Caste system among South Asian Muslims refers to units of social stratification that have developed among Muslims in South Asia(largely the region that comprises India and Pakistan), despite Islam's egalitarian tenets^[1][2]. The Indian caste system is the traditional system of social stratification on the Indian Subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by a number of endogamous, hereditary groups often termed as jātis or castes. ... Map of South Asia South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, . It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent, and is also known as the Indian subcontinent. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ...

Origins

Sources indicate that the castes among Muslims developed as the result of close contact with Hindu culture and Hindu converts to Islam^[1][2][3][4]. Those who are referred to as Ashrafs are presumed to have a superior status derived from their foreign Arab ancestry^[5][6], while the Ajlafs are assumed to be converts from Hinduism, and have a lower status.

Scholars such as Yoginder Sikand, have asserted that while the influence of Hindu social mores on the Muslims might partially explain the continued salience of caste among them it does not fully explain how the Muslims of the region came to be stratified on the basis of caste in the first place. He has said that the claim that Muslim castes were "entirely influenced by Hinduism" is "based on the untenable assumption of a once pure, radically egalitarian Muslim community in India later coming under the baneful impact of Hinduism".^[4]. With the Partition of India, Muslim caste systems were preserved across the three countries where they existed in large numbers viz. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Yoginder Sikand (born 1967) is an Islamic intellectual from India and the author of several books about Islam and allied ussues. ... Caution! This Article Is Under Construction This article or section is currently in the middle of an expansion or major revamping. ...

Stratification

Ashrafs have a superior status derived from their foreign ancestry^[7][8]. The non-Ashrafs are assumed to be converts from Hinduism, and are therefore drawn from the indigenous population. They, in turn, are divided into a number of occupational castes.^[8]

Sections of the ulema (scholars of Islamic jurisprudence) provide religious legitimacy to caste with the help of the concept of kafa'a. A classical example of scholarly declaration of the Muslim caste system is the Fatawa-i Jahandari, written by the fourteenth century Turkish scholar, Ziauddin Barani, a member of the court of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, of the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Barani was known for his intensely casteist views, and regarded the Ashraf Muslims as racially superior to the Ajlaf Muslims. He divided the Muslims into grades and sub-grades. In his scheme, all high positions and privileges were to be a monopoly of the high born Turks, not the Indian Muslims. Even in his interpretation of the Koranic verse "Indeed, the pious amongst you are most honored by Allah", he considered piety to be associated with noble birth.^[9] Barrani was specific in his recommendation that the "sons of Mohamed" [i.e. Ashrafs] "be given a higher social status than the low-born [i.e. Ajlaf]^[10].His most significant contribution in the fatwa was his analysis of the castes with respect to Islam.^[11] His assertion was that castes would be mandated through state laws or "Zawabi" and would carry precedence over Sharia law whenever they were in conflict.^[11] In the Fatwa-i-Jahandari (advice XXI), he wrote about the "qualities of the high-born" as being "virtuous" and the "low-born" being the "custodian of vices". Every act which is "contaminated with meanness and based on ignominity, comes elegantly [from the Ajlaf]".^[12] Barani had a clear disdain for the Ajlaf and strongly recommended that they be denied education, lest they usurp the Ashraf masters. He sought appropriate religious sanction to that effect.^[4] Barrani also developed an elaborate system of promotion and demotion of Imperial officers ("Wazirs") that was primarily on the basis of their caste.^[13] Ziauddin Barani was an Indian muslim political thinker who lived in Mohammad bin Taghloq and Phirozshah,s arena. ... Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic law. ...

In addition to the Ashraf/Ajlaf divide, there is also the Arzal caste among Muslims, who were regarded by anti-Caste activists like Babasaheb Ambedkar as the equivalent of untouchables.^[14][15] The term "Arzal" stands for "degraded" and the Arzal castes are further subdivided into Bhanar, Halalkhor, Hijra, Kasbi, Lalbegi, Maugta, Mehtar etc.^[14][15] The Arzal group was recorded in the 1901 census in India and are also called Dalit Muslims “with whom no other Muhammadan would associate, and who are forbidden to enter the mosque or to use the public burial ground”.They are relegated to "menial" professions such as scavenging and carrying night soil.^[16]. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. ... In the Indian caste system, a Dalit, often called an untouchable,or an outcaste, is a person who does not have any varnas. ... Night soil is a term most often used to describe the practice of using untreated human waste as fertilizer. ...

