Ajay Kumar at 20:44, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T20:44:28Z

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{{Short description|Muslim community in North India}}
{{for|Hindu Ghosi|Hindu Ghosi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{infobox ethnic group|
|group= Ghosi
|poptime =
|popplace = • Pakistan • India • Nepal
|langs = {{unbulleted list
| [[Urdu language|Urdu]][[Khari Boli]]
| [[Awadhi]]
}}
|rels= [[Islam]] 100%
|related= [[Muslim Gujjar (Uttar Pradesh)|Muslim Gujjar]], [[Gujjar]], [[Ahir]], [[Muslim Gaddi]]
}}

The '''Ghosi''' are a [[Muslim]] community found mainly in [[North India]].<ref name="SinghHasan2005">{{cite book|author1=Kumar Suresh Singh|author2=Amir Hasan|author3=Baqr Raza Rizvi|author4=J. C. Das, Anthropological Survey of India|title=People of India: Uttar Pradesh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bBdWAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=1 June 2011|year=2005|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=978-81-7304-114-3|pages=542–545}}</ref>

==History and origin==
Ghosis of [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Bihar]] claim descent from the [[Ahir]] community, and indeed are known as Muslim [[Ahir]]s.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Kumar Suresh Singh|author2=Amir Hasan|author3=Baqr Raza Rizvi|author4=J. C. Das, Anthropological Survey of India|title=People of India: Uttar Pradesh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bBdWAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=1 June 2011|year=2005|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=978-81-7304-114-3|page=541}}</ref>

The Ghosi in [[West Bengal]] claim [[Rathore]] Rajput ancestry.<ref name="SiddiquiIndia)2004">{{cite book|author1=M. K. A. Siddiqui|author2=Institute of Objective Studies (New Delhi, India)|title=Marginal Muslim communities in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygNuAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=1 June 2011|year=2004|publisher=Institute of Objective Studies|isbn=978-81-85220-58-1|pages=295–305}}</ref>

==Present circumstances==

In [[Uttar Pradesh]], they have the following sub-divisions, Thena, Chauhan, Dogar, Chikange and Bam. These sub-divisions are known as ''shijras'', and the Ghosi prefer to marry within the shijra. [[Consanguineous]] marriages are now starting to take place. They use the surname Khan, which also used by other pastoral or agricultural Muslim communities of North India.<ref name="ReferenceA">People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part two by K S Singh page 541 Manohar Publications</ref> The community is landless, and their main economic activity is the rearing of the cow or buffalo, and selling milk. Many now are employed as labourers as well. They are found throughout North India, and in [[Uttar Pradesh]] are concentrated in the districts of [[Lucknow District|Lucknow]], [[Kanpur]], [[Sultanpur District|Sultanpur]], [[Meerut District|Meerut]], [[Bahraich District|Bahraich]], [[Gonda District|Gonda]] and [[Lakhimpur Kheri District|Kheri]]. They speak [[Urdu]] and various local dialects of Hindi, in particular [[Awadhi]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==Rajasthan==
The Ghosi of [[Rajasthan]] claim to be of Gujjar origin. They keep large herds of cows and buffaloes and sell the milk. In [[Jhunjhunu]] and [[Jaipur]] districts, they are known as Ghosi, while in Churu, [[Jodhpur]] and Sikar districts, they are known as Gujar Ghosi. A good many Ghosi are also cultivators, and many are now landless agricultural labourers. The community are divided into a number of clans, known as [[gotra]]s, the main ones being the Tinna, Khaleri, Moel, Balhud, Tatar, Bhati and Chauhan. They practice clan [[exogamy]], while maintaining strict [[endogamy]]. All the Ghosi clans intermarry and are of equal status. The Ghosi are [[Sunni]] Muslims and speak the Shaikhawati dialect of [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]].<ref name="Singh1998">{{cite book|author=K. S. Singh|title=People of India: Rajasthan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vm_KCE4XXPMC&pg=PR3|accessdate=1 June 2011|date=1 January 1998|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-769-2|pages=380–383}}</ref>

==West Bengal==
The Ghosi of [[West Bengal]] are found mainly in the districts of [[24 Parganas]] and [[Midnapore District|Midnapore]], in particular near the towns of [[Barrackpur]] and [[Kharagpur]] . According to the traditions of this community, they emigrated from [[Kanpur]], in what is now Uttar Pradesh some five centuries ago. They claim to be descended from Amar Singh Rathore, a Rajput nobleman from Jhansi, on whose conversion to [[Islam]] was disowned by his [[caste]]. The community thus took up the occupation of cattle rearing, and settled in [[Midnapur]].<ref name="ReferenceB">Marginal Muslim Communities in India edited by M.K.A Siddiqui pages 295-305</ref>

The community is now divided between those who still engage in the selling of milk, and the rest of the community who are now small and medium-sized farmers. They reside in multi-caste villages, which tend to have ''ghosiparas'', "Ghosi areas". The community now speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]], although most have knowledge of Hindi. They remain strictly endogamous, and are unique among [[Bengali Muslims]] in practising clan exogamy. Their main clans are the Rathore, Dogar, Chauhan, Khelari, Tatar, Lehar and Maidul. The Ghosi of West Bengal have an informal caste council, known as a ''panchayat'', which acts as an institution of social control, resolving disputes within the community, and providing social welfare.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

==See also==
* [[Ahir clans]]
* [[Gaddi (tribe)|Gaddi]]
* [[Gujjar]]
* [[Muslim Gaddi]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Verma, V. 1996. ''Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.

{{Indian Muslim}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghosi (Tribe)}}
[[Category:Ahir]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Muhajir communities]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Social groups of West Bengal]]

Ghosi tribe - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 20:44, 23 July 2023