Religions in Karachi include Islam,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...

and others. According to a 1998 census of Pakistan, the religious breakdown of the city is as follows: Muslim (96.45%), Christian (2.42%),

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 ...

(0.86%), Ahmadis (0.17%) and other (0.10%). Other religious groups include

Parsi Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...

s, Sikhs, Baháʼí,

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

s and Buddhists. Of the Muslims, approximately 66% are Sunni Islam, Sunnis and 34% are Shia Islam, Shi'ites. The Sunni Islam, Sunnis follow Hanafi fiqh while Shia Islam, Shi'ites are predominantly Twelver, Ithnā‘Ashariyyah fiqh, with significant minority groups who follow Ismailism, Ismaili Fiqh, which is composed of Nizari (Aga Khanis), Mustaali, Dawoodi Bohra and Sulaymani fiqhs.

History

Early

Till by the end of 16the century Karachi was a small fishing village of Sindhi people, Sindhi and Baloch people, Balochi people when Hindu merchants from Thatta established a trading port there in the early 18th century. When the British seized control of the offshore, strategically located island of Manora, Karachi, Manora in 1839, Karachi had about 10,000 inhabitants, predominantly Muslim. Thereafter, authorities of the British Raj embarked on a large-scale modernisation of the city in the 19th century with the intention of establishing a major and modern port which could serve as a gateway to Punjab region, Punjab, the western parts of British India, and Afghanistan. United Kingdom, Britain's competition with imperial Russia during the Great Game also heightened the need for a modern port near Central Asia, and so Karachi prospered as a major centre of commerce and industry during the Raj, attracting communities of: Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans, Arab people, Arabs, Armenian people, Armenians, Catholics from Goa, Jewish people, Jewish, Lebanese people, Lebanese, Malay people, Malays, Konkani people from Maharashtra, Kutchi language, Kuchhi from Kutch District, Kuchh, Gujarat in India, and Zoroastrians (also known as Parsees) - in addition to the large number of British businessmen and colonial administrators who established the city's poshest locales, such as Clifton, Karachi, Clifton. As a result, this mass migration changed the religious and cultural mosaic of Karachi; 104 years of British rule changed the demographic profile of Karachi from a collection of small predominantly Muslim fishing villages to a multicultural city.

1947 Partition

At the time of Partition of India, independence, the population of the city of Karachi was 51.1% Hindu, 42.3% Muslim, with the remaining 7% primarily Christians (both British and native), Sikhs, Jains, with a small number of Jews. The independence of Pakistan in 1947 saw an influx of Muslim refugees from India fleeing to settle. While the hindus staying in Karanchi since prehistoric times were persecuted and killed. Ultimately most of the hindu population migrated to India to save their faith. Many of the Urdu language, Urdu-speaking and other non-Punjabi people, Punjabi Muslim refugees that fled from various states of India settled in Karachi, giving the city a blend of predominantly Muslim culture.

Islam

The state religion in Pakistan is Islam, which is practiced by about 96-98% of the 195,343,000 people of the nation. The remaining 2-4% practice Hinduism in Pakistan, Hinduism, Christianity in Pakistan, Christianity, Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, Ahmadiyya, Sikhism in Pakistan, Sikhism, Buddhism in Pakistan, Buddhism, Baháʼí Faith in Pakistan, Baháʼí and other religions. Muslims are divided into two major sects: the majority of them practice Sunni Islam, while the Shia Islam, Shias comprise an estimated 10-15%. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Fiqh Islamic law school. The majority of Shia Islam in Pakistan, Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Twelver, Ithnā‘Ashariyyah Islamic law school, with significant minority groups who practice Ismailism, which is composed of Nizari (Aga Khanis), Mustaali, Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani, and others.

Hinduism

Most Hindus and Sikhs of Karachi migrated to India during the 1947 partition and from 1948 onwards - after the establishment of Pakistan. Poor Hindus of Marwari people, Marwari and Rajasthani people, Rajasthani descent are concentrated particularly in Narayan Pura, Naraianpura and Lyari Town, Lyari, while wealthier Sindhi Hindus live in Clifton, Karachi, Clifton and Saddar Town, Saddar. Prominent temples include the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi, Sri Swami Narayan temple on Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road, MA Jinnah Road, Daryalal Temple in Kharadar, and numerous temples in Narainpura including a Gujarati temple, a Marwari Temple, and a temple for the Karachi Sikh Sangat. Soldier Bazaar is home to a functioning Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple, Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple, and Ganesha, Ganesh temple. Two temples function in Clifton: the Samadha Dham and Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple, Karachi, Sri Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple. In Civil Lines, the Sant Satram Dham functions on School Road near Karachi Cantonment railway station, Karachi Cantonment Station. A property currently in dispute between Sikhs and Hindus also stands in Aram Bagh (formerly Ram Bagh), although the areas Ram Talao no longer exists, and Ramchandra temple no longer exists. Mithadar is home to the Bhagnari Shiv Temple and Devi Mata Temple. Manora, Karachi, Manora is home to the Sri Varun Dev Temple. As of the 1998 census, some 250,000 Hindus remain in Karachi, forming approximately 0.86% of the total city population. However, despite most Hindus having left Karachi, a large number of streets continue to bear Hindu names, particularly in Aram Bagh, Mithadar, and Ramswamy.

Christianity

The largest religious minority in Karachi are the Christians. The two major Christian ethnic groups are Goan Catholics and Punjabi Christians. The Punjabi Christians are converts from the

Chuhra, Churas caste to

during the British raj.Alter, J.P and J. Alter (1986) In the Doab and Rohilkhand: north Indian Christianity, 1815-1915. I.S.P.C.K publishing p196

References

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