Mansoori
Encyclopedia
The Mansoori are Muslim
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
. They are part of the larger Pinjara
community which is found throughout North India
.
, a name still used by the community in Rajasthan
and Madhya Pradesh
, but no longer in Gujarat. They speak Gujarati
and are fairly orthodox Sunni Muslim
s, with many being members of the reformist Tableeghi Jamat. The Mansooris have two divisions, the Mansoori proper and the Laliwale. The latter do not practice cotton ginning, and have now taken to petty trade, . mansoori
and Surat
. The Laliwale are successful businessmen, and aspire to Shaikh
status. They have their own caste association, the Shahr Ahmadabad Samastha Mansoori Jamat, which plays a key role in the welfare activity of the community.
After partition, many mansoori families have settled in Karachi and are engaged in diversified fields from trade and commerce to medicine, engineering and chartered accountancy.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are part of the larger Pinjara
Pinjara
The Pinjara are a Muslim community found in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in India. They are also known as Shaikh Mansoori, especially in Gujarat, where the name Pinjara is no longer used...
community which is found throughout North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
.
History and origin
The community consists of local converts, and have been involved in the traditional occupation of cotton ginning. Historically, they were known as the PinjaraPinjara
The Pinjara are a Muslim community found in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in India. They are also known as Shaikh Mansoori, especially in Gujarat, where the name Pinjara is no longer used...
, a name still used by the community in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, but no longer in Gujarat. They speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
and are fairly orthodox Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, with many being members of the reformist Tableeghi Jamat. The Mansooris have two divisions, the Mansoori proper and the Laliwale. The latter do not practice cotton ginning, and have now taken to petty trade, . mansoori
Present circumstances
The Mansoori are strictly endogamous, practising both parallel cousin and cross cousin marriages. Their traditional occupation of cotton carding has been affected by industrialisation, and many have taken to the manufacturing of pillows, quilts and mattresses. Many are also employed in the textile mills of AhmedabadAhmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
. The Laliwale are successful businessmen, and aspire to Shaikh
Shaikhs in South Asia
Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants , is a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that literally means "elder." It is commonly used to designate an elder of a tribe, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar...
status. They have their own caste association, the Shahr Ahmadabad Samastha Mansoori Jamat, which plays a key role in the welfare activity of the community.
After partition, many mansoori families have settled in Karachi and are engaged in diversified fields from trade and commerce to medicine, engineering and chartered accountancy.