Muslim Rajputs
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| Rajputs |
Muslim Rajputs or Musulman Rajputs, are patrilineal descendants of Rajputs of Northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent who are followers of Islam.[1] Today, Muslim Rajputs can be found in Northern India, Kashmir, and in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh.[2] They are further divided into different clans.
History
The term Rajput is traditionally applied to the original Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi clans, who claimed to be Kshatriya in the Hindu varna system.
Conversion to Islam and ethos
There are recorded instances of recent conversions of Rajputs to Islam in Western Uttar Pradesh, Khurja tahsil of Bulanshahr.[3]
Despite the difference in faith, where the question has arisen of common Rajput honour, there have been instances where both Muslim and Hindu Rajputs have united together against threats from external ethnic groups.[4]
Medieval Muslim Rajput dynasties of the Indian subcontinent
Katara dynasty
The Ismaili Rajputs replaced the Sunni Arab in Punjab in the 9th century. The dynasty lasted until the mid-11th century and had Multan as its capital. The Katara's are one the most persecuted people in Punjab especially during the Ghazni rule, after which they went into seclusion for self-preservation. They had converted to Ismaili Islam under the Da'i Halam b. Shayban, sent by Fatmid Caliph. In their rule Multan saw a period of peace, expansion of commerce and trade, and flourishing local culture.
Soomra dynasty
The Rajput Soomra dynasty replaced the Arab Habbari dynasty in the 10th century. The dynasty lasted until the mid-13th century. The Soomras are one the longest running dynasties in the history of Sindh, lasting 325 years. They had converted to Islam under the Arab rule. During their reign, Sindh saw a period of relative peace, expansion of commerce and trade, and flourishing local culture.[5]
Samma dynasty
The Samma era saw the rise of Thatta as an important commercial and cultural centre. At the time the Portuguese occupation of the trading centre of Hormuz in 1514 CE, trade from the Sindh accounted for nearly 10% of their customs revenue, and they described Thatta as one of the richest cities in the world. Thatta's prosperity was based partly on its own high-quality cotton and silk textile industry, partly on export of goods from further inland in the Punjab and northern India.[6]
The Samma period contributed significantly to the evolution of the Indo-Islamic architectural style. Thatta is famous for its necropolis, which covers 10 square km on the Makli Hill.[7]
Muzaffarid dynasty
The Gujarat Sultanate was an independent Rajput kingdom established in the early 15th century by the Muzaffarid dynasty in Gujarat. Under the dynasty, trade, culture, and Indo-Islamic architecture flourished. The city of Ahmedabad was founded by the dynasty.
Notable people in medieval India
- Raja Hasan Khan Mewati, was the ruler of Mewat and built the Alwar fort
- Isa Khan, was the Chief of the Baro Bhuiyans (twelve landlords) of 16th century Bengal. Throughout his reign he resisted the Mughal Empire
Beliefs and customs
Rajputs who accepted Islam often retain common social practices (such as purdah [seclusion of women], which is generally followed by Hindu, Sikh and Muslim Rajputs).[2]
See also
References
- ↑ "UNHCR Refugee Review Tribunal. IND32856, 6 February 2008" (PDF).
- 1 2 "Rajput". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ↑ Muslim Women by Zakia A. Siddiqi, Anwar Jahan Zuberi, Aligarh Muslim University, India University Grants, M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd., 1993, p93
- ↑ Self and sovereignty: Individual and Community in South Asian Islam Since 1850 by Ayesha Jalal, Routledge 2000, p480, p481
- ↑ http://www.uok.edu.pk/faculties/sindhi/docs/soomroEng.pdf
- ↑ The Global World of Indian Merchants, 1750-1947: Traders of Sind from Bukhara to Panama by Claude Markovits, 2000 ISBN 0-521-62285-9, ISBN 978-0-521-62285-1]
- ↑ Archnet.org: Thattah Archived 6 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine.