Nirdhi Bhil
Encyclopedia
Nirdhi Bhil or sometimes pronounced as Nilde Bhil are a Muslim
community found mainly at the base of the Satmalas hills in the Jamner
and Pachora
subdivisions of Jalgaon District
in Maharashtra
, India
. They are one of the main sub-groups within the larger Bhil
tribe. Their customs are similar to the Tadvi
, another Muslim Bhil sub-group, and there are cases of intermarriage between the two groups. However, the two groups are geographically divided. Little is known as to the exact circumstances as to their conversion to Islam
, but like the Tadvi, it is said to have occurred during the rule of the Faruki kings. Satmalas hills formed part of the territory the Faruqi
kingdom, a medieval state in central India
. A close association had developed between the Bhil
of this region, and the Faruqi state led to the conversion of many of them to Islam
.
The community are mainly small and medium sized farmers, with livestock raising as an important subsidiary occupation. Most Nirdhi now speak Marathi
, but historically the community spoke its own dialect of the Bhil language.
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 mainly at the base of the Satmalas hills in the Jamner
Jamner
Jamner is a town and taluka in the Jalgaon subdivision of Jalgaon district in Nashik division of Kandesh region of Maharashtra state in India. Jamner is famous for cotton, banana and oranges. Its main markets are Neri, Pahur and Shendurni....
and Pachora
Pachora
Pachora is a city and a municipal council in Jalgaon district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-Geography:Pachora is located at . It has an average elevation of 261 metres ....
subdivisions of Jalgaon District
Jalgaon District
Jalgaon district is a district of Maharashtra. It was formerly known as East Khandesh district. It has an area of 11,765 km², and a population of 3,682,690 of which 71.4% were rural....
in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, 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...
. They are one of the main sub-groups within the larger Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
tribe. Their customs are similar to the Tadvi
Tadvi Bhil
The Tadvi Bhil are a Muslim community found in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in India and Sindh in Pakistan. They are Muslim converts from the larger Bhil ethnic group. Tadvi Bhils are descendents of Muslim men and local Bhil women...
, another Muslim Bhil sub-group, and there are cases of intermarriage between the two groups. However, the two groups are geographically divided. Little is known as to the exact circumstances as 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 ~~~...
, but like the Tadvi, it is said to have occurred during the rule of the Faruki kings. Satmalas hills formed part of the territory the Faruqi
Faruqi dynasty
The Faruqi dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Khandesh sultanate from its inception in 1382 till its annexation by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1601. The founder of the dynasty, Malik Ahmad participated in a rebellion against the Bahmani ruler Muhmmad Shah I in his early years...
kingdom, a medieval state in central 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...
. A close association had developed between the Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
of this region, and the Faruqi state led to the conversion of many of them 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 are mainly small and medium sized farmers, with livestock raising as an important subsidiary occupation. Most Nirdhi now speak Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, but historically the community spoke its own dialect of the Bhil language.