Muhajir people

For other uses, see Muhajir.

Muhajir people
مہاجر

1st row: Liaqat Ali Khan · Abdul Qadeer Khan · Pervez Musharraf 2nd row: Abdul Sattar Edhi · Nawabzada Shahryar Khan · Shaukat Aziz 3rd row: I.I Chundrigar · Shoaib Mansoor · Sajjad Ali 4th row: S.M. Ahsan
Total population
13.5–14 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan
Languages
Urdu
Religion
Sunni and Shia Islam

Muhajir (also known as Urdu-speaking people) (Urdu: مہاجر) [literally – migrants] is a term commonly used especially by Pakistanis to describe the Muslim immigrants who chose to settle in Pakistan and shifted their domicile after partition of British India into Pakistan and India. Some had participated in the movement for creation of Pakistan in 1947. They shifted from the Muslim minority provinces to Muslim majority provinces within of British India. Their principal language is Urdu.

Etymology

The Urdu term muhajir (Urdu: مہاجر) comes from the Arabic muhājir (Arabic: مهاجر‎), meaning "migrant". With the end of British colonial rule in South Asia, the colonies and states were granted independence but the process involved considerable violence and bloodshed especially in East Punjab. Subsequently, millions of Muslim families from various parts of Indian Sub-continent immigrated to Pakistan especially from East Punjab after its unfair partition. They settled in West Punjab Pakistan in huge majority. The millions of migrants from other provinces of sub-continent settled in Sindh especially in urban areas. They were later identified with the term muhajir in Pakistan. Unlike most Pakistani's for whom Urdu is an acquired language, Urdu is the first language of this community.

Reasons for immigration

The reasons for immigration of Urdu speaking people toward Pakistan needs to be put in context with the occurrences of the time. While for many Muhajirs, particularly the noble and aristocratic class, settling in Pakistan was strongly associated with the independence movement based on the Two-Nation Theory. For the vast majority however, fleeing to Pakistan was the only choice they had after suffering from communal riots in various parts of South Asia where the Muslim populations were small minorities and at the mercy of the majority community. Many had lost their properties and homes and arrived in Pakistan on foot especially from East Punjab after the Punjab was partitioned into two, and in result of the out-break of riots in Eastern part of that province. That resulted in harrowing tales of violence and atrocities that Punjab's muslims had to undergo. The movement to constitute a separate state comprising the Muslim majority provinces of South Asia, Pakistan movement was pioneered by the Muslim elite of the region and many notables of the Aligarh Movement. It was initiated in 19th century when Sir Syed Ahmed Khan expounded the Two-Nation Theory in Aligarh. Many Muslim nobles, Nawabs (aristocrats and landed gentry) supported the idea. As the idea spread it gained great support amongst the Muslim population of South Asia and in particular the rising middle and upper classes. The Muslims had launched the movement under the banner of the All India Muslim League and Delhi was its main centre where the headquarters of All India Muslim League (the founding party of Pakistan) based since its creation in 1906 and remained there up to August 1947. The participation in the movement on ideological grounds and supporting its Muslim cause with approximately half of the entire mandate in 1945–46 elections.^[2]

Origin and ancestral roots

Muhajirs are a heterogeneous, multi-ethnic group of people which can be sub-divided into smaller more specific groups but who bound by the Urdu language. Furthermore, they share in common a 'specific purpose' migration, having spent their lives in British India and then arriving in Pakistan on or after 1947. While previously quite similar and representing indian muslims culturally, many from the Muhajir community of Pakistan are decendents of various immigrants who arrived to the region to establish Islamic empires and represent mixed South Asian and Foreign heritages. For example, the Muslim nobility from Hyderabad often have mixed Telugu Indian, Arab and/or Central Asian bloodlines. Still others share heritage with Afghans, Levantine Arabs, Central Asians and Persians. Historically, many migrants from Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries during the various Muslim dynasties that ruled South Asia including Mughal Empire had intermarried within the Muslim populations of South Asia. Often, foreign armies and migrants arrived without their womenfolk and as such intermarried within the local Muslim communities. It is estimated that a third Muhajirs, are of Pashtun heritage. When Pashtuns (Afghans) migrated to India from Afghanistan or from the northern part of Pakistan, they settled in India and gradually lost their language and culture and adopted Urdu as their first language. During and after independence these Muhajirs or Urdu speakers of Pashtun origin were counted as Muhajirs as they have integrated with them over the years. One such example are The Rohilla Pashtun who have given their name to the Rohilkhand region in South Asia. Interestingly, despite having migrated to Pakistan which has a large Pashtun community, the Rohilla are considered as being Muhajir now. There are still millions of muslims in India who are of Pashtun origin.

Gujratis, Burmese, Bengalis, Rajistani people and Malwaris were and are also counted as Muhajirs in Pakistan due to the fact that they migrated to Pakistan after or during independence, despite the fact that they speak their own native languages and have their own distinct cultures.

A large percentage of those that have shifted to Pakistan have their ancestral roots in the Arab Shaikhs, Syeds, Hashmies, Qureshis, Zuberis, Siddiquis, Farooqis, Alvies, etc.^[3] A large number of Ehl-e-Tashiaa from various clans of Fiqa-e-Jafaria also belong to Iraq and Arab regions as well as Iran; who had been settling in the regions of South Asia time to time during the last millennium. Additionally, various Urdu speakers also link ancestral roots to the several regions of central Asia.^[4]

Demographics and distribution within Pakistan

Census History of Urdu Speakers in Pakistan

Year	Population of Pakistan	Percentage	Urdu Speakers
1951	33,740,167	7.05%	2,378,681
1961	42,880,378	7.56%	3,246,044
1972	65,309,340	7.60%	4,963,509
1981	84,253,644	7.51%	6,369,575
1998	132,352,279	7.57%	9,939,656

Provinces of Pakistan by Urdu speakers (1998)

Rank	Division	Urdu speakers	Percentage
–	Pakistan	9,939,656	7.57%
1	Sindh	6,407,596	21.05%
2	Punjab	3,320,320	4.51%
3	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	138