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Bihari Muslims

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Bihari Muslims
Muslim men praying inSiwan district,Bihar, 1910
Total population
c. 24 million
Regions with significant populations
India(Biharonly)23,138,379[1][2][3][4]
Pakistan1,000,000[5]
Bangladesh400,000[6]
Languages
Urdu,variousBihari languages[7]
Religion
Islam
(Sunnimajority,Shiaminority)
Related ethnic groups
OtherBiharis

Bihari Muslimsare adherents ofIslamwho identifylinguistically,culturally,andgenealogicallyasBiharis.They are geographically native to the region comprising theBiharstate ofIndia,although there are significantly large communities of Bihari Muslims living elsewhere inthe subcontinentdue to thePartition of British Indiain 1947, which prompted the community to migrate en masse from Bihar to thedominion of Pakistan(bothWest PakistanandEast Pakistan).[8][9]

Bihari Muslims make up a significant minority inPakistanunder the diverse community ofMuhajirs(lit. 'migrants'), and largely began arriving in the country following theBangladesh Liberation Warof 1971, which led to the secession of East Pakistan from the Pakistani union as the independent state ofBangladesh.Since 1971, Bihari Muslims residing in Bangladesh are widely referred to asStranded Pakistanis in Bangladeshwho are awaiting repatriation to Pakistan,[10][11]and havefaced heightened persecutionin the country due to their support for Pakistan during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence.[12][13][14][15]

The majority of Bihari Muslims adhere to theSunnibranch of Islam and the adoption of the religion by Biharis traces back to the 14th century, whenAfghantraders andSufimissionaries began to arrive in the region a century prior to theMughal Empire's conquest of the subcontinent.[16]There are also a significant minority of Biharis who adhere to theShiabranch of Islam, largely residing inPatnaand Gopalpur in Siwan, tracing their religious descent to Shia Muslim settlers ofdistant Persian ancestryfromLucknowin neighbouringUttar Pradesh,who arrived in the region during the 19th century.[17]

History[edit]

Sher Shah Suri TombinSasaram.He was the founder of theSur Empireand was born in Bihar to Pathan parents.

The large-scale arrival of Muslims in Bihar began in the 14th century, whenTurktraders andSufisaints-warriors settled in the South Bihar plains and furthered the process of agricultural colonisation while also spreading Islam among the local populace. Muslims were not the only new immigrants to Bihar during this period. Inscriptions inBihar Shariftell of a Sufi warrior by the name ofMalik Ibrahim Bayuwho came to Bihar and defeated the non-HinduKoltribe who had been oppressing the localMuslims.He conquered many Kol chiefdoms.[18]

Some of the kings and chieftains of medieval Bihar were Muslim. The chieftaincy ofKharagpur Rajin modern-dayMunger districtwas originally controlled by HinduRajputs.In 1615 after a failed rebellion by Raja Sangram Singh, his son, Toral Mal converted and he changed his name to Roz Afzun.[19]

TheFaujdars of Purnea(also known as theNawabsof Purnea) created an autonomous territory for themselves under the leadership of Saif Khan and ruled in parts of Eastern Bihar in the early 1700s. They were engaged in a protracted conflict with the neighbouring Kingdom ofNepal.[20]

Many Bihari Muslims migrated toWest PakistanandEast Pakistan(now Bangladesh) after thepartition of Indiain 1947.[9][21]

Distribution by district[edit]

The following table shows the Muslim population of Bihar by district:[22]

Number District Population (2001) Muslim population Percentage
1 Kishanganj 1,796,348 1,123,456 68%
2 Katihar 2,392,638 1,024,678 43%
3 Araria 2,158,608 887,972 42%
4 Purnia 2,543,942 935,239 38%
5 Darbhanga 3,295,789 748,971 23%
6 Sitamarhi 2,682,720 568,992 21%
7 West Champaran 3,043,466 646,597 21%
8 East Champaran 3,939,773 755,005 19%
9 Bhagalpur 2,423,172 423,246 18%
10 Madhubani 3,575,281 941,579 26%
11 Siwan 2,714,349 494,176 18%
12 Gopalganj 2,152,638 367,219 17%
13 Supaul 1,732,578 302,120 17%
14 Sheohar 515,961 80,076 16%
15 Muzaffarpur 4,746,714 752,358 15%
16 Saharsa 1,508,182 217,922 14%
17 Begusarai 2,349,366 313,713 13%
18 Banka 1,608,773 190,051 12%
19 Gaya 3,473,428 403,439 13%
20 Jamui 1,398,796 170,334 12%
21 Nawada 1,809,696 204,457 11%
22 Madhepura 1,526,646 173,605 11%
23 Aurangabad 2,013,055 221,436 11%
24 Kaimur 1,289,074 123,048 10%
25 Khagaria 1,280,354 131,441 10%
26 Rohtas 2,450,748 246,760 10%
27 Samastipur 3,394,793 355,897 10%
28 Saran 3,248,701 337,767 10%
29 Vaishali 2,718,421 259,158 10%
30 Jehanabad 1,514,315 124,149 8%
31 Munger 1,337,797 98,791 7.4%
32 Patna 4,718,592 366,164 8%
33 Bhojpur 2,243,144 163,193 7%
34 Nalanda 2,370,528 176,871 7%
35 Sheikhpura 525,502 37,755 7%
37 Buxar 1,402,396 86,382 6%
38 Lakhisarai 802,225 35,378 4%

