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Contrary to Qur'anic worldview and Islamic teaching in general, some Muslim communities in South Asia still apply a system of social stratification which was borrowed from caste system in India as Muslims first came in contact with large Hindu populated areas in South Asia in 636 CE. Caste system in India itself has similarities with the caste systems in general.
In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal
Sources indicate that the castes among Muslims developed both because of Arabs in Islamic theology and Hindu casteism effect on Indian Muslims.
In Bihar state of India, cases have been reported in which the higher caste Muslims have opposed the burials of lower caste Muslims in the same graveyard.
Some data indicates that the castes among Bengali Muslims have never been as rigid as that among Hindus. The rate of endogamous marriage, for example, is less than two thirds. An old Bengali saying also goes "Last year I was a Julaha (weaver); this year a Shaikh." However, other scholars disagree with this thesis (see criticism below).
Stratification
In North India, most of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, the Muslims are classified as Ashrafs, Ajlafs and Arzals. Ashrafs claim a superior status derived from their aristocratic ancestry.
Barani was specific in his recommendation that the "sons of Mohamed" "be given a higher social status than the low-born . His most significant contribution in the fatwa was his analysis of the castes with respect to Islam. His assertion was that castes would be mandated through state laws or "Zawabi" and would carry precedence over Sharia law whenever they were in conflict.
Every act which is "contaminated with meanness and based on ignominity, comes elegantly ". Barani also developed an elaborate system of promotion and demotion of Imperial officers ("Wazirs") that was primarily on the basis of their caste.
In addition to the Ashraf/Ajlaf divide, there is also the Arzal caste among Muslims, who were regarded by anti-Caste activists like as the equivalent of untouchables. The term "Arzal" stands for "degraded" and the Arzal castes are further subdivided into Bhanar, Halalkhor, Hijra, Kasbi, Lalbegi, Maugta, Mehtar etc. They are relegated to "menial" professions such as scavenging and carrying night soil.
Arzal
Arzal is the working class destined to labour and provide services to all others.
Interaction and mobility
Main article: Jajmani systemIn Bihar state of India, cases have been reported in which the higher caste Muslims have opposed the burials of lower caste Muslims in the same graveyard.
Some data indicates that the castes among Bengali Muslims have never been as rigid as that among Hindus. The rate of endogamous marriage among cross cousins and parallel cousins for example, is less than two thirds.
The upper caste Muslim caste include Khan.
Social class in Pakistan
Different qoums are not permitted to intermarry or live in the same community. The Quoms who deal with human emissions are ranked the lowest.
Stephen M. Lyon of University of Kent has written about what he calls "Gujarism", the act of Gurjars in Pakistan seeking out other Gurjars to form associations, and consolidate ties with them, based strictly on caste affiliation.
Criticism of the system
Some Muslim scholars have termed the caste-like features as a "flagrant violation of the Qur'anic worldview." Other scholars tried to reconcile and resolve the "disjunction between Qur'anic egalitarianism and Indian Muslim social practice" through theorizing it in different ways and interpreting the Qur'an and Sharia to justify casteism.
See also
- Social class in the United States
- Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz
- Islam in India
- List of Muslim Other Backward Classes communities
- Caste system among Indian Christians
- Indian caste system
- Caste system in Africa
References
- Muslim Caste in Uttar Pradesh (A Study of Culture Contact), Ghaus Ansari, Lucknow, 1960, Page 66
- ^ Anand Mohan Sahay. "Backward Muslims protest denial of burial". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2003-03-06.
- ^ Madan, T.N. (1976). Muslim communities of South Asia : culture and society. Vkas Publishing House. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-7069-0462-8.
- Ikram, S. M. (1964). "The Interaction of Islam and Hinduism". Muslim Civilization in India. New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
{{cite book}}: External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - Asghar Ali Engineer. "On reservation for Muslims". The Milli Gazette. Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd,. Retrieved 2004-09-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - Aggarwal, Patrap (1978). Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India. Manohar.
- ^ Das, Arbind, Arthashastra of Kautilya and Fatwa-i-Jahandari of Ziauddin Barrani: an analysis, Pratibha Publications, Delhi 1996, ISBN 81-85268-45-2 pp. 124-143
- ^ Ambedkar, Bhimrao. Pakistan or the Partition of India. Thackers Publishers.
- ^ Web resource for Pakistan or the Partition of India
- Gitte Dyrhagen and Mazharul Islam (2006-10-18). "Consultative Meeting on the situation of caste in Bangladesh" (PDF). International Dalit Solidarity Network. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- Dereserve these myths by Tanweer Fazal,Indian express
- Falahi, Masood. "Caste and caste based discrimination s Among Indian Muslims'" (PDF). http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - Habib, Mohammed (1358), The Political Theory of the Delhi Sultanate
- Asghar Ali Engineer. "On reservation for Muslims". The Milli Gazette. Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd,. Retrieved 2004-09-01
- ^ Barth, Fredrik (1962). "The System Of Social Stratification In Swat, North Pakistan". In E. R. Leach (ed.). Aspects of Caste in South India, Ceylon, and North-West Pakistan. Cambridge University Press. p. 113.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - Stephen M. Lyon. "Gujars and Gujarism: simple quaum versus network activism". University of Kent at Canterbury. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
Further reading
- Ahmad, Imtiaz (1978). Caste and social stratification among Muslims in India. New Delhi: Manohar. OCLC 5147249.
- Ali, A.F. Imam (September 1993). Changing Social Stratification in Rural Bangladesh. South Asia Books. ISBN 978-81-7169-267-5.
- Sikand, Yoginder (2004). Islam, Caste and Muslim Relations in India. Global Media Publications. ISBN 81-88869-06-6.
- Ali, Syed (December 2002). "Collective and Elective Ethnicity: Caste Among Urban Muslims in India". Sociological Forum. 17 (4): 593–620. doi:10.1023/A:1021077323866. ISSN 0884-8971.
- Ahmad, S. Shamim; A. K. Chakravarti (January 1981). "Some regional characteristics of Muslim caste systems in India". GeoJournal. 5 (1): 55–60. doi:10.1007/BF00185243. ISSN 0343-2521.
- Berreman, Gerald D. (June 1972). "Social Categories and Social Interaction in Urban India". American Anthropologist. 74 (3): 567–586. doi:10.1525/aa.1972.74.3.02a00220. ISSN 0002-7294.
External links
- Salil Kader. Social Stratification Among Muslims In India. June 15, 2004.
- Yoginder Singh Sikand. Islam And Caste Inequality Among Indian Muslims.
- Andhra fatwa draws flak The telegraph, Calcutta - June 22, 2007
| Segregation in countries by type (in some countries, categories overlap) | |
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