Muslim Bhadala Jamat
Encyclopedia
The Bhadala are an ethnic group
found in Pakistan
and India
. They are found mainly in the Kutch District
of Gujarat. In Pakistan
, they are found mainly in Karachi
.
language,but now refers to a distinct community found along the coast of Kutch and Saurashtra. According to their traditions, they were originally settled in the town of Keti Bandar
in Sindh
, where members of the community are still said to be found. The community were said to be invited to settle in Kutch by the Mughal
Emperor Shahjahan. Their original settlement was the village of Mota Salaya in Mandvi
Taluka. The community are now settled in a number of villages in Mandvi
Taluka such as Mandis Bhadala Phool and Juna Salaya. In the 18th Century, a large number of Bhadalas moved to Saurashtra, where they settled in the ports of Veraval
, Jamnagar
, Dwaraka
and Porbandar
. A second migration took place in the 19th Century, which saw many Bhadala move to Mombasa
, Lamu
and Daresalam
in East Africa
. They were poineers in the Asian
settlement of East Africa
. The community now speak Kutchi
, while those in Saurashtra also speak Gujarati
.
tribes, and could point to a diverse origin of the community. But community boundaries are clear, and there is no intermarriage with neighbouring Muslim
Maldhari communities like the Juneja
, Royma
and Ker
. Each of their clans are of equal status and inter marry. The community have a well established caste association, the Muslim Bhadala Jamat, which is one of the oldest Muslim castes association in Gujarat. It has offices in Mombasa
, Muscat
, Dubai
and Keti Bandar
, reflecting the widespread distribution of the community.
The Bhadala is still a seafaring community, and almost all the Dhow
captains on the Dubai
to India
route are Bhadala. Many are also employed by the merchant navies of India
and Pakistan
. Generally each dhow
crew is made up of close kinsmen. In Pakistan
, the Bhadala owns a significant part of that countries fishing fleet. In India
, the Bhadala often employ Muslim
Machiyar
or Hindu
Kharwa
on their fishing boats, while in Pakistan
most of the crew is made up of ethnic Bengali
Muslim
s.
The Bhadala are entirely Sunni, and follow the traditions of the other neighbouring Muslim
communities.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
found in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and 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 found mainly in the Kutch District
Kutch District
Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....
of Gujarat. In Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, they are found mainly in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
Origin
The word Bhadala meant a seamen or fishermen in the KutchiKutchi
Kutchi may refer to:* Kutchi people, an ethnic group in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India* Kutchi language, language spoken in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India* Kutch District, in Gujarat, India* Kuchi nomads of Afghanistan...
language,but now refers to a distinct community found along the coast of Kutch and Saurashtra. According to their traditions, they were originally settled in the town of Keti Bandar
Keti Bandar
Keti Bandar is a former port on the Arabian Sea, in the Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. The port was built on the remains of the older seaport of Debal where Muhammad bin Qasim and his army arrived from Iraq.- See also :* Keti...
in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, where members of the community are still said to be found. The community were said to be invited to settle in Kutch by the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Shahjahan. Their original settlement was the village of Mota Salaya in Mandvi
Mandvi
Mandvi is a city and a Municipality in Kachchh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao of the Kachchh. The old city had a surrounding fort, and remains of the fort wall can still be seen to this day...
Taluka. The community are now settled in a number of villages in Mandvi
Mandvi
Mandvi is a city and a Municipality in Kachchh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao of the Kachchh. The old city had a surrounding fort, and remains of the fort wall can still be seen to this day...
Taluka such as Mandis Bhadala Phool and Juna Salaya. In the 18th Century, a large number of Bhadalas moved to Saurashtra, where they settled in the ports of Veraval
Veraval
Veraval is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 6 km from Somnath.- History :...
, Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
, Dwaraka
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
and Porbandar
Porbandar
Porbandar is a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama...
. A second migration took place in the 19th Century, which saw many Bhadala move to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Lamu
Lamu
-Threats to Lamu:In a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund identified Lamu as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management and development pressure as primary causes.- See also :* Juma and the Magic...
and Daresalam
Daresalam
Daresalam is a 2000 dramatic film by Chadian director Issa Serge Coelo. It has been considered one of the very few recent African films that has treated the theme of the internecine conflicts that have ravaged the African continent since independence...
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. They were poineers in the Asian
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
settlement of East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. The community now speak Kutchi
Kutchi
Kutchi may refer to:* Kutchi people, an ethnic group in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India* Kutchi language, language spoken in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India* Kutch District, in Gujarat, India* Kuchi nomads of Afghanistan...
, while those in Saurashtra also 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...
.
Present circumstances
The Bhadala are divided into a number of clans, the main ones being the Aspun, Memon, Thaima, Behlim, Turk, Dosani, Karani, Nakhrani, Juneja, Sameja, Jadeja, Patha, Palleja, Koreja, Kandeja, Bhatti, Yuspani, Zufarabadi and Chauhan. Many are names of well kmown SindhiSindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
tribes, and could point to a diverse origin of the community. But community boundaries are clear, and there is no intermarriage with neighbouring 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...
Maldhari communities like the Juneja
Junejo
Junejo is the name of a Samma Sindhi Rajput tribe in Sindh and in some parts of India mostly in Rajasthan. Among the Sindhi Hindu community Juneja is a common surname and many Juneja people originally from Sindh migrated to India during the independence in 1947. Junejo are also known as Jam in...
, Royma
Royma
The Royma are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India and a province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are one of a number of communities of pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch. The community is also known as Raheema, especially in Sindh.-History and origin:The Royma...
and Ker
Ker (tribe)
The Ker are a Muslim Rajput community found in the state of Gujarat in India and a province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are one of a number of communities of pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.-History and origin:...
. Each of their clans are of equal status and inter marry. The community have a well established caste association, the Muslim Bhadala Jamat, which is one of the oldest Muslim castes association in Gujarat. It has offices in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
and Keti Bandar
Keti Bandar
Keti Bandar is a former port on the Arabian Sea, in the Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. The port was built on the remains of the older seaport of Debal where Muhammad bin Qasim and his army arrived from Iraq.- See also :* Keti...
, reflecting the widespread distribution of the community.
The Bhadala is still a seafaring community, and almost all the Dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
captains on the Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
to 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...
route are Bhadala. Many are also employed by the merchant navies of 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...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Generally each dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
crew is made up of close kinsmen. In Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the Bhadala owns a significant part of that countries fishing fleet. 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...
, the Bhadala often employ 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...
Machiyar
Machiyar
The Machiyar are Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India. They also known as the Machhi.-History and origin:The Machiyar are fishing community distributed throughout the coastal areas of Gujarat from Kutch to south Gujarat. They are first said to have settled at Patan, the historic...
or Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Kharwa
Kharwa (caste)
The Kharwa are Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India. They also known as the Machhi.-History and origin:The Kharwa are fishing community distributed throughout the coastal areas of Saurashtra. Its is believed that Kharwa originated from Rajasthan, and migrated during the tenth century...
on their fishing boats, while in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
most of the crew is made up of ethnic Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
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.
The Bhadala are entirely Sunni, and follow the traditions of the other neighbouring 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...
communities.