Muslim Bandhmati
Encyclopedia
The Bandhmati are a Muslim
community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
in India
.
converts from the Hindu
Bandhmati
caste
. In Hindi
, the word bandhmati literally means a manufacturer of ropes. The exact circumstances to their conversion to Islam
are unclear, with a number of differing traditions. One relate to conversion at the hand of the Sufi preacher Syed Salar Masud, who is buried in Bahraich
. The community is concentrated in Saharanpur District
, and also found in the other districts of the Doab
region of western Uttar Pradesh
. They speak Urdu
among themselves, and Hindi
with outsiders.
communities of the Doab
, they are undergoing a process of Islamization, and this has led to the abandonment of clan exogamy. Marriages now occur within close kin, and they practice both parallel-cousin and cross-cousin marriages. The Bandhmati are Sunni Muslims, although they still incorporate many folk beliefs. Some pre-Islamic Hindu
ceremonies survive, such as the mundane ceremony.
The traditional occupation of the Bandhmati remains the manufacture of rope. But like other Muslim artisan communities, they have seen a decline in their traditional occupation. Many have taken to raising poultry; a few are now small-scale farmers. Others have immigrated to towns like Saharanpur
, where they are now daily wage labourers. Like other Muslim artisans groupings, they have a caste association, which deals with intra community disputes, and acts as an instrument of social control.
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 Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
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 Muslim Bandhmati are MuslimMuslim
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...
Bandhmati
Bandhmati
The Bandhmati are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Banbasi.-Origin:The Bandhmati are a caste that are traditionally involved in the manufacture of ropes. According to some traditions, they are a community of Banjaras that took to the manufacture of...
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...
. In Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, the word bandhmati literally means a manufacturer of ropes. The exact circumstances to their conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
are unclear, with a number of differing traditions. One relate to conversion at the hand of the Sufi preacher Syed Salar Masud, who is buried in Bahraich
Bahraich
Bahraich is a city and a municipal board in Bahraich district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located on the Saryu River, a tributary of river Ghaghra, Bahraich is 125 km north-east of Lucknow, the state capital. The towns of Barabanki, Gonda, Balrampur, Lakhimpur and Sitapur share...
. The community is concentrated in Saharanpur District
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
, and also found in the other districts of the Doab
Doab
A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...
region of western Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. They speak Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
among themselves, and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
with outsiders.
Present circumstances
The Bandhmati are sub-divided into three endogamous groups, the Bhishti, Faqir and Karach. Historically these three groups were strictly endogamous, but this is no longer the case. Like other MuslimMuslim
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 of the Doab
Doab
A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...
, they are undergoing a process of Islamization, and this has led to the abandonment of clan exogamy. Marriages now occur within close kin, and they practice both parallel-cousin and cross-cousin marriages. The Bandhmati are Sunni Muslims, although they still incorporate many folk beliefs. Some pre-Islamic 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...
ceremonies survive, such as the mundane ceremony.
The traditional occupation of the Bandhmati remains the manufacture of rope. But like other Muslim artisan communities, they have seen a decline in their traditional occupation. Many have taken to raising poultry; a few are now small-scale farmers. Others have immigrated to towns like Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Saharanpur is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Saharanpur District as well as Saharanpur Division...
, where they are now daily wage labourers. Like other Muslim artisans groupings, they have a caste association, which deals with intra community disputes, and acts as an instrument of social control.