Hajjam
Encyclopedia
Hajjam , alternately pronounced and spelled as Hajaam , are a ethnic group found in North India
and Pakistan
. In Pakistan
, they are settled in Sindh
and Punjab
provinces of Pakistan
. The word Hajaam is derived from the Urdu word Hajaamat which in Urdu
means barber
and hairdresser
. They are also known as the Khalifa
and Musalmaan Nai and in Uttar Pradesh
as the Salamani.
, concentrated in North India
. They are also found in the provinces of Sindh
and Punjab
in Pakistan
.
Their traditional occupation has been that of a barber and hairdresser. The word "Hajaam" is derived from the Urdu
word "Hajaam" (barber), itself coming from the Arabic
word hijama
. There counterparts in the Hindu
community would the Nai
. Most Hajjams are Sunni Muslims, although there is a small minority, particularly in the Awadh
region who are Shia. They claim descent from the Biblical prophet Prophet Soloman or Sulaiman, and often call themselves Salmani. Historically, they have been concenterated in the Awadh
region, but are found throughout North India
and in Sindh
and Punjab
provinces of Pakistan
.
status. This transformation in their social status has also seen in the dropping of the word Hajam, and they now self identify themselves as Salmani. They are found mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar
. The Hajjam community consists of a number of clans, known as biradaris. Traditionally, marriages occur within the biradri. Their main biradaris are Behlim and Deswal Khalifa of Muzaffarnagar District
, Turkiya of Rohilkhand
, the Shaikh Salmani, Turkiya and Pirzada in Awadh
.
Each of their settlement contains a community has a community council, which acts as an instrument of social control. This community council usually impose fines for the offence of disrespecting traditional norms, and also resolves any petty disputes with in the community. The community are Sunni Hanafi
Muslim
s, and are considered fairly orthodox. They are also an endogomous community, preferring to marry among themselves. Cross - cousin marriages are preferred.
In Bihar
, the Hajjam are generally known as Khalifas, and they speak the Maithili
dialect of Hindi
. Most educated Hajjam also speak Urdu
. They are found throughout Bihar
, and are still engaged in their occupation. However, many Khalifa in Jharkhand
are now farmers. The community has a biradari panchayat, which deals with intra community disputes as well as a reprsentative to the state. Many have also emigrated to Mumbai
and Kolkata
, where they are employed as day labourers.
, the Hajjam are found mainly in the Punjab
province. The Muslim Hajjam have three sub-divisions, the Bahalim
, Chauhan
and Kharal
. The first claims descent from Yemen
i Arabs, the other two were originally Muslim Rajputs
. They are also other sub-groups, such as the Banbheru, Ghaghrel and Turkman. In addition, many Hajjam claim to be have been of Bhatti, Khokhar
and Awan
origin, who due to circumstances, have taking up the occupation of being barbers. Many Hajjam from Uttar Pradesh
in India
migrated to Pakistan
after independence in 1947 and mainly settled in Karachi
.
Gabriel
to shave Adam
. Thus Adam learnt the art of shaving, and handed down the art to Sulemain Paras, or the Prophet Soloman.
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 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...
. In 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...
, they are settled 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...
and Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
provinces of 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...
. The word Hajaam is derived from the Urdu word Hajaamat which in 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...
means barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
and hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
. They are also known as the Khalifa
Khalipha
Khalifa is a Muslim community of Gujarat in India and Sindh in Pakistan. Their traditional occupation is usually as folk singers or musicians. Most Khaliphas are Sunni Muslims. They form one of the sub-groups of the Gujarati Muslims....
and Musalmaan Nai and in 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...
as the Salamani.
History and Origins
Most Hajjams are Muslims. They are considered as an economically backward community in IndiaIndia
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...
, concentrated 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...
. They are also found in the provinces of 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...
and Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
in 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...
.
Their traditional occupation has been that of a barber and hairdresser. The word "Hajaam" is derived from the 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...
word "Hajaam" (barber), itself coming from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word hijama
Hijama
Hijama is the name in Arab traditional medicine for wet cupping, where blood is drawn by vacuum from a small skin incision for therapeutic purposes. Hijama is generally performed by Muslims as it is a form of medicine specifically mentioned and encouraged by the Islamic prophet Muhammad...
. There counterparts in the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
community would the Nai
Nai (caste)
The word Nai refers to a particular profession, that of cutting hair, running beauty salons, makeup or facelift clinics, beauty parlours, etc. among Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims in India. They are also referred to as Nai and Nai-Thakur, Sains. In Pakistan, the Nai or hairdresser were following it as a...
. Most Hajjams are Sunni Muslims, although there is a small minority, particularly in the Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
region who are Shia. They claim descent from the Biblical prophet Prophet Soloman or Sulaiman, and often call themselves Salmani. Historically, they have been concenterated in the Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
region, but are found throughout 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 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...
and Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
provinces of 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...
.
Hajjam in India
The Hajjam have largely been dependent in their labour and services, although some have now acquired agricultural land and engage in settled agriculture, besides being barbers occupationally. Many have also taken to education or are petty businessmen. The community now considers itself of ShaikhShaikhs in South Asia
Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants , is a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that literally means "elder." It is commonly used to designate an elder of a tribe, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar...
status. This transformation in their social status has also seen in the dropping of the word Hajam, and they now self identify themselves as Salmani. They are found mainly in the states of 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...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. The Hajjam community consists of a number of clans, known as biradaris. Traditionally, marriages occur within the biradri. Their main biradaris are Behlim and Deswal Khalifa of Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The town of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters.-Communication:...
, Turkiya of Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
, the Shaikh Salmani, Turkiya and Pirzada in Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
.
Each of their settlement contains a community has a community council, which acts as an instrument of social control. This community council usually impose fines for the offence of disrespecting traditional norms, and also resolves any petty disputes with in the community. The community are Sunni Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
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, and are considered fairly orthodox. They are also an endogomous community, preferring to marry among themselves. Cross - cousin marriages are preferred.
In Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, the Hajjam are generally known as Khalifas, and they speak the Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
dialect of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. Most educated Hajjam also 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...
. They are found throughout Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, and are still engaged in their occupation. However, many Khalifa in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
are now farmers. The community has a biradari panchayat, which deals with intra community disputes as well as a reprsentative to the state. Many have also emigrated to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, where they are employed as day labourers.
Hajjam in Pakistan
In PakistanPakistan
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...
, the Hajjam are found mainly in the Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
province. The Muslim Hajjam have three sub-divisions, the Bahalim
Behlim
The Behlim are a Muslim community found mainly in North India.A small number are also found in the city of Karachi in Pakistan.- Origin :The Behlim trace their descent the Sufi Masud Ghazi, and the word is said to be a corruption of the word ba-ilm, meaning those who are knowledgeable in Arabic...
, Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
and Kharal
Kharal
-History:Kharal are Panwar Rajputs. Panwar is Sub division of Paramara Rajputs.The Paramara belongs to the Agnivansha of Rajputs....
. The first claims descent from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i Arabs, the other two were originally Muslim Rajputs
Muslim Rajputs
Muslim Rajputs or Musulman Rajputs are Muslims belonging to the Hindu Rajput Kshatriya groups of Indian subcontinent, who converted to Islam.-History:...
. They are also other sub-groups, such as the Banbheru, Ghaghrel and Turkman. In addition, many Hajjam claim to be have been of Bhatti, Khokhar
Khokhar
The Khokhar or Khokar are a people of Punjab region of Pakistan and north-western India. According to H. A. Rose they are the gotra of Rajput, Jat, Arain, Nai, and Churah. According to Denzil Ibbetson, they are also a gotra of the Tarkhan and Khatri tribes. The Khokhars were designated as an...
and Awan
Awan (Pakistan)
Awan , is a South Asian Zamindar tribe, putatively of Arab origin, living predominantly in northern, central, and western parts of Punjab, Pakistan...
origin, who due to circumstances, have taking up the occupation of being barbers. Many Hajjam from 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...
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...
migrated 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...
after independence in 1947 and mainly settled 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...
.
Kisbatnama
They maintain a manual of their art, known as the Kisbatnama. In this it is related that God first ordered ArchangelArchangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
to shave Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
. Thus Adam learnt the art of shaving, and handed down the art to Sulemain Paras, or the Prophet Soloman.