Sum total of this table is 14,780,500 Muslims out of 83.0 million total population in 2001 census, hence Muslims were 16.5% of total population in Bihar. In 2011 census, total population grew to 103.9985 million, of which 16.9% or 17,557,809 were Muslims.[23]During 2001–2011, Muslims grew by 33.433%, while non-Muslims grew by 23.537%. District-wise break up by religions for 2011 is not available.

Kishanganjis the only district in Bihar with aMuslimmajority.

Muslim communities[edit]

In common with the rest ofIndia,theMuslimsinBiharare largely descendants of native converts from variouscastes.[24]The rise of theIndian Muslimpopulation can be traced back to the early 12th century, with manyconversions to Islamtaking place during the rule of theSur Empire,which had established its capital inSasaram.[25]

Statistics[edit]

As per the2022 Bihar caste-based survey,the population of major Muslim castes in Bihar was as follows:

Caste Categorization Population Population as a percentage of total population of Bihar
Shaikh General 4995897 3.821675389
Momin (Muslim) (Julaha/Ansari) EBC 4634245 3.545025061
Surjapuri Muslim ( except Sheikh, Syed, Mallick, Mughal, Pathan) (Only for Purnea, Katihar, Kishangunj & Araria District) BC 2446212 1.871261196
Dhuniya (Muslim) EBC 1888192 1.444396651
Rayeen or Kunjra (Muslim) EBC 1828584 1.398798748
Shershahbadi EBC 1302644 0.99647421
Kulhaiya EBC 1253781 0.959095832
Pathan (Khan) General 986665 0.754762027
Sai/Faqeer/Diwan/Madar (Muslim) EBC 663197 0.507321038
Dhobi (Muslim) EBC 409796 0.313478698
Idrisi or Sarzi (Muslim) EBC 329661 0.252178404
Syed General 297975 0.227939792
Chudihar (Muslim) EBC 207914 0.159046477
Thakurai (Muslim) EBC 147482 0.112818245
Qasab (Qasai) (Muslim) EBC 133807 0.102357378
Mallick (Muslim) BC 111655 0.085411922
Bhat (Muslim) BC 89052 0.068121468
Madariya (Muslim) (Only for Sanhaul block of Bhagalpur and Dhoriya block of Banka) BC 86658 0.066290147
Daphali (Muslim) EBC 73259 0.05604041
Mehtar, Lalbegi, Halalkhor, Bhangi (Muslim) EBC 69914 0.05348161
Morshikar EBC 66607 0.050951878
Pamaria (Muslim) EBC 64890 0.049638437
Nat (Muslim) EBC 61629 0.047143893
Gaddi BC 57617 0.044074862
Mukairi (Muslim) EBC 56522 0.043237228
Cheeq (Muslim) EBC 50404 0.038557185
Jat (Muslim (Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamadhi, Khagaria & Araria) BC 44949 0.034384313
Rangrez (Muslim) EBC 43347 0.033158843
Bakho (Muslim) EBC 36830 0.02817358
Bhathiyara (Muslim) EBC 27263 0.020855181
Saikalgarg (Muslim) EBC 18936 0.014485336
Qadar EBC 18121 0.013861891
Miriyasin (Muslim) EBC 15415 0.011791902
Nalband (Muslim) EBC 11900 0.009103057
Madari (Muslim) EBC 11620 0.008888868
Abdal EBC 11433 0.00874582
Itfarosh/Itafarosh/Gadheri/Itpaz Ibrahimi (Muslim) EBC 9462 0.007238078
Qalandar EBC 7873 0.006022552
Qaghzi BC 2360 0.001805312

TheIraqi/Kalal was counted as a subset ofBaniacaste. Prominent members of the Kalal community had protested against the state government and demanded a separate categorization.

