Chhaparband (Muslim)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Languages | |
| Urdu (Dakhani) • Kannada • Marathi | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chhaparband |
The Chhaparband Muslims are a Muslim community inhabiting the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra in India. They are Muslim converts from the Chhaparband community.[citation needed]
The Chhaparband are a community that were historically connected with thatching of roofs, an occupation no longer practiced. In Hindi, the word chhapar means roof and the Persian suffix band means binder and maker. They claim to have been Rajput soldiers in the armies of the Mughal Empire, as said to have originated from Kathiawar and Rajasthan. Their conversion to Islam is said to have occurred at the hands a Sufi saint Pir Bhai Phir Makhan. The Chhaparband speak the Dakhani dialect of Urdu, and are entirely Sunni Muslim. They are found mainly in north west Karnataka, mainly in the districts of Bijapur, Dharwad and Belgaum and the districts of Kolhapur and Sholapur in Maharashtra.[1]
