Sandhai Muslims

The Sandhi Muslims are a community found in the state of Gujarat in India. Sandhi Muslim belong to a Samma tribe from Sindh. They are one of a number of communities of pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.[1]

History and origin

They are Samma Rajput who converted to Islam. The Sandhi are said to have emigrated about 300 years before Independence from Sindh to Kutch and Saurashtra. In Saurashtra, they are found mainly in Junagadh district. They speak Kutchi with many Sindhi loanwords.[1]

Present circumstances

The Sandhi are an endogamous community, and are divided into 104 clans. They do not practice clan exogamy. Their major clans include the Lakha, Sameja, Gaha, Jam, Abada, Sandh, Jokhiya, Sora, Jakhra, Samma, Rathod, Sumra, Jadeja, Nareja, Juneja, Paleja, Deda, Rayma, Dal, Bukera, Hothi, Solanki, Theba, Hala, Shetha, Unad, Sodha, Otha, and Khokhar.[1]

The Sandhi of Kutch are a community of Maldhari cattle breeders. They take their cattle to the bazaars of Bhuj. They also raise goats and buffaloes. Like other Kutchi communities, many of them have migrated to other parts of India in search of employment. They are Sunni Muslims and most follow the Hanafi madhhab. In Saurashtra, the Sandhi are mainly farmers, living on their own settlements. They have a statewide association, the Akhil Saurashtra Sindhi Muslim Vikas Jamat, which deals with community issues.[1]

References
  1. People of India: Gujarat Volume XXI, Part Three, edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen, pp. 1241-1245
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