Sai (caste)
Encyclopedia
The Sai or sometimes pronounced Sayee are a Muslim
community found in the states of Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh
in India
. They are also known as the Sain.
. They are also involved in the manufacture of tazias for the Muharram
festival, as well as grave digging. Very little is known about their origin, and they could have evolved from a number of different communities who took up the profession of begging and grave digging. The Sai are found mainly in eastern Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar
. They speak the Awadhi dialect, and much in common with the Jogi Faqir
, another Muslim
mendicant community. Most Sai claim to be of Shaikh
status.
The Sayee of Bihar
claim to belong to the Shaikh Siddiqui community, and claim descent from Abu Bakar, the first caliph
of Islam
. Like other Muslim
communities of Bihar
, they date their origin to the time of Bakhtiyar Khilji, the Muslim
conqueror of Bihar. They have several sub-divisions, the main ones being the Madari, Rafai, Jalali, Mewati and Sada-Sohgal. They are found mainly in Patna
, Gaya
, Nalanda
and Muzaffarpur
districts. The Sayee speak Urdu
, with most understanding Hindi
.
s as well. The community are Sunni Muslim
s, and fairly orthodox.
The Sayee in Bihar
are landless, with many still engaged in their traditional occupation of begging. In some parts of rajasthan sayee are called banwa or jhunjhunwati sayee and they involve in singing and band owner profeesion.A good many are landless agricultural labourers, and some have acquired some land. Like their Uttar Pradesh
counterparts, some Sai are now employed as village mullah
s.
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 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 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 the Sain.
Origin
The Sai are one of a number of Muslim mendicant communities traditionally connected with begging at Sufi shrines in North IndiaNorth 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 involved in the manufacture of tazias for the Muharram
Muharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
festival, as well as grave digging. Very little is known about their origin, and they could have evolved from a number of different communities who took up the profession of begging and grave digging. The Sai are found mainly in eastern 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....
. They speak the Awadhi dialect, and much in common with the Jogi Faqir
Jogi Faqir
The Jogi Faqir or Faqir are a Muslim community, found in North India. They are also known as Madariya Faqir. The Jogi Faqir are Muslim converts from the Hindu Jogi caste, and are one of the two sub-divisions of the Faqir found in Uttar Pradesh....
, another 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...
mendicant community. Most Sai claim to be of Shaikh
Shaikhs 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.
The Sayee 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....
claim to belong to the Shaikh Siddiqui community, and claim descent from Abu Bakar, the first caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Like other 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...
communities 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....
, they date their origin to the time of Bakhtiyar Khilji, the 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...
conqueror of Bihar. They have several sub-divisions, the main ones being the Madari, Rafai, Jalali, Mewati and Sada-Sohgal. They are found mainly in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, Gaya
Gaya, India
Gaya is the second largest city of Bihar, India, and it is also the headquarters of Gaya District.Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of Falgu River , it is a place sanctified by both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions...
, Nalanda
Nalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
and Muzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur Town is a town in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of Muzaffarpur district and Tirhut division....
districts. The Sayee 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...
, with most understanding 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...
.
Present circumstances
The Sai are endogamous, marrying within close kin. Their traditional occupation was begging, but over time a small number have acquired land, much of gifted by the other communities because of their supposed sanctity. A good many are now marginal farmers or sharecroppers. The urban Sai have remained involved in their traditional occupation of begging and grave digging. A small number of Sai are now village mullahMullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
s as well. The community are 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, and fairly orthodox.
The Sayee 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....
are landless, with many still engaged in their traditional occupation of begging. In some parts of rajasthan sayee are called banwa or jhunjhunwati sayee and they involve in singing and band owner profeesion.A good many are landless agricultural labourers, and some have acquired some land. Like their 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...
counterparts, some Sai are now employed as village mullah
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
s.