Bheesty
Encyclopedia
The Bhishti are a Muslim
community found in North India
, Pakistan
and the Terai
region of Nepal
. They are also known as Shaikh Abbasi
and Saqqa, and use Abbasi
as a surname. In Maharashtra
, the community is often referred to as Pakhali. The title character of Rudyard Kipling
's poem "Gunga Din
" is a Bhisti.
. and the word Bhishti is derived from the Persian
word behesht, meaning paradise, and the name is said to have been given to the community on account of their ministering to Muslim
soldiers at a battle. They were historically the suppliers of water from a goat-skin bag known as the mashk
or mashq. The Bhishti claim to be of Arab
origin, and claim descent from one of the uncles of the Prophet Mohammad, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, hence they are known as Abbasis.
In Gujarat, the Bhishti claim to have come from North India
during the rule of the Mughal
Emperor Akbar. Like the Bhishti of North India
, they claim to Abbasi
Arabs, who provided water for the Mughal
armies that conquered Gujarat.
The Bhisti of Maharashtra
are unaware of their origin, although many now claim to be belong to the Abbasi
community. They are found mainly in the districts of Sangli
, Sholapur, Kolhapur
and Pune
. The community speak the Dakhani dialect of Urdu
, as well as Marathi
.
A good many Shaikh Abbasi of Delhi
emigrated to Pakistan
, at the partition of India
. They are now found mainly in Karachi
, and form a sub-group within the larger Muhajir ethnic group.
are a landless community. In addition to carrying water, the community are involved in wage labour. They also supply drinking water during the festivals and religious gatherings. The Uttar Pradesh
Bhishti are strictly endogamous
, marrying close kin. They speak Urdu
, as well as regional dialects such as Khari boli. The Bhishti consist of a number of clans known as biradaris, which are supposedly descended from a common ancestor. Their main biradaris are the Abbasi, Beg, Behlim, Faruqi, Turki and Turkmen. Although the Bhishti are found throughout Uttar Pradesh, their greatest concentration are in the Doab
districts of Aligarh
and Meerut
. In Delhi
, the Abbasi are employed as water suppliers to the Delhi Municipality. They are also employed as motor mechanics, carpenters, welders, turners, finters and painters. The Bhishti are Sunni Muslim
s, although they also incorporate elements of folk belief. Like other Muslim
artisan caste
s, the Bhishti have set an India
wide caste association, the All-India Jamiat ul Abbas, which acts both as a welfare association, as well as organization involved with lobbying on behalf of the Bhishti in India
. The community has been granted Other Backward Class status.
In Gujarat, the Bhishti are now landless, and are employed as wage labourers. Many are also involved as rickshaw pullers, with a few involved in the manufacturing of bidis, the traditional cigarette of India
. The Bhishti now speak Gujarati
, and live mainly in Ahmedabad
. Like other Gujarati Muslim
s, they have a caste
association. They are Sunni Muslim
s, with many belonging to the Deobandi
sub-sect.
The Bhisti of Maharashtra
are an endogamous community and marry close kin. They practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. There traditional occupation of water carrying is now obsolete, and the community are engaged in a number of occupations. A good many are wage labourers, with a small minority who is involved in business. Despite the disappearance of their traditional occupation, community identity remains strong. The Bhisti have set up their own caste association, the Maharashtra Bhishti Samaj. This acts as an instrument of community of welfare, and well as pressure group on behalf of the community.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community found in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
region of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. They are also known as Shaikh Abbasi
Abbasi
Abbasi is a prominent Islamic family name. - Origin :The Abbasid caliphate was founded by the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, in Harran in 750 CE and shifted its capital in 762 to Baghdad...
and Saqqa, and use Abbasi
Abbasi
Abbasi is a prominent Islamic family name. - Origin :The Abbasid caliphate was founded by the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, in Harran in 750 CE and shifted its capital in 762 to Baghdad...
as a surname. In Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, the community is often referred to as Pakhali. The title character of Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's poem "Gunga Din
Gunga Din
-Background:The poem is a rhyming narrative from the point of view of a British soldier, about a native water-bearer who saves the soldier's life but dies himself. The last line suggests a deep-down unease of conscience about the prevailing views of natural hierarchies, both in the depicted...
" is a Bhisti.
