Dafali

The Dafali are a Muslim community found in India with the majority being in the state of Uttar Pradesh surname Masoodi^{[ clarification needed ]}. They have been categorized in Other Backward Class (OBC) category in Uttar Pradesh. Dafali are also found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. ^[1]

They are Dalit muslims and along with other dalit muslim conmunities are referred Arjal or Arzal. ^[2] They comes under the EBC(economically backward class) in Bihar. ^[3]

Origin

The Dafali are found throughout the country, primarily in Uttar Pradesh, with special concentrations in Pilibhit, Rampur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Badauon, Saharanpur, Kanpur and Bareilly districts in the west, where the community speak Khari boli, while in Awadh, they are found mainly in the districts of Lucknow, Bahraich, Balrampur, Gonda, Shravasti and Sitapur, Basti district, Balrampur, Gonda, Shravasti and Sitapur, Sidharth Nagar District/Sidharthnagar, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur where they known as Hashmi, where the community speak Awadhi and their tribal language 'Madaah'. ^[4]

References

1. "National Commission for Backward Classes: Bihar" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
2. Choudhary, Kushal (3 April 2021). "How the Halalkhor Community Fights Untouchability and Exclusion". NewsClick. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
3. "Pasmanda outfit cites Bihar OBC, EBC list to demand caste census for Muslims". The Indian Express. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
4. People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 398 to 402 Manohar Publications