[Reader-list] Who are these 'Indian Muslims', Anyways?

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All

Pasted below is an excerpt from the Sachhar Committee report (p
192-193), deconstructing the caste breakup of 'Indian Muslims' who
come under the OBC category.

(http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/sachar/sachar_comm.pdf)

I am still curious as to why the Union Home ministry did not allow its
data on the religious make up of accused and convicted persons in our
prisons to be shared with the Committee? What was the need to not
disclose it? Why is it that, barring few exceptions, members of our
national media, both electronic and press, who otherwise show utmost
proclivity, in reporting any event which affects the 'Islamic
Community' in India did not question this omission?

Regards

Taha

Sociological studies on the social structure of Muslims in India have emphasized
on the presence of descent based social stratification among them.
Features of the
Hindu caste system, such as hierarchical ordering of social groups, endogamy and
hereditary occupation have been found to be amply present among the Indian
Muslims as well. The Census of India, 1901 listed 133 social groups wholly or
partially Muslim. The present day Muslim Society in India is divided into four
major groups: (i) the Ashrafs who trace their origins to foreign lands
such as Arabia,
Persia, Turkistan or Afghanistan, (ii) the upper caste Hindus who converted to
Islam, (iii) the middle caste converts whose occupations are ritually
clean, (iv) the
converts from the erstwhile untouchable castes, Bhangi (scavenger), Mehtar
(sweeper), Chamar (tanner), Dom and so on.

These four groups are usually placed into two broad categories, namely, ‘ashraf’
and ‘ajlaf’. The former, meaning noble, includes all Muslims of
foreign blood and
converts from higher castes. While ‘ajlaf’ meaning degraded or unholy, embraces
the ritually clean occupational groups and low ranking converts. In
Bihar, U.P and
Bengal, Sayyads, Sheikhs, Moghuls and Pathans constitute the
‘ashrafs’. The ‘ajlaf’,
are carpenters, artisans, painters, graziers, tanners, milkmen etc.8
According to the
Census of 1901, the ajlaf category includes ‘the various classes of
converts who are
known as Nao Muslim in Bihar and Nasya in North Bengal. It also includes various
functional groups such as that of the Jolaha or weaver, Dhunia or cotton-carder,
Kulu or oil-presser, Kunjra or vegetable-seller, Hajjam or barber,
Darzi or tailor, and
the like.’9 The 1901 Census also recorded the presence of a third
category called
Arzal: ‘It consists of the very lowest castes, such as the Halalkhor,
Lalbegi, Abdal,
and Bediya...’10

Similar pattern of descent based social stratification is discernible
in other regions
as well. In Kerala, the Moplahs of Malabar, are divided into five
ranked sections
called the Thangals, Arabis, Malbaris, Pusalars and Ossans. The Thangals trace
their descent from the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima, and are of the highest rank.
Next in rank are the Arabis, who claim descent from the Arab men and local
women and retain their Arab lineage. The Malbaris are next in rank.
They have lost
their Arab lineage and follow matrilineal descent. The Pusalars are the converts
from Hindu fishermen called Mukkuvan, the new Muslims. They have low status.
The Ossans are the barbers, and by virtue of their occupation, they
rank lowest.11
In Andhra Pradesh, a field study conducted in 1987 found hierarchically arranged
endogamous groups among Muslims. At the top of the ladder were those claiming
foreign descent—Syeds, Shaikh, Pathan and Labbai (descendants of Arab traders
who took native wives). At the lowest level were groups with ‘unclean’
occupations-Dudekula (cotton cleaners), Hazam (barbers) and Fakir-budbudki
(mendicants).12

Muslim groups currently bracketed under the category ‘OBC’ come essentially from
the non-ashraf section of the Muslim population. They are the converts from the
middle and lower caste Hindus and are identified with their
traditional occupation. A
study of a village in Uttar Pradesh could identify eighteen such
groups, for example,
Julahas (weavers), Mirasis (singers), Darzis (tailors), Halwais (sweetmakers),
manihars (banglemakers) and so on.13 The 1911 Census listed some 102
caste groups
among Muslims in Uttar pradesh, at least 97 of them came from the non-ashraf
category. Many such groups such as the Rajputs, Kayasthas, Koeris,
Koris, Kumhars,
Kurmis, Malis, Mochis were common among both Hindus and Muslims.

Since the Constitutional (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, popularly known as the
Presidential Order (1950), restricts the SC status only to Hindu groups having
‘unclean’ occupations,14 their non-Hindu equivalents have been bracketed with
the middle caste converts and declared OBC. Thus, the OBCs among Muslims
constitute two broad categories. The halalkhors, helas, lalbegis or bhangis
(scavengers), dhobis (washermen), nais or hajjams (barbers), chiks (butchers),
faqirs (beggars) etc belonging to the ‘Arzals’ are the ‘untouchable
converts’ to Islam
that have found their way in the OBC list. The momins or julahas
(weavers), darzi
or idiris (tailors), rayeens or kunjaras (vegetable sellers) are
Ajlafs or converts from
‘clean’ occupational castes. Thus, one can discern three groups among Muslims:
(1) those without any social disabilities, the ashrafs; (2) those
equivalent to Hindu
OBCs, the ajlafs, and (3) those equivalent to Hindu SCs, the arzals.
Those who are
referred to as Muslim OBCs combine (2) and (3).