A beary woman clad in traditional Kuppaya and Tuni

The Beary (also known as Byari) (Kannada: ಬ್ಯಾರಿ) is a small, vibrant Muslim community concentrated mostly in coastal South Kanara (Dakshina Kannada) district of Karnataka state in India, having its own unique traditions, and distinct cultural identity. The Beary community holds a very important place among the other coastal Muslim communities like Nawayath's of North Kanara districts, Mappilas (Moplahs) of the Malabar coast and Labbay of the Coromandel coast. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (924x1113, 336 KB) A beary woman poses casually before a camera I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (924x1113, 336 KB) A beary woman poses casually before a camera I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... Location of Dakshina Kannada district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... The Nawayaths (also spelled as Navayath or Nawayat) are a small Muslim community found living in and around the town of Bhatkal prosperous little picturesque town with quaint old abodes and villas on the west coast of Uttara Kannada, Karnataka, India. ... Uttara Kannada is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. ... The Mappilas (historically called Moplahs in Malayalam :മാപ്പിള) are a Muslim community in Kerala and neighbouring states and territories of India. ... Malabar Coast, Kerala Bekal Fort Beach, Kerala The Malabar Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. ... Labbay, Labbai, Labba (Tamil : லப்பய் , Urdu : ﻟﺐ ﺑﮯ) is a Muslim community from Southern India. ... The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. ...

Beary's are a distinct community which incorporates the Tulu culture of Dakshina Kannada and diverse traditions of the Moplahs of the Malabar coast. The Beary community are followers of the Sunni sect of Islam and belong to the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence, unlike North Indian Muslims who generally adhere to the Hanafi school. Because of the Sunni majority in Mangalore, Manglorean Muslims are usually referred to as Beary's or Byari's. Tulu is one of the minor languages of India with under 2,000,000 speakers. ... Location of Dakshina Kannada district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... Malabar Coast, Kerala Bekal Fort Beach, Kerala The Malabar Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The Šāfiˤī madhab (Arabic: شافعي) is one of the four schools of fiqh, or religious law, within Sunni Islam. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hanafi (Arabic حنفي): (its followers are sometimes known in English as Hanafites or Hanifites)-- (cf Malikite, Shafiite, Hanbalite for the other schools of thought)--.is the oldest of the four schools of thought (Madhabs) or jurisprudence (Fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ...

Etymology

The word 'Beary' is said to be derived from the Tulu word 'Byara` which means business. Thus Beary stands for businessman. Moreover, this community had adopted business as prime occupation for livelihood. Beedi industry, fishing industry, cattle, grocery and teashops were some the fields Beary men occupied with. Since the major portion of this community people were involved in business activities, the local tulu speaking majority called them as Beary or Byari. Tulu is one of the minor languages of India with under 2,000,000 speakers. ... A packet of Ganesh beedies. ...

Another popular theory is that the word Beary comes from Arabic word Bahar (Arabic: بحر). Bahar means ocean and Bahri (Arabic: بحري) means sailor or seaman. It is said that Beary community had trade relations with Arab businessmen traveling to coastal South India, especially the coastline of Malabar. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...

Third theory says that the word Beary is derived from the root word Malabar. The great Islamic Da'ee, Malik bin Dinar had arrived in the coast of Malabar during 6th century A.D. The term Caller to Islam or Da`ee is an English adaptation of the Arabic word داعي or داع (transliterated as daee, dai, dā`ī etc. ...

Geographic distribution

The Bearys constitute around 80 per cent of the Dakshina Kannada Muslims, others are scattered in the neighboring districts of Chikmagalur, Shimoga, Hassan and Uttara Kannada. Mumbai and Goa also have a considerable Beary population. Also, a good number of Bearys are in the Arab Gulf States of the Middle East doing a variety of jobs. Vidyasankara temple in Shringeri. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hassan is a city and district in the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Location of Uttara Kannada district with respect to the other districts of Karnataka. ... Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई, IPA: ), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, the most populous city of India, and by some measures the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006). ... Goa   (Konkani: गोंय goṃya; Marathi: गोवा govā; Portuguese: Goa) is Indias smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population (after Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh). ... The Gulf states are a group of six Arab countries that border the Persian Gulf. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

History

Beary community has a history of at least 1,200 years with an ethnic identity and its own dialect called Beary Baase or Nakknikk.

