Bihari Muslims

Adherents of Islam who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Biharis

Ethnic group

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

Majority Sunni

Minority Shia

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 Indian subcontinent due to the partition of 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 conquest of India.[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]

## History

[edit]

Sher Shah Suri Tomb in Sasaram. He was the founder of the Sur Empire and was born in Bihar to Pashtun parents.

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] In the context of the 1971 war in Bangladesh, Biharis were seen as collaborators of the Pakistan Army and submitted to violence of all sorts. They then sought refuge in Pakistan. While the 1973–74 Delhi Agreement facilitated the repatriation of some refugees, only 144,800 non-Bengalis were repatriated to Pakistan, with over 258,000 left awaiting relocation. In Pakistan, many settled in Karachi's low-income neighborhoods such as Orangi Town, Korangi Town, Musa Colony, and others. However, these communities remained vulnerable, particularly during ethnic conflicts like the Qasba-Aligarh Colony Massacre in 1986. Repatriation efforts slowed significantly after 1982, with only 15,000 Biharis resettled in Pakistan by then. A brief resumption in 1993 resulted in the transfer of just 53 families before protests halted the process again.[16] This has led to the issue of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, Biharis faced legal and social barriers to citizenship. It was not until a 2008 Supreme Court ruling that Biharis born after 1971, or who were minors at the time, were granted Bangladeshi citizenship and voting rights.[17]

## Distribution by district

[edit]

The following table shows the Muslim population of Bihar by district:[18][dead link]

Number | District | Population (2001) | Muslim population | Percentage

|
|
|
|

1 | Kishanganj | 1,796,348 | 1,123,456  | 68%
2 | Katihar | 2,392,638 | 1,024,678 | 43%
3 | Araria | 2,158,608 | 887,972 | 42%
4 | Purnia | 2,543,942 | 935,239 | 38%
5 | Darbhanga | 3,295,789 | 748,971 | 23%
6 | Sitamarhi | 2,682,720 | 568,992 | 21%
7 | West Champaran | 3,043,466 | 646,597 | 21%
8 | East Champaran | 3,939,773 | 755,005 | 19%
9 | Bhagalpur | 2,423,172 | 423,246 | 18%
10 | Madhubani | 3,575,281 | 941,579 | 18%
11 | Siwan | 2,714,349 | 494,176 | 18%
12 | Gopalganj | 2,152,638 | 367,219 | 17%
13 | Supaul | 1,732,578 | 302,120 | 17%
14 | Sheohar | 515,961 | 80,076 | 16%
15 | Muzaffarpur | 4,746,714 | 752,358 | 15%
16 | Saharsa | 1,508,182 | 217,922 | 14%
17 | Begusarai | 2,349,366 | 313,713 | 13%
18 | Banka | 1,608,773 | 190,051 | 12%
19 | Gaya | 3,473,428 | 403,439 | 13%
20 | Jamui | 1,398,796 | 170,334 | 12%
21 | Nawada | 1,809,696 | 204,457 | 11%
22 | Madhepura | 1,526,646 | 173,605 | 11%
23 | Aurangabad | 2,013,055 | 221,436 | 11%
24 | Kaimur | 1,289,074 | 123,048 | 10%
25 | Khagaria | 1,280,354 | 131,441 | 10%
26 | Rohtas | 2,450,748 | 246,760 | 10%
27 | Samastipur | 3,394,793 | 355,897 | 10%
28 | Saran | 3,248,701 | 337,767 | 10%
29 | Vaishali | 2,718,421 | 259,158 | 10%
30 | Jehanabad | 1,514,315 | 124,149 | 8%
31 | Munger | 1,337,797 | 98,791 | 7.4%
32 | Patna | 4,718,592 | 366,164 | 8%
33 | Bhojpur | 2,243,144 | 163,193 | 7%
34 | Nalanda | 2,370,528 | 176,871 | 7%
35 | Sheikhpura | 525,502 | 37,755 | 7%
37 | Buxar | 1,402,396 | 86,382 | 6%
38 | Lakhisarai | 802,225 | 35,378 | 4%

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.[19] 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.