Notable Bihari Muslims[edit]

Khan BahadurKhuda Bakhsh

References[edit]

  1. ^Joy, Shemin."Caste survey in Bihar: OBCs, EBCs make up 63.13% of population; Gen Category 15.52%".Deccan Herald.
  2. ^"Bihar Caste Census Population, Religion-wise Population & more".RajNeetPG.3 October 2023.
  3. ^"India's religions by numbers".The Hindu.26 August 2015.ISSN0971-751X.Retrieved4 January2020.
  4. ^"Census of India Website: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India".censusindia.gov.in.Retrieved4 January2020.
  5. ^Arshad, Sameer (5 November 2012)."Will Nitish's visit boost Biharis in Pakistan?".Times Of India.Abdul Kadir Khanzada, who represents Orangi Town in Pakistan's parliament, said he would like to welcome Nitish to his constituency, where a majority of over a million people have their roots in Bihar.
  6. ^"The neglected 'Bihari' community in Bangladesh".Deutsche Welle.14 January 2019.According to local NGOs working for Bihari welfare, around 400,000 members of the community live in camps in Bangladesh.
  7. ^"Case of Bhojpuri and Hindi in Mauritius".lexpress.mu. 27 July 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 27 September 2016.Retrieved26 September2016.
  8. ^Khan, Engr Imtiaz Alam (15 December 2019)."HISTORY: THE FALL OF DHAKA FROM BIHARI EYES".DAWN.COM.Retrieved4 May2021.
  9. ^abSajjad, Mohammad (13 August 2014).Muslim Politics in Bihar: Changing Contours.Routledge.ISBN978-1-317-55981-8.Others got attracted to the supposedly greener pastures in West Pakistan. Hence, in Karachi, a separate Bihari colony of construction labourers came into existence even before Pakistan was formally created.... Moreover, some of the wealthier Biharis migrated towards West Pakistan. In order to induce further migration, Maulana Abdul Quddus Bihair, Chairman of the Bihar Relief Committee (Karachi) and also of theJamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Islambegan propagating that there was a better scheme of land and flats to be given to them in Karachi by January 1947. Quddus presented the province of Sindh as a destination that offered openings for traders, cultivators, labourers, contractors, manufacturers, weavers and professionals, and therefore was the 'best substitute for Bihar'.
  10. ^"In Pictures: Plight of Biharis in Bangladesh".www.aljazeera.com.Retrieved4 May2021.
  11. ^Zakaria, Anam."Remembering the war of 1971 in East Pakistan".www.aljazeera.com.Retrieved4 May2021.
  12. ^Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance 1961, as Amended S. prt.United States:U.S. Department of State.1998. p. 1869.Approximately 240,000 Bihari Muslims live in various camps around the country; they have remained in the country since 1971 awaiting settlement in Pakistan. Biharis are non-Bengali Muslims who emigrated to what was formerly East Pakistan during the 1947 partition of British India. Most supported Pakistan during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence. They later declined to accept Bangladesh citizenship and asked to be repatriated to Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan historically has been reluctant to accept the Biharis. During a visit to Dhaka in January, the Pakistani Prime Minister announced that Pakistan would be willing to assist in their repatriation, but no repatriation occurred during that year.
  13. ^Times, Kasturi Rangan Special to The New York (22 December 1971)."Bengalis Hunt Down Biharis, Who Aided Foe".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved4 May2021.
  14. ^"Biharis".Minority Rights Group.19 June 2015.Retrieved4 May2021.
  15. ^Jacob, Frank (2019)."Genocide and Mass Violence in Asia – Bangladesh"(PDF).OAPEN Online Library and Publication Platform.Archived(PDF)from the original on 4 May 2021.Retrieved4 May2021.
  16. ^Prasad, Ram Chandra (7 November 1983)."Bihar".National Book Trust, India – via Google Books.
  17. ^Chaturvedi, Ritu (7 November 2018).Bihar Through the Ages.Sarup & Sons.ISBN9788176257985– via Google Books.
  18. ^Gyan Prakash (30 October 2003).Bonded Histories: Genealogies of Labor Servitude in Colonial India.Cambridge University Press. pp. 63–65.ISBN978-0-521-52658-6.
  19. ^Yogendra P. Roy (1992). "Tahawar Singh-A Muslim Raja of Kharagpur Raj (1676 - 1727)".Proceedings of the Indian History Congress.53:333–334.JSTOR44142804.
  20. ^P. J. Marshall (2 November 2006).Bengal: The British Bridgehead: Eastern India 1740-1828.Cambridge University Press. p. 50.ISBN978-0-521-02822-6.
  21. ^Ghosh, Partha S. (23 May 2016).Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South Asia.SAGE Publishing India.ISBN9789351508533– via Google Books.
  22. ^"Error Value".www.censusindia.gov.in.Archived fromthe originalon 8 April 2016.Retrieved11 May2018.
  23. ^Singh, Vijaita (25 August 2015)."Bihar elections among factors in religious data of Census 2011 release".The Hindu.Archivedfrom the original on 30 December 2017 – via www.thehindu.com.
  24. ^"Bihar Information".Director, Public Relations. 7 November 1984 – via Google Books.
  25. ^Alam, Mohd Sanjeer (27 January 2012).Religion, Community, and Education: The Case of Rural Bihar.Oxford University Press.ISBN9780199088652– via Google Books.

External links[edit]

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