Zamindara
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
•  India •  Pakistan |
The Zamindara or Rautara (combinations of words Rai and Tartar from village Hasanpur-Beenapur) is a distinct Muslim community found mainly in the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh. [1] Members of Zamindara community who migrated to Pakistan after the independence in 1947, are settled in Karachi, Sindh. It is a community in India who practice Central Asian Turkic-Mongol Culture in their lifestyle. They are speakers of a very distinct language which is not spoken by anyone else. This community is also referred to as "Azmi Community" or "Azmi Biradari" or "Azmi Qaum" and "Rautara Biradari". The marriage of this community happens only on the basis of Monotheism and it is strictly prohibited to marry their sons and daughters to people of other cast. It is also part of their culture which is mandatory to follow for all. They adopt their own education system in their Senior Secondary School and Arabic Seminary. They are from the Hanafi School of Thought but the youths of this community are now adopting Ahle Hadith School of Thought without anyone's influence. And there is no conflict emerging in their family. They love Azamgarh more than India. They consider Azamgarh as Their Beloved Land.
History and origin
The Zamindara are the sub-group within the wider Shaikh community. Zamindara in Urdu means a landowner, and was a name given to a community of diverse origin in what is now present day eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Zamindara are said to be descendants of Turk and Rajput caste and Pathans who migrated to the region from Khorasan. Many Zamindaras were substantial landowners, and reference is made to this community in Abu'l-Fazl's, 16th-century magnum opus, Ain-i-Akbari, as the landowners of pargana Nizamabad.[1]
By early 19th century, Zamindara's owing to their industry and enterprise, had substantially increased their landed possession. In addition, number of them were educated and had obtained good position in the professions and government services in erstwhile British India.[1]
Present circumstances
The Zamindara today are mainly concentrated in district of Azamgarh but are also found in substantial number in neighbouring districts of Mau and Jaunpur, and in certain pockets of Gorakhpur and Sultanpur. They are essentially a community of landowners and prior to the abolition of the Zamindari system, held large tract of lands. They speak a distinct dialect of Urdu among themselves which is similar in accent in central Asian Turkic language, they refereed it as Azmiat Language, but Urdu with outsiders. They are an endogamous group and practise strict form of endogamy. The Zamindara's usually have Shaikh, Khan as their surnames. The population of Zamindara community in Azamgarh and Jaunpur are approximately 2.5 million of which 1.2 million are Turks and Pashtun and 1.3 million Shaikh. They are still practicing in their daily life Khorasanian Culture . The B.J.P President of Ruling Party of India Mr. Amit Shah has declared " The Muslims Of Azamgarh do not have fear of government in their heart." They support others without terms and condition i.e. give Unconditional Support to others when anyone in fact needs it.They do not want to mix with others and dislike that anyone interferes in their affairs. They are independent in their affairs and choices. The villages founded by Shaikh are as Saat Gao, Mangrawan Raipur, Kundanpur Kotila, Bindawal- Jairajpur, Bisham, Nandao, Anjan Shahed, Ashrafpur, Mande etc. The shaikh (warrior clan) are the original inhabitants of Azamgarh, they embraced islam when they came in touch with warrior clans of central Asian like Turks, Mongol, and pathan of Afghanistan. The villages founded by pathan are as Mohammedpur (Ghazni), Fariha (Farah) khandwari, Daudpur, Sherwaa, Surahi etc.
The villages founded by mongol are as Muslim patti, manjeerpatti, Mirzapur, Hasanpur-Beenapara, Shahpur etc.