Bihari Muslims

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Bihari Muslims
Siwan Mohammedan Revival, India, ca. 1910 (IMP-CSCNWW33-OS14-68).jpg
Muslim men praying in Siwan district, Bihar, 1910
Total population
c.24 million
Regions with significant populations
Flag of India.svg  India (Bihar only)23,138,379 [1] [2] [3] [4]
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 1,000,000 [5]
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 400,000 [6]
Languages
Urdu, various Bihari languages [7]
Religion
Star and Crescent.svg Islam
(Sunni majority, Shia minority)
Related ethnic groups
Other Biharis

Bihari Muslims are adherents of Islam who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Biharis. They are geographically native to the region comprising the Bihar state of India, although there are significantly large communities of Bihari Muslims living elsewhere in the subcontinent due to the Partition of British India in 1947, which prompted the community to migrate en masse from Bihar to the dominion of Pakistan (both West Pakistan and East Pakistan). [8] [9]

Contents

Bihari Muslims make up a significant minority in Pakistan under the diverse community of Muhajirs (lit.'migrants'), and largely began arriving in the country following the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which led to the secession of East Pakistan from the Pakistani union as the independent state of Bangladesh. Since 1971, Bihari Muslims residing in Bangladesh are widely referred to as Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh who are awaiting repatriation to Pakistan, [10] [11] and have faced heightened persecution in 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 the Sunni branch of Islam and the adoption of the religion by Biharis traces back to the 14th century, when Afghan traders and Sufi missionaries began to arrive in the region a century prior to the Mughal Empire's conquest of the subcontinent. [16] There are also a significant minority of Biharis who adhere to the Shia branch of Islam, largely residing in Patna and Gopalpur in Siwan, tracing their religious descent to Shia Muslim settlers of distant Persian ancestry from Lucknow in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, who arrived in the region during the 19th century. [17]

History

Sher Shah Suri Tomb in Sasaram. He was the founder of the Sur Empire and was born in Bihar to Pathan parents. Sher Shah Suri Tomb.jpg
Sher Shah Suri Tomb in Sasaram. He was the founder of the Sur Empire and was born in Bihar to Pathan parents.

The large-scale arrival of Muslims in Bihar began in the 14th century, when Turk traders and Sufi saints-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 in Bihar Sharif tell of a Sufi warrior by the name of Malik Ibrahim Bayu who came to Bihar and defeated the non-Hindu Kol tribe who had been oppressing the local Muslims. He conquered many Kol chiefdoms. [18]

Some of the kings and chieftains of medieval Bihar were Muslim. The chieftaincy of Kharagpur Raj in modern-day Munger district was originally controlled by Hindu Rajputs. In 1615 after a failed rebellion by Raja Sangram Singh, his son, Toral Mal converted and he changed his name to Roz Afzun. [19]

The Faujdars of Purnea (also known as the Nawabs of 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 of Nepal. [20]

Many Bihari Muslims migrated to West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) after the partition of India in 1947. [9] [21]

Distribution by district

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

NumberDistrictPopulation (2001)Muslim populationPercentage
1 Kishanganj 1,796,3481,123,456 68%
2 Katihar 2,392,6381,024,67843%
3 Araria 2,158,608887,97242%
4 Purnia 2,543,942935,23938%
5 Darbhanga 3,295,789748,97123%
6 Sitamarhi 2,682,720568,99221%
7 West Champaran 3,043,466646,59721%
8 East Champaran 3,939,773755,00519%
9 Bhagalpur 2,423,172423,24618%
10 Madhubani 3,575,281941,57926%
11 Siwan 2,714,349494,17618%
12 Gopalganj 2,152,638367,21917%
13 Supaul 1,732,578302,12017%
14 Sheohar 515,96180,07616%
15 Muzaffarpur 4,746,714752,35815%
16 Saharsa 1,508,182217,92214%
17 Begusarai 2,349,366313,71313%
18 Banka 1,608,773190,05112%
19 Gaya 3,473,428403,43913%
20 Jamui 1,398,796170,33412%
21 Nawada 1,809,696204,45711%
22 Madhepura 1,526,646173,60511%
23 Aurangabad 2,013,055221,43611%
24 Kaimur 1,289,074123,04810%
25 Khagaria 1,280,354131,44110%
26 Rohtas 2,450,748246,76010%
27 Samastipur 3,394,793355,89710%
28 Saran 3,248,701337,76710%
29 Vaishali 2,718,421259,15810%
30 Jehanabad 1,514,315124,1498%
31 Munger 1,337,79798,7917.4%
32 Patna 4,718,592366,1648%
33 Bhojpur 2,243,144163,1937%
34 Nalanda 2,370,528176,8717%
35 Sheikhpura 525,50237,7557%
37 Buxar 1,402,39686,3826%
38 Lakhisarai 802,22535,3784%

