The Mahifarash ( bn, মাহিফরাস, mahifôrash,
Dhakaiya
The Old Dhakaites ( bn, পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, Puran Dhakaiya) are an Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group viewed as the ''original'' inhabitants of Dhaka. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaiya. Their history dates bac ...
: মাইফরাস ''maifôrash'') are a
Bengali Muslim
Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...
community of fishmongers primarily from
Old Dhaka
Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ ...
. They are distinct from the Mahifarash of
Tangail
Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল, ), is a major city within the Dhaka Division in central Bangladesh. It sits on the bank of the Louhajang River, north-west of Dhaka, the nation's capital. It is considered to be the main urban area of ...
, who are descendants of
Mappila Muslims
Mappila Muslim, often shortened to Mappila, formerly anglicized as Moplah/Mopla and historically known as Jonaka/Chonaka Mappila or Moors Mopulars/Mouros da Terra and Mouros Malabares, in general, is a member of the Muslim community of same n ...
, and the Mahifarash fishermen of
Mymensingh
Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...
.
Etymology
The word Mahifarash comes 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 ...
words ''māhi'' (ماهی) meaning ''fish'' and ''furosh'' (فروش) meaning ''sale''. They are known as ''maifôrash'' among
Dhakaiyas
The Old Dhakaites ( bn, পুরান ঢাকাইয়া, Puran Dhakaiya) are an Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group viewed as the ''original'' inhabitants of Dhaka. They are sometimes referred to as simply Dhakaiya. Their history dates bac ...
.
History and customs
Since the start of
Mughal rule
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
in
Jahangir Nagar (Dhaka), the Mahifarash community of Dalti Bazar have exclusively monopolised the fish industry, and they continue to have authority in this sector in present times. Their customs were traditionally headed by a ''
sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been u ...
'' who would also settle disputes. During the Mughal period, the Mahifarash were known to organise feasts and banquets in their
Azimpur
Azimpur ( bn, আজিমপুর) is an old region in the old part of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. The region is named after Shahzada Azam, son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Other accounts attribute the name to Azim-us-Shaan, the Nayeb-e-Nazim ...
grounds at the start of cultivation
harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...
season. They cooked 20 to 25 mounds of rice and entertained thousands of people in addition to people from their own community. This feast would continue throughout the day, and was the precursor to what would later become known as
Pohela Boishakh
Pohela Boishakh ( bn, পহেলা বৈশাখ) is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of We ...
celebration.
See also
*
Sardari system The Sardari system () refers to the panchayat system used in the city of Dhaka (present-day Bangladesh) from the second half of the nineteenth century. The system developed during under the Nawabs of Dhaka. In this state-recognised practice, a five ...
References
Further reading
*
Fishing communities
Ethnic groups in Bangladesh
{{Ethno-stub