The Momin Ansari ( ur, مومن أنصاري) or saudagar are a Muslim community found mainly in
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, and
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 ...
. The surname originated from Ansar tribe, the Medinan people who helped the Islamic prophet,
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 ...
, in his migration from
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
to
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
. They were the first tribe in Arabia to accept Islam. The literal meaning of Ansar is "supporter".
In
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
, the community are known as Ansari while 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 community are known as Momin or saudagar
The community are found throughout India, but
Varanasi District
Varanasi district is a district in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, with Varanasi city as the district headquarters.
It is surrounded by Mirzapur district, Jaunpur district, Ghazipur district, Chandauli district, and Bhadohi distric ...
, 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 ...
, is always regarded by most Momin as the centre of their community. In that city, the Ansari are said to make up a third of the city's population. Important Ansari neighbourhoods in the city include
Madanpura
Madanpura is a village in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, India.
It is situated around 20 km from the famous and ancient city of Varanasi. It has good road links with Varanasi and Mirzapur.
References
Villages i ...
, Adampura and Jaitpura. There are many people outside South Asia with the surname Ansari; however, this article is strictly about a Muslim South Asian community.
History
The Ansaris of North India are mainly a landlord community, but some are small- and medium-scale farmers. They have always been connected with the textile work. Many members of the community have entered private or government service.K. S. Singh, ''People of India Uttar Pradesh'', Volume XLII Part Two. Manohar Publications
The Ansaris do not have any traditional social councils, but have an India-wide community organization, the All India Momin Conference. They are an endogamous community, only rarely marrying out of their group. There is no system of clans, and cross and parallel
cousin marriage
A cousin marriage is a marriage where the spouses are cousins (i.e. people with common grandparents or people who share other fairly recent ancestors). The practice was common in earlier times, and continues to be common in some societies toda ...
s are common.
The Ansaris are Muslims of the Sunni sect. Historically, the community produced the sage, scholars and philosopher. The Ansari are an
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 ...
have
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 ...
as their mother tongue.
In Bihar
The Ansari community is found throughout
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
and
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
. In Bihar, they are found in all the districts. They are active in politics. Their socio-economic condition has constantly improved. They play active roles in all walks of life in Bihar. In
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
, they are mainly found in
Koderma
Kodarma (also spelled as Koderma) is a city and a notified area in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Demographics
As per 2011 Census of India, Kodarma Nagar Parishad had a total population of 2 ...
,
Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is considered as a health resort and is also popular for Hazaribag ...
,
Gumla
Gumla is a city which is the district headquarters in the Gumla subdivision of the Gumla district in the state of Jharkhand, India.
History
Gumla began as a hamlet. A week-long "Cow Fair" (''Gau-Mela'') took place every year, where items in d ...
Lohardaga
Lohardaga is a town and the district headquarters of Lohardaga district in the Indian state of Jharkhand, west of Ranchi, the state capital. Earlier (early 1900s) Lohardaga was the commissionary headquarters for Chotanagpur. It was only lat ...
and
Singhbhum
Singhbhum was a district of India during the British Raj, part of the Chota Nagpur Division of the Bengal Presidency. It was located in the present-day Indian state of Jharkhand. Chaibasa was the district headquarters. Located in the southern li ...
districts. They speak the Sadri dialect, which is distinctive to the community, although most have knowledge of Urdu. The community is endogamous, and marry within a close kin group. Like other Ansaris, they were historically into the textile work, although most of them are medium- and small-scale farmers. The Momin Conference was founded in Bihar, and the Bihar Ansaris have played a key role in the organization.
In Gujarat
In
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 ...
, there are two distinct communities commonly known as Momin, the native Gujarati-speaking Garana Ansari, and the immigrant Ansari community, originally from North India. The Garana Ansari community in Gujarat are found mainly in the districts of Junagarh,
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
, Surat and Kutch. They speak Gujarati with substantial Urdu loanwords.
In addition to membership in the Momin Conference, the Gujarat Ansaris also have their own clan association, Garana TitaFari Jamaat.