## Muslim communities

[edit]

* Malik
* Julahas
* Sheikh of Bihar
* Surjapuri (Bhuiyan)
* Kunjra or Rayeen
* Shershabadia
* Muslim Bhumihars
* Pathans of Bihar
* Darzi or Idrisi
* Kulhaiya
* Muslim Kayasths
* Muslim Rajputs
* Thakurai
* Malkana
* Khanzada
* Abdal
* Muslim Chhipi
* Lal Begi or Lala Baig
* Turuk Pasi/Pashai
* Sayyid/Syed
* Chik
* Sai
* Muslim Rangrez
* Iraqi or Kalal

In common with the rest of India, the Muslims in Bihar are largely descendants of native converts from various castes.[20] 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.[21]

## Statistics

[edit]

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

Caste  | Categorization  | Population  | Population as a percentage of total population of Bihar

|
|
|

Shaikh | General  | 4995897  | 3.821675389
Momin (Muslim) (Julaha/Ansari)  | EBC  | 4634245  | 3.545025061
Surjapuri Muslim (except Shaikh, Syed, Mallick, Mirza, Baig, Mughal, Pathan) (only for Purnia, Katihar, Kishangunj and Araria districts)  | BC  | 2446212  | 1.871261196
Dhuniya (Muslim)  | EBC  | 1888192  | 1.444396651
Rayeen or Kunjra (Muslim)  | EBC  | 1828584  | 1.398798748
Shershahbadi | EBC  | 1302644  | 0.99647421
Kulhaiya | EBC  | 1253781  | 0.959095832
Pathan (Khan)  | General  | 986665  | 0.754762027
Sai/Faqeer/Diwan/Madar (Muslim)  | EBC  | 663197  | 0.507321038
Dhobi (Muslim)  | EBC  | 409796  | 0.313478698
Idrisi or Darzi (Muslim)  | EBC  | 329661  | 0.252178404
Syed | General  | 297975  | 0.227939792
Chudihar (Muslim)  | EBC  | 207914  | 0.159046477
Thakurai (Muslim)  | EBC  | 147482  | 0.112818245
Qasab (Qasai) (Muslim)  | EBC  | 133807  | 0.102357378
Bhat (Muslim)  | BC  | 89052  | 0.068121468
Madariya (Muslim) (only for Sanhaul block of Bhagalpur and Dhoriya block of Banka)  | BC  | 86658  | 0.066290147
Daphali (Muslim)  | EBC  | 73259  | 0.05604041
Mehtar, Lalbegi, Halalkhor, Bhangi (Muslim)  | EBC  | 69914  | 0.05348161
Morshikar  | EBC  | 66607  | 0.050951878
Pamaria (Muslim)  | EBC  | 64890  | 0.049638437
Nat (Muslim)  | EBC  | 61629  | 0.047143893
Gaddi | BC  | 57617  | 0.044074862
Mukairi (Muslim)  | EBC  | 56522  | 0.043237228
Cheeq (Muslim)  | EBC  | 50404  | 0.038557185
Jat Muslim (Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Khagaria and Araria)  | BC  | 44949  | 0.034384313
Rangrez (Muslim)  | EBC  | 43347  | 0.033158843
Bakho (Muslim)  | EBC  | 36830  | 0.02817358
Bhathiyara (Muslim)  | EBC  | 27263  | 0.020855181
Saikalgarg (Muslim)  | EBC  | 18936  | 0.014485336
Qadar  | EBC  | 18121  | 0.013861891
Miriyasin (Muslim)  | EBC  | 15415  | 0.011791902
Nalband (Muslim)  | EBC  | 11900  | 0.009103057
Madari (Muslim)  | EBC  | 11620  | 0.008888868
Abdal | EBC  | 11433  | 0.00874582
Itfarosh/Itafarosh/Gadheri/Itpaz Ibrahimi (Muslim)  | EBC  | 9462  | 0.007238078
Qalandar | EBC  | 7873  | 0.006022552
Qaghzi  | BC  | 2360  | 0.001805312

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.

## Culture

[edit]

### Traditional Dress

[edit]

Among Bihari Muslims, traditional attire reflects a blend of Islamic modesty and regional cultural aesthetics. One notable example is the chaapa dress, commonly worn by Bihari Muslim women, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. The term chaapa (from Hindi/Urdu: छाप/چاپ) means "print" or "stamp," referring to the block-printed or hand-stamped designs featured on these garments.

Chaapa dresses are typically made of cotton and are adorned with floral, paisley, or geometric motifs in vibrant colors. The outfit usually consists of a long tunic (kurta), a lower garment such as a salwar or lehenga, and a matching dupatta. These dresses prioritize comfort and modesty while showcasing local textile traditions. Although machine-printed versions have become common, traditional hand-block printed chaapa fabrics continue to be worn on festive and religious occasions.[22][23]

The chaapa dress is an example of how Bihari Muslim clothing preserves local artisanal techniques while expressing cultural and religious identity.[24]

## Notable Bihari Muslims

[edit]

Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh

* Aasim Bihari \- 20th century social activist from Bihar Sharif
* Abdul Ghafoor \- Indian freedom fighter, politician and 13th Chief Minister of Bihar
* Abdul Bari \- Indian freedom activist, academic and social reformer
* Abdul Bari Siddiqui \- politician and the former finance minister of Bihar.
* Abdul Qavi Desnavi \- Indian Urdu language writer, critic, bibliographer and linguist
* Abdul Qaiyum Ansari \- Indian freedom fighter, activist and politician
* Abdur Rahman \- former Indian Police Service officer
* Abul Mahasin Muhammad Sajjad \- Indian Islamic scholar
* Ahsanuddin Amanullah \- judge of the Supreme Court of India
* Anees Fatima \- Indian freedom fighter, politician, philanthropist and teacher
* Abul Kalam Qasmi Shamsi \- Indian Islamic scholar, author and essayist
* Akhtarul Iman \- Indian politician
* Asad Imam \- Educationist
* Ali Ibrahim Khan \- 18th-century Indian statesman and poet
* Ali Anwar \- Indian journalist, social activist and politician
* Amir Subhani \- former Chief Secretary of Bihar
* Aziza Fatima Imam \- Indian politician and social activist and Member of Rajya Sabha in 1973 and 1979
* Batak Mian \- cook who saved the life of Mahatma Gandhi from a murder attempt by food poisoning
* Bismillah Khan \- Indian musician, shehnai player and Bharat Ratna
* Bismil Azimabadi \- Indian freedom fighter, Urdu poet and the writer of famous patriotic poem "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna"
* Eqbal Ahmad \- Pakistani political scientist, writer and academic
* Imdad Imam Asar \- Indian poet, critic, writer and academic
* Imtiaz Ali \- Indian film director who works primarily in Bollywood, known for movies such as Tamasha and Rockstar
* Kalim Aajiz \- Indian writer of Urdu literature and a poet
* Kazi Ahmad Hussain \- Indian politician, two-time Member of Rajya Sabha
* Khalid Saifullah Rahmani \- Indian Islamic scholar, author and jurist
* Kumkum \- Indian film actress
* Khuda Bakhsh \- Chief Justice of Hyderabad State and founder of the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library
* Lilliput \- Indian actor and comedian
* Md Zabir Ansari \- Indian karate player
* Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi \- Indian political activist and freedom fighter
* Mazhar Asif \- Indian academic administrator, and Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia
* Mazhar Imam \- Indian Urdu poet and critic
* Manazir Ahsan Gilani \- Indian Sunni Islamic scholar and former Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Osmania University
* Minnatullah Rahmani \- Indian Sunni Muslim scholar, first General Secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board
* Mohammad Jawed \- Indian politician, doctor
* Mohammed Taslimuddin \- former Home Minister of India, MLA and MP
* Mohammad Shahabuddin \- former 2-time MLA and 4-time MP of Siwan Sadar
* Mohammad Yunus \- first premier of British India's Bihar Province
* Maulana Mazharul Haq \- Indian freedom Fighter, author and politician
* Moin-ul-Haq \- Indian sports administrator, member of Indian Olympic Association
* Mujahidul Islam Qasmi \- Indian mufti, qadhi and Islamic scholar, founder of Islamic Fiqh Academy
* Muhammad Shafi Daudi \- Indian Muslim scholar and a politician
* Mohammad Zahid Ashraf \- Indian scientist and an academician
* Parveen Amanullah \- Indian social activist, politician and former Minister of Social Welfare in the Government of Bihar
* Rashid-un-Nisa \- first Indian women Urdu Novelist and social reformer
* Raza Naqvi Wahi \- Indian Urdu poet
* Saba Karim \- former Indian cricketer
* Sakibul Gani \- Indian cricketer
* Sohail Azimabadi \- Indian Urdu poet, novelist, fiction writer, journalist and critic
* Surur Hoda \- Indian socialist politician and trade unionist
* Sharjeel Imam \- Indian student activist
* Shama Parveen \- Indian kabaddi player
* Shamim Hashmi \- Rajya Sabha MP and social activist
* Sheikh Zainuddin \- 18th-century Indian painter
* Shad Azimabadi \- 19th-century Indian poet from Patna
* S. H. Bihari \- Indian lyricist, songwriter and poet
* Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri \- 13th-century Indian Sufi mystic
* Shahid Ali Khan \- Indian politician
* Syed Ali Imam \- Prime Minister of Hyderabad State and Indian independence activist
* Seyed E. Hasnain \- Indian academic and a microbiologist
* Syed Hussain Bilgrami \- Indian civil servant, politician, educationalist
* Syed Hasan Imam \- Indian barrister and politician
* Syed Shahnawaz Hussain \- Indian politician, former minister, and a member of Bharatiya Janata Party
* Tariq Anwar \- Indian politician and MP representing Katihar (Lok Sabha constituency)
* Wali Rahmani \- Indian Sunni Islamic scholar and academic and the founder of Rahmani30
* Zafar Iqbal \- former Indian field hockey player and captain of the India national team
* Zeishan Quadri \- Indian writer, actor, director and producer

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Joy, Shemin. "Caste survey in Bihar: OBCs, EBCs make up 63.13% of population; Gen Category 15.52%". Deccan Herald.
2. ^ "Bihar Caste Census Population, Religion-wise Population & more". RajNeetPG. 3 October 2023.
3. ^ "India's religions by numbers". The Hindu. 26 August 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
4. ^ "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
5. ^ Arshad, Sameer (5 November 2012). "Will Nitish's visit boost Biharis in Pakistan?". Times Of India. "Abdul Kadir Khanzada, who represents Orangi Town in Pakistan's parliament, said he would like to welcome Nitish to his constituency, where a majority of over a million people have their roots in Bihar."
6. ^ "The neglected 'Bihari' community in Bangladesh". Deutsche Welle. 14 January 2019. "According to local NGOs working for Bihari welfare, around 400,000 members of the community live in camps in Bangladesh."
7. ^ "Case of Bhojpuri and Hindi in Mauritius". lexpress.mu. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
8. ^ Khan, Engr Imtiaz Alam (15 December 2019). "HISTORY: THE FALL OF DHAKA FROM BIHARI EYES". Dawn. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
9. ^ a b Sajjad, Mohammad (13 August 2014). Muslim Politics in Bihar: Changing Contours. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-55981-8. "Others got attracted to the supposedly greener pastures in West Pakistan. Hence, in Karachi, a separate Bihari colony of construction labourers came into existence even before Pakistan was formally created. ... Moreover, some of the wealthier Biharis migrated towards West Pakistan. In order to induce further migration, Maulana Abdul Quddus Bihair, Chairman of the Bihar Relief Committee (Karachi) and also of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Islam began propagating that there was a better scheme of land and flats to be given to them in Karachi by January 1947. Quddus presented the province of Sindh as a destination that offered openings for traders, cultivators, labourers, contractors, manufacturers, weavers and professionals, and therefore was the 'best substitute for Bihar'."
10. ^ Prasad, Ram Chandra (7 November 1983). "Bihar". National Book Trust, India - via Google Books.
11. ^ Chaturvedi, Ritu (7 November 2018). Bihar Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176257985 - via Google Books.
12. ^ Gyan Prakash (30 October 2003). Bonded Histories: Genealogies of Labor Servitude in Colonial India. Cambridge University Press. pp. 63–65\. ISBN 978-0-521-52658-6.
13. ^ Yogendra P. Roy (1992). "Tahawar Singh-A Muslim Raja of Kharagpur Raj (1676 - 1727)". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 53: 333–334\. JSTOR 44142804.
14. ^ P. J. Marshall (2 November 2006). Bengal: The British Bridgehead: Eastern India 1740-1828. Cambridge University Press. p. 50\. ISBN 978-0-521-02822-6.
15. ^ Ghosh, Partha S. (23 May 2016). Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South Asia. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 9789351508533 - via Google Books.
16. ^ Ahmer, Harmain (28 July 2024). "The Endless Wait: The Biharis' History of Exile". Dawn. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
17. ^ Ahmer, Harmain (28 July 2024). "The Endless Wait: The Biharis' History of Exile". Dawn News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
18. ^ "Error Value". www.censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
19. ^ Singh, Vijaita (25 August 2015). "Bihar elections among factors in religious data of Census 2011 release". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017 - via www.thehindu.com.
20. ^ "Bihar Information". Director, Public Relations. 7 November 1984 - via Google Books.
21. ^ Alam, Mohd Sanjeer (27 January 2012). Religion, Community, and Education: The Case of Rural Bihar. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199088652 - via Google Books.
22. ^ Heritage Times (8 November 2021). Behari Chaapa - A timeless cultural wedding dress refuses to retire. | Bihari Muslim Culture. Retrieved 9 July 2025 - via YouTube.
23. ^ "The Art Of 'Chaapa', The Unique Wedding Couture Of Bihari Muslims". Outlook India. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
24. ^ "The Rich Tradition of Chappa Prints in Bihari Muslim Weddings - DNN24". 17 November 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* The Forgotten People: Bihari Refugees of Bangladesh, UCANews

* v
* t
* e

Indian Muslim communities

Majority|

* Alvi
* Arab
* Arain
* Arghon
* Ansari
* Awan
* Baghban
* Balti
* Behna
* Beary
* Bhishti
* Bisati
* Chhipa
* Chaush
* Deccani Muslims (Hyderabadi)
* Dard
* Dhobi
* Ghosi
* Gurjar
* Iraqi Biradari
* Khanzada
* Kashmiri
* Kunjra
* Malkana
* Manihar
* Mappila
* Rowther
* Meo
* Mughal
* Pathan
* Purigpa
* Qassab
* Muslim Rajputs
* Garha
* Rangrez
* Shaikh
* Sayyid
* Salmani
* Hussaini Brahmin
* Siddi
* Teli
* Urdu-speaking

Minority|

* Assamese
* Bengali
* Bhili
* Dogra
* Gondi
* Gujarati
* Konkani
* Nawayath
* Marathi
* Marwari
* Meitei
* Odia
* Punjabi
* Tamil
* Telugu
* Labbay
* Goan Muslims
* Alavi Bohras

Bihari|

* Abdal
* Ansari
* Bisati
* Chamail
* Churihar
* Chik
* Gaddi
* Idrisi
* Khanzada
* Kulhaiya
* Lal Begi
* Malkana
* Malik of Bihar
* Mirasi
* Mirshikar
* Mughal
* Muker
* Muslim Chhipi
* Pasi
* Nat
* Pathans
* Rayeen
* Sai
* Sapera
* Sayyid
* Syed (Mallick)
* Shaikh of Bihar
* Shershahabadia
* Thakurai
* Teli

Gujarat|

* Abdal
* Alavi Bohras
* Ansari
* Arabs
* Attarwala
* Bafan
* Baloch
* Behlim
* Bhadala
* Bharbhunja
* Bhishti
* Chhipa
* Chunara
* Chundrigar
* Dawoodi Bohra
* Dhobi
* Dhuldhoya
* Doodwala
* Faqir
* Galiara
* Ghanchi
* Ghanchi-Pinjara
* Halaypotra
* Hingorja
* Hingora
* Juneja
* Kadia
* Kagzi
* Ker
* Khalifa
* Khaskheli
* Khoja
* Machiyar
* Makrani
* Maliks of Gujarat
* Mandali
* Makwana
* Manka
* Mansoori
* Memon
* Meta Qureshi
* Miyana
* Molesalam
* Momna
* Mughal
* Multani
* Multani Lohar
* Mutwa
* Nagori
* Node
* Panar
* Parmar
* Patani Bohra
* Patni Jamat
* Pathans
* Salaat
* Samma
* Sandhai Muslims
* Sanghar
* Shaikhs of Gujarat
* Shaikhda
* Sayyid of Gujarat
* Siddi
* Sipahi
* Soomra
* Sulaymani Bohra
* Sunni Bohra
* Tai
* Vora Patel
* Vyapari

