Agaria (Muslim)
Encyclopedia
The Agaria are a Muslim
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
.
in North India
. According to their traditions, they were substantial landowners and came to the attention of the local Muslim
governor, who demanded women from the community. The Agaria refused and were imprisoned by the governor. But Firsad, a grandson of the famous Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti
helped the community escape, as a gratitude converted to Islam
. The community may be Muslim
converts from the Hindu
Agri
caste
. They are concentrated in the taluqas of Bhuj
, Matra
, Mandvi
and Lohario.
, with many members of the community also speak Gujarati
. They are an endogamous community and consist of a number of clans, the mains ones being the Lulatar, Bayotmona, Agiotar, Makatar, Admotor, Pilatar, Buburia, Dadoria, and Taravia. All these clans are of equal status, and intermarry. The Agaria are one of thw few Gujarati Muslim
communities that practice clan exogamy. They are Sunni Muslim
s but practice many folk beliefs.
The Agaria are traditionally cultivators, and most families own a good amount of land. A small number of Agaria are landless agricultural labourers. The Agaria normally grow two crops in a year, where irrigation is available, they grow three crops. Crops grown include wheat, chilli, tomatoes, cotton, groundnuts, and sugarcane.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Origin
The Agaria derive their name from the city of AgraAgra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. According to their traditions, they were substantial landowners and came to the attention of the local Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
governor, who demanded women from the community. The Agaria refused and were imprisoned by the governor. But Firsad, a grandson of the famous Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
helped the community escape, as a gratitude converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The community may be Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
converts from the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Agri
Agri (caste)
The Agri are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India.- Origin :The Agri are so called because they migrated to Gujarat from the city of Agra. According to other traditions, they are said to have originated in Maharashtra. They still speak a dialect which is a mixture of Marathi and...
caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
. They are concentrated in the taluqas of Bhuj
Bhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
, Matra
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
, Mandvi
Mandvi
Mandvi is a city and a Municipality in Kachchh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao of the Kachchh. The old city had a surrounding fort, and remains of the fort wall can still be seen to this day...
and Lohario.
Present Circumstances
The Agaria speak KutchiKutchi language
Kachhi Kachhi Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi, is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat as well as in Sindh.- Closely related languages :...
, with many members of the community also speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. They are an endogamous community and consist of a number of clans, the mains ones being the Lulatar, Bayotmona, Agiotar, Makatar, Admotor, Pilatar, Buburia, Dadoria, and Taravia. All these clans are of equal status, and intermarry. The Agaria are one of thw few Gujarati Muslim
Gujarati Muslim
The term Gujarati Muslims is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the State of Gujarat in west India, who speaks the Gujarati Language as a mother-tongue and follows certain customs different from the rest of Indian Muslims...
communities that practice clan exogamy. They are Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s but practice many folk beliefs.
The Agaria are traditionally cultivators, and most families own a good amount of land. A small number of Agaria are landless agricultural labourers. The Agaria normally grow two crops in a year, where irrigation is available, they grow three crops. Crops grown include wheat, chilli, tomatoes, cotton, groundnuts, and sugarcane.