Kagzi
Encyclopedia
The Kagzi are a Muslim
community found in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra
in India
.
means a manufacturer of paper, from the word kagaz or paper. There are, in fact, two distinct Kagzi communities, with their own customs, traditions and origin myths, one found in Gujarat and the other in Maharashtra
The Gujarat Kagzi claim to have come to Ahmedabad
have from Bukhara
in Central Asia
, at the invitation of Sultan Ahmad Shah. The community have always been associated with the manufacture of paper, and many still reside in the Shahpur area of Ahmedabad
, their original settlement in Gujarat. In Maharashtra
, the Kagzi claim to be descended from soldiers of the Tughlaq armies that invaded the Deccan. They are now found mainly in the districts of Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Pune
, Akola
and Nasik. The Maharashtra
Kagzi speak the Dakhani dialect of Urdu
, although most can understand Marathi
.
The Maharashtra
Kagzi are divided into a number of territorial groupings, such as the Yawalwale, Badwale and Kalekhwale. Each of these territorial groupings has a caste association, known as a jamaat. Although marriages are permitted within these groupings, they are rear. The Kaghzi have seen a complete decline in their traditional occupation, and most are now either petty businessmen or involved in other occupations. They are one of the more successful Muslim
community in Maharashtra
, and have a fairly active caste
association, the Kagzi Jamaat, which deals with issues of community welfare. They belong to the Sunni sect, and have been affected by the Barelvi
Deobandi
split among the Sunnis. .
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 the states of Gujarat and 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...
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...
.
History and origin
The term Kagzi in UrduUrdu
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 a manufacturer of paper, from the word kagaz or paper. There are, in fact, two distinct Kagzi communities, with their own customs, traditions and origin myths, one found in Gujarat and the other 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 Gujarat Kagzi claim to have come to 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...
have from Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, at the invitation of Sultan Ahmad Shah. The community have always been associated with the manufacture of paper, and many still reside in the Shahpur area of 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...
, their original settlement in Gujarat. 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 Kagzi claim to be descended from soldiers of the Tughlaq armies that invaded the Deccan. They are now found mainly in the districts of Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Akola
Akola District
Akola is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city of Akola is the district headquarters. Akola district forms the central part of Amravati Division, and was a former British Raj Berar Province.Area of the district is 5,431 km²...
and Nasik. The 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...
Kagzi 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...
, although most can understand 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...
.
Present circumstances
The Gujarat Kagzi are divided into a number of clans, the main ones being the Mehtar, Pathan, Raddiwala, Khanzada, Mirza and Shaikh. Their traditional occupation has been greatly affected by the growth of paper mills, and many Kagzis have abandoned their paper manufacturing. Many are now involved in petty trade, or have taken to farming. The Ahmadabad Kagzi Jamaat is their caste association, and deals with the various problems of the community.The 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...
Kagzi are divided into a number of territorial groupings, such as the Yawalwale, Badwale and Kalekhwale. Each of these territorial groupings has a caste association, known as a jamaat. Although marriages are permitted within these groupings, they are rear. The Kaghzi have seen a complete decline in their traditional occupation, and most are now either petty businessmen or involved in other occupations. They are one of the more successful 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...
community 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...
, and have a fairly active 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, the Kagzi Jamaat, which deals with issues of community welfare. They belong to the Sunni sect, and have been affected by the Barelvi
Barelvi
Barelvi is a term used for the movement of Sufi , Sunni Islam originating in the Indian subcontinent.The Movement is known as Ahle Sunnat movement to its followers....
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:...
split among the Sunnis. .