Sunni Bohra
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Sunni Vohras or Sunni Bohras, are a community from the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing the same name as the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. A few families use the slightly different spelling of "Vora" or "Vahora" as their surname. Another common surname is Patel.[1]
Sunni Bohras have had a large presence in the historical Indian Ocean maritime trade, and the Sunni Bohra merchant Mulla Abdul Ghafur was one of the richest merchants of the 18th Century.[2][3]
History and distribution
[edit]There are multiple Gujarati Muslim communities that use the Vohra name. The community is split into four different sects.[1]
Bharuchi and Surti Sunni Vohras
[edit]The Sunni Vohras of South Gujarat are a large community spanning from Cambay to Vadodara district. The Kanamiyas are Vohras who are residing in geographically named kanam pradesh known for cotton farming north of narmada river. And baharia Vohras in bharuch are named as the located particularly in Jambusar Tehsil as its geographical name is bara vibhag. Further more Vohras located south of narmada river are known as Paria Vohra as Paria means from another bank of river. Western part of bharuch district and northern part of surat district is most concentrated Vohra land in combined with this three sub-cast.
Vohra is exclusive ethnic group and specifically from North of Narmada river started exploring world in mid 20th century and settled in different part of the africa and Europe
BHARUCH
Many Bharuchi vohras own land which makes them Patidar as strip of land was refer to “pati” and “dar” means owner. This way Bharuchi Vohras got their widespread Patel surname.
Historically this Bharuchi vohras community was farmers by profession and with laying of railways by britishers they started to involve in trade and other activities like other ethnic groups of that time. Other-hand their Bahria Vohra counterparts from Jambusar Tehsil beside farming also grab an opportunity in cross border trade by sea rout when Tankari Bandar and Kavi sea ports were operating early during british rule. Contrary to myth Many members of this community do NOT have large amounts of Middle Eastern ancestry from the large Middle Eastern settlements.
The community became landowner during solanki ruled gujarat on lease based contract with ruler of that time by paying part of harvest to ruler for agreed time period then they allotted the strip of land such practice made people “patidar”
(see Diverse Origins of Bharuchi and Surti Muslims).[4] Some members of this community were converted from the dominant South Gujarat landowning farmer communities during Muslim rule in Gujarat.[1][5]
This community is now found in towns and villages in South Gujarat, and the diaspora is found in many places around the world, especially in places such as South Africa, Canada, Britain, Burma, Zimbabwe, Barbados, Reunion (known as Zarabes), Mauritius etc. In many places they have played a substantial role in establishing some of the first Sunni Muslim mosques and being a leading part of the Muslim community, as well as pioneering technological and economic advancements. Many prominent figures such as
Major Atchia, Ahmed Deedat Ghulam Vastanvi,
Ajum Goolam Hossen and Ahmed Kathrada
These are Kanamiya or Bharuchi Vohra: Mufti Menk, Hafiz Patel, Mohsin and Zuber Issa, Alimuddin Zumla Munaf Patel Lord Adam Patel [6][7][8][9]
Patani Bohras
[edit]Patani Bohras or Jafari Bohras are converts of the Ismaili Bohras in Patan during Muslim rule of Gujarat. Some Dawoodi Bohras underwent persecution during Muslim rule after the Muslim conquest of Gujarat and converted from Mustaali Ismaili to Sunni Islam.[5] The leader of part of this conversion movement to Sunni Islam was said to be Jafar Patani, himself a Bohra convert to Sunni Islam. In 1538, Syed Jafar Ahmad Shirazi, a missionary from Sindh, convinced Patani Bohras to cease social relations with Ismaili Bohras making the Patani Sunni Bohras a distinct sect.[10][11]
Kadiwal Vohras
[edit]Kadiwal Vohras are located in Kadi and Ahmedabad and are traditionally followers of Pir Muhammad Shah.[1]
Charotar Vohras
[edit]Charotar Vohras are located in Anand and converted from farming communities in Anand during the Gujarat Sultunate.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Misra, Satish C. (1964). Muslim Communities In Gujarat.
- ^ "Insights into India's Business History". Economic and Political Weekly. 2012-03-17.
At the end of the 17th century, Abdul Ghafur of the Bohra community was the richest merchant in Surat, if not in the whole of India.
- ^ Congress, Indian History (1998). Proceedings. Indian History Congress.
The commercial world of Gujarat at the beginning of the 18th century was dominated by the Bohra family of Abdul Ghafur, undoubtedly the richest merchant of his time ; hence his title' Umdat-ut Tujjar', 'Chief of Merchants'
- ^ Nakhuda, Ismaeel. "An East India Company massacre in British Gujarat in 1810". Basair.net. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
The Sunni Bohras (also known as Vohras) are several traditionally endogamous Muslim communities found in Gujarat.. they are of mixture of ancestry – some may have certainly converted while others are descendants of foreign Muslim groups (Arabs and Persians) who over the centuries settled in Gujarat.
- ^ a b Bombay (Presidency) (1899). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. Government central Press.
- ^ "Bharuchi Vahora Patel – Gujarati Writers' Guild UK". www.mahek.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Rivière, Marc Serge (2018). "AMODE IBRAHIM ATCHIA ('MAJOR') 1868-1947: MAURITIAN PIONEER IN ELECTRICITY, INNOVATOR, AND PHILANTHROPIST". New Horizons. 12 (1): 55–68. ProQuest 2063293631.
- ^ "Yangon Time Machine". www.yangontimemachine.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Gujarat's 'Rangoon Wallas'". Himal Southasian. 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
- ^ Patani Bohras
- ^ Sunni Vohras