Salaat (Muslim)
Encyclopedia
The Salaat are Muslim
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
. They are Muslim
converts from the Hindu
Salaat
caste
.
and migrated to Jalore in Rajasthan
. In the 16th Century, the Nawab
of Palanpur
invited a few Salaats to work in his quarries. They are found mainly in Palanpur
, with small numbers in Ahmedabad
and Baroda. The community speak Gujarati
, with substantial Marwari
loanwords. The community are distantly related to the Silawat
community of Rajasthan
.
s, they have a communal organization referred to as a jamat. The Salat Muslim Jamat is their principle community organization, and deals with issues of welfare.
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...
. They are 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...
Salaat
Salaat (caste)
-History and origin:The word salat has been derived from salaya which means stone. They are a community of stone cutters. The community is divided into two clans, the Kumbhar Salat and the Ghantitakewala Salat. Both these clans are endogamous, with the former being immigrants from Marwar. The...
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...
.
History and Origins
The name Salaat is a derivative of the word saliya meaning stone. There traditional occupation was stone cutting. The community originated in SindhSindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and migrated to Jalore 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...
. In the 16th Century, the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Palanpur
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
invited a few Salaats to work in his quarries. They are found mainly in Palanpur
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
, with small numbers in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and Baroda. The community 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...
, with substantial Marwari
Marwari language
The Marwari language , also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi), is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Marwari is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and Haryana and in Eastern Pakistan...
loanwords. The community are distantly related to the Silawat
Silawat
The Silawat are a Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and state of Rajasthan in India. They are also known as Sangtarash and Gazdar, especially in Sindh. -History and origin:...
community of 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...
.
Present circumstances
The Salat are an endogamous community, with marriages arranged with in a close kin. In addition to stone cutting, the community are also masons, involved in the building of mosques and temples. Many Salat are now petty traders or building contractors. Like other Gujarati MuslimGujarati 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...
s, they have a communal organization referred to as a jamat. The Salat Muslim Jamat is their principle community organization, and deals with issues of welfare.