Muslim Dhobi
Muslim descendants of Dhobi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Muslim Dhobi are a South Asian Muslim caste whose traditional occupation is washing clothes. They are converts from Hinduism to Islam here[where?] the Dhobi castes are launderers.[2] Muslim Dhobis are found throughout the Indian subcontinent.[citation needed] They are OBC in Haryana.[3] Now they are demanding ST rights.[4]
The community is also known as Charhoa and Gazar in Pakistan, and Qassar in India. They also use "Hawari" as a surname.[citation needed]
Present circumstances
In Pakistan
In Pakistan, the Punjab Qassar are mainly a rural community. The Qassar are an artisan caste, receiving a fixed share of the agricultural produce for their services. The Gazar sub-division, found in southern Punjab, have taken to agriculture. The Gazar and Charhoa are Seraiki speaking, while the Qassar in central Punjab speak Punjabi.[5]