Momna
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Historical Momna gathering | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Gujarat (India), Pakistan (formerly British India), East Africa, United States, Iran [1], Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and other diaspora communities | |
| Languages | |
| Gujarati, English, Hindi, and Urdu (developed in northern India, including Delhi) and Farsi [1] | |
| Religion | |
| Islam: Shia Imami Ismaili (Nizari) Muslim, Sunni Muslim and Salafi (Wahhabi) Muslim [1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ismailis, Khoja, Satpanth communities, Patidar convert groups and Iranian [1] |
The Momna (Momin), also spelled Mumna, Momina, or Muman, are a Muslim community originating in the state of Gujarat in India. Historically tied to the Satpanthi Ismaili tradition, the Momna who converted to Islam through Ismaili Shia missionaries. [1] Over centuries, the Momna experienced persecution, shifts in religious alignment, and widespread migration, which led to the emergence of distinct religious subgroups as well as a sizable global diaspora.[1]
Clan-based surnames
The Momna community’s origins are rooted in the Satpanth Ismaili movement of the Indian subcontinent. The community emerged through the missionary efforts of early Ismaili Pirs, most notably Pir Satgur Noor and Pir Tajdin, who spread the faith among agrarian and artisan groups in northern Gujarat. These conversions were centered primarily in the regions of Sidhpur, Patan, and Mehsana, where the community established its foundational socio-religious identity. [2]
During the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Ismaili Momnas faced prolonged persecution. Many practiced taqiyyah (religious dissimulation), externally adopting Sunni customs to avoid harassment.[3][4] Over time, parts of the community drifted away from their original Ismaili identity. Those who remained are referred to as “the Momnas of the old faith” (junā dharma nā moman) or , while those who assimilated into Sunni Islam became known as “Chiliyas” or “the Momnas of the new faith” (navā dharma nā moman).[2]
Within the Ismaili Momna subgroup, community identity developed around clan-based surnames derived from ancestral villages, occupations, or shared lineage. Common Momna surnames include: Maknojia, Charolia, Maredia, Prasla, Karedia, Kadiwal, [2], Umatiya, Dholasaniya, Mahesania [2], Manesia, Dhuka, Karowadia, and Badarpura.[2] These names remain widespread in India and across the global Ismaili Momna diaspora.