Karnataka|

* Baghban
* Beary
* Chaush
* Chhaparband
* Kodava Maaple
* Konkani Muslims
* Nawayath
* Pinjara
* Siddi
* Assadi

Kerala|

* Mappilas
* Pusalans
* Ossans
* Tangals (the Sayyids)
* Vattakkolis (the Bhatkalis) or Navayats
* Labbais
* Nahas
* Marakkars
* Keyis
* Koyas
* Nainars
* Dakhnis or Pathans
* Ravuthars
* Bohras (Daudi Bohras)

Madhya Pradesh|

* Chhipa
* Ansari
* Dawoodi Bohra
* Dhobi
* Mughal
* Muslim Chhipi
* Pathans
* Shaikh
* Sayyid

Maharashtra|

* Attar
* Baghban
* Bhishti
* Chaush
* Chhipa
* Chhaparband
* Dawoodi Bohra
* Dhawad
* Faqir
* Garodi
* Gavandi
* Kachar
* Kagzi
* Konkani Muslims
* Momin
* Muslim Raj Gond
* Qassab
* Saiqalgar
* Tadvi Bhil

Rajasthan|

* Ansari
* Anderkoti
* Chhipa
* Cheetah
* Chadwa
* Dawoodi Bohra
* Deshwali
* Gaddi
* Ghosi
* Hela Mehtar
* Hiranbaz
* Kandera
* Khadem
* Khanzada
* Langha
* Manganiar
* Merat
* Meo
* Mughal
* Pinjara
* Kayamkhani
* Rangrez
* Rath
* Shaikhs of Rajasthan
* Silawat
* Sindhi-Sipahi
* Singiwala
* Sorgar

Tamil Nadu|

* Rowther
* Kayalar
* Labbay
* Marakkar
* Deccani Muslims (Pathans)
* Nawayath
* Dawoodi Bohra

Uttar Pradesh|

* Alvi
* Ansari
* Atishbaz
* Bachal
* Bachgoti Khanzada
* Baghban
* Baluch
* Bandhmati
* Barhai
* Behlim
* Banu Israil
* Behna
* Bhand
* Bharbhunja
* Bhale Sultan Khanzada
* Bhatiara
* Bhishti
* Muslim Bhumihar
* Bisati
* Chik
* Dakhini
* Dafali
* Dhagi
* Dharhi
* Dhobi Musalmaan
* Dogar
* Fareedi
* Faqir
* Gaddi
* Gautam Khanzada
* Ghosi
* Goriya
* Gujjar Musalmaan
* Halalkhor
* Halwai
* Idrisi
* Iraqi Biradari
* Jhojha
* Kabaria
* Kakorvi Shaikh
* Kamangars
* Kamboh
* Kasgar
* Kayastha Musalman
* Khanzada
* Khokhar Khanzada
* Khumra
* Kingharia
* Kunjra
* Lal Begi
* Lalkhani Rajput
* Madari
* Mandarkia
* Malkana
* Manihar
* Meo
* Milki
* Mirasi
* Mughal
* Mujavir
* Muker
* Muslim Chhipi
* Muley Jats
* Nagar Muslims
* Nalband
* Nanbai
* Naqqal
* Panchpiria
* Pankhiya
* Pathans
* Putliwale
* Qalandar
* Qassab
* Qaum-e-Punjabian
* Qidwai
* Rai Bhatt
* Raj
* Garha
* Rajput Musalmaan
* Ramaiya
* Rangrez
* Rayeen
* Rohilla
* Sadaat Amroha
* Sadaat-e-Bara
* Sadaat-e-Bilgram
* Sai
* Salmani
* Sayyid of Uttar Pradesh
* Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh
* Shaikh Ja'fri
* Shaikhzada
* Siddiqui
* Teli Musalmaan
* Turk
* Tyagi Musalmaan

West Bengal|

* Abdal
* Dawoodi Bohra
* Bedia
* Faqir
* Ghosi
* Iraqi Biradari
* Kahar
* Kan
* Kela
* Khotta
* Lodha
* Malla
* Nashya
* Patua
* Sapuria
* Shershahabadia
* Shamsi

* v
* t
* e

Muhajir communities

Originally from Telangana|

* Alids
* Alvi
* Sayyid
* Chaush
* Hamidi
* Hyderabadi Muslims
* Siddiqi

Originally from Bihar and Bengal|

* Ansari
* Bengali
* Bihari Muslims
* Bisati
* Chik
* Gaddi
* Idrisi
* Khanzada
* Malik of Bihar
* Mughal
* Muker
* Pathan of Bihar
* Rayee
* Shaikh of Bihar
* Stranded Biharis
* Thakurai
* Teli

Originally from Delhi|

* Abbasi Saqqa
* Ansari
* Arain
* Behna
* Bhatiara
* Dhobi
* Ghosi
* Gujjar
* Manihar
* Meo
* Mughal
* Pathans
* Qassab
* Qaum-e-Punjaban
* Rajput Muslim
* Rangrez
* Saifi
* Shaikh
* Sayyid
* Salmani

Originally from Gujarat|

* Alavi Bohra
* Ansari
* Arabs
* Behlim
* Bhadala
* Bharbhunja
* Bhishti
* Chunara
* Chundrigar
* Dawoodi Bohra
* Dhobi
* Dhuldhoya
* Doodwala
* Ghanchi
* Ghanchi-Pinjara
* Kadia
* Kagzi
* Ker
* Khoja
* Machiyar
* Makrani
* Malik of Gujarat
* Mandali
* Makwana
* Manka
* Mansoori
* Memon
* Meta Qureshi
* Miyana
* Molesalam
* Momna
* Mughal
* Multani
* Multani Lohar
* Mutwa
* Nagori
* Node
* Panar
* Parmar
* Patani Bohra
* Patni Jamat
* Pathans of Gujarat
* Salaat
* Sanghar
* Shaikhs of Gujarat
* Shaikhda
* Sayyid of Gujarat
* Siddi
* Sipahi
* Sulaymani Bohra
* Sunni Bohra
* Surti Muslims
* Tai
* Turk Jamat
* Vora Patel
* Vyapari

Originally from Karnataka|

* Baghban
* Beary
* Chaush
* Kodagu Mappila
* Konkani Muslims
* Nawayath
* Siddi

Originally from Kerala|

* Koya
* Mappila
* Marikkar
* Thangal
* Thulukkar

Originally from Rajasthan|

* Ansari
* Cheetah
* Deshwali
* Gaddi
* Ghosi
* Khadim
* Khanzada
* Merat
* Meo
* Mughal
* Pinjara
* Qaimkhani
* Rangrez
* Rath
* Shaikhs of Rajasthan
* Silawat
* Sorgar

Originally from Tamil Nadu|

* Kayalar
* Labbay
* Marakkar
* Rowther

Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh|

* Alvi
* Ansari
* Momin
* Nesba
* Panipati Ansaris
* Baghban
* Baluch
* Behlim
* Behna
* Bisati
* Dhobi Musalmaan
* Dogar
* Fareedi
* Gaddi
* Garha
* Ghosi
* Gujjar Musalmaan
* Halwai
* Idrisi
* Iraqi
* Jat Musalmaan
* Jhojha
* Kakorvi Shaikh
* Kamboh
* Kayastha Musalman
* Khanzada
* Khumra
* Lalkhani Rajput
* Malkana
* Manihar
* Meo
* Milki
* Mughal
* Mujavir
* Muker
* Nagar Muslims
* Pathans of Madhya Pradesh
* Pathans of Uttar Pradesh
* Qassab
* Qaum-e-Punjaban
* Qidwai
* Rajput Musalmaan
* Rangrez
* Rayeen
* Rohilla
* Sadaat Amroha
* Saadat-e-Bara
* Sadaat-e-Bilgram
* Saifi
* Salmani
* Sayyid of Uttar Pradesh
* Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh
* Shaikh Ja'fri
* Siddiqui
* Shaikhzada
* Teli Musalmaan
* Turk
* Tyagi Musalmaan

*[c.]: circa
*[lit.]: literal translation
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