Muslim Communities of Gujarat

According to a survey carried out by the anthropologist Satish Chandra Misra in early 1960s, he identified the following Muslim communities in Gujarat, in the order of their numerical strength: Shaikh, Bohra (Sunni Hanafi), Pathan, Momin, Bohra (Ismaili Mustaali), Ghanchi, Malik, Garasia, Syed, Fakir, Musalman, Mansoori, Khatki, Chhippa, Kadia, Sipahi, Tai, Memon, Patel Vohra, Sindhi.Sandhi, Hajam, Pinjara, Mughal, Kasbati, Kumbhar, Dudhwala, Baluch, Makrani, Behlim, Qureshi, Mirasi, Khatri, Khokhar, Dhobi, and Jat.

History 

Located in the westermost portion of central India, Gujarat includes the region of Kutch, Saurashtra, and the territories between the rivers Banas and Damanganga. Islam came early to Gujarat, with immigrant communities of Arab trading communities settling on the western seacoast of India as early as the 8th Century A.D. They were later joinded by Persian traders. Many of these early merchants were Ismaili, both Mustaali and Nizari. They laid the foundation of the Bohra and Khoja communities. Gujarat at this time was ruled by the Valabhi dynasty. In the thirteenth century, the last Hindu ruler Karna, was defeated by Alauddin Khilji, the Turkic Sultan of Dehli. This ushered a period of five centuries of Muslim Turkic and Mughal ruler. This led to a conversion of a number of Hindu Gujarati people to Islam, and led to the creation of new communities such as the Molesalam and Miyana communities.

In the sixteenth century, the Memon community immigrated from Sindh and settled in Kutch and Kathiawar. While in Bharuch and Surat, a schismoccurred among the Bohras, and new community of Sunni Bohras was created. Another Muslim sect, the Mahdawi also settled in Gujarat, and led to the creation of the Tai community. In 1593, the Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Gujarat, and incorporated Gujarat in the Mughal Empire. This period led to the settlement of the Mughal community. A good many Sayyid and Shaikh families also are said to arrived during the period of Mughal rule. After the death of the MughalEmperor Aurangzeb, in 1707, Mughal rule began weaken after ruling for a century. Most of Gujarat fell to the Marathas, and this period saw the dispersal of further Pathan and Baluch, who came as mercenaries and were destroyed or defeated by the Marathas. Gujarat fell to British in the late 19th Century.

Jamat Bandi

Gujarati Muslim society has a unique custom known as Jamat Bandi, literally meaning communal solidarity. This system is the traditional expression of communal solidarity. It is designed to regulate the affairs of the community and apply sanctions against infractions of the communal code. Almost all the main Gujarat communities, such as the Memon, Chhipa, Ghanchi, Khoja, Bohra and Sunni Bohra have caste associations, known as jamats. Social organization at the Jamat Bandi level varies from community to community. In some communities, the Jamat simply runs a mosque and attached rest house, and a madrasah. Some larger communities, such as the Bohra and Khoja have developed elaborate and highly formalized systems with written and registered constitutions. Their organizations own large properties, undertake housing projects and schools, dispensaries and weekly newspapers. Perhaps the Memon have most formalized jamats, with census of community members, and distinct residential colonies.

 

Gujarati Muslim society can roughly divided into four major groupings, each of whom have traditional occupations. Here is a brief description of the various Muslim communities, starting with those who claim actual or putative foreign descen

Foreign Descended Groups

 

Community	Sect	Clans	Language	Distribution
Sayyid	Sunni and Ithna Ashri Shia	Shirazi, Mattari, Bukhari, Naqvi, Tirmizi, Zaidi, Rifai, Bhaktari, Qadiris, Chishti, Mahdawai, Kitoi, Mashadi, Idrusi, and Bahraini	Gujarati and Urdu	found throughout Gujarat
Shaikh	Sunni	Hashemi, Siddiqui, Qureshi, Farooqi, and Osmani in Gujarat and Shaikh Dada, Shaikh Syed and Shaikh Faqir in Kutch	Gujarati, Kutchi and Hansoti,	found throughout Gujarat
Pathan	Sunni, some Ithna Ashri Shia	Babi, Sama, Khanzada, Yousafzai, Lohani, Mandori, Suleiymani, Surat Turk and Zadran	Gujarati, Kutchi and Urdu	found throughout Gujarat, but large numbers in Baroda and Junagadh
Mughal	Sunni and Ithna Ashri Shia	Two sub-groups, the Irani who are Shia and the Turani who are Sunni	Gujarati and Urdu	found throughout Gujarat. Cambay was a Mughal ruled Princely State
Arabs, also known as Chavuse	Sunni	Akvon, Acari, Ansari, Anuj, Kathiri, and Qureshi	Gujarati	Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Panchmahal and Surat
Siddis	Sunni	None	Gujarati	Saurashtra, mainly in Junagadh District
Baluchis	Sunni and Ithna Ashri Shia	Gabol, Lashari, Birri, Gopang, Sukhe, Hooth and Korai	Gujarati and Kutchi, some Sindhi	Saurashtra and Kutch
Makrani	Sunni	Raees, Askani, Baluch, Umarzai, Rind-Baluch, Mulkajee and Gudizai	Gujarati	Saurashtra

 

Trading classes

Most people associate Gujarat with trading communities such as the Bohra, Khoja and Memon, but in fact they form no more then 10% of the total Muslim community.

