Saifi

Saifi
Classification Muslim, artisans
Religions Islam
Languages Hindi and Urdu
Populated States Uttar Pradesh,Bihar India and Punjab Pakistan
Subdivisions none

The Saifi are a Muslim community found primarily in the Uttar Pradesh,Bihar state in India. They are also known as Muslim Lohar.[1]

Other Saifi communities exist in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Many of these follow orders of Sufism from the influence of Akhundzada Saif-ur-Rahman Mubarak.

History & Origin

The Saifi are a community associated with the occupation of carpentry and ironsmithy. Their name comes from the Arabic word Saif, which means a sword. Like many other artisan communities in North India, they claim descent from Arab immigrants to India, who arrived during the period of the Delhi Sultanate [2]

They speak Urdu, as well as local dialect's of Hindi.

Present Circumstances

The Saifi are a Sunni Muslim community. They also visit the shrines of various Sufi saints found in North India, such as Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.[3]

They are a landless community, involved with wood carving and wood engravings. Many have also taking to the modern occupation of being mechanics, and selling furniture, sawmills and workshops with lathe machines for the manufacture of spare parts.They are now considered as forming a community with in the Shaikh caste.[4]

The Saifi have their own council of elders to deal with matters relating to the community. This panchayat deals with issues such as elopment, fights, thefts and disrespect of community norms. They are an endogamous community, and cross cousin and parrelel cousin marriages are prevalent. the name saifi community is given by molana farqualeet sahab.

Distribution

In Uttar Pradesh, they are primarily found in the SAHARANPUR, MORADABAD, Bulandshahr, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Aligarh districts, with other significant populations existing in Lucknow, Bareilly, and Gorakhpur.. They are also present in the Rohilkhand region, as well as in Delhi.[5] in Bihar district of Saifi Motihari East champaran,Battiah,gopalganj,muzaffarpur,Patna,siwan,siwhar,sitamadhi

Quite a few Saifi have immigrated to Pakistan, where they form an important element in the Muhajir community.

See also

References

  1. ↑ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1240 Manohar Publications
  2. ↑ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1240 Manohar Publications
  3. ↑ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1240 Manohar Publications
  4. ↑ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1243 Manohar Publications
  5. ↑ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three by K S Singh page 1240 Manohar Publications
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