In descending order the top classes or "castes" are Sayyad, Sheikh, Mughal and Pathan. They are the self-proclaimed parachutes from Garden of Eden via Wadi-al-Kora in to this landmass. That leaves perhaps 90% of Muslims in Ajlaf classes.

Their own further classifications can be mind-boggling. A Darzi (tailor) is superior to a Nai (barber) who is superior to a Dhobi (washer man) who is superior to a Qasai (Butcher). Julaha (weaver) and Rangarez (house-painter) may think they are direct descendents of Turkish quilt makers or Persian calligraphers whose work decorates Taj, respectively but we know better, says the Ansari who thinks his forefathers were the first to welcome the Prophet at Medina and therefore he is next only to a Sayyad who is after all directly related to the blood line of the Prophet unlike the Sheikh, or Mughals that are really the by-products of inter-racial marriages or the Usurious Pathan! But none of the Sayyads would consider even a Kidwai anywhere near to them. The Qasai who slaughters only mutton or chicken is better than the one who deals in beef too but he may have a bone to pick with a Mirasi who is just a Singer/Dancer/Musician/Baul-Sufi Minstrel or a Manihar (Bangle maker) of Faizabad or Lad Bazaar of Hyderabad but the Mirasi may look with contempt at one who handles effluents..

An Ajlaf treats himself to Ashraf-hood by first arriving at some level of economic security and when that happens, the first thing that he does is to obtain a "fair" complexioned woman of higher class even if a widow of poorer means and then put her in Purdah exactly as a Ghairatmand Khandaani Sayyad would, so that she doesn't have to work outside. No more jobs in a Tanning Factory for her even if she is the smartest one around. Next, he must procure a lower caste Muslim or even a Hindu maid-servant so that Begum Sahiba does not have to deal with riff-raff by going to Bazaar on her own. Next is to prevent his girl-child from even thinking of going to a co-ed school. The colloquial simple dialect common to common men must be dropped by the children and Zer/Zabar/Pesh must make an appearance even in speech. Dark spot of Piety on forehead by then is a must and a few phrases dropped here and there in Arabic are always useful. Next is to become choosy about whom not to break bread with. Social Stratification has to be converted to one's advantage, not to that of the others. In due course one must look for a Daughter-in-Law from a Higher Caste making SURE at the same time that one's daughter does not start making eyes with a "badzaat" boy of lower caste!

Next is to create a Legend. By the time his grandson starts growing up Abbumian whose father belonged to caste of Dhobi and hence accused of permanent state of "nijasaf," (pollution) would want to forget his real ancestors. Short of looking for a Clan Coat of Arms, it may now become essential for him to discover an Ancestor who either came with Ghori, Nadir or Abdali as a Swordsman. And then he honorably married a High Caste Brahmin or Rajput woman after making her "embrace" Islam before entering in to her embrace, would say such fine story Abbumian to grandchildren with a nostalgic catch in his throat. If only he could produce a Firman issued by Aurangzeb, as claimed by ZAB, donating thousands of acres at Larkana, he would!

It is amazing irony that more a Muslim tries to flaunt the outward symbols of his religion (skull-cap, beard, prayer, fasts, pilgrimage, Urdu etc) to assert his individuality more and more "Hindu" he becomes in his social stratification. While the Hindu has tried with quite some success to break out of the shackles for which some early reformers got inspiration from egalitarian Islam/Christianity and self-efforts, followers of both religions want to outdo the Hindus now in terms of social hierarchy!

Ironically a "high caste" Mirza girl is perfectly fine playing lawn tennis in shorts and sleeve-less tops but the daughter of a "lower caste" Mirasi may well be forced in to Purdah. It is another matter that, the Mirza lass is fast becoming a thorn on which the rose sits.

Some are born Noble, some acquire Nobility and some thrust their Nobility in your face. Such are the plans of mice and men.

Related: Indian Muslim (Part 2)

Comments (6)

captainjohann said:

	Thanks kabir
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June 03, 2008
Votes: +1

Kabir said:

captainjohann, Thanks for asking. Please feel free to use it and no need for any "by-line"; I am not a professional writer and the information is general knowledge anyway. I suppose you are a gentleman and a gentle man and would not use this merely to ridicule Muslims or anybody else. Conscience is the only guide in such matters to make sure that one criticises because one cares. In a curious act of social osmosis some Hindus back then were impressed that Slave Ayaz and Sultan Mahmud stood in one line to pray while some Indian Muslims unwittingly found merit in practicing some concepts of Manu, at the same time promoting Islam as the best way towards social equity! Christian “castes” and oxymoronic “Dalit-Christians” is yet another story. There lie some of the ironies and the paradoxes that make up India.

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June 02, 2008
Votes: +1

captainjohann said:

	Hi Kabir, A great post giving lot of information with humour. Can i spread it around using your byline.? thanks
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June 02, 2008
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varun_manipal said:

	Hahaha... kabir ... great comment... ghunghat for guys..... You dont need rohit bal or someone else for that... Just go to your bhendi bazaar and get one for urself... hahahah .... poor soul...
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May 26, 2008
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Kabir said:

derebail2008 makes valid points but IMO, critics (other than darebail) of Burqa, especially non-Muslim women, are generally consumed with intense jealousy.It will be highly unfair to women to take away their Burqa-rights. If the netting is broadened,all will be lost. The tent-like sartorial innovation is the best fashion statement designed probably by a woman herself. It makes beauty mysterious; it hides superficial ugliness while tempting you to figure out the figure-work. And it gives the independence to a woman to wear nothing beneath if she so desires. In hot countries being hot is a great relief. Next time if you have a Burqa clad one sitting next to you on 7 Ltd to Hutatma, please kontrol. It is the greatest symbol of Women's Lib or Feminism because of a unique feature. It allows women to ogle hunks on the Colaba Causway to their hearts consent and to eyes content without even once being caught doing so. Tad unfair to men, I say. If a man stares like that at a woman, the Taliban of Bhendi Bazar would stone him; nothing happens to women. And some think Islam is unfair to women! What rubbish. In my view it is time men came up with ghoonghat for themselves. Where is Rohit the Baal and his stuff made of Khaal?

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May 18, 2008
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derebail2008 said:

The emancipation of women is high priority in Islam, we have good examples in Sania, Purdah should be redesigned in keeping with times with the netting on the purdah being broad knit. The joke of the month was that one innoncent muslim women asked my wife with fully clad burkha madam pechana kya ? in Mira road, she restrained from bursting out laughing. I hope the mullahs in India set the ball rolling in this direction. At least we should identify one burkha clad women with other. or they should be made to paste their photograph on the chest like a batch. LOL

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May 18, 2008
Votes: +1

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