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Kashmiri Muslims are Kashmiri people who are Muslims, currently living in Kashmir or those originally with Kashmiri kinship and descent living in Pakistan. Kashmiris are ethinically and culturally closer to Central Asian culture than Indian culture with significant influence of the Persian culture. Kashmiri language, or Koshur, belongs to the Dardic group and is the only Dardic language which has ancient script and is widely spoken.

History

Up to about the beginning of the fourteenth century, the population of the Kashmir valley had been predominantly of Pandit (Kashmiri Brahmin) population. In the 13th century, Muslims formed a significant proportion and by the end of 14th century Islam became the dominant religion in Kashmir as most Kashmiri Brahmins converted to Islam. The Muslim population consisted mainly of Pandits who had converted into Islam and a small minority of people who had come into Kashmir with the Islamic conversion. This led to a syncretic culture. Muslims and Hindus revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines, leading to a way of life known in Kashmir as Kashmiriyat. Famous Sufi saint Bulbul Shah, through his intellectual power, was able to persuade the king of the time Rinchan Shah, who was prince of Kashgar Ladakh, to adopt the Islamic way of life and the foundation of Sufiana composite culture was laid when Muslims and Pandits were co-existing in the atmosphere of love and brotherhood. Some Kashmiri rulers, such as Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, were tolerant of all religions in the manner of Akbar.

Kashmiri Clans or Krams

Present Kashmiri Muslims are descendants of Kashmiri Pandits.

Butt

Bhat (spelled in Pakistan as "Butt") is one of the largest clans of Kashmiri Muslims.

Darr

Dhar (also spelled Darr) is the largest clan of Kashmiri Muslims found primarily in rural areas of Kashmir valley.

Khawaja

Khawaja, Khwaja or Khoja (Persian: خواجه khvājeh, in Arabic: خواجة khawājah) is a title used in the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. It means Master or Lord; the title is also closely related to other terms in Sufism. Originally an honorific, it later became common as a surname. The spellings Hodja or Hoca (Turkish), Hodžić (Bosnian), Hoxha (Albanian), Hodža (Slovak), Hotzakis (Greek), and Al-Khawaja are also used. It is a tribe of Kahsmiri Muslims.

Digoo

Digoo is one of the main clans among Hanjis of Kashmir. They are predominantly non-agricultural. Rigoo is another variant of the same clan.

Lone

Lone is one of the largest agricultural clans of Kashmiri Muslims found primarily in northern parts of Kashmir valley, particularly in Kupwara and Baramula. The surname Lone is derived from the Sanskrit word "Lavanya". In the Kashmiri language, it became "Lone".

Kashmiri Lone family is also in northern areas of Pakistan (Gilgit Baltistan), in the cities of Gilgit and Astore. They spoke the Sheena language.

Malik

The Malik tribe are thought to be descendants of Arabs.

Raja or Mirza

The majority of Muslim Rajputs use their ancient hereditary title of Raja. Although some tribes such as the Varya Rajputs (also known as Rana Rajputs) use the title Rana. Other tribes also use Kunwar and Rai. These titles all originated from the ancient word Rajanya.

Many Muslim Rajputs were also conferred titles by the Delhi Sultans and the Mughal Emperors such as Malik (Royal, King),Nawab (Governor), Sirdar, Khan,Chaudhry and Mirza i.e. Prince of the blood.

It was not uncommon for such titles to continue down the line of descent. Although the majority of Muslim Rajputs use Raja as their ancestral title, some also adopted the Persian title of Mirza instead of Rajput to distinguish their Muslim identity from their previous Hindu one as it is a Persian word meaning prince of the blood. Although the Rajputs of the Jarral dynasty were ordained as Mirza's after their intermarriage with the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir

Wain or Wani

Wain and Wani are actually the same name and they have the same source. Those who came to be known as Wani in the beginning, their offspring are now known as Wani; similarly those were known as Wain from the start, their offspring are known as Wain (pronounced like "wine" except with a nasal "n", without touching the palette with the tongue). Whether Wani came from Wain, or Wain came from Wani...It is difficult to accurately say anything about this issue. But the popular theory is that Wain is the original name, and Wani is a distorted form of it.

Taareekh Hassan and official reports by the census department from 1891 have mentioned Wains as belonging to the upper class of the Shaikh caste of Kashmir. Wains are well respected and have one of the top pedigrees among tribes.