 

Community	Sect	Language	Distribution
Alavi Bohra	Shia Ismaili Mustaali	Gujarati	Mainly in Vadodara District
Khoja	Ithna Ashri Shia	Gujarati	throughout Gujarat
Khoja	Shia Ismaili Nizari	Gujarati and Kutchi	found throughout Gujarat
Dawoodi Bohra	Shia Ismaili Mustaali	Gujarati	throughout Gujarat
Doodwala	Sunni	Gujarati	throughout Gujarat
Memon who are further divided into the Hallari, Kathiawadi, Kutch, Juberi and Okhai Memon communities	Sunni	Gujarati, Kutchi and their own language known as Memoni	Found mainly in Kutch and Saurashtra
Patni Jamat	Sunni	Gujarati	Found in Veraval, Govindpura, Naodra, Kalji, Chourbad, Keshod and Junagadh.
Sulaymani Bohra	Shia Ismaili Mustaali	Gujarati	Found throughout Gujarat
Vyapari	Sunni	Gujarati	Viramgam and Dholka talukas of Ahmedabad District

 

Landholders and Cultivators

 

Community	Sect	Clans	Language	Distribution
Sunni Bohra	Sunni, both Deobandi and Barelvi	Charotar, Patani, Kadiwal, Bharuch and Surat Jamats	Gujarati	found mainly in Bharuch, Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Surat districts
Agaria	Sunni,	None	Kutchi	Kutch
Bhati	Sunni,	None	Gujarati and Marwari	Bharuch and Banaskantha districts
Chauhan	Sunni,	None	Gujarati	north Gujarat
Dafer	Sunni,	None	Gujarati	Saurashtra
Jat	Sunni,	Halai Jat (found in Jamnagar and Porbandar), Verai Jat (Banaskantha District), and Kutchi Jat (found in Kutch District)	Gujarati and Kutchi	Banaskantha District, Saurashtra and Kutch
Kasbatis Rajputs	Sunni,	Sayyid, Mughal, Qureshi, Shaikh, Pathan, Parmar, Ghori, Rathore, Kokwana, Bhelim, Khokhar and Soomra	Gujarati	through Gujarat
Khokhar	Sunni,	None	Gujarati	North Gujarat
Maliks	Sunni,	None	Gujarati	Kheda District
Makwana	Sunni,	None	Gujarati	north Gujarat
Mandali	Sunni,	Kachhote, Salar, Patadia, Waria, Barogia, Adi and Panghed	Gujarati	Ahmedabad District
Miyana	Sunni,	Manek, Bhati, Dhona, Kathia, Mour, Ladhani, Malani, Samani, Musani, Jain, Kher, Makwana, Sadhwami, nd Baidmulla	Gujarati and Kutchi	Kutch and Saurashtra
Molesalam Rajputs / Garasia	Sunni,	Rathod, Rana, Mahida, Vaghela, Sindhia, Rawal, Bhalavat, Solanki, Parmar, Chauhan and Chavda.	Gujarati	throughout Gujarat
Momna	Ithna Ashri Shia with a small Sunni minority	Shersia, Khorzia, Wankaneri, Paradha, Badi, Serasia, Vakalya, Dholkhawalia, Godhrawalia, Kapadia and Chaudhary		the Shia Momna are found in Mehsana District, Ahmedabad city, and the talukas of Dholka and Dhandhuka of Ahmadabad District, while the Sunni Momna who re concentrated in fifty four villages of Wankaner and Morbi talukas of Rajkot District and the Wahabi Momna are found in Mehsana and Banaskantha Districts.
Nayak	Sunni	None	Gujarati	Banaskantha District and Saurashtra
Muslim Patel	Sunni	None	Gujarati	Bharuch District
Shaikhda	Sunni	None	Gujarati	Godhra, Baroda and Ahmedabad
Rathore	Sunni	None	Gujarati	Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts
Parmar	Sunni	None	Gujarati	north Gujarat
Sandhai Muslims	Sunni	Sameja, Samma, Jadeja, Nareja, Dal, Gothi, Solanki, Virsa, Theba, Nayi, Bafars, Hala, Shetha, and Khokhar	Gujarati and Kutchi	Kutch and Saurashtra
Sanghar	Sunni	None	Gujarati and Kutchi	Saurashtra and Mandvi Taluka of Kutch
Solankis	Sunni	None	Gujarati	north Gujarat
Wagher	Sunni	Chamdia, Notitar, Chowra, Sodha, Mendani, Chauhan, Manak, Sumania, Juneja, Kero, Bhati, Koda and Ruchcher	Gujarati and Kutchi	Okha Taluka of Jamnagar District

Muslim Maldhari communities of Kutch

 

The Kutch region of Gujarat is home to a number of cattle rearing tribal communities, known as the Maldhari. Most of them speak Kutchi, with large Sindhi loanwords. All the Maldhari are Sunnis. Here is a list of the larger communities.

