Deshwali
Encyclopedia
The Deshwali , or sometimes pronounced Deswali, are a Muslim Rajput community found in the state of Rajasthan
in India
. A small number of Deshwali are found in the city of Hyderabad
,Sindh
in Pakistan.
language means land and wali, which is Persian
(originally from Arabic) means lord, literally the word Deshwali means a feudal lord. The community are Rajput
, and there are two traditions as to their conversion to Islam
. According one of the traditions, they were soldiers in the army of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the last Rajput
ruler of North India
, and were captured by Mohammed Ghori, the first Muslim
invader of North India
, and were forced to convert to Islam
. The other tradition, they were converted to Islam
, by the great Sufi preacher, Moinuddin Chishti
. Deshwali community live in Rajasthan, Madhya Prades. Deshwali in Rajasthan live in Nagour, Ajmer, Tonk, Bhilwara & Jaipur districts. They speak the Marwari
dialect, with many having knowledge of Urdu
.
and Pathan communities. They have no system of gotras, and practice both parallel and cross-cousin marriages. The community consists of large to medium-sized farmers, and like other Rajput
groups in Rajasthan
, have been affected by the abolishment of the Jagirdari system. A small number of Deshwali are sharecroppers and landless agricultural labourers. A few are also engaged in petty business, and the community has seen a growth in education and the start of urbanization. The community still has a caste council, which deals with inter-community disputes, as well maintaining the community traditions and customs. They also act as representatives of the community in relation to the Indian state. The Deshwali are Sunni and continue to pay special reverence to Moinuddin Chishti
, the Sufi saint of Ajmer
. They are relatively more orthodox then the Merat
and Cheetah
, neighbouring Muslim Rajput communities.
In addition to the Deshwalis in India
, there is also community of Deshwali found in the city of Hyderabad and adjoining rural areas. They maintain close relations with the Qaimkhani
and Khanzada
, two neighbouring Rajasthani
communities found in Sindh
.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
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...
. A small number of Deshwali are found in the city of Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sindh
is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
,Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
in Pakistan.
History and origin
The community get their name from word desh, which is the local MarwariMarwari language
The Marwari language , also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi), is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Marwari is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and Haryana and in Eastern Pakistan...
language means land and wali, which is 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...
(originally from Arabic) means lord, literally the word Deshwali means a feudal lord. The community are Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
, and there are two traditions as to their conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. According one of the traditions, they were soldiers in the army of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the last Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
ruler 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...
, and were captured by Mohammed Ghori, the first 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...
invader 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...
, and were forced to convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The other tradition, they were converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, by the great Sufi preacher, Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
. Deshwali community live in Rajasthan, Madhya Prades. Deshwali in Rajasthan live in Nagour, Ajmer, Tonk, Bhilwara & Jaipur districts. They speak the Marwari
Marwari language
The Marwari language , also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi), is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Marwari is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and Haryana and in Eastern Pakistan...
dialect, with many having knowledge 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...
.
Present circumstances
The Deshwali are generally an endogamous community, although there are cases of intermarriage with the QaimkhaniQaimkhani
Kaimkhani or Qaimkhani is a Muslim Rajput clan that resides in Sindh and Punjab, Pakistan and Rajasthan, India.- History :Kaimkhanis are the descendants of Nawab Kaim Khan, born Karamchand, the son of Raja Motay Rai Chauhan, the ruler of Dorayra or Dadrewa...
and Pathan communities. They have no system of gotras, and practice both parallel and cross-cousin marriages. The community consists of large to medium-sized farmers, and like other Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
groups in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, have been affected by the abolishment of the Jagirdari system. A small number of Deshwali are sharecroppers and landless agricultural labourers. A few are also engaged in petty business, and the community has seen a growth in education and the start of urbanization. The community still has a caste council, which deals with inter-community disputes, as well maintaining the community traditions and customs. They also act as representatives of the community in relation to the Indian state. The Deshwali are Sunni and continue to pay special reverence to Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
, the Sufi saint of Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
. They are relatively more orthodox then the Merat
Merat
The Merat are a Rajput community, found in the state of Rajasthan in India. They also settled in Punjab and Sindh provinces Pakistan. They are also known as Mer and Merat-Kathat.-History and origin:...
and Cheetah
Cheetah (caste)
The Cheetah or Cheeta are a Muslim Rajput community found in the state of Rajasthan in India. They are also known as Cheeta Thakur.-History and origin:...
, neighbouring Muslim Rajput communities.
In addition to the Deshwalis 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...
, there is also community of Deshwali found in the city of Hyderabad and adjoining rural areas. They maintain close relations with the Qaimkhani
Qaimkhani
Kaimkhani or Qaimkhani is a Muslim Rajput clan that resides in Sindh and Punjab, Pakistan and Rajasthan, India.- History :Kaimkhanis are the descendants of Nawab Kaim Khan, born Karamchand, the son of Raja Motay Rai Chauhan, the ruler of Dorayra or Dadrewa...
and Khanzada
Khanzada
The Khanzada, or Khanzadah, is a subdivision of Rajputs, now found mainly in the Rajasthan, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh of India; and Sindh, Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Khanzadahs, the royal family of Muslim Jadon Rajputs, accepted Islam on their association with the Sufi Saints...
, two neighbouring Rajasthani
Rajasthani people
Rajasthani people are the native inhabitants of Rajasthan region of India. They form an ethnic group which is a result of assimilation of Scytho-Dravidian, Aryo-Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Indo-Scythian, Indo-Greeks, Indo-Iranians and Austro-Asiatic ancestries...
communities found in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.