Bayad (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Bayad are a Muslim
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
.
, and are Rajput
converts to Islam
. According to their traditions, the accampanied a Rajput
prince as he reestablished his control over the Dantha state. They originated in Kakiani in Rajasthan
, and said to have converted to Islam
some five hundred years ago. They are now found mainly in the town of Anjar
, with a small number are found in Bhuj
. At the partition of India
in 1947, a large portion of the tribe moved to Pakistan
, and are settled in the districts of Sanghar
and Badin
.
association, the Bayad Jamat based in the town of Anjar
, and its main function is the general welfare of the community. They are Sunni Muslim
s, and their customs are similar to neighbouring Muslim
communities such as the Halaypotra
.
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...
.
History and origin
The community get their name from the village of Bayad in Sabarkantha DistrictSabarkantha district
Sabarkantha is a district in Northeast of Gujarat state of India.-Geography:The administrative headquarters of the district is Himmatnagar, about 80 km from Ahmedabad....
, and are Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
converts to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. According to their traditions, the accampanied a Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
prince as he reestablished his control over the Dantha state. They originated in Kakiani in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, and said to have converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
some five hundred years ago. They are now found mainly in the town of Anjar
Anjar, India
Anjar is a town and a municipality in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The country is dry and sandy, and entirely depends on well irrigation for its water supply. The town is situated nearly 10 miles from the Gulf of Kutch. The town was third time made capital of Kachchh on...
, with a small number are found in 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...
. At the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, a large portion of the tribe moved to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and are settled in the districts of Sanghar
Sanghar
Sanghar is a city in Sanghar District, Sindh, Pakistan. Sanghar is the headquarters of Sanghar District and Sanghar Taluka . It is one of the agriculture town situated approximately 265 km from Karachi city...
and Badin
Badin
Badin is the main city and capital of Badin District in Sindh, Pakistan. It lies east of the Indus River. The region is swampy, fertile for growing rice. Some oil fields are located near the town in the seasonally inundated Rann of Kutch region...
.
Present circumstances
The Bayad are an endogamous community, but their some cases of intermarriage with neighbouring Samma communities. There traditional occupation was military services in the princely state of Kutch, with agriculture being their secondary occupation. Most are now small and medium sized farmers, with the selling of milk being secondary occupation. The community has a casteCaste
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...
association, the Bayad Jamat based in the town of Anjar
Anjar, India
Anjar is a town and a municipality in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The country is dry and sandy, and entirely depends on well irrigation for its water supply. The town is situated nearly 10 miles from the Gulf of Kutch. The town was third time made capital of Kachchh on...
, and its main function is the general welfare of the community. 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, and their customs are similar to neighbouring 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...
communities such as the Halaypotra
Halaypotra
The Halaypotra are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India and a province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are one of a number of communities of Maldhari pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.-History and origin:...
.