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.

Kishanganj is the only district in Bihar with a Muslim majority.

Muslim communities

In common with the rest of India, the Muslims in Bihar are largely descendants of native converts from various castes. [24] The rise of the Indian Muslim population can be traced back to the early 12th century, with many conversions to Islam taking place during the rule of the Sur Empire, which had established its capital in Sasaram. [25]

Statistics

As per the 2022 Bihar caste-based survey, the population of major Muslim castes in Bihar was as follows:

CasteCategorizationPopulationPopulation as a percentage of total population of Bihar
ShaikhGeneral49958973.821675389
Momin (Muslim) (Julaha/Ansari)EBC46342453.545025061
Surjapuri Muslim ( except Sheikh, Syed, Mallick, Mughal, Pathan) (Only for Purnea, Katihar, Kishangunj & Araria District)BC24462121.871261196
Dhuniya (Muslim)EBC18881921.444396651
Rayeen or Kunjra (Muslim)EBC18285841.398798748
ShershahbadiEBC13026440.99647421
KulhaiyaEBC12537810.959095832
Pathan (Khan)General9866650.754762027
Sai/Faqeer/Diwan/Madar (Muslim)EBC6631970.507321038
Dhobi (Muslim)EBC4097960.313478698
Idrisi or Sarzi (Muslim)EBC3296610.252178404
SyedGeneral2979750.227939792
Chudihar (Muslim)EBC2079140.159046477
Thakurai (Muslim)EBC1474820.112818245
Qasab (Qasai) (Muslim)EBC1338070.102357378
Mallick (Muslim)BC1116550.085411922
Bhat (Muslim)BC890520.068121468
Madariya (Muslim) (Only for Sanhaul block of Bhagalpur and Dhoriya block of Banka)BC866580.066290147
Daphali (Muslim)EBC732590.05604041
Mehtar, Lalbegi, Halalkhor, Bhangi (Muslim)EBC699140.05348161
MorshikarEBC666070.050951878
Pamaria (Muslim)EBC648900.049638437
Nat (Muslim)EBC616290.047143893
GaddiBC576170.044074862
Mukairi (Muslim)EBC565220.043237228
Cheeq (Muslim)EBC504040.038557185
Jat (Muslim (Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamadhi, Khagaria & Araria)BC449490.034384313
Rangrez (Muslim)EBC433470.033158843
Bakho (Muslim)EBC368300.02817358
Bhathiyara (Muslim)EBC272630.020855181
Saikalgarg (Muslim)EBC189360.014485336
QadarEBC181210.013861891
Miriyasin (Muslim)EBC154150.011791902
Nalband (Muslim)EBC119000.009103057
Madari (Muslim)EBC116200.008888868
AbdalEBC114330.00874582
Itfarosh/Itafarosh/Gadheri/Itpaz Ibrahimi (Muslim)EBC94620.007238078
QalandarEBC78730.006022552
QaghziBC23600.001805312

The Iraqi/Kalal was counted as a subset of Bania caste. Prominent members of the Kalal community had protested against the state government and demanded a separate categorization.

Notable Bihari Muslims

Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh Maulvi Khuda Bakhsh.jpg
Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh

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