The Kingharia 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 ...
community found in the state of
Uttar Pradesh in
India. They are also known as Panwariya.
Origin
The Kingharia are a community of singers and Farmer. Their name is derived from the word ''kingri'', which is a type of a violin. The word Kingharia literally means someone who plays the kingri. They claim to be
Abbasi Shaikh and claim descent from
Abbas
Abbas may refer to:
People
* Abbas (name), list of people with the name, including:
**Abbas ibn Ali, Popularly known as Hazrat-e-Abbas (brother of Imam Hussayn)
**Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of Muhammad
** Mahmoud Abbas (born 1935), Palest ...
, the uncle of
Mohammad, the founder of Islam. The community is found mainly in
Awadh, with concentrations in
Lucknow,
Bahraich,
Barabanki and
Gorakhpur. According to some traditions, they are a branch of the Abbasi community. They are further divided into seven clans, referred to as ''biradaris'', which claim descent from a common ancestor. The seven clan include the Kingharia proper, the Bankhata, the Sewak, the Jogi, the Kapariya, the Atit and the Baanchhariya. Each of these clans is of equal status, and intermarry.
Present circumstances
The Kingharia are a landless community. Their traditional occupation was singing of traditional folks songs. They would visit the home of wealthy
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and
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 on special occasions such as a birth of a child. Many of the community have abandoned their traditional occupation, and are now taking to cultivation. A larger number are agricultural labourers. The Kingharia are
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 ...
, although a few especially in
Lucknow are
Shia. They are strictly endogamous, and marry close kin. Their customs are similar to other
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 in the
Awadh region.
[People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 824 to 827 Manohar Publications]
See also
*
Mirasi
The Mirasi ( ur, ; hi, मीरासी, translit=Mīrāsī; pa, , ਮਰਾਸੀ , translit=Marāsī) are a community found in North India and Pakistan. They are the genealogists and traditional singers
and dancers of a number of commun ...
References
{{Indian Muslim
Social groups of Uttar Pradesh
Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh
Muslim communities of India
Shaikh clans