 

Community	Distribution
Bafan	village of Nagiari, as well as other parts of the Banni. There are also smaller communities in Jamnagar and Sabarkantha.
Bayad	mainly in the town of Anjar, with a small number are found in Bhuj.
Chakee	mainly in the cities of Bhuj, Mandvi, Mundra and Moghpat in Kutch, as well as the district of Jamnagar.
Halaypotra	mainly in the talukas of Bhuj, Abdasa and Mandvi in Kutch District
Hingora	mainly in the talukas of Bhuj, Abdasa and Mandvi in Kutch District
Hingorja	mainly in the villages of Nandi Daddar, Mota Banda and Dumcara in the taluka of Bhuj
Juneja	mainly in the districts of Amerli, Rajkot and the Banni region of Kutch
Ker	mainly in talukas of Bhuj, Abdasa and Lakhpat in Kutch District
Khaskheli
Meta Qureshi
Mutwa
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Raysipotra
Royma	found in Sukhpar village in Bhuj taluka, as well as other parts of Bhuj, Mandvi, Anjan and Lakhpat talukas of Kutch District. Concentrated in the Kanthi region of Kutch.
Samma	four sub-divisions, the Gha Samma distributed in the Banni region, the Saheb Samma who are found in other areas of Kutch, the Chudasama, who are still Hindu, and distributed in Junagadh District and finally the Dangar Samma, who are found in Ahmedabad.
Sanghar	found in twelve villages, namely Vandh, Bidada, Pipri, Ratodia, Bhojay, Undot, Khojachora, Asani and Serdi, all along the coast. In addition to these settlements, they are also found in the village of Mota Jakh in Nakhatrana Taluka as well as in Abdasa Taluka
Soomra
Theba	Jadura village in Bhuj taluka, and other parts of the Bhuj taluka.

Artisans

Community	Sect	Traditional Occupation	Distribution
Abdal	Sunni Sufi	singing and begging at Sufi shrines	Ahmedabad
Ansari	Sunni	weavers	Junagarh, Surat, Ahmedabad and Bharuch
Attarwala	Shia	perfumers	Ahmedabad
Bhadala	Sunni	fishermen and sailors	Kutch District
Bharbhunja	Sunni	grain parchers	Ahmedabad and Surat
Bhishti	Sunni	water carriers	Ahmadabad
Chhipa	Sunni Barelvi/Deobandi)	calico printers	throughout Gujarat
Chundrigar	Sunni	silk knot printing, and manufacture of a piece of cloth known as the chunri or dupata	mainly in Surat
Chunara	Sunni	manufacturers of lime	mainly in Vadodara.
Dhobi	Sunni	washermen	mainly in Baroda, Ahmedabad, Banaskantha and Kaira districts
Dhuldhoya	Sunni	straining dust and separating gold particles.	mainly in Baroda and Sabarkantha districts.
Faqir	Sunni	mendicants and shrine keepers	throughout Gujarat
Galiara	Sunni	engaged in the extraction of indigo and dyeing	Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Junagadh districts
Ghanchi	Sunni	oil pressers	Panchmahal, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha and North Gujarat.
Ghanchi-Pinjara	Sunni	oil pressers	mainly in the districts of Junagadh, Amreli, Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Bhavnagar.
Kadia	Sunni	masons and brick layers	Dhaboji town and the nearby city of Vadodara.
Kagzi	Sunni	paper manufacturers	Shahpur area of Ahmedabad,
Khalipha	Sunni	Barbers, also musicians	Central Gujarat
Khateek	Sunni	goat meat butchers	Central Gujarat
Langha	Sunni	musicians and entertainers	in Kutch District
Machiyar	Sunni	fishermen	Saurasthra
Manihar	Sunni	bangle makers	throughout Gujarat
Mir	Sunni	musicians
Mansoori	Sunni	cotton carders	throughout Gujarat
Mirasi	Sunni	genealogist	throughout Gujarat
Multani	Sunni	cotton carders
Multani Lohar	Sunni	blacksmiths	the Zhalmed from Ahmadabad, the Gohilvad from Surat, the Chorasi from Rajkot and the Kathiawari from Kathiawar
Muslim Rangrez	Sunni	dyers	throughout Gujarat
Nagori	Sunni	blacksmiths	throughout Gujarat
Panar	Sunni	weavers	Dholka in Ahmedabad District
Salaat	Sunni	stonemasons	Palanpur District
Soni	Sunni	goldsmiths	throughout Gujarat
Turk Jamat	Sunni	soldiers	Kathiawar
Tai	Mahdawi	weavers	Viramgam, Dharangadhra and Ahmadabad