Bearys refer to the area south of Mangalore as Mykal or Mykala which is in fact their culture capital. According to historian B A Salettur, Mykal was an area in the southern part of Mangalore. It got its name through the Kadri Manjunath Temple, which earlier was a Buddhist temple. The Buddhist goddess Tara Bhagavathi was also known as Mayadevi. In course of time it came to be called Mikala, which later became Mykal. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Queen Māyās white elephant dream, and the conception of the Buddha. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The origin of the Beary community is still not much known; history reveals that there were many rich traders, from the Coastal belt dealing with the traders of the Middle East countries through the Arabian Sea. Following the advent of Islam in the early stage, it is said Arab Muslim traders attracted the people to Islam by their well behavior in their contact, honesty in trade, discipline in dealings and peaceful religious and pious life within the doctrines of Islam, and also by performing Da'wah. Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Dawah (Arabic: دعوة) refers to Islamic witnessing or prostylization to non-Muslims. ...

First Muslim missionaries to Mangalore can be traced to Malik Bin Deenar, an Arab trader said to be the kith and kin of Sahaba (companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)). He is said to have visited Malabar and landed near Manjeshwar in Malabar. He constructed the first mosque in Manjeshwar, the Malik Dinar Mosque (where his shrine is still present). Also the Masjid Zeenath Baksh (Jumma Masjid), Bunder, Mangalore is said to have been established in Mangalore by Malik Bin Deenar in 644 A.D. and the first Qadhi (Qazi) appointed was Hazarath Moosa Bin Malik, son of Malik Bin Abdullah. This Mosque was inaugurated on Friday the 22nd of the month of Jumadil Avval (fifth month of Islamic Calander) in 22 of Hijri (644A.D.). The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... In Islam, the Ṣaḥābah (Arabic: ‎ companions) were the companions of Muhammad. ... For other persons named Muhammad, see Muhammad (name). ... Primarily used with reference to Prophet Mohamed - Peace be upon him In some cases it is also used in conjunction with female deities to mean Peace Be Upon Her. ... Bekal Fort Beach, Kerala Malabar (Malayalam: മലബാര്‍ ) is a region of southern India, lying between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, and comprising the northern half of the state of Kerala. ... Manjeshwaram is a small costal village in Kasargod district of Kerala state, south India. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Malik Dinar Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasargode district of Kerala state, south India. ... Qadi (قاضى) is an Arabic term meaning judge. ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar is the calendar used to date events in predominately Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Muslim holy days. ...

There are several documents available which prove that at least 90 years prior to Muhammad bin Qasim`s invasion of North India, Arab Muslim businessmen were thriving in the south. This proves Islam was prevalent in South India much before Muslim invaders came to North India. These facts are available in a research document Mykal, written by Ahmed Noori, who conducted a research on the Beary community way back in 1960. Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi (Arabic: محمد بن قاسم) (c. ... Dark green region marks the approximate extent of northern India while the regions marked as light green lies within the sphere of north Indian influence. ...

Noori disputes the claim that the first Muslims came to India along with Alauddin Khilji between 1296-1316 AD and points out that according to renowned historian, H.M. Elliot, (The History of India as told by its own Historians, Part I) the first ship bearing Muslim travelers was seen on the Indian coast as early as 630 AD. According to H.G. Rawlinson, the first Arab Muslims settled on the Indian coast in the last part of the 7th century AD. Barthlomew also has similar things to say about the early Muslim settlers in India. J. Sturrock in his South Kanara and Madras Districts Manuals, says that Parsi and Arab businessmen settled in different places of the Malabar coast during the 7th century. Ahmed Noori has quoted these and other sources to validate his argument that the Muslim settlers came to India much before the invaders came to North India. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The History of India as told by its own Historians is book in eight volumes by H.M. Elliot and J. Dowson. ... Malabar Coast, Kerala Bekal Fort Beach, Kerala The Malabar Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. ...

