Muslim Dabgar
Encyclopedia
The Muslim Dabgar are a Muslim
community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
in India
. They are also known as Dalgar and are converts to Islam
from the Hindu
Dabgar
caste
.
word daravakarra, which means the makers of any spoon shaped vessels. They are said to be a sub-group within the Chamar
community. According to their own traditions, they were originally found in Rajasthan
, and were soldiers. They took an oath to resist the Mughals
, but were defeated. A section converted to Islam
, from whom descend the Muslim Dabgar community.
counterparts, the Muslim Dabgar community is also divided into a number of clans. Their main clans are the Punjabi and Delhiwal, but unlike the Hindu Dabgar, there is no prohibition in marrying within the clan. In fact, like other Uttar Pradesh Muslim
s, the community practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. The Dabgar are entirely Sunni, but also incorporate folk beliefs.
The Dabgar are still involved in their traditional occupation of manufacturing of hide jars. They buy the hide from the Chik
wa community. Despite the close interaction with the Chik
wa community, there is little intermarriage between the two communities. Like other artisan castes, they have seen a decline in their traditional occupation, with many Dabgar now employed as daily wage labourers. The Muslim Dabgar are found mainly in the districts of Saharanpur
, Meerut
, Etawah
, Fatehpur
, Jalaun
and Allahabad
. The community speaks the Braj Bhasha dialect, but some also understand Urdu
.
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 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...
. They are also known as Dalgar and are converts to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
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...
Dabgar
Dabgar
The Dabgar are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Dhalgar and have scheduled caste status.-Origin:...
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...
.
Origin
The word Dabgar is said to be derived from the SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word daravakarra, which means the makers of any spoon shaped vessels. They are said to be a sub-group within the Chamar
Chamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
community. According to their own traditions, they were originally found 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...
, and were soldiers. They took an oath to resist the Mughals
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...
, but were defeated. A section converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, from whom descend the Muslim Dabgar community.
Present circumstances
The Dabgar are strictly endogamous, and marry close kin. Like their HinduHindu
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...
counterparts, the Muslim Dabgar community is also divided into a number of clans. Their main clans are the Punjabi and Delhiwal, but unlike the Hindu Dabgar, there is no prohibition in marrying within the clan. In fact, like other Uttar Pradesh Muslim
Muslims of Uttar Pradesh
Muslims in Uttar Pradesh number about 30,740,158 , and form the largest religious minority in the state. They are also known as Urdu speakers, on account of Urdu being their native language, and have also been referred to as Hindustani Musalman. In the strict sense, the Uttar Pradesh Muslims do not...
s, the community practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. The Dabgar are entirely Sunni, but also incorporate folk beliefs.
The Dabgar are still involved in their traditional occupation of manufacturing of hide jars. They buy the hide from the Chik
Chik
The Chik are a Muslim community, found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Bakar Qasab, Buz Qassab and Chikwa. The Chik have been granted Other Backward Class status in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh....
wa community. Despite the close interaction with the Chik
Chik
The Chik are a Muslim community, found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Bakar Qasab, Buz Qassab and Chikwa. The Chik have been granted Other Backward Class status in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh....
wa community, there is little intermarriage between the two communities. Like other artisan castes, they have seen a decline in their traditional occupation, with many Dabgar now employed as daily wage labourers. The Muslim Dabgar are found mainly in the districts of Saharanpur
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
, 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:...
, Etawah
Etawah District
Etawah district is a district in the southwestern portion of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Etawah town is the district headquarters. Etawah district is part of Kanpur Division. The district covers an area of 2311 km²...
, Fatehpur
Fatehpur district
Fatehpur district is one of the 71 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The district covers an area of 4,152 km². The district has a population of 2,308,384 . Fatehpur city is the administrative headquarters of the district. Located on the banks of the sacred rivers Ganges and...
, Jalaun
Jalaun District
Jalaun District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India.The district is named after town of Jalaun, which was the former headquarters of a Maratha governor, but the administrative headquarters of the district is at Orai. Other large towns in the district are Kalpi, Konch, and...
and Allahabad
Allahabad District
Allahabad district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Allahabad town is the district headquarters. Allahabad district is a part of Allahabad Division.As of 2011 it is the most populous district of Uttar Pradesh ....
. The community speaks the Braj Bhasha dialect, but some also 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...
.