Indian Muslims also stratify their society according to 'Quoms' in the Bengal region of India and in Bangladesh.^[17] These Muslims practise a ritual-based system of social stratification. The Quoms who deal with human emissions are ranked the lowest. Studies of Bengal (India) Muslims indicate that the concepts of purity and impurity exist among them and are applicable in inter-group relationships, as the notions of hygiene and cleanliness in a person are related to the person's social position and not to his/her economic status.^[8] Muslim Rajput is another caste distinction among Indian Muslims. Bengal (Bengali: বঙ্গ Bôngo, বাংলা Bangla, বঙ্গদেশ Bôngodesh or বাংলাদেশ Bangladesh), is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Rajputs (Urdu: راجپوت) were the rulings clans of India during the classical period, i. ...

Genetic data has also shown proof of this stratification^{citation needed}. Pathans and Sheikhs are one group, Syed and Bania another, and the lower castes are composed of Saifis and Ansaris.^[18] The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun (Persian: پختون) (Urdu: پشتون ), or Pathan) or ethnic Afghans[4] are an ethno-linguistic group living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan and in North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. ... Shaikh (شيخ, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh or Sheikh) is a word in the Arabic language meaning an elder or a revered old man. ... Sayyid (Arabic: سيد ) Sayyid is an honorific title often given to claimed descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Husayn and Hasan, the sons of his daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib (who was Muhammads younger cousin and had been raised in his... A sauna, the wet version also called steam bath, is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet/dry heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities, or the act of using a sauna. ... The Arabic word saif (سيف) and variations Saif, Sayf, Seif generally means {{coward)). // As such it does not in and of itself denote anything more specific than saber or back-sword in its parent land. ... Ansari may refer to: Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari (1880-1936) an Indian nationalist and political leader Khalid A H Ansari, an Indian entrepreneur Chairman of Mid-Day Newspaper based in Mumbai, India and Chairman Emeritus of Squash Racquets Association of Maharashtra (SRAM) Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian entrepreneur Hojjat ol-Islam Majead...

The Sachar Committee's report commissioned by the government of India and released in 2006, documents the continued stratification in Muslim society. Justice Rajindar Sachar The Rajinder Sachar Committee, appointed by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India was a High Level Committee For Preparation of Report on Social, Economic and Educational Status of the Muslim Community of India. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Interaction and Mobility

Interactions between the oonchi zat (upper caste) and neechi zat (lower caste) are regulated by established patron-client relationships of the jajmani system, the upper castes being referred to as the 'Jajmans', and the lower caste as 'Kamin'. Upon contact with a low-caste Muslim, a Muslim of a higher zat can "purify" by taking a short bath, since there are no elaborate rituals for purification.^[8] In rare cases, higher caste Muslims have opposed burials of lower caste Muslims in the same graveyard.^[19]

Some data indicates that the castes among Muslims have never been as rigid as that among Hindus.^[20] The rate of endogamous marriage, for example, is less than two thirds.^[20] An old saying also goes "Last year I was a Julaha (weaver); this year a Shaikh; and next year if the harvest be good, I shall be a Sayyid.".^[21] However, other scholars, such as Ambedkar, disagreed with this thesis (see criticism below). Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. ...

Castes in Pakistan

The Caste system in Pakistan has mainly evolved to sectarian divides and strong issues along similar lines to those divides seen in India. The Muhajir populated city of Karachi sees sectarian problems amongst the newly established(1-2 generations) immigrants the greatest of all other regions of the country. With Shiites making nearly 18% of the population, this new balance has caused armed conflict since the early 1980s. Muhajir or Mohajir (Arabic: مهاجر) is an Arabic word meaning refugee or immigrant or emigrant. ... Karachi (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the most populated city in Pakistan. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ...

The social stratification among Muslims in the "Swat" area of North Pakistan has been meaningfully compared to the Caste system in India. The society is rigidly divided into subgroups where each Quom is assigned a profession. Different Quoms are not permitted to intermarry or live in the same community^[22]. These Muslims practice a ritual-based system of social stratification. The Quoms who deal with human emissions are ranked the lowest. ^[23].

Lower castes are often severely persecuted by the upper castes. Lower castes are denied privileges in many communities and violence is committed against them. A particularly infamous example of such incidents is that of Mukhtaran Mai in Pakistan, a low caste woman who was gang raped by upper caste men[1]. In addition, educated Pakistani women from the lower castes are often persecuted by the higher castes for attempting to break the shackles of the restrictive system (that traditionally denied education to the lower castes, particularly the women). A recent example of this is the case of Ghazala Shaheen, a low caste Muslim woman in Pakistan who, in addition to getting a higher education, had an uncle who eloped with a woman of a high caste family. She was accosted and gang-raped by the upper-caste family. The chances of any legal action are low due to the Pakistani Government's inability to repeal the Hudood ordinance against women in Pakistan^[24], though, in 2006, Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf proposed laws against Hudood making rape a punishable offense ^[25], which were ratified by the Pakistani senate. The law is meeting considerable opposition from the Islamist parties in Pakistan, who insist that amending the laws to make them more civilized towards women is against the mandate of Islamic religious law ^[26]. Mukhtaran Bibi Mukhtaran Bibi (مختاران بی‌بی) (c. ... The Hudood Ordinance is a law in Pakistan, which enforces punishments mentioned in the Quran and sunnah for crimes such as adultery, rape and theft. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... (PA – 6920) General Pervez Musharraf (Urdu: پرويز مشرف); born August 11, 1943) is the President, the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army and the fourth Pakistani General to govern the country in the wake of a coup. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ...

Criticism

Many Muslim scholars have termed the caste-like features in Indian Muslim society as a "flagrant violation of the Qur'anic worldview.". However, a few Muslim scholars tried to reconcile and resolve the "disjunction between Qur'anic egalitarianism and Indian Muslim social practice" through theorizing it in different ways and interpreting the Quran and Sharia to justify casteism^[27].

While some scholars have asserted that the Muslim Castes are not as acute in their discrimination as that among Hindus^[4][20], Ambedkar argued otherwise, writing that the social evils in Muslim society were "worse than those seen in Hindu society".^[14][15] Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. ...

Babasaheb Ambedkar was an illustrious figure in Indian politics and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. He was extremely critical of the Muslim Caste System and their practices, quoting that "Within these groups there are castes with social precedence of exactly the same nature as one finds among the Hindus". He was critical of how the Ashrafs regarded the Ajlaf and Arzal as "worthless" and the fact that Muslims tried to sugarcoat the sectarian divisions by using euphemisms like "brotherhood" to describe them. He was also critical of the precept of literalism of scripture among Indian Muslims that led them to keep the Muslim Caste system rigid and discriminatory. He condemned the Indian Muslim Community of being unable to reform like Muslims in other countries like Turkey did during the early decades of the twentieth century.^[14][15]. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. ... The Constitution of India, the worlds lengthiest written constitution (with 395 articles and 8 schedules) was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. ... Look up Literal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Literal (from Latin litteralis, from littera, letter); taken in a non-figurative sense. ...

Votebank

The Muslim caste system is used as a votebank in states with large Muslim minorities such as Uttar Pradesh, where the INC government figure Arjun Singh noted "Muslims should get reservation under the backward category (OBCs) besides a separate quota for Dalit Muslims"^[28] INC can refer to: Indian National Congress Iraqi National Congress Iglesia ni Cristo International Network of Crackers, a major warez organization during the early 1990s. ... HRD Minister Arjun Singh Arjun Singh, (Hindi: born November 5, 1930, Madhya Pradesh) is a veteran Congress (I) Leader. ...

See also

Punjabi Muslim tribes from Hindu Lineage A numerically significant population of the Punjabi Muslims in Pakistan are descendents of Hindus. ...

References