MargeneGoodfello at 14:42, 7 September 2025

2025-09-07T14:42:01Z

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{{Short description|Muslim community, found in North India and Pakistan}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{infobox ethnic group
| group = Darzi
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Darzi.jpg
| image_caption =
| popplace = • India • Pakistan (Indian subcontinent)
| langs = • [[Hindi]] • [[Gujarati language|Gujrati]] • [[Urdu]] • [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
| rels = • Hinduism • Islam
| related = • [[Indian people|Indians]] • [[Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh|Shaikh]]
}}

'''Darzi''' are a [[caste]] among both Hindus and Muslims. Darzi are known as [[Idrisi Darzi|Idrisi]] in the Muslim community.<ref>''People of India: Uttar Pradesh'' Volume XLII Part One, edited by Amir Hasan & J.C. Das, {{ISBN|9788173041143}}, pages 412–415</ref>

"Tailoring" is the English translation of ''Darzi''. In the Indian tradition, it was customary to wrap clothing over the body rather than wear stitched clothes. Used in [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]], the word Darzi comes from the [[Persian language]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Taleghani |first=Azita Hojatollah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=31domikfP54C |title=Modality, Aspect and Negation in Persian |date=2008 |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing |isbn=978-90-272-5511-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Panjab Past and Present |date=1986 |publisher=Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University |page=63 |language=en |quote=A tailor in Hindi is ''darzi'' and his wife is called ''darzin''. A dyer of clothes was termed as ''rangrez''. A washerman was called ''dhobi'' or ''rajak''.}}</ref>

==History and origin==
[[File:Photograph of tailors at-work, India, albumen print on card, ca.1870's–'80's.jpg|thumb|Photograph of tailors at-work, India, albumen print on card, ca.1870's–'80's]]
The word ''Darzi'' (दर्ज़ी درزی) literally means "business of [[tailor]]" in [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]]. The Darzis adopted the name ''Idrisi'' from Idris ([[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]]), a Biblical and Koranic prophet. According to their traditions, Idris was the first person to learn the art of sewing. It is said to be derived from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word {{Transliteration|fa|darzan}}, which means "to sew".{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} This is also the commonly accepted derivation of the name of the non-related religion Druze. The Darzi are said to have settled in [[South Asia]] during the early period of the [[Sultanate of Delhi]]. They are also divided on a linguistic basis, with those of [[North India]] speaking various dialects of Urdu,<ref name="people413">''People of India: Uttar Pradesh'' Volume XLII Part Two, edited by Amir Hasan & J.C. Das, {{ISBN|9788173041143}}, page 413</ref> while those of [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]] speaking [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]].

== In India ==

=== Hindu Darzi ===
The Hindu Darzi have various synonyms as well as legends about their community origins. The legends vary according to the Indian states in which they reside.

In the desert state of [[Rajasthan]], the Darzi trace their descent from their legendary hero [[Bhagat Pipa|Shri Peepa Ji Maharaj]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Enthoven|first=R. E.|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.8508/page/n319/mode/2up|title=The Tribes and Castes of Bombay, Vol. I|date=1920|publisher=Government Central Press, Bombay}}</ref> who later became saint during the [[Bhakti movement]] in India,<ref>{{Cite book|last=N.R. Godbole|url=http://archive.org/details/stories-of-indian-saints-n.-r.-godbole|title=Stories Of Indian Saints N. R. Godbole}}</ref> who was the [[Guru–shishya tradition|Great Spiritual Scholar]] of [[Ramananda|Swami Ramanada]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Digital Library Of India|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.271875|title=Kshatriya Vansh Pradeep|date=1928}}</ref> Swami Ramananda was a 14th century [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] devotional poet and saint who lived in the Gangetic basin of [[North India|Northern India]]. Over time, people from this community shifted from their originating place to their place of work to the other cities, and can be found all over India.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Enthoven|first=R. E.|url=http://archive.org/details/dli.csl.7645|title=The tribes and castes of Bombay|date=1920|publisher=Government Central Press, Bombay}}</ref>

=== Muslim Darzi ===

The Punjabi Darzi is said to have converted to Islam from the [[Hindu]] [[Chhimba]] caste, and have several territorial divisions. These include the Sirhindi, Deswal and Multani. The Punjabi Darzi ([[Chhimba Darzi]]) are almost entirely [[Sunni]].<ref>H.A. Rose, ''A Glossary of the Tribes & Castes of Punjab'', Low Price Publications, page 228</ref>

The Idrisi of [[Jharkhand]] have a common origin with those of [[Bihar]], and intermarry. The community speak the Angika dialect of [[Hindi]]. Most Idrisis are still engaged in tailoring, but many Idrisis, particularly in [[Jharkhand]], are now farmers. Their customs are similar to other [[Bihari Muslim]]s.<ref>''People of India: Bihar'' Volume XVI Part One, edited by S. Gopal & Hetukar Jha, Seagull Books, pages 392–394</ref>

==In Pakistan==
In Punjab, the Punjabi Darzi are migrants from [[Punjab (India)|East Punjab]]. Many in rural areas of Punjab have taken to cultivation, while those in urban areas have opened up small businesses. The Punjabi Darzi claim to belong to the [[Muslim Rajput]] community. They are entirely [[Sunni]], and many belong to the orthodox [[Deobandi]] sect.<ref>[[Pnina Werbner]], ''The Migration Process: Capital, Gifts and Offerings among British Pakistanis'', Berg publications</ref>

==See also==
* The [[Druze]] [[heterodox]] [[Muslim]] community of [[Syria]] also derived their name from the word ''Darzi.''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian Muslim}}
{{Muhajir communities}}

[[Category:Muslim communities of Bihar]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Bihar]]

Darzi - Revision history

MargeneGoodfello at 14:42, 7 September 2025