Kulhaiya
Encyclopedia
The Kulhaiya are a Muslim
community found in the state of Bihar
in India
. They are one of the four sub-groups found with in the Shaikh
community.
community of the Purnia Division
of Bihar
. According to their traditions, the word kulhaiya means a cap wearer in the Persian
language. The community is often identified by a distinctive cap that they wear, known as the pallender topi. The community are said to be converts from the Hindu
Yadav caste.
, where many are now daily labourers. They speak Maithili
, but most educated Kulhaiya speak or at least understand Urdu
. The Kulhaiya are strictly endogamous, and there is no intermarriage with the neigbhouring Bengali Shaikh
community. Their traditions are similar to other Bihari Muslims. The Kulhaiya are confined to the Purnia Division
of Bihar
.
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 state of 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....
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...
. They are one of the four sub-groups found with in the Shaikh
Shaikh of Bihar
The Shaikh are a Muslim community commonly found in the state of Bihar in India.The community are converts from the Ahir caste. They are part of the larger Shaikh community of South Asia. A number of Bihari Shaikh families are also found in the city of Karachi in Pakistan. Common surnames used by...
community.
History and origin
The Kulhaiya are one of the four sub-group of the ShaikhShaikh of Bihar
The Shaikh are a Muslim community commonly found in the state of Bihar in India.The community are converts from the Ahir caste. They are part of the larger Shaikh community of South Asia. A number of Bihari Shaikh families are also found in the city of Karachi in Pakistan. Common surnames used by...
community of the Purnia Division
Purnia Division
Purnia division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India. Purnia is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently , the division consists of Purnia district, Katihar district, Araria district, and Kishanganj district....
of 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....
. According to their traditions, the word kulhaiya means a cap wearer in 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...
language. The community is often identified by a distinctive cap that they wear, known as the pallender topi. The community are said to be converts from 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...
Yadav caste.
Present circumstances
The Kulhaiya are traditionally small scale farmers. Many are now landless labourers, and this has led to emigration to KolkataKolkata
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 many are now daily labourers. They speak 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...
, but most educated Kulhaiya speak or at least understand 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...
. The Kulhaiya are strictly endogamous, and there is no intermarriage with the neigbhouring Bengali Shaikh
Shershahabadia
The Shershahabadi are a Muslim community found in the state of Bihar and West Bengal in India. They are part of the larger Shaikh community of Bihar and Bedia Community of Bengal. Common surnames used by the community include Mandal and Sekh...
community. Their traditions are similar to other Bihari Muslims. The Kulhaiya are confined to the Purnia Division
Purnia Division
Purnia division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India. Purnia is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently , the division consists of Purnia district, Katihar district, Araria district, and Kishanganj district....
of 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....
.