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
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 ...
and Delhi 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 ...
. They are also known as the Kashmiri Bhand and recently as
Kashmiri Shaikh
Kashmiri Shaikh or Kashmiri Sheikh ( ks, ) is a Muslim community, which mainly live in Kashmir regions of India and Pakistan. The Kashmiri Shaikhs are considered to be a clan of Kashmiri people, Kashmiri origin also found predominantly in Paki ...
. The Naqqal are a sub-group within the larger
Bhand
Bhānds (Devanagari: भांड; Urdu: بھانڈ, Gurmukhi: ਭੰਡ) are the traditional folk entertainers of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India and Nepal, the Bahand are now an endogamous Muslim community, which is no longer ...
community.People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1071 to 1075 Manohar Publications
Nawabs of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishapu ...
.Their mother tongue is Urdu. According to some traditions, they are a branch of the
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 ...
community, while others consider them to be a sub-group of the
Bhand
Bhānds (Devanagari: भांड; Urdu: بھانڈ, Gurmukhi: ਭੰਡ) are the traditional folk entertainers of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India and Nepal, the Bahand are now an endogamous Muslim community, which is no longer ...
community. They were invited by Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider of Awadh from
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
. Most trace their descent from Ali Jan who arrived from
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, and served at the court of
Wajid Ali Shah
Mirza Wajid Ali Shah ( ur, ) (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.
Wajid Ali Shah's first wife was Alam Ara who was better k ...
. His descendants kept the tradition of mimicry, entertaining the
taluqdar
Taluqdars or Talukdar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: ; Perso-Arabic: , ; from ''taluq'' "estate/attachment" + '' dar'' "owner"), were aristocrats who formed the ruling class during the Delhi Sultanate, Bengal Sultanate, Mughal Empire and British Raj ...
s of
Awadh
Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...
.
Present circumstances
The Naqqal are distributed in the old parts of
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
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 ...
, and dislike the use of the word Naqqal, claiming to be
Shaikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
. They are strictly endogamous, marrying close kin, and practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. The community have no system of exogamous clans.
The traditional occupation of the Naqqal was mimicry (as
bahrupiya
A behrupiya or bahrupiya ( Hindustani: बहरूपिया or بہروپیا) is an impressionist in the traditional performing arts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Once popular and widespread, the art form is now in decline with most practiti ...
s), but like other guild based castes, they have seen a decline in their traditional occupation. Most Naqqal have now taking up shop keeping and peddling, while some are now wage labourers. They are in the process of acquiring a new identity as
Kashmiri Shaikh
Kashmiri Shaikh or Kashmiri Sheikh ( ks, ) is a Muslim community, which mainly live in Kashmir regions of India and Pakistan. The Kashmiri Shaikhs are considered to be a clan of Kashmiri people, Kashmiri origin also found predominantly in Paki ...
, and this has meant the progressive abandonment of their traditionally occupation. It is quite possible that if they succeed, the Naqqal name will be consigned to history. The Naqqal are
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
, and 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 ...
communities in the city of
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
.
See also
*
Kashmiri Shaikh
Kashmiri Shaikh or Kashmiri Sheikh ( ks, ) is a Muslim community, which mainly live in Kashmir regions of India and Pakistan. The Kashmiri Shaikhs are considered to be a clan of Kashmiri people, Kashmiri origin also found predominantly in Paki ...
*
Behrupiya
A behrupiya or bahrupiya ( Hindustani: बहरूपिया or بہروپیا) is an impressionist in the traditional performing arts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Once popular and widespread, the art form is now in decline with most practiti ...