Participation in the freedom struggle

The bearys of the coast have actively participated in the Indian freedom struggle against Portugal and British colonialism. There were a number of beary men in the army of Rani Abbakka (Kannada: ರಾಣಿ ಅಬ್ಬಕ್ಕ) of Ullal. The bearys had also joined the army of Tipu Sultan of Mysore when he was ruling Malabar including Mangalore. Historians and researchers have enlisted the famous beary personalities participated in the freedom struggle of India. Many such freedom fighters imprisoned by British and few have died during imprisonment. A potrait of Tippu Sultan by Edward Orme (1774 -1822). ... Mysore   or MaisÅ«ru (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು) is the second largest city in the Indian state of Karnataka. ...

One of the descendants of Malik Bin Deenar, Zainuddin Makhdum II has compiled a book in Arabic language motivating the Muslims of coastal Malabar to fight the enemies. Bearys seems to have largely motivated by such work and actively participated in the freedom struggle against Portugal and British rule. The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Language

Main article: Beary bashe

Beary Palka, like Kodava Takk and Are Bashe, has no script of its own. It is a combination of Arabic, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Tulu for some extent. The Kodava dialect and the Byari dialect have approximately 60% words in common. The vocabulary and speed of the speech proves masculinity in the dialect. This living dialect is also known as Beary bashe OR Nakk-Nikk. Beary bashe or Naaknik bashe is a Dravidian language spoken by a religious minority of Muslims in a region known as Tulunadu in the state of Karnataka. ... Kodava Takk, often called Coorgi or Coorg language in English, is the original language of the south Karnataka district of Kodagu. ... The Kodava are a people of southern India,and were also known historically as Coorgs. ... Beary bashe or Naaknik bashe is a Dravidian language spoken by a religious minority of Muslims in a region known as Tulunadu in the state of Karnataka. ...

Beary Sahitya (Byary literature)

The official logo of Kendra Beary Sahitya Parishad

The Bearys of the coast have produced rich litereary work using both beary dialect and Kannada language. The literature comprises beary poetry, research articles on bearys, historical analysis of Dakshina Kannada Muslims, essays, stories and other fields of literature. "English-Kannada-Beary" dictionary is also available in the market produced by Dr. A. Wahhab Doddamane. A number of notable beary literary persons have contributed to enrich the beary literature. Dr. Susheela P. Upadhyaya, an eminent scholar has made a comprehenive study in finding the roots of beary literature. Dr. A. Wahhab Doddamane has produced a book viz. The Muslims of Dakshina Kannada, which is a useful documentary work. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...

The bearys have also produced a number of magazines and periodicals from Mangalore and other cities of the district. Some peridicals have became very popular and a few of them has become a part of beary history though.

Folk Songs

The Beary folk songs were rendered during marriage parties and at the time of births and other auspicious occasions. Songs bore resemblance to Moplah Patts (Mappila Songs). Unfortunately modern day Bearys are illiterate of the folk songs sang by their ancestors. Several Beary folk games have also vanished. Mappila Paattukal or Mappila Songs are folklore Muslim devotional songs in the Malayalam language. ...

One of the famous folk songs sung by beary women during marriage occasions is "appa chudu chudu patima". Elderly ladies of the neighborhood gather around the bride on the day of mangila (wedding day) to sing those melodious songs. First few lines are:

appa chudu chudu patima,
ippa baru baru mapule;
chutte appa karinhi poyi,
banne mapule madangi poyi ....