The traditional occupation of the Ansari is still textile work. Many of them are engaged in zari work, which involves
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
embroidery. This is especially the case in the towns of Jamnagar and Dhoraji, which each have traditional quarters inhabited by the Ansaris.R.B. Lal, P.B.S.V. Padmanabham, G. Krishnan & M. Azeez Mohideen (eds), ''People of India Gujarat'' Volume XXI Part Two
The Shaikh Ansari are an Urdu-speaking community, and are said to have immigrated from
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
,
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
and
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 ...
some three hundred years ago. In
Baroda
Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
, they were invited by the ruling dynasty to help in the construction of public buildings from Rajasthan. The Shaikh Ansari are divided into four endogamous groups, the Bijnor Ansari, originating from the city of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh; the Ganga Parvala, originating from the village of
Gomtipur
Gomtipur is an area located in Ahmedabad, 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 democra ...
and its surroundings in Uttar Pradesh; the Delhiwala, originally from Delhi; and the Pratapgarh Ansari originating from the city of Pratapgarh and surrounding areas in eastern Uttar Pradesh. They are mainly distributed in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Bharuch, Baroda, and
Rajpipla
Rajpipla is a town and a municipality in the Narmada district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
It was the capital of the former Kingdom of Rajpipla.
Geography
Rajpipla is located at . It has an average elevation of 148 metres (485 fe ...
.
Textile working was the traditional occupation of the Ansari, and at present those in Ahmadabad still engage in this activity. Many Ahmadabad Ansari are now power loom owners. But many Shaikh Ansari have also diversified, and now own hotels and bakeries. They are among the more successful Muslim communities in the state, having made the transition from their traditional occupation to becoming successful businessmen. The level of literacy is steadily increasing, and many Ansari are now graduates.
The Ansari have no traditional clan association, but are members of the All India Momin Conference. Historically, each of the four sub-divisions would have had their own informal clan association, headed by a chaudhary. These have all but disappeared.
In Rajasthan
The Ansari of Rajasthan claim that they were once warriors, who, after a defeat, took to the occupation of weaving. They are also known as Deswali Shaikh, and speak the Madri dialect, which is a mixture of Urdu and Hindi. They are one of the larger Muslim communities in Rajasthan, and re found in the districts of Tonk,
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
and
Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur is a city and Municipal Council (Nagar Parishad) in the Sawai Madhopur District in Rajasthan state, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan. Ranthambore National Park which is 7&nbs ...
. The Ansari are strictly endogamous and practice both parallel and cross cousin marriages. Their main occupation is weaving, and they use both hand-held and power looms. Quite a few are now involved in tailoring and the manufacture of bidis, a local cigarette. The Rajasthan Ansari are members of the Moin Conference, as well as having local informal clan councils, which deal with inter community disputes, while the Momin Conference acts as a pressure group dealing with the state government. The Ansari are Sunni, and have provided many of the
Ulema
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
.B. K. Lavania, D. K. Samanta, S. K. Mandal & N. N. Vyas (eds.), ''People of India Rajasthan'' Volume XXXVIII Part One, Popular Prakashan
Momin of Maharashtra
The Momin of
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 ...
are also known as Ansari or saudagar
They are descended from immigrants from North India. They are split into two groupings, the giyara gaonwala and the bais goanwala. The former are found in
Ahmadnagar
Ahmednagar (), is a city located in the Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 1 ...
, while the latter are found near
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
. The Momin were historically a community of weavers, found mainly in the towns and cities of western Maharashtra. They are found mainly in the districts of
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
Aurangabad
Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...
Osmanabad
Osmanabad (; pronounced as ''Usmānābād''),is a city and a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Osmanabad derives its name from the last ruler of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Osmanabad city is the adm ...
,
Dhule
Dhule is a city located in the Dhule District in the northwestern part of Maharashtra state, India known as West Khandesh. Situated on the banks of Panzara River, Dhule is the regional headquarters of MIDC, RTO, and MTDC.
The city is mainly kn ...
,
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 ...
Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is kn ...
parbhani
Parbhani (, IPA ) is a city in Maharashtra state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Parbhani District. Parbhani is one of the largest cities in Marathwada region. Parbhani is around away from regional headquarters of Aurangaba ...
and Nanded. The community speak Urdu, but the Momin are bilingual, speaking
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
*
* ...
as well. They are strictly endogamous, and tend to marry close kin. The Momin are Sunni, and are a fairly orthodox community.
Their traditional occupation was textile work, and many Momin have set up handlooms. Those Momin who have set up powerlooms tend to be more successful. Many Momin are employed by other Momin in these powerlooms; this is especially the case in the towns of
Bhiwandi
Bhiwandi () is a city in the Thane district in Maharashtra, India. It is located northeast of Mumbai and northeast of the city of Thane. The city is a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Bhiwandi is a commercial city and a major trade c ...
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 ...
. A significant number are also employed in the textile industries.
The Momin are largely an urban community, with only small number found as agriculturists. Many Momin are now successful entrepreneurs and professionals such as teachers, engineers and doctors. Like other Ansari communities, the Momin are members of the All-India Momin Conference, one of the oldest Muslim organizations in
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 ...
. This organization acts as a welfare organization, as well as lobbying on behalf of the community.B. V. Bhanu, B. R. Bhatnagar, D. K. Bose, V. S. Kulkarni and J. Sreenath (editors), ''People of India Maharshtra'', Volume XXX Part Two
Pakistan
After the
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
of
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 ...
in 1947, many members of the Momin Ansari community migrated to Pakistan and settled mainly in the
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
province. The Momin Ansari is mainly settled in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
and
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
cities of the Sindh province. The Momin Ansari lost their distinct group identity as they assimilated and are now an integral part of the Urdu-speaking
Muhajir
Muhajir or Mohajir ( ar, مهاجر, '; pl. , ') is an Arabic word meaning ''migrant'' (see immigration and emigration) which is also used in other languages spoken by Muslims, including English. In English, this term and its derivatives may refer ...
community of Pakistan.
In Wazirabad Toor is also a sub cast of Ansari.
Notable people
Governors
*
Abd al-Samad Khan
Abd al-Samad Khan (died 1737) was the Mughal Empire's subahdar of Lahore Subah from 1713 to 1726. He was appointed by the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar. He was descended from the Ansari family of Panipat.
He was succeeded as governor of Punjab by ...
, Governor of Punjab from 1713 to 1719
*
Zakariya Khan Bahadur
Zakariya Khan (died 1745) was the Mughal Empire's subahdar of Lahore Subah from 1726, succeeding his father, Abd al-Samad Khan, in the post. He was descended from the Ansari family of Panipat. He continued and extended his father's policy of sev ...
, Governor of Punjab from 1726 to 1745
*
Wazir Khan (Lahore)
Shaikh Ilam-ud-din Ansari (died 1641), known by his royal title Wazir Khan, was a Mughal Governer of the 16th century. He was a native of Chiniot, Punjab whose family migrated to Lahore.
Career
He rose to be one of the court physicians to the Mu ...
, (Shaikh alım ud-din Ansari), known as Nawab Wazir Khan was the governed of
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
at the time of
Mughal emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
Humayun Saeed
Humayun Saeed Ansari (born 27 July 1971), professionally known as Humayun Saeed, is a Pakistani actor and producer.
He has appeared in dozens of Pakistani television dramas and limited number of films, and earned Lux Style Awards, and ARY Fil ...
, Famous Pakistani Actor.
*
Ali Ansari (actor)
Ali Ansari (Urdu: علی انصاری) (born 8 September 1987) is a Pakistani actor, model, musician (trained drummer) and video jockey. Born in Lahore into Momin Ansari family, he began his career as a RJ for hit radio show "Dude, where’s my ...
, Pakistani Actor.
Others
* Abbas Ansari (born 1992), Indian sportsman and shooter
*
Abdulaziz Rashid Al Ansari
Abdulaziz Al Ansari ( ar, عبد العزيز الأنصاري; born 19 February 1992) is a Qatari professional footballer who plays as a striker for Al-Shamal, on loan from Al Arabi. He also plays for the Qatar national olympic team.
