Muslim Khatris
Ethnic group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Muslim Khatris are descendants of the Khatri community of the Indian subcontinent which embraced Islam during medieval period. They are now mostly concentrated in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh as well as in north India. The community is scattered throughout Punjab and Kutch region.
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| • India • Pakistan • Europe • United States • Canada • Australia • Dubai • Saudi Arabia • United Kingdom | |
| Languages | |
| • Punjabi • Urdu-Hindi | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Khatris • Aroras • Punjabi Sheikh |
Origin
Khatris, from which Muslim Khatris are descended, are a Punjabi Muslim community.[1] The origins of the community lies in the Punjab region and now divided into Punjab, Pakistan and Punjab, India.[2][need quotation to verify][3][4]
Indian historian Baij Nath Puri, himself a Khatri, wrote that they had mostly converted during the middle of the 16th century and that in Punjab regions such as Multan and Jhang they usually use the "Khawaja" surname, mainly hailing from the Kapoor clan.[5]
History
Khatris are divided into different clans. Most of the Muslim Khatris were warriors and chieftains during the medieval era, many were employed as generals and soldiers under Mughal Empire. They slowly adopted agriculture and business for their survival. Khatris are one of the land owning group in the subcontinent. They were designated as martial race by the British.[citation needed]
Saudagaran-e-Delhi
In addition, the Qaume-e-Punjaban community of Delhi are also of Khatri ancestry. Historically, this community lived in Delhi, and other North Indian towns, but after the Partition of India many people from the community moved to Pakistan.[citation needed]