History and origin
The Bhishti are the traditional water carriers of South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. and the word Bhishti is derived from the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word behesht, meaning paradise, and the name is said to have been given to the community on account of their ministering to Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
soldiers at a battle. They were historically the suppliers of water from a goat-skin bag known as the mashk
Mashk
A mashk or mashq is a traditional water-carrying bag, usually made of waterproofed goat-skin, from North India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh....
or mashq. The Bhishti claim to be of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
origin, and claim descent from one of the uncles of the Prophet Mohammad, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, hence they are known as Abbasis.
In Gujarat, the Bhishti claim to have come from North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
during the rule of the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Akbar. Like the Bhishti of North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
, they claim to Abbasi
Abbasi
Abbasi is a prominent Islamic family name. - Origin :The Abbasid caliphate was founded by the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, in Harran in 750 CE and shifted its capital in 762 to Baghdad...
Arabs, who provided water for the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
armies that conquered Gujarat.
The Bhisti of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
are unaware of their origin, although many now claim to be belong to the Abbasi
Abbasi
Abbasi is a prominent Islamic family name. - Origin :The Abbasid caliphate was founded by the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, in Harran in 750 CE and shifted its capital in 762 to Baghdad...
community. They are found mainly in the districts of Sangli
Sangli district
Sangli district is a district of Maharashtra state in west-central India. Sangli city is the district headquarters. The district is 24.51% urban. Sangli and Miraj are the largest cities. The industrial town of Kirloskarwadi is also located in the Sangli District...
, Sholapur, Kolhapur
Kolhapur District
Kolhapur district is located in Maharashtra state. The city of Kolhapur is the district headquarters. The district had a population of 3,523,162 of which 29.81% were urban as of 2001...
and Pune
Pune District
Pune District is situated in Maharashtra state of India. Pune city is the district headquarters. In the last census on 2001, the total population of the district was 7,232,555, making it the fourth most populous district in India . Urban population comprises 58.08% of the total population...
. The community speak the Dakhani dialect of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, as well as Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
.
A good many Shaikh Abbasi of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
emigrated to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, at the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. They are now found mainly in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, and form a sub-group within the larger Muhajir ethnic group.
Present circumstances
The Bhishti of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
are a landless community. In addition to carrying water, the community are involved in wage labour. They also supply drinking water during the festivals and religious gatherings. The Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
Bhishti are strictly endogamous
Endogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such basis as being unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. A Greek Orthodox Christian endogamist, for example, would require that a marriage be only with another...
, marrying close kin. They speak Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, as well as regional dialects such as Khari boli. The Bhishti consist of a number of clans known as biradaris, which are supposedly descended from a common ancestor. Their main biradaris are the Abbasi, Beg, Behlim, Faruqi, Turki and Turkmen. Although the Bhishti are found throughout Uttar Pradesh, their greatest concentration are in the Doab
Doab
A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...
districts of Aligarh
Aligarh District
Aligarh District is a district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Its district seat is located in the city of Aligarh .The Aligarh District belongs to Aligarh Division...
and Meerut
Meerut District
Meerut district , is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Meerut is the district headquarters. Meerut district is a part of Meerut division.-Demographics:...
. In Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, the Abbasi are employed as water suppliers to the Delhi Municipality. They are also employed as motor mechanics, carpenters, welders, turners, finters and painters. The Bhishti are Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, although they also incorporate elements of folk belief. Like other Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
artisan caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s, the Bhishti have set an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
wide caste association, the All-India Jamiat ul Abbas, which acts both as a welfare association, as well as organization involved with lobbying on behalf of the Bhishti in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The community has been granted Other Backward Class status.
In Gujarat, the Bhishti are now landless, and are employed as wage labourers. Many are also involved as rickshaw pullers, with a few involved in the manufacturing of bidis, the traditional cigarette of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Bhishti now speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, and live mainly in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
. Like other Gujarati Muslim
Gujarati Muslim
The term Gujarati Muslims is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the State of Gujarat in west India, who speaks the Gujarati Language as a mother-tongue and follows certain customs different from the rest of Indian Muslims...
s, they have a caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
association. They are Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, with many belonging to the Deobandi
Deobandi
Deobandi is a movement of Sunni Islam. The movement began at Darul Uloom Deoband in Deoband, India, where its foundation was laid on 30 May 1866.-History:...
sub-sect.
The Bhisti of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
are an endogamous community and marry close kin. They practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. There traditional occupation of water carrying is now obsolete, and the community are engaged in a number of occupations. A good many are wage labourers, with a small minority who is involved in business. Despite the disappearance of their traditional occupation, community identity remains strong. The Bhisti have set up their own caste association, the Maharashtra Bhishti Samaj. This acts as an instrument of community of welfare, and well as pressure group on behalf of the community.