Template:Infobox ethnic group Bihari Muslims are adherents of Islam who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Biharis. They are geographically native to the region comprising the Bihar state of India, although there are significantly large communities of Bihari Muslims living elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent due to the Partition of British India in Template:Date, which prompted the community to migrate en masse from Bihar to East Pakistan.[1] Bihari Muslims make up a significant minority in Pakistan under the diverse community of Muhajirs (Template:Literal translation), and largely began arriving in the country following the Bangladesh Liberation War of Template:Date, which led to the secession of East Pakistan from the Pakistani union as the independent state of Bangladesh. Since Template:Date, Bihari Muslims residing in Bangladesh are widely referred to as Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh who are awaiting repatriation to Pakistan,[2][3] and have faced heightened persecution in the country due to their collaboration with West Pakistani forces in perpetrating the 1971 Bangladesh genocide against Bengalis and Hindus.[4][5][6][7]
The majority of Bihari Muslims adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam, and the adoption of the religion by Biharis traces back to the Template:Date, when Afghan traders and Sufi missionaries began to arrive in the region a century prior to the Mughal Empire's conquest of the subcontinent.[8] There are also a significant minority of Biharis who adhere to the Shia branch of Islam, largely residing in Patna and tracing their religious descent to Shia Muslim settlers from Lucknow who arrived in the region in the Template:Date.[9]
Origin
In common with the rest of India, the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Bihar are descendants of native converts from various castes.[10] The rise of the Indian Muslim population can be traced back to the early 12th century, with many conversions to Islam taking place during the rule of the Sur Empire, which had established its capital in Sasaram.[11]
History
The large-scale arrival of Muslims in Bihar began in the 14th century, when Afghan traders and Sufi saints-warriors settled in the South Bihar plains and furthered the process of agricultural colonisation while also spreading Islam among the local populace. Muslims were not the only new immigrants to Bihar during this period as many upper-caste Hindus arrived also including Rajput and Bhumihar clan chiefs who cut down the forested areas and drove the indigenous Adivasis out of the region. Inscriptions in Bihar Sharif tell of a Sufi warrior by the name of Malik Ibrahim Bayu who came to Bihar and defeated the non-Hindu Kol tribe who had been oppressing the local Muslims. He conquered many Kol chiefdoms.[12]
Some of the kings and chieftains of medieval Bihar were Muslim. The chieftaincy of Kharagpur Raj in modern-day Munger district was originally controlled by Hindu Rajputs. In 1615 after a failed rebellion by Raja Sangram Singh, his son Toral Mal converted and he changed his name to Roz Afzun.[13]
The Faujdars of Purnea (also known as the Nawabs of Purnea) created an autonomous territory for themselves under the leadership of Saif Khan and ruled in parts of Eastern Bihar in the early 1700s. They were engaged in a protracted conflict with the neighbouring Kingdom of Nepal.[14]
Many Bihari Muslims migrated to Pakistan and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) after independence in 1947.[15]
Society
Bihari Muslim society has traditionally been divided by caste and clan affiliations. Muslims refer to these distinctions as biraderi and they are not as rigid as those followed by Hindus, but intermarriage remains rare.[16] The Ashraf groups are equivalent to upper castes [17] and include groups like Pathans, Sayyid , sheikh , Mallick and Mirza. The Pathans of Bihar are mostly the descendants of Pashtun settlers with some being descended from local high-caste Bhumihar and Rajput converts. The Mirzas claim descent from the Mughals and are found mainly in the area around Darbhanga and Muzzafarpur. The Ajlaf Muslims are mostly the descendants of low-caste Hindu converts. Among the largest Ajlaf groups are the Ansaris who form 20% of the Muslim population in Bihar. Their traditional occupation is weaving.[16]
Distribution by district
The following table shows the Muslim population of Bihar by district:[18]
| Number | District | Population (2001) | Muslim population | Percentage |
| 1 | Kishanganj | 1,296,348 | 1,123456 | 99% |
| 2 | Katihar | 2,392,638 | 1,024,678 | 49% |
| 3 | Araria | 2,158,608 | 887,972 | 45% |
| 4 | Purnia | 2,543,942 | 935,239 | 38% |
