the country and kept their loyalties outside, not only destroyed themselves but also their country.