Mukhi (''mukhia'') is the title used for a head of community or village elitesIndia's Villages. Development Department, West Bengal, 1955 and their local government in Western India and 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 ...

.Peasant Pasts: History and Memory in Western India. Vinayak, Chaturvedi, University of California Press, 2007 It is derived from the word "''mukhiya''" meaning "foremost" and prior to Indian Independence, they were the most power person in each community imbued with both civil and judicial powers.

Status

Mukhi headmen generally came from the wealthiest or most prominent families within their community and acted as the president of the local panchayats. According to local traditions, the mukhi could be a hereditary position inherited by the eldest son Gujarat, Part 3. Popular Prakashan, 2003 or an elected position, as were the panchayats. Decisions made by the panchayat were accepted by their communities and did not require enforcement. In developed areas, many also held high positions in business.

History

The tradition of mukhis and ''panchayat raj'' (village self-government) is thought to be thousands of years old but currently decreasing in influence due to the growth of government and democratic decentralisation. Since at least the 16th Century, the roles carried out by mukhis included those relating to local revenue gathering and expenditure, policing and justice. By the 19th, under the

British rule of India The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

, they became government appointed agents. They led local

Panchayats The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical menti ...

and acted as local representative of the rulers. In 1876, according to the Village Police Act, the mukhis were also given central roles in the criminal justice system and required to carry out surveillance about suspicious activities and reporting to district level officials. They had powers to resolve conflicts within their community, particularly those relating to marriages, and give consent over the building of properties and officiate over daily events or rituals.Encyclopaedia of Ismailism. Mumtaz Ali Tajddin Sadik Ali, Islamic Book Publisher, 2006. In Hyderabad, the position was always held by a member of the Bhaibund community who presided over the collection of fines for the violation of duties and obligations.

Ismailism

In the

Ismaili Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...

Nizari The Nizaris ( ar, النزاريون, al-Nizāriyyūn, fa, نزاریان, Nezāriyān) are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent ...

tradition, the term is also used for the guardian of each

Jama'at Khana Jamatkhana (from fa, جماعت خانه , literally "congregational place") is an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word ''jama‘a'' (gathering) and the Persian word ''khana'' (house, place). It is a term used by some Muslim communities a ...

where the Mukhi acts as the tangible symbol of the

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

's authority. officiating over daily rituals,

Family name

Mukhi is also a common name within Sindhi denoting a hereditary relationship to a mukhi and, from a separate root, in other Indian communities as meaning "beautiful".A Smaller Hindustani and English Dictionary, Taylor & Francis

References

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Sources