The Faqir (; hi, फ़क़ीर ''faqīr'', ur, فقیر) are a

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 ...

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

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 ...

. They are also known as Syed, Alvi, Shah, Sain Pir, Dewan Saheb, Miya Shah, Shah Saheb, Dewan Baba in India, Shah is now their preferred self-designation and in

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

they are called as Faqirbaba. Faqirs cast of Syed community is evident in the Deccan Region of Telangana State. Since the people of this community are the descendants of Sufi Saints belonging to Syeds lineage, is traced to Ali, so they are called as Syed, Shah, Mir, Shah-Diwan and by other surnames. They are also venerated as pir or peer saheb. Some Muslims also visit the holy shrines (''mazar'' or '' dargah'' ) of Sufi Saint or peer fakir. They are respected in Muslims like Brahmins in Hindus. Some live in the

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scr ...

region of

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

History and origin

The word

fakir Fakir ( ar, فقیر, translit=faḳīr or ''faqīr'') is an Islamic term traditionally used for Sufi Muslim ascetics who renounce their worldly possessions and dedicate their lives to the worship of God. They do not necessarily renounce al ...

or faqir ( ar, فقیر (noun of faqr)) is derived from the word ''faqr'' ( ar, فقر, "poverty") It is a

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

ascetic in

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and

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.;;;;;;;; ...

and the Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and living on

alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread p ...

. In

, they are a community of religious

mendicant A mendicant (from la, mendicans, "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many inst ...

s who belonged to a number of

orders. Over time their descendants have formed a distinct endogamous community. In

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, the Faqir have eight divisions, of which the Sain and

Jogi Faqir The Jogi Faqir or yogi Faqir are a Muslim community, found in North India. They are also known as Madariya Faqir. The Jogi Faqir are Muslim and are one of the two sub-divisions of the Faqir found in Uttar Pradesh.People of India Uttar Pradesh ...

now form distinct communities. The six remaining divisions are as follows; the Jalalia, Zinda Shahi, known as Shah Madari, Syed, Chishti,

Qalandari The Qalandariyyah ( ar, قلندرية), Qalandaris, Qalandars or Kalandars are wandering ascetic Sufi dervishes. The term covers a variety of sects, not centrally organized and may not be connected to a specific tariqat. One was founded by Q ...

, Pakhiya and Rifai. Among the Faqir of Uttar Pradesh, there is an hierarchy of sorts, with the Jalali claiming precedence, on account of the fact the order started in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, and then arrived in India. While the Zinda Shahi are followers of a Sufi known as Zinda Shah Madar, and the progeny of this group. The Real name is 'Syed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar' (Madar means pole of the Universe) whose shrine is located in Makanpur, district Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He was a great Sufi Legend and lived a life of 596 years. He was among the first Sufi's to arrive in India and is the largest Sufi following in India and Asia. The word ''zinda'' in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

groupings, and are followers of the famous Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. While the Qalandari are followers of Bu Ali Qalander, and the Pakhiya and Rifai are well known Sufi orders. In additions to these four groupings, the Sain now form a distinct grouping, and are no longer considered as Faqirs, while the

, as a community of Muslim Rajputs also consider themselves distinct from the larger Faqir community. In the Deccan region of

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...

, most of the Syeds belong to Faqir cast or community. The Syeds lineage is rooted to Ahl-e-Baith, assumed to be descendants of

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

. The Faqirs of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

consist of five divisions, the Junhasha, Madari, Rafai, Jalili and Sarbadi. They are distributed all over Gujarat, and many now live in settlements around tombs of famous Sufi saints. Some are employed as caretakers at the various shrines. The Faqir speak

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

, with many now understanding Urdu. In

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

the word Faqir is a general term for a class of Muslim Sufi. The Maharashtra Faqirs claim descent from

Abu Bakar Abū Bakr ( ar, أبو بكر ) is an Arabic given name meaning "Father of a Young Camel" (Abu meaning 'Father of' and Bakr meaning 'Young Camel') that is widely used by Sunni Muslims. Other transliterations include Abu Bakar, Abu Bekr, Ebubekir, ...

, the first

caliph A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

and

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

the fourth caliph of

. They are further divided into two groupings, the Ba-shara, who follow the rules of Islam, and Be-shara, who do not follow the

shariat Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

. Many of the Be-shara lead a nomadic existence.