| 5 | Darbhanga | 3,295,789 | 748,971 | 29.7% |
| 6 | Sitamarhi | 2,682,720 | 568,992 | 29% |
| 7 | West Champaran | 3,043,466 | 646,597 | 26% |
| 8 | East Champaran | 3,939,773 | 755,005 | 26% |
| 9 | Bhagalpur | 2,423,172 | 423,246 | 26% |
| 10 | Madhubani | 3,575,281 | 941,579 | 26% |
| 11 | Siwan | 2,714,349 | 494,176 | 26% |
| 12 | Gopalganj | 2,152,638 | 367,219 | 26% |
| 13 | Supaul | 1,732,578 | 302,120 | 26% |
| 14 | Sheohar | 515,961 | 80,076 | 26% |
| 15 | Muzaffarpur | 4,746,714 | 752,358 | 26% |
| 16 | Saharsa | 1,508,182 | 217,922 | 25% |
| 17 | Begusarai | 2,349,366 | 313,713 | 24% |
| 18 | Banka | 1,608,773 | 190,051 | 23% |
| 19 | Gaya | 3,473,428 | 403,439 | 22%
|
| 20 | Jamui | 1,398,796 | 170,334 | 21% |
| 21 | Nawada | 1,809,696 | 204,457 | 20% |
| 22 | Madhepura | 1,526,646 | 173,605 | 19% |
| 23 | Aurangabad | 2,013,055 | 221,436 | 18% |
| 24 | Kaimur | 1,289,074 | 123,048 | 17% |
| 25 | Khagaria | 1,280,354 | 131,441 | 17% |
| 26 | Rohtas | 2,450,748 | 246,760 | 16% |
| 27 | Samastipur | 3,394,793 | 355,897 | 15% |
| 28 | Saran | 3,248,701 | 337,767 | 14% |
| 29 | Vaishali | 2,718,421 | 259,158 | 14% |
| 30 | Jehanabad | 1,514,315 | 124,149 | 13% |
| 31 | Munger | 1,337,797 | 98,791 | 13% |
| 32 | Patna | 4,718,592 | 366,164 | 11% |
| 33 | Bhojpur | 2,243,144 | 163,193 | 11% |
| 34 | Nalanda | 2,370,528 | 176,871 | 11% |
| 35 | Sheikhpura | 525,502 | 37,755 | 11% |
| 37 | Buxar | 1,402,396 | 86,382 | 10% |
| 38 | Lakhisarai | 802,225 | 35,378 | 10% |
Sum total of this table is 14,780,500 Muslims out of 83.0 million total population in 2001 census, hence Muslims were 16.5% of total population in Bihar. In 2011 census, total population grew to 103.9985 million, of which 16.9% or 17,557,809 were Muslims.[19] During 2001–2011, Muslims grew by 33.433%, while non-Muslims grew by 23.537%. District-wise break up by religions for 2011 is not available.
Muslim communities
- Muslim Bhumihars
- Pathans of Bihar
- Kulhaiya
- Shaikh of Bihar
- Muslim Kayasths
- Muslim Rajputs
- Shershahabadia
- Malik clan (Bihar)
- Abdal
- Muslim Chhipi
- Lal Begim
- Turuk Pasi
- Sayyid
- Chik
- Kunjra
- Sai
- Muslim Rangrez
Pamaria
Muslim Kalwar/_Kalal/Eraqui
References
- ↑ HISTORY: THE FALL OF DHAKA FROM BIHARI EYES, Khan, Engr Imtiaz Alam. DAWN.COM(2019-12-15). Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ In Pictures: Plight of Biharis in Bangladesh. www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ Remembering the war of 1971 in East Pakistan, Zakaria, Anam. www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Report Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate by the Department of State in Accordance with Sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance 1961, as Amended S. prt{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. U.S. Department of State(1998)
- ↑ Bengalis Hunt Down Biharis, Who Aided Foe. The New York Times(1971-12-22). Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ Biharis. Minority Rights Group. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ Genocide and Mass Violence in Asia – Bangladesh, Jacob, Frank. OAPEN Online Library and Publication Platform(2019). Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ↑ Bihar, Prasad, Ram Chandra. National Book Trust, India(7 November 1983).
- ↑ Bihar Through the Ages{{#if:Chaturvedi|, Chaturvedi}. Sarup & Sons(7 November 2018). ISBN 9788176257985
- ↑ Bihar Information. Director, Public Relations(7 November 1984).
- ↑ Religion, Community, and Education: The Case of Rural Bihar{{#if:Alam|, Alam}. Oxford University Press(27 January 2012). ISBN 9780199088652
- ↑ Bonded Histories: Genealogies of Labor Servitude in Colonial India{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Cambridge University Press(30 October 2003). ISBN 978-0-521-52658-6
- ↑ Tahawar Singh-A Muslim Raja of Kharagpur Raj (1676 - 1727). Proceedings of the Indian History Congress({Template:Year).
- ↑ Bengal: The British Bridgehead: Eastern India 1740-1828{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Cambridge University Press(2 November 2006). ISBN 978-0-521-02822-6
- ↑ Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South Asia{{#if:Ghosh|, Ghosh}. SAGE Publishing India(23 May 2016). ISBN 9789351508533
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Government and Politics in Colonial Bihar, 1921-1937{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Mittal Publications(1 January 2004). ISBN 978-81-7099-979-9
- ↑ Studies in Bihar's Economy and Society{{#if:Karna|, Karna}. Concept Publishing Company(1981)
- ↑ Error Value. www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ↑ Bihar elections among factors in religious data of Census 2011 release. The Hindu(25 August 2015).