Ajay Kumar at 17:23, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T17:23:15Z

New page

The '''Halaypotra''' ({{lang-sd|هاليپوٽا}}) are a [[Muslim]] community found in the state of [[Gujarat]] in [[India]] and a province of [[Sindh]] in [[Pakistan]]. They are one of a number of communities of [[Maldhari]] pastoral nomads found in the [[Banni Grasslands Reserve|Banni]] region of [[Kutch]].<ref>People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Two edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 487-491</ref>

==History and origin==

The Halaypotra claim descent from Halosamma, a nobleman belonging to the [[Samma (tribe)|Samma]] [[Rajput]] tribe. Other traditions connect the Halaypotra with the [[Soomro|Soomra]] tribe of [[Sindh]]. They are a small [[Maldhari]] community, concentrated in the Banni region of [[Kutch]]. The Halaypotra perceive themselves to be [[Muslim Rajput]]s.<ref>People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Two edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 487-491</ref>

==Present circumstances==

The community is concentrated in the [[talukas]] of [[Bhuj Taluka|Bhuj]], [[Abdasa Taluka|Abdasa]] and [[Mandvi Taluka|Mandvi]] in [[Kutch District]] of [[Gujarat]], and the neighbouring districts of [[Badin District|Badin]] and [[Tharparkar District|Tharparkar]] in [[Sindh]]. They speak a dialect of [[Kutchi language|Kutchi]], with substantial [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] loan words. The Halaypotra consists of seven clans, the main ones being the Sharman, Dera, Tajju and Babbia. They are an endogamous community, and marriages between the clans is the norm. The community are [[Sunni]] [[Muslim]]s, as well as practicing folk beliefs.<ref>People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Two edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 487-491</ref>

The Halaypotra are pastoral [[Maldhari]] nomads, raising buffaloes, cows and sheep, and graze these in the Banni region. They also sell milk to [[Bhuj]]. They often migrate to [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] with to graze their cattle. Like many other Kutchis, the Halaypotra have migrated to others parts of India in search of work. The community are also famed for their embroidery work, known as bharat ka kam.

==See also==
*[[Samma (tribe)|Samma]]
*[[Mutwa]]

==References==

{{reflist}}
{{Indian Muslim}}

[[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Social groups of Sindh]]
[[Category:Tribes of Kutch]]
[[Category:Maldhari communities]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Sindhi tribes]]
[[Category:Samma tribes|*]]
[[Category:Sindhi tribes in India]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Gujarat]]

Halaypotra - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:23, 23 July 2023