Sahitya Sammelana (Literary Summit)

The banner of Smmelana seen at Banakal

The Fourth Beary Sahitya Sammelana (The Fourth Beary Literature Summit) was held in Vakkaligara Kalyana Mantapa in city of Chickmagalure on the 27th February 2007 which dmanded the state government for the establishment of a Beary Sahitya Academy. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Culture

The Bearys have a distinct culture difference from other Muslim communities. The marriage customs of the Bearys seem to be a mix of the Tulu and Moplah customs along with some distinct customs of their own. Bearys do not follow the matrilineal tradition, unlike the Moplahs. Curiously, the Bearys until recently followed a custom known as the Gotra or illam, which resembles the Bunt bali custom. Though Islam is basically patriarchal, illam, influenced by the Tulu culture, has matriarchal tendencies. Marriage between people belonging to the same illam (comparable to the gotra) was not encouraged. People identified with an illam were known as talakkar. And people of low castes who converted to Islam were identified as tala illatavaru. A gotra is the lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. ... Ichiro Suzuki lays down a bunt. ...

The marriage of the Bearys is considered to be a pointer to their prosperity. Marriage celebration is normally spread over 3 days starting with Mailanji (henna tattooing) at the brides house a day before the marriage (close relatives and friends are invited) and a Islamic style Nikah known as Kayeen is performed at the groom’s place on the day of the marriage. A garland exchange between Bride and groom is also part of Beary marriage which is an adoption from Tulu culture. The dowry system is still quite prevalent among most Bearys. Henna (Lawsonia inermis, syn. ... Nikah or nikkah (Arabic: النكاح ), is the contract between a bride and bridegroom and part of an Islamic marriage, a strong covenant (mithaqun Ghalithun) as expressed in Quran 4:21). ... A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the brides family to the grooms at the time of their marriage. ...

Modern marriages of most of the families are arranged in community halls with large number of invitees including relatives and community members.

Attire

The Beary attire is different from that of other south Indian community. Men wear a traditional white muslin turban and a Rani-mark belt (wide, green in colour) at the waist, with long full sleeve white shirts (known as Chatte) and bleached mundu. Today due to a cultural shift young Bearys have adopted shirt-trouser pattern. The mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Kerala related to the Dhoti as well as the Lungi. ...

Beary women are traditionally claded in three pieces of clothes, viz, tuni, kuppaya and yalasara. While going out the Beary women took a long rectangle blanket, known as valli, a sort of veil to cover entire body. If two women wants to go out together they would use a joduvalli (double veil). Today, different varieties of burqa or Abaya have replaced the traditional valli. Woman in an Afghan burqa A burqa (also burkha, burka or burqua) (Arabic: برقعة, burqʿah) is an all-enveloping outer garment worn by most women in Afghanistan, and some in Pakistan, and northern India. ... A shop selling abayas in Bahrain The Abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in Muslim cultures. ...

Ornaments

Ornaments used by the women of beary community are unique in nature. They are made out of gold and sliver mainly.

• Misri Maale – a necklace made out of gold from Egyptian origin
• Naklees – a beary version for Necklace
• Alikaat – a unique ear ornament
• Bende or Bendole – ear ornaments
• Aranjana – a golden or silver belt wrapped around waist over the dress

Festivals

The 18th Century Eidgah Mosque

The traditional Islamic festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha (also known as Bakrid) are celebrated. Special Eid prayer is offered during these two occasions. Mangalore city has a centralised Eidgah in Bavuta Gudda where congregational special prayers or Salat al Eid is held. The Eidgah of Mangalore city has a mosque which is said to have been built by then Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan towards the close of eighteenth century. Usually in the central Eidgah the Qadhi leads the Eid prayer and delivers Khutba. Colourful costumes, delicious food, exchanging the Eid greetings - Eid Mubarak (Arabic/Persian/Urdu: عید مبارک) and generous charity to the poor and needy are part of Eid celebration. Other occasions celebrated are 12th Rabi' al-awwal of the fifth month of Islamic calendar commemorating Meelad-al-Nabi - prophet Muhammad's birthday. Moon citation is an event of rejoice for Beary folk. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر, Persian: عید فطرTurkish: Ramazan Bayramı / Åžeker Bayramı) , often abbreviated as simply Eid, sometimes spelled Eid al-Fitr, is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. ... Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥā) occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. ... Salat al Eid (Arabic: صلاة العيد) also known as Salat al Eidain (Arabic: صلاة العيدين) is the special prayers offered to commemorate two Islamic festivals. ... Qadi (قاضى) is an Arabic term meaning judge. ... Khutba (خطبة) is an Arabic term referring to the Islamic sermon delivered either before the Friday Salah (see: Jumuah) and after the Eid Salat. ... Eid mubarak is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr. ... Rabi al-awwal ( ربيع الأول ) is the third month in the Islamic calendar. ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (Arabic: التقويم الهجري; at-taqwÄ«m al-hijrÄ«; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری Gāhshomāri-ye Hejri; also called the Hijri calendar) is the calendar used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic... For other persons named Muhammad, see Muhammad (name). ...