Present circumstances

In haryana

In haryana, the bulk of the shah are landowners and cultivators, with poultry being an important secondary occupation. In

Rohilkhand Rohilkhand (previously Rampur State) is a region in the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh, India, that is centered on the Rampur, Bareilly and Moradabad divisions. It is part of the upper Ganges Plain, and is named after the Rohilla tribe. Th ...

, and in particular in Bareilly District, the community were and are large

zamindars A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...

. They live throughout

, and speak Urdu, as well as local dialects of

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

, such as Khari boli and

Awadhi Awadhi (; ), also known as Audhi (), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern India and Nepal. It is primarily spoken in the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. The name ''Awadh'' is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city, w ...

. Most Faqir live in multi-caste and multi-religious villages, although they occupy their own quarters. Each sub-division has its own caste council, which deals with and resolves any intra community problem. Like other haryana Muslims, they are strictly endogamous. While the Chishti intermarry with the Rifai and Pakhiya, but not with the Qalandari. Marriages tend take place within close kin, and they prefer parallel cousin marriages. The shah are now leading demands for the inclusion of their community within the

Scheduled Caste The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

category. As part of their political mobilisation, the community now prefer the self-designation ShahAlvi. Like other Muslim occupational castes, they have now set up a statewide caste association, to act as a communal pressure group.

In Gujarat

Thes shah practice community endogamy and marriages mostly take place within the community. Both parallel cousin and cross cousin marriages are practiced. Their traditional occupation is teaching Islamic ways of life, while others are employed at various Sufi shrines. A majority of the community are now employed as daily wage labourers. The shah are one of the most marginalized Muslim community in

. They are Sunni Muslims, but incorporate many folk beliefs.

In Maharashtra

The shah, like many other Muslim communities in

speak both Urdu and

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

. They are distributed in the districts of

Amravati Amravati (pronunciation (help·info)) is the second largest city in the Vidarbha region and ninth largest city in Maharashtra, India. It is administrative headquarters of Amravati district and Amravati division which includes Akola, Buldha ...

and

Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...

. The community consists of five endogamous sections, the Banwa, Madari (Zinda Shahi), Jalal Shahi, Saiyad Shah, Rafai, and Jalali. Marriages tend to be contracted within these groupings, with the community practising both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. The Madari Faqir are the descendants of Sufi saints belonging to Syeds (Saiyad) and their family tree (Shajra-E-Nasab) is meet to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Fourth Khalifa of Islam of Sunnis and First Imam Of Shias). Some People of this community also live in Aurangabad. Banwa Faqirs are Belogs to Banwa Sufi order, a sub-branch of Qadriya Sufi order founded by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani of Baghdad, Iraq. The traditional occupation of the shah is teaching of Islamic education by various ways and To Spread The Knowledge of Islam, although there is a gradual movement towards other occupations. Many are now involved in government jobs and private owned business. Their standard of living has improved, especially those settled in Nagpur city.

The Shahji Faqir of West Bengal

The Faqir of

are also known as Sahaji. They are said to have acquired the name Sahaji on account of the fact that they were followers of Sher Ali Shahji, a well known

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

Sufi saint. Most Faqir consider the famous Sufi Abdul Qadir Jillani as their mentor, and most Faqir in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

thus belong to the Qadriyah Sufi order. A smaller number belong to the Chishti, Madariya, Mojadidi, and Naqshbandia. orders Like in other parts of India, the Faqir have evolved from what was originally a community of Sufi mendicants into an endogamous

caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...

grouping. They live mainly in the districts of Nadia,

Howrah Howrah (, , alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively it lies within Howrah district, and is th ...

Murshidabad Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. During ...

, Malda,

Bankura Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district. Etymology In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word or (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced af ...

, Birbhum and

Purulia Purulia is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Purulia district. It is located on the north of the Kangsabati River. Geography Location Purulia is located at . It has an average elev ...

. The majority of the West Bengal Faqir are now cultivators, living in multi-caste villages, in their own quarters known as Faqir paras. They cultivate paddy, jute, mustard and tilli seeds. A small number are also landless agricultural labourers. The Faqir speak

and follow the Sunni sect of Islam. But they practice a number of folk beliefs, collectively referred to as faqirmat. This involves paying special reverence to a number of Sufi saints. A significant number of Faqir are also involved in the production of cooking oil, an activity traditionally associated with the

Teli Teli is a caste traditionally occupied in the pressing of oil in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Members may be either Hindu or Muslim; Muslim Teli are called Roshandaar or Teli Malik. The Jewish community of Maharashtra (called Bene Israel) was als ...

in other parts of India. Fariyad Ali Alvi Rjpura Sambhal F

Notable People

Jan-Fishan Khan Saiyed Muhammed Shah, better known by his title as Jan-Fishan Khan, was a 19th-century Afghan warlord.Obituary of Idries Shah, The Independent (London) of 26 November 1996., pp. 19–26 He participated in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42) ...