Wain or Wani are extracts from some Hindu tribe. There are many different traditions about which tribe they come from, but all historians agree that before accepting Islam they were part of the hindu caste known as Waish. In fact, some people think that the word Wain comes from Waish. Waish is the merchant caste among hindus. Even after accepting Islam, Wains and Wanis have kept trade and commerce as the source of their livelihood. These people can get involved with the largest to the smallest trade. Perhaps it is for this reason that the census report of 1891, on page 167, says about them, "Wains and Wanis are the merchants of Kashmir and Laddakh".

The Wain tribe is divided into many castes, such as the Tal-Wain (those who sell oil), Pui-Wain, Baand-Wain, Bas-Wain, Tarangar-Wain, Kakar-Wain, and Par-Wain. Due to the adoption of different trades by different clans, various branches of the tribe have come into existence.

In the census of 1911 the total population of this tribe (listed under the name Wani) in both provinces of the state of Kashmir, are reported to be 59,487. In the census of 1931 the population of this tribe is written (this time under the name Wain) as totaling 72,113 persons. Those Wain who live in villages are agriculturalists.

People from this tribe who have moved to Punjab (most of whom call themselves Khawaja) have achieved great prosperity.

Ahli Hadith

Many people of Kashmir are Ahli Hadith.

Rather

Rather is a Kashmiri tribe that traces its origins to Srinagar, Kashmir. Many have migrated to various parts of South Asia.

Khan

Many of these Kashmirs tribe migrated from Kashmir at the time of partition of India, who are settled in District Attock are Khan, called Mehmand Khans traces back to their origins to Barim Khan, his generation is settled in and around Poonch district of Kashmir. The other Khans are traced themselves to generation of Bahlol Lodi and called themselves Lodi Khans, as both generations are recognized by the Indian Gazette for Poonch & Kashmir.

Descendants of Saints

Some Muslims of Kashmir claim to be direct descendants of Sufi Saints, mainly from the Middle East.

Shah — descendants of Syed Sharafuddin Bulbul Shah of Persia, the first Sufi Saint to arrive in Kashmir.

Hamdaani — descendants of Syed Ali Hamdaani of Persia, Shah Hamdaan, of the Kubrawi Sufi Order, one of the most beloved Saints of Kashmir.

Naqshbandi — descendants of Hazrat Khwaja Moin-Ud-Din Naqshbandi of Bukhara, of the Nashbandi Sufi Order.

Makhdoomi — descendants of Sultan-Ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom of Kangra.

Bukhari — descendants of Hazrat Baha-ud-din Naqsband Bukhari of Bukhara, of the Naqshbandi Sufi order.

Reshi — descendants of Sheikh-nur-ud-din Noorani of Kaimuh, of the Reshi Sufi order, commonly called Nund Reshi.

Chisti — descendants of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Persia.

Qadri and Jilani — descendants of Hazrat Syed Moh-ud-din Abdul Qadir Jilani of Iraq, Ghaus-e-Azam, Peer-e-Peeran, Shah-e-Jilan known as Dastgeer Sahib in Kashmir.

References

1. ^ http://genforum.genealogy.com/wain/messages/15.html Tawaareekh Aqwaam e Kashmir {Histories of the Tribes of Kashmir}, vol. 1, by Muhammad Deen Fauq, written in 1934; Published 2003 by Nigarshat, 24 Muzang Road, Lahore, Pakistan, pages 259 to 260]
2. http://www.kashmirgateway.com/sufism-shrines/index.html
3. http://www.risingkashmir.in/news/hazrat-khwaja-moin-ud-din-naqshbandi-ra-19850.aspx
4. http://www.koausa.org/Nature/Shrines/shrines1.html
5. http://www.kashmirgateway.com/sufism-shrines/index.html
6. http://www.koausa.org/KashmiriGems/NundReshi1.html
7. http://kashmirmonitor.org/06022012-ND-khwaja-moinuddin-chishti-a-model-for-all-of-us-27585.aspx

'chopan

• Ethnic groups in India
• Ethnic groups in Pakistan
• Kashmiri tribes
• Social groups of Pakistan
• Social groups of Jammu and Kashmir
• Muslim communities of India
• Islam in Azad Kashmir