Career
A ...
(born 1992), Qatari footballer
*
Abdul Haq Ansari
Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari (1 September 1931 – 3 October 2012) was an Islamic scholar from India. He was the Amir (president) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) from 2003 to 2007. He was the member of Central Advisory Council of Jamaat-e-Islami Hin ...
(1931–2012), Indian Islamic philosopher
*
Abdul Qaiyum Ansari
Abdul Qaiyum Ansari (1 July 1905 – 18 January 1973) was a participant in the freedom struggle of India. He was known for his commitment to national integration, secularism and communal harmony. He was a leader who worked against the demand ...
(1905–1973), Indian active in the freedom struggle of India
* Abdur Razzaque Ansari, Indian Muslim nationalist, freedom fighter, and a weavers revolution leader
*
Afzal Ansari
Afzal Ansari (born 14 August 1953) is an Indian politician of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Member of Parliament (MP) of India for Ghazipur constituency, Uttar Pradesh. He won the 2004 general Lok Sabha election on the Samajwadi Party tick ...
(born 1953), Indian politician
*
Akbar Ansari
Akbar Shahzaman Ansari (; born 3 July 1988) is a British First-class and List A cricketer who played for Cambridge University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence, and List A cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club ...
(born 1988), English cricketer of Pakistani descent
* Akram Ansari (born 1954), Pakistani politician
* Ali Al Ansari, Emirati paralympic athlete
* Allama Mustafa Hussain Ansari, (1945–2006), Kashmiri writer and public speaker
*
Asad Ansari
The 2006 Ontario terrorism case refers to the plotting of a series of attacks against targets in Southern Ontario, Canada, and the June 2, 2006 counter-terrorism raids in and around the Greater Toronto Area that resulted in the arrest of 14 adu ...
, Pakistani-Canadian accused of terrorism
*
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ismail Ansari (; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for his role as Tom Haverford on the NBC series '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015) and as creator and star of the Netflix series '' Mas ...
(born 1983), American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director
* Bushra Ansari, Pakistani television presenter, comedian, singer, actress and playwright
*
Faheem Ansari
Faheem Ansari, also known as Mohammad Faheem Ansari, is an Indian Muslim who was charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks on false grounds. He was also charged with being a member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an Islamic terrorist org ...
, an Indian national who was charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks
*
Faris Muslim al Ansari
Faris Muslim al Ansari is a citizen of Afghanistan who was seventeen years old when captured and held in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.
His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 253.
American intelligence analysts ...
(born 1984), Afghan held in Guantanamo
*
Furkan Ansari
Furkan Ansari (born 5 February 1948) is an Indian politician. He was elected a Member of Parliament to the 14th Lok Sabha from Godda constituency of Jharkhand being an Indian National Congress candidate. He is Senior INC Leader of Jharkhand and ...
(born 1948), Indian politician
* Hashim Amala, South African Cricketer
*
Jamshed Ansari
Jamshed Ansari ( ur, ) (31 December 1942 in Saharanpur – 24 August 2005 in Karachi) was a Pakistani film, television and radio actor.
He is remembered for his numerous performances on both radio and television including Safdar in '' Hamid ...
(1942–2005), Pakistani film, television and radio actor
* Khalid A. H. Ansari, Indian entrepreneur, journalist
* Khizar Humayun Ansari, British race relations academic
*
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, novelist, and journalist in Urdu, Hindi and English. He won four National Film Awards in India. Internationally, his films won the Palme d'Or (Golden ...
, (1914–1987), popularly known as K. A. Abbas, Indian film director
*
Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari
Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari was a figure in the history of Indian subcontinent and a leader of All India Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam
Majlis-e Ahrar-e Islam ( ur, مجلس احرارلأسلام), also known in short as Ahrar, is a religious Musl ...