Cuisine

Beary cuisine is highly influenced by the South Indian Cuisine. Just like Mangalorean cuisine it uses a lot of coconut, curry leaves, ginger, chilli and spices like pepper and cardamom. Beary cuisine boasts of a special kind of biryani, which is very different from the other types made elsewhere. Rice preparations, both fresh and dry fish, meat and eggs enjoy top place in baery daily menu. Binomial name Cocos nucifera L. For other uses, see Coconut (disambiguation). ... ... Iraqi Biryani (as served in Amman, Jordan) The name biryani or biriani (Urdu بریانی ;Hindi बिरयानी) is derived[1] from the Persian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means fried or roasted. Biryani is a family of Middle Eastern, Southern Asian dishes made from a mixture of spices, rice (usually basmati), meat/vegetables and...

A few traditional dishes very popular amongst all the Mangalorean communities have unique names in Beary dialect. Pindi, pinde-basale, kunhi-pinde, bisali-appa, tondare-appa, guli-appa, syame, muttere-appa, pattir, poo-pole, pulche-pole, vodu-pole, uppu-molavu, kanhi, methe-kanhi, nei-kanhi, chekkere-appa etc. are to name a few.

Economic situation

The Bearys, who once enjoyed a high social status, slowly lost their position during the British and Portuguese rule. Their opposition to the English resulted in them being denied English education, which in course of time turned them into a socially backward community.

Today, hardly 5% of the community is engaged in trading and business, thanks to the modern education community offlate have been seeing professionally qualified members. Some Bearys are involved in the beedi industry and fishery, and a majority are farm laborers. A few Bearys have progressed even further in the past few years and have achieved tremendous development in the field of Education, Business & Politics. Bearys today own many Educational Institutions. Professional Colleges in Mangalore are mostly owned or partnered by Bearys. Bearys have also achieved high positions in Karnataka Politics and few have also attained positions in the Central Government. In spite of these achievements, majority of the people of the community are still economically backward. The recent job opportunities in Persian gulf countries have improved the standard of living to some extent. However, Bearys in rural areas are still extremely backward socially, economically and educationally. A packet of Ganesh beedies. ...

Since Islam prohibits interest based financial dealings, Beary community is not seem to have taken benefits of conventional banking system. In the modern days they have embarked on establishing a small scale interest free banking systen namely Interest Free Loan and Welfare Soceity in Manngalore.

References

• Bearys of the coast, Article in Deccan Herald December 12th 1997 by B.M Hanif.
• H.G. Rawlinson, Ancient and Medieval History of India
• Sturrock, J.,South Canara and Madras District Manual (2 vols., Madras, 1894-1895).

• Influence of Muslim thought on the east [1]retrieved 21 May 2006.

• Muslims in Dakshina Kannada: a historical study up to 1947 and survey of recent developments, Author Wahab Doddamane, A. Green Words publication. Mangalore, 1993 [2]

The Deccan Herald is the largest English-language daily newspaper in the state of Karnataka in India. ...

External links

• Zeenath Baksh Juma Masjid [3]
• Another link on Zeenath Baksh Juma Masjid [4]
• Byariworld.com [5]
• Web page with information on Beary's [6]
• Article on Ahmed Noori [7]
• Article on Beary's claim to a distinct ethnic identity [8]