Nawab of Sardhana The Nawab of Sardhana is an honorary Muslim title bestowed upon the descendants of the Afghan warlord and statesman Jan-Fishan Khan, for services to the British Raj – both in the failed British Anglo-Afghan War, Afghan campaigns, as well as during ...

Ikbal Ali Shah Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah ( hi, सरदार इक़बाल अली शाह, ur, ; 1894 in Sardhana, India – 4 November 1969 in Tangier, Morocco) was an Indian-Afghan author and diplomat descended from the Sadaat of Paghman. Born and e ...

, Nawab of Sardhana * Arif Ali shah, British Film Writer *

Naseeruddin Shah Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian actor. He is notable in Indian parallel cinema. He has also starred in international productions. He has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare A ...

, Bollywood Actor & Director *

Zameer Uddin Shah Lieutenant General Zameer Uddin Shah, PVSM, SM, VSM is a retired senior General of the Indian Army. He last served as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Personnel & Systems), Indian Army. After retirement, he served for some time as an administ ...

, Former Lieutenant General of Indian Army and VC of Amu *

Mohammad Ali Shah Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, محمدعلی شاه قاجار; 21 June 1872 – 5 April 1925, San Remo, Italy), Shah of Iran from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909. He was the sixth shah of the Qajar dynasty. Biography Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ...

, Former Major in Indian Army & Bollywood Actor *

Nawab Shah Nawabshah ( sd, نوابشاھ, ur, ) is a tehsil and headquarters of the Shaheed Benazirabad District of Sindh province, Pakistan. This city is situated in the middle of Sindh province. It is the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 27th ...

, Bollywood Actor * Aarif Alvi , Pakistani President *

Majnu Shah Majnu Shah or Faqir Majnu Shah Burhan (died 1787Ray, Rajat Kumar (1986). ''Colonial Penetration and the Initial Resistance: The Mughal Ruling Class, the English East India and the Struggle for Bengal 1756-1800'', in ''The Indian Historical Review'' ...

, Indian Freedom Fighter and Leader of

Fakir-Sannyasi Rebellion The Sannyasi rebellion or monk rebellion 1770-77 ( bn, সন্ন্যাসী/ সাধু বিদ্রোহ, The monks' rebellion) was a revolt by the ''sannyasis'' and sadhus (Hindu ascetics, respectively) in Bengal, India in the late ...

Raashid Alvi Raashid Alvi (), is an Indian politician who served as a member of the Indian Parliament from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. He is currently a member of the Indian National Congress party. Early life Raashid Alvi was born in Chandpur, Bi ...

, Indian Politician *

Amina Shah Amina Shah (31 October 1918 – 19 January 2014), later known as Amina Maxwell-Hudson, was a British anthologiser of Sufi stories and folk tales, and was for many years the Chairperson of the College of Storytellers. She was the sister of the S ...

, British Author & Poet *

Karim Shah Karim Shah ( bn, করীম শাহ), also known as Karam Shah ( bn, করম শাহ), was the founder of the mystic Pagal Panthi order in eastern Bengal (present-day Bangladesh). Biography Though the origins of Karim Shah are shrouded in ...

, Indian Freedom Fighter & Founder of Mad Path Movement against Britisher. *

Tahir Shah Tahir Shah ( fa, طاهر شاه, gu, તાહિર શાહ; ''né'' Sayyid Tahir al-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد طاهر الهاشمي); born 16 November 1966) is a British author, journalist and documentary maker of Afghan-Indian descent. ...

, British Journalist and Documentary Maker *

Safia Safia may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Safia (given name) Places * Safia, Burkina Faso * Safia, Yemen * Safia Rural LLG, Papua New Guinea Biology * ''Safia'' (moth), a genus of moth Music * Safia (band), an Australian indie electronica band, be ...

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

, British Writer, Television News Producer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faqir (Caste) Social groups of Gujarat Muslim communities of India Muslim communities of Gujarat Social groups of Maharashtra Muslim communities of Maharashtra Social groups of Uttar Pradesh Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh Social groups of West Bengal