, Pakistani politician
*
Mateen Ansari
Captain Mateen Ahmed Ansari GC (15 December 1916 – 29 October 1943) of the 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment, in the Indian Army during World War II, and member of the British Army Aid Group.
He was awarded the George Cross posthumously. Th ...
Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Mohammad Hamid Ansari (; born 1 April 1937) is an Indian politician and retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who was the 12th vice president of India from 2007 to 2017.
Ansari joined the IFS in 1961. In a diplomatic career spanning 3 ...
(born 1937), Indian politician
**
Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari
Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari (14 August 1914 – 3 June 1974) was a Pakistani Islamic scholar and philosopher.
He was the founder of the Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies and Founder President of the World Federation of Islamic Missions.
...
Mukhtar Ansari
Mukhtar Ansari (born 30 June 1963) is an Indian gangster and politician from Uttar Pradesh. He has been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Mau constituency five times, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate ...
, Indian mafia-don turned politician
*
Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari
Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari (25 December 1880 – 10 May 1936) was an Indian nationalist and political leader, and former president of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League during the Indian Independence Movement. One of the founders of t ...
(1880–1936), Indian nationalist and political leader
*
Mustafa al-Ansari
Mustafa Abdulkader Aabed al-Ansari ( ar, مصطفى عبدالقادر عابد الأنصاري, ) was a Saudi national who organized and died in the 2004 Yanbu attack in Saudi Arabia. He was also the son-in-law of Yemeni al Qaeda operative Ahmad ...
, Saudi accused of terrorism
* Rais Ansari, Urdu Indian poet
*
Sahar Ansari Sahar Ansari, TI (Urdu: سحر انصاری) (Born: 27 Dec 1939, Aurangabad, Maharashtra) is an Urdu poet and linguist from Karachi, Pakistan. He remained associated with the University of Karachi as Professor and Chairman of Urdu department.
Sah ...
, Pakistani Urdu poet, critic and scholar of Urdu literature and linguistics
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Salim Miya Ansari
Salim Miya Ansari is a Nepalese politician. In the 1994 election he was elected to the Pratinidhi Sabha as the candidate of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) from the Bara-4 constituency. Ansari won with 20148 votes against ...
, Nepalese politician
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Saman Ansari
Saman Ansari is a Pakistani television, theater and OTT actor.
She started acting in 2014 and is performing to date. .
Career
Saman Ansari started her career in the HUMTV drama Jugnoo opposite Zahid Ahmed and Yumna Zaidi. She is noted for pla ...
(born 1974), Pakistani television actress
* Sarah Ansari, professor of history
* Sheikh Sadiq Ali Ansari (active 1901), Indian politician
* Sibakatullah Ansari, Indian politician
* SM Razaullah Ansari (born 1932), Indian physicist
* Zabiuddin Ansari a.k.a. Abu Hamza or Abu Jundal, an Indian national, fundamentalist/terrorist belonging to Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba. He is accused of being involved in 2008 Mumbai attacks.
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Zeeshan Ansari
Zeeshan Ansari (born 16 December 1999) is an Indian cricketer. He made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy on 6 October 2017. Prior to his first class debut, he was part of India's squad for the 2016 Under-19 C ...
(born 1999), Indian cricketer
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Zafar Ansari
Zafar Shahaan Ansari ( ur, ظفر انصاری; born 10 December 1991) is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club and the England national team. A spin-bowling all-rounder, he bowled left-arm orthodox spin, and ba ...
(born 1991), English cricketer of Pakistani descent
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Zafar Ishaq Ansari
Zafar Ishaq Ansari ( ur, ﻇﻔﺮ اسحاق انصاﺭﻯ; 27 December 1932 – 24 April 2016) was a scholar of Islamic Studies. He was the Director General of the Islamic Research Institute of the International Islamic University. Previously, ...
(1932–2016), Pakistani scholar of Islamic Studies
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Ziaur Rahman Ansari
Ziaur Rahman Ansari (9 March 1925–6 October 1992) was an Indian politician. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India from the Unnao constituency of Uttar Pradesh as a member of the Indian National Congress
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