Tadvi Bhil
Encyclopedia
The Tadvi Bhil are a Muslim
community found in the states of Maharashtra
and Madhya Pradesh
in India
and Sindh
in Pakistan
. They are Muslim
converts from the larger Bhil
ethnic group. Tadvi Bhils are descendents of Muslim
men and local Bhil
women. They are also known as Tadvi Pathan, and use the surname Khan
.
and Maharashtra
. This territory forms the core of the Faruqi
kingdom, a medieval state in central India
. A close association between the Bhil
of this region, and the Faruqi state led to the conversion of many of them to Islam
.
The Tadvi Bhil in Maharashtra
consist of three sub-groups, the Tadvi proper, the Nirade
, and Nahay. Each of these groups intermarry, although the Tadvi proper perceive themselves to be superior.
and Marathi
. Their language is Dhanka, which belongs to the Bhil subgroup of the Indo-Aryan linguistic family. They inhabit villages which are largely Tadvi, although interact with neighbouring Muslim
communities such as the Bohra
and Pinjara
. The community consist mainly of small cultivators. Like the wider Bhil
community, they maintain the custom of gotra
exogamy, and are strictly endogamous. In Maharashtra
, their main clans are the Sirsat, Mankar, Dhopi, Tadvi, Khate, Solanki and Wade. They are found mainly in Dhule
and Jalgaon
, and in this state are mainly small and medium sized farmers. They are also raise sheep and other livestock.
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 states of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
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....
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...
and 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...
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 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...
converts from the larger Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
ethnic group. Tadvi Bhils are descendents of 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...
men and local Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
women. They are also known as Tadvi Pathan, and use the surname Khan
Khan (name)
Khan is a surname and title of Central Asian origin, primarily found in Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.- Origin :...
.
History and origin
The Tadvi Bhil inhabit an area which roughly covers the border areas of the states of Gujarat, Madhya PradeshMadhya 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....
and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. This territory forms the core of the Faruqi
Faruqi dynasty
The Faruqi dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Khandesh sultanate from its inception in 1382 till its annexation by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1601. The founder of the dynasty, Malik Ahmad participated in a rebellion against the Bahmani ruler Muhmmad Shah I in his early years...
kingdom, a medieval state in central 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...
. A close association between the Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
of this region, and the Faruqi state led to the conversion of many of them to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
The Tadvi Bhil in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
consist of three sub-groups, the Tadvi proper, the Nirade
Nirdhi Bhil
Nirdhi Bhil or sometimes pronounced as Nilde Bhil are a Muslim community found mainly at the base of the Satmalas hills in the Jamner and Pachora subdivisions of Jalgaon District in Maharashtra, India. They are one of the main sub-groups within the larger Bhil tribe...
, and Nahay. Each of these groups intermarry, although the Tadvi proper perceive themselves to be superior.
Present Circumstance
The Tadvi speak a dialect of their own, also known as Tadvi, but many are switching to HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
. Their language is Dhanka, which belongs to the Bhil subgroup of the Indo-Aryan linguistic family. They inhabit villages which are largely Tadvi, although interact 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...
communities such as the Bohra
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
and 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...
. The community consist mainly of small cultivators. Like the wider Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
community, they maintain the custom of gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
exogamy, and are strictly endogamous. In Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, their main clans are the Sirsat, Mankar, Dhopi, Tadvi, Khate, Solanki and Wade. They are found mainly in Dhule
Dhule district
Dhule district is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Dhule is the administrative headquarters of the district.The Dhule district previously comprised tracts of land predominantly inhabited by tribal population...
and Jalgaon
Jalgaon District
Jalgaon district is a district of Maharashtra. It was formerly known as East Khandesh district. It has an area of 11,765 km², and a population of 3,682,690 of which 71.4% were rural....
, and in this state are mainly small and medium sized farmers. They are also raise sheep and other livestock.