Bihari Muslims

Bihari Muslims

Muslim men praying in Siwan district, Bihar, 1910
Total population
c. 24,538,379 Million
Regions with significant populations
India (Bihar only)	23,138,379[1][2][3][4]
Pakistan	1,000,000[5]
Bangladesh	400,000[6]
Languages
Urdu, various Bihari languages[7]
Religion
Islam (Sunni majority, Shia minority)
Related ethnic groups
Other Biharis

Bihari Muslims are adherents of Islam who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Biharis. They are geographically native to the region comprising the Bihar state of India, although there are significantly large communities of Bihari Muslims living elsewhere in the subcontinent due to the Partition of British India in 1947, which prompted the community to migrate en masse from Bihar to the dominion of Pakistan (both West Pakistan and East Pakistan).^[8][9]

Bihari Muslims make up a significant minority in Pakistan under the diverse community of Muhajirs (lit. 'migrants'), and largely began arriving in the country following the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which led to the secession of East Pakistan from the Pakistani union as the independent state of Bangladesh.

The majority of Bihari Muslims adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam and the adoption of the religion by Biharis traces back to the 14th century, when Afghan traders and Sufi missionaries began to arrive in the region a century prior to the Mughal Empire's conquest of the subcontinent.^[10] There are also a significant minority of Biharis who adhere to the Shia branch of Islam, largely residing in Patna and Gopalpur in Siwan, tracing their religious descent to Shia Muslim settlers of distant Persian ancestry from Lucknow in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, who arrived in the region during the 19th century.^[11]

The large-scale arrival of Muslims in Bihar began in the 14th century, when Turk traders and Sufi saints-warriors settled in the South Bihar plains and furthered the process of agricultural colonisation while also spreading Islam among the local populace. Muslims were not the only new immigrants to Bihar during this period. Inscriptions in Bihar Sharif tell of a Sufi warrior by the name of Malik Ibrahim Bayu who came to Bihar and defeated the non-Hindu Kol tribe who had been oppressing the local Muslims. He conquered many Kol chiefdoms.^[12]

Some of the kings and chieftains of medieval Bihar were Muslim. The chieftaincy of Kharagpur Raj in modern-day Munger district was originally controlled by Hindu Rajputs. In 1615 after a failed rebellion by Raja Sangram Singh, his son, Toral Mal converted and he changed his name to Roz Afzun.^[13]

The Faujdars of Purnea (also known as the Nawabs of Purnea) created an autonomous territory for themselves under the leadership of Saif Khan and ruled in parts of Eastern Bihar in the early 1700s. They were engaged in a protracted conflict with the neighbouring Kingdom of Nepal.^[14]

Many Bihari Muslims migrated to West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) after the partition of India in 1947.^[9][15]

The following table shows the Muslim population of Bihar by district:^[16]

Sum total of this table is 14,780,500 Muslims out of 83.0 million total population in 2001 census, hence Muslims were 16.5% of total population in Bihar. In 2011 census, total population grew to 103.9985 million, of which 16.9% or 17,557,809 were Muslims.^[17] During 2001–2011, Muslims grew by 33.433%, while non-Muslims grew by 23.537%. District-wise break up by religions for 2011 is not available.

Kishanganj is the only district in Bihar with a Muslim majority.

• MALLICKS or Malik of Bihar
• Julahas (Momin) or Ansari
• Sheikh of Bihar
• Surjapuri (Bhuiyan)
• Dhuniya
• Rayeen or Kunjra
• Shershahabadia
• Muslim Bhumihars
• Pathans of Bihar
• Idrisi or Darzi
• Kulhaiya
• Muslim Kayasths
• Muslim Rajputs
  • Thakurai
  • Malkana
  • Khanzada
• clan (Bihar)
• Abdal
• Muslim Chhipi
• Lal Begi or Lala Baig
• Turuk Pasi/Pashai
• Sayyid/Syed
• Chik
• Sai
• Muslim Rangrez
• Pamaria/Sheikh Abbasi
• Iraqi/Kalal
• Miyan

In common with the rest of India, the Muslims in Bihar are largely descendants of native converts from various castes.^[18] The rise of the Indian Muslim population can be traced back to the early 12th century, with many conversions to Islam taking place during the rule of the Sur Empire, which had established its capital in Sasaram.^[19]

As per the 2022 Bihar caste-based survey, the population of major Muslim castes in Bihar was as follows:

The Iraqi/Kalal was counted as a subset of Bania caste. Prominent members of the Kalal community had protested against the state government and demanded a separate categorization.

• Syed Ali Imam - Prime Minister of Hyderabad State and Indian independence activist.
• Khuda Bakhsh - Chief Justice of Hyderabad State and founder of the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library
• Sheikh Zainuddin - 18th century painter
• Shad Azimabadi - 19th century poet from Patna
• Ali Ibrahim Khan - 18th century statesmen and poet
• Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri - 13th century Sufi mystic
• Maulana Asim Bihari - 20th century Social Activist from Bihar Sharif
• Shahid Ali Khan(politician) - politician
• Abdul Qaiyum Ansari - Freedom Fighter, Activist and Politician

• The Forgotten People: Bihari Refugees of Bangladesh, UCANews