| Total population |
|---|
| 103,000 [1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| • India • Pakistan • Nepal |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
• Islam 100% • |
| Related ethnic groups |
The Jogi Faqir or Faqir are a Muslim community, found in North India. They are also known as Madariya Faqir. The Jogi Faqir are Muslim converts from the Hindu Jogi caste, and are one of the two sub-divisions of the Faqir found in Uttar Pradesh.[2]
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The Jogi Faqir call themselves Madariya Faqir, as they trace their origin from the Sufi saint Jinda Jhullan Shah Madari. Their ancestor was Jay Pal, the guru of the Chauhan ruler of North India, Prithvi Raj, who became the disciple of the Sufi, Moinuddin Chishti, and was known as Abdullah Biyabani, after his conversion to Islam. The community have three sub-groups, Chaurash, Tappa and Athgara.[2]
They are found in the districts of Kanpur, Fatehpur, Unnao, Pratapgarh, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Barabanki, Basti, Santkabirnagar and Lukhnow. They were traditionally involved with begging and providing specialized religious services. Like other Muslim communities in North India, they are undergoing social change, and become more orthodox. They have always been Sunni, and many are now employed as village imams.[3] They are also present in different districts of Sindh, Pakistan.