Castes In Islam Indian Muslims

List Of 308 Castes In Islam Indian Muslims

Islamic caste, any of the units of social stratification that developed among Muslims in India and Pakistan as a result of the proximity of Hindu culture. Most of the South Asian Muslims were recruited from the Hindu population; despite the egalitarian tenets of Islam, the Muslim converts persisted in their Hindu social habits. Hindus, in turn, accommodated the Muslim ruling class by giving it a status of its own.In South Asian Muslim society a distinction is made between the ashrāf (Arabic, plural of shārīf, “nobleman”), who are supposedly descendants of Muslim Arab immigrants, and the non-ashrāf, who are Hindu converts. The ashrāf group is further divided into four subgroups: (1) Sayyids, originally a designation of descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fāṭimah and son-in-law ʿAlī, (2) Shaykhs (Arabic: “Chiefs”), mainly descendants of Arab or Persian immigrants but also including some converted Rājputs, (3) Pashtuns, members of Pashto-speaking tribes in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, and (4) Mughals, persons of Turkish origin, who came into India with the Mughal armies.

The non-ashrāf Muslim castes are of three levels of status: at the top, converts from high Hindu castes, mainly Rājputs, insofar as they have not been absorbed into the Shaykh castes; next, the artisan caste groups, such as the Julāhās, originally weavers; and lowest, the converted untouchables, who have continued their old occupations. These converts of Hinduism observe endogamy in a manner close to that of their Hindu counterparts.Two of the principal indexes of Hindu caste, commensality and endogamy (principles governing eating and marital arrangements), do not appear as strongly in Islamic castes. Commensality is prohibited between ashrāf and non-ashrāf, between Muslim and Hindu, and between the various castes of the non-ashrāf. The principle of endogamy is altered by the Muslim preference of marriage within very narrow limits (e.g., to the daughter of the father’s brother), which in South Asia is known as biyāhdārī.

Khoja, Persian Khvājeh, caste of Indian Muslims converted from Hinduism to Islam in the 14th century by the Persian pīr (religious leader or teacher) Saḍr-al-Dīn and adopted as members of the Nizārī Ismāʿīliyyah sect of the Shīʿites. Forced to feign either Hinduism, Sunni Islam, or Ithnā ʿAshariyyah in order to preserve themselves from persecution, some Khojas, in time, became followers of those faiths

The term Khoja is not a religious designation but a purely caste distinction that was carried over from the Hindu background of the group. Thus, there are Sunni Khojas and Shīʿite Khojas. Other Nizārī Ismāʿīlīs share the same beliefs, practices, and even language with the Khojas. However, one cannot enter the caste except by birth.

Khojas live primarily in India and eastern Africa. Every province with large numbers of them has an Ismāʿīlī council, the decisions of which are recognized as legal by the state. As Nizārī Ismāʿīlīs, Khojas are followers of the Aga Khan.

Islam does not recognize any castes, but, when it came to Persia and India, the existing divisions in these regions were adopted among the local Muslim societies. Evidence of social stratification can be found in several later Persian works, such as Siyasatnama of Nizam al-Mulk (11th century), Akhlaq-i Nasiri of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (13th century), and Jam-i-Mufidi (17th century).

The Muslims who came to the subcontinent during the 12th century Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent were already divided into social classes such as priests, nobles and others. Further, a racial segregation demarcated the local Muslim converts from those of foreign origin. The foreigners claimed a superior status as they were associated with the conquerors, and categorized themselves as Ashraf ("noble"). Over time, the Indian Muslim society also split on the basis of the existing Hindu caste system. According to M. N. Srinivas (1986) and R.K. Bhattacharya, Indian Hindu converts to Islam brought their original caste system to the Muslim society in the region. On the other hand, Louis Dumont (1957) believes that the Islamic conquerors consciously adopted the Hindu caste system "as a compromise which they had to make in a predominantly Hindu environment."

Ziauddin Barani, a 14th century political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate, recommended that the "sons of Mohamed" (i.e. Ashrafs) be given a higher social status than the low-born (i.e. Ajlaf). His most significant contribution in the fatwa was his analysis of the castes with respect to Islam. His assertion was that castes would be mandated through state laws or "Zawabi" and would carry precedence over Sharia law whenever they were in conflict. According to Barani, every act which is "contaminated with meanness and based on ignominity, comes elegantly [from the Ajlaf]". Barani also developed an elaborate system of promotion and demotion of Imperial officers ("Wazirs") that was primarily based on their caste.

History of research

There are various definitions of the term "caste", and therefore, various opinions on whether this term can be used to denote social stratification among non-Hindu communities. Ghaus Ansari (1960) uses the term "caste" to describe the Muslim social groups with following characteristics:

• endogamy within a given social group
• hierarchical gradation of social groups
• determination of the group membership by birth
• in some cases, association of an occupation with the social group

Beginning in the 19th century, the British scholars of India first catalogued the various Muslim castes:

• Henry Miers Elliot's Supplement to the glossary of Indian terms (1844), later amplied into Memoirs on the history, folk-lore, and distribution of the Races of the North Western Provinces of India
• John Charles Williams's The Report on the Census of Oudh (1869)
• Denzil Ibbetson's Census Report of Punjab (1883), later adapted into Panjab Castes
• John Nesfield's Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh (1885)
• Herbert Hope Risley's Tribes and castes of Bengal (1893)
• William Crooke's The tribes and castes of the North-western Provinces and Oudh (1896)

Nelson's book, in particular, included a whole chapter dedicated to the Muslim castes. In the 20th century British India, a number of works included the Muslim social groups in their descriptions of the Indian castes. These included H. A. Rose's A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province (1911).

In independent India, Ghaus Ansari (1960) initiated academic discussion over the Muslim caste system. Subsequently, Imtiaz Ahmed elaborated the topic in his Caste and Social Stratification among the Muslims (1973).

Ghaus Ansari (1960) named the following four broad categories of Muslim social divisions in India:^[11]

• Ashraf, who claim foreign-origin descent from Afghans, Arabs, Persians and Turks etc.
  • e.g. Mughal, Pathan, Sayyid, Sheikh
• Converts from upper castes
  • e.g. Muslim Rajputs
• Converts from other "clean" castes
  • e.g. Darzi, Dhobi, Dhuniya, Gaddi, Faqir, Hajjam (Nai), Julaha, Kabaria, Kumhar, Kunjra, Mirasi, Manihar and Teli
• Converts from untouchable castes
  • e.g. Bhangi

The non-Ashrafs are categorized as Ajlaf. The untouchable Hindu converts are also categorized as Arzal ("degraded"). They are relegated to menial professions such as scavenging and carrying night soil.

B.R. Ambedkar, citing the Superintendent of the Census for 1901 for the Province of Bengal, mentions that the Ajlaf primarily include:

• Cultivating Sheikhs, and others who were originally Hindus but who do not belong to any functional group, and have not gained admittance to the Ashraf Community, e.g. Pirali and Thakrai.
• Darzi, Brahmin, Jolaha, Fakir, and Rangrez.
• Barhi, Bhalhiara, Chik, Churihar, Dai, Dhawa, Dhunia, Gaddi, Kalal, Kasai, Kula Kunjara, Laheri, Mahifarosh, Mallah, Naliya, Nikari.
• Abdal, Bako, Bediya, Bhal, Chamba, Dafali, Dhobi, Hajjam, Mucho, Nagarchi, Nal,Panwaria, Madaria, Tunlia.

For the Arzal, the following castes are mentioned by the Superintendent of the Census: Bhanar, Halalkhor, Hijra, Kasbi, Lalbegi, Maugta, Mehtar.

In Pakistan, various social groups (called quoms) display a social stratification comparable to the Indian caste system. The various quoms differ widely in power, privilege and wealth. Both ethnic affiliation (e.g. Pathan, Sindhi, Baloch, Punjabi, etc.) and membership of specific biraderis or zaat/quoms are additional integral components of social identity.Within the bounds of endogamy defined by the above parameters, close consanguineous unions are preferred due to a congruence of key features of group- and individual-level background factors as well as affinities. McKim Marriott adds that a social stratification that is hierarchical, closed, endogamous and hereditary is widely prevalent, particularly in western parts of Pakistan.

In Nepal, the castes of Muslims rank differs according to the criteria applied.

List of Muslim Other Backward Classes communities in India

List Of 308 Castes In Islam Indian Muslims

Hinduism is vilified for its Caste Divisions.

Caste is some thing that can not be wished away in a Human being however enlightened one pretends to be.

For my views on Caste please refer my post caste, under Hinduism.

Religions that make fun of idol worship have landed in worshiping idols.

Islam, The Kaaba,Prophet’s hair,Hazratbal

Christianity, Jesus, The Cross.

Buddhism, The Buddha, His teeth.

Jainism, Bhaubali, Mahaveera.

Hinduism understands that human mind can not function and focus in a vacuum and hence recommended Idol worship, though in higher philosophy of Hinduism, Idol worship is discouraged.

Please read my articles on this.

This is the list of castes among Muslims in India, some 308 of them!

1. Arain  62. Lal Begi   179. Pathans of Madhya Prades2. Arghon   63. Kulhaiya  78. Shaikh of Bihar3. Ansari  64. Malik of Bihar  13. Dhobi 104. Ghanchi-Pinjara4. Baghban  5. Balti 6. Behna   7. Bhatiara8. Bhishti  9. Bisati   10. Burig   11. Chaush   12. Dard 12.Hyderabadi  14. Ghosi 15. Gujjar 83. Alavi Bohra      84. Ansari18. Khanzada   19. Kashmiri   20. Kunjra

21. Malkana 22. Manihar    23. Mappila  24. Meo  25. Mughal 26. Pathans  27. Qassab  28. Muslim Rajput     29. Ranghar 30. Rangrez 31. Saifi  32. Shaikh    33. Sayyid  34. Salmani   35. Siddi 36. Teli  37. Assamese38. Bengali 39. Bhili   40. Dogra 41. Gondi   42. Gujarati  43. Konkani   44. Nawayath  45. Marathi 46. Meitei     47. Oriya 48. Tamil   49. Telugu  50. Labbay 51. Goan Muslims  52. Abdal  53. Ansari  54. Bakho   55. Bisati 56. Chamail  57. Churihar  58. Chik (Muslim)  59. Gaddi  60. Idrisi 61. Khanzada 65. Mirasi   66. Mirshikar  67. Mughal 68. Muker 69. Pasi 70. Nat 71. Pamaria   72. Pathan of Bihar   73. Rayeen or Kunjra (Muslim) 74. Sai    75. Sapera  76. Sayyid 77. Syed (Mallick)  . 79.Shershahabadia  80. Thakurai 81. Teli   82. Abdal   85. Arabs  86.Attarwala 87. Bafan 88. Baloch89. Banjara 90. Behlim    91. Bhadala   92. Bharbhunja      93. Bhishti     94. Chhipa 95. Chunara   96. Chundrigar   97. Dawoodi Bohra    98. Dhobi  99. Dhuldhoya 100. Doodwala  101. Faqir     102. Galiara    103. Ghanchi  105.Halaypotra   106.Hingorja 107. Hingora    108. Jats of Kutch 109. Juneja 110. Kadia 111. Kagzi  112. Ker 113. Khalifa  114. Khaskheli 115. Khoja 116. Machiyar    117. Makrani  118. Malik of Gujarat   119. Mandali120. Makwana    121. Manka122. Mansoori 123. Memon  124. Meta Qureshi 125. Miyana   126. Molesalam   127. Momna     128. Mughal   129. Multani 130. Multani Lohar      131. Mutwa    132. Nagori      133. Nayak  134. Node 135. Panar  136. Parmar  137. Patani Bohra  138. Patni Jamat 139. Pathans of Gujarat 140. Salaat 141. Samma   142. Sandhai Muslims1        43. Sanghar 144. Shaikhs of Gujarat 145. Shaikhda 146. Sayyid of Gujarat 147. Siddi  148. Sipahi   149. Soomra    150. Sulaymani Bohra  151. Sunni Bohra  152. Tai 153. Turk Jamat 154. Vora Patel  155. Vyapari 156. Wagher 157. Baghban158. Beary 159. Chaush 160. Chhaparband 161. Kodava maple  162. Maaple    163. Konkani Muslims 164. Nawayath 165. Pinjara 166. Siddi 167. Mappila 168. Keyi 169. Thangal 170. Marakkar171. Ossan 172. Pusalan 173. Thulukkar 174. Ansari 175. Banjara176. Dawoodi Bohra 177. Mughal178. Dhobi. Shaikh 181. Sayyid182. Attar183. Baghban  184. Bhishti 185. Chaush 186. Chhaparband187. Dawoodi Bohra  188. Dhawad  189. Faqir  190. Garodi 191. Gavandi 192. Kachar  193. Kagzi194. Konkani Muslims 195. Momin 196. Muslim Raj Gond  197. Qassab 198. Qutbi Bohra  199. Saiqalgar 200. Tadvi Bhil  201. Ansari 202. Bhutta   203. Cheetah  204. Chadwa 205. Dawoodi Bohra  206. Deshwali 207. Gaddi   208. Ghosi 209. Hela Mehtar 210. Hiranbaz    211. Kandera  212. Khadem  213. Khanzada 214. Langha215. Manganiar216. Merat 217. Meo  218. Mughal    219. Pathans of Rajasthan   220. Pinjara 221. Qaimkhani   222. Rangrez  223. Rath 224. Shaikhs of Rajasthan   225. Silawat  226. Sindhi-Sipahi 227. Singiwala 228. Sorgar    229. Kayalar  230. Labbay   231. Marakkar 232. Rowther   233. Mappila  234. Ahbans Khanzada 235. Ansari2  36. Atishbaz 237. Bachgoti Khanzada  238. Baghban  239. Baluch240. Bandhmati  241. Banjara242. Barhai   243. Behlim  244. Bannu Israil245. Behna 246. Bhand 247. Bharbhunja  248. Bhale Sultan Khanzada 249. Bhatti Khanzada   250. Bhatiara   251. Bhishti252. Bhumihar Musalman     253. Bisen Khanzada  254. Bisati    255. Chandel Khanzada   256. Chik 257. Dakhini 258. Dafali 259. Dhagi260. Dharhi 261. Dhobi Musalmaan262. Dogar263. Fareedi   64. Faqir 265.Gaddi   266. Garha (Gaur Brahmin-Mughal Community)267. Gautam Khanzada268. Ghosi 269. Goriya 270. Gujjar Musalmaan 271. Halalkhor272. Halwai  273. Idrisi 274. Tamimi Iraqi  275. Jat Musalmaan276. Jhojha    277. Kabaria   278. Kakorvi Shaikh279. Kamangar  280. Kamboh   281. Kasgar282. Kayastha Musalman 283. Khanzada  284. Khokhar Khanzada  285. Khumra286. Kingharia  287. Kunjra    288. Lal Begi  289. Lalkhani Rajput             290. Madari291. Mandarkia  292. Malkana   293. Manihar

294. Meo

295. Milki

296. Mirasi

297. Mughal

298. Mujavir

299. Muker

300. Nagar Muslims

301. Nalband

302. Nanbai

303. Naqqal

304. Panchpiria

305. Pankhiya

306. Pathans of Uttar Pradesh

307. Putliwale

308. Qalandar.