| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
The Ghosi are a Muslim community found mainly in North India.
History and origin
The Ghosi in West Bengal claim Rathore Rajput ancestry.[1]
The Ghosi of West Bengal are found mainly in the districts of 24 Parganas and Midnapore, in particular near the towns of Barrackpur and Kharagpur . According to the traditions of this community, they emigrated from Kanpur, in what is now Uttar Pradesh some five centuries ago. They claim to be descended from Amar Singh Rathore, a Rajput nobleman from Jhansi, on whose conversion to Islam was disowned by his caste. The community thus took up the occupation of cattle rearing, and settled in Midnapur.[1]
The community is now divided between those who still engage in the selling of milk, and the rest of the community who are now small and medium-sized farmers. They reside in multi-caste villages, which tend to have ghosiparas, "Ghosi areas". The community now speak Bengali, although most have knowledge of Hindi. They remain strictly endogamous, and are unique among Bengali Muslims in practising clan exogamy. Their main clans are the Rathore, Dogar, Chauhan, Khelari, Tatar, Lehar and Maidul. The Ghosi of West Bengal have an informal caste council, known as a panchayat, which acts as an institution of social control, resolving disputes within the community, and providing social welfare.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 M. K. A. Siddiqui; Institute of Objective Studies (New Delhi, India) (2004). Marginal Muslim communities in India. Institute of Objective Studies. pp. 295–305. ISBN 978-81-85220-58-1. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
Further reading
- Verma, V. 1996. Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.