Shaikhs in South Asia
Shaikh, also rendered as Sheikh, Sheik, Shaik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Shekh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants (Arabic: شيخ, shaykh; pl. شيوخ shuyūkh), is a title given to many South Asian Muslim castes. It originally was a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that commonly designated a chief of a tribe, royal family member, Muslim religious scholar, or "Elder". However in South Asia it was used as a title by castes that rarely had any Arab descent.[1]
%252C_RP-F-2001-7-1122C-30.jpg.webp)
Origin
In South Asia it is not just an ethnic title but an occupational title attributed to Muslim trading families. Many Shaikhs claimed to be descendants of Arabs, however some Shaikhs did not actually descend from Arabs. In the former Frontier Regions and Punjab of Pakistan, the title shaikh was given to recent converts and not those of Arab descent.[2]
In Uttar Pradesh, bassed on a study by Elise M. S. Belle, Saima Shah, Tudor Parfitt, and Mark G. Thomas, self-identified men belonging to the IHL (Syeds, Hashemites, Quraysh and Ansari) showed a sizeable J1 presence which, given its absence in Indian non-Muslims is likely of exogenous Middle Eastern origin, which showed a greater genetic affinity to Middle-eastern populations—despite the geographic distance, than other Indian populations.[3][4]
Sub-divisions
The subdivisions of the Shaikh include:
- Shaikh Qidwai, who claim to be descendants of the Qazi Qidwa, a son of the Sultans of Rum. The Qidwai were recruited in the household cavalry of Shuja-ud-Daula, which was mainly composed of the Sheikhzadgan.[5][6] These clans had not taken any profession other than a soldier or a civil officer.[7]
- Shaikh Hashmi, who claim to be descendants of the Banu Hashim clan of the Banu Quraish tribe. The Islamic prophet, Muhammad belonged to this clan. Usually carry the title Sayyid or Sharif
- Shaikh Siddiqui, who claim to be descendants of Abu Bakar, the first Khalifa of Islam.
- Shaikh Usmani (Osmani), who claim to be descendants of Uthman Ibn Affan the third Khalifa of Islam
- Shaikh Farooqi, Honorific reverence to Umar Farooq Bin Al-Khattab
- Shaikh Narowali
See also
- Sheikh Mali
- Sheikh
- Shaikhzada
- Sindhi Shaikh
- Punjabi Shaikh
- Muslim Kayasths
- Kashmiri Shaikhs
- Gujarati Shaikh
- Rajasthani Shaikh
- Shaikh of Bihar
- Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh
References
- "Sheikh | Meaning, Title, Significance, & History | Britannica".
- Nyrop, Richard F. (1983). Pakistan a country study (4 ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 149.
- Y chromosomes of self-identified Syeds from the Indian subcontinent show evidence of elevated Arab ancestry but not of a recent common patrilineal origin. Archived 10 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Elise M. S. Belle & Saima Shah & Tudor Parfitt & Mark G. Thomas; Received: 11 March 2010 / Accepted: 28 May 2010 / Published online: 29 June 2010
- "Dienekes' Anthropology Blog: Middle Eastern and Sub-Saharan lineages in Indian Muslim populations". 10 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014.
- Pradeep Barua (2005). The state at war in South Asia. U of Nebraska Press. p. 73. ISBN 9780803213449.
- Amaresh Misra (1998). Lucknow, Fire of Grace:The Story of Its Revolution, Renaissance and the Aftermath. HarperCollins Publishers India. ISBN 9788172232887.
- Surya Narain Singh. Mittal Publications. 2003. p. 9. ISBN 9788170999089.