Barādarī, or Birādrī or Biraderi ( ur, برادری), means ''Brotherhood'' and originates from the
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word ''Baradar'', meaning "Brother". In
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, it is used to denote a number of social strata among
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
n
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s (see
Caste system among South Asian Muslims
Muslim communities in South Asia apply a system of religious stratification. It developed as a result of ethnic segregation between the foreign conquerors/ Upper caste Hindus who converted to Islam (''Ashraf'') (also known as ''tabqa-i ashrafiyya ...
). According to British author
Anatol Lieven
Anatol Lieven is a British author, journalist, and policy analyst best known for his expertise on the Taliban of Afghanistan. He is currently a visiting professor at King's College London and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsib ...
, "the most important force in
Pakistani society" are Baradari, usually far stronger than any competing religious, ethnic, or ideological cause. Parties and political alliances in Pakistan are based on Baradari, not ideology. Baradari have also influenced politics in some parts of the United Kingdom where a significant number of people are of
Pakistani descent, most notably in
Bradford
Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
.
See also
*
Caste system among South Asian Muslims
Muslim communities in South Asia apply a system of religious stratification. It developed as a result of ethnic segregation between the foreign conquerors/ Upper caste Hindus who converted to Islam (''Ashraf'') (also known as ''tabqa-i ashrafiyya ...
*
Phratry
In ancient Greece, a phratry ( grc, φρᾱτρῐ́ᾱ, phrātríā, brotherhood, kinfolk, derived from grc, φρᾱ́τηρ, phrā́tēr, brother, links=no) was a group containing citizens in some city-states. Their existence is known in most I ...
, an institution of Ancient Greece similar in meaning and etymology.
References
Further reading
* Gilmartin, David (1994). "Biraderi and Bureaucracy: The Politics of Muslim Kinship Solidarity in 20th Century Punjab," ''International Journal of Punjab Studies'' 1, no. 1.
January-June:10
* Peace, T., & Akhtar, P. (2015). Biraderi, bloc votes and bradford: Investigating the respect party's campaign strategy. ''The British Journal of Politics and International Relations'', 17(2), 224-243.
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Persian words and phrases
Pakistani class system