Muslim Patel
Encyclopedia
The term Muslim Patel applies to Muslim
converts from the Hindu
Patidar
caste
who are found mainly in the state of Gujarat in India
. They are distinct from the Sunni Bohra
s, another Gujarati Muslim
community that also uses the surname Patel
. Common surnames include Gangat, Dalal, Desai and Munshi.
s of the Kurmi
caste
who were converted to Islam
by the Sufi saint Sahawa Sindh. They are found mainly in Bharuch
, where they live in close proximity with the Sunni Bohra
s, with whom they share many traditions. They are an endogamous community, but there are cases of marriages with the Sunni Bohra
. Cross and parallel cousin marriages are quite common.
community who then retail it in the towns. The Patel have a caste association, the Musalman Patel Jamat, which deals with the welfare of the community. They are a Sunni Muslim
s, with many belonging to the reformist Deobandi
sect and Barelvi School. Patel surname is also found in the state of Maharashtra. Muslims of Deccan Plateau
in Maharashtra
they have this sirname. The Deccan Plateau
comprises of Pune
, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Beed
, and Satara
.
Munaf Patel
, Indian cricketer is also from Bharuch and of same community
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...
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...
Patidar
Patidar
The Patidar are a Hindu ethnic group found primarily in the state of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in India.Patidars are also known as Patel, a common surname with in the community.D. F...
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...
who are found mainly in the state of Gujarat 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 distinct from the Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohras or Sunni Vohras, are a Sunni Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing a large number of cultural similarities with the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. However, they are different in the fact...
s, another Gujarati Muslim
Gujarati Muslim
The term Gujarati Muslims is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the State of Gujarat in west India, who speaks the Gujarati Language as a mother-tongue and follows certain customs different from the rest of Indian Muslims...
community that also uses the surname Patel
Patel
Patel is a surname of Indian origin, originally meaning "headman" or"village chief". Patels are socially, economically and politically the most dominant caste in Gujarat Patels are basically Kurmis or Kunbis and are found in various geographical locations. The Kunbi are an Indian subcaste...
. Common surnames include Gangat, Dalal, Desai and Munshi.
History and origin
According to the community’s tradition, they were originally 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...
s of the Kurmi
Kurmi
The Kurmi are a Hindu agricultural Jāti in India.The group has been associated with the Kunbi, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous. In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra...
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...
who 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 Sufi saint Sahawa Sindh. They are found mainly in Bharuch
Bharuch
Bharuch , also known as Broach, is the oldest city in Gujarat, situated at the mouth of the holy river Narmada. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District and a municipality of more than 1,50,000 inhabitants. As Bharuch is a major seaport city, a number of trade activities have...
, where they live in close proximity with the Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohras or Sunni Vohras, are a Sunni Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing a large number of cultural similarities with the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. However, they are different in the fact...
s, with whom they share many traditions. They are an endogamous community, but there are cases of marriages with the Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohras or Sunni Vohras, are a Sunni Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing a large number of cultural similarities with the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. However, they are different in the fact...
. Cross and parallel cousin marriages are quite common.
Present circumstances
The Muslim Patel are traditionally dependent on agriculture. They grow wheat, cotton and pulses. Some of the poorer members of the community are agricultural labourers. They also rear buffoloes and sell milk to the BaniaBania (caste)
Bania is an occupational caste of bankers, money-lenders, dealers in grains, spices and in modern times numerous commercial enterprises. Baniya is a distinct caste mostly coming from Western India and Central India but spread now all over India...
community who then retail it in the towns. The Patel have a caste association, the Musalman Patel Jamat, which deals with the welfare of the community. They are a Sunni 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, with many belonging to the reformist 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:...
sect and Barelvi School. Patel surname is also found in the state of Maharashtra. Muslims of Deccan Plateau
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up the majority of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, rising further to more than a kilometers high in the south, forming a raised triangle nested within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of...
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...
they have this sirname. The Deccan Plateau
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up the majority of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, rising further to more than a kilometers high in the south, forming a raised triangle nested within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of...
comprises of 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 ...
, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Beed
Beed
Beed is a town and administrative headquarters of the district of the same name located in central Maharashtra state of India. According to 2001 census, it is the largest urban area in the district with a population of 138,091. Calculated population of 2010 is 161,604. It ranks 295th in population...
, and Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
.
- Sunni BohraSunni BohraSunni Bohras or Sunni Vohras, are a Sunni Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing a large number of cultural similarities with the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. However, they are different in the fact...
- Vora PatelVora patelVohra Patel or Vora Patel is a community of Sunni Muslim belonging to the Patel family, originally from Gujarat, India, particularly from the Surat and Bharuch Districts...
Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel
Munaf Musa Patel Urdu:مناف موسی پٹیل is an Indian cricketer who has also played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Gujarat, Mumbai cricket team and Maharashtra cricket team....
, Indian cricketer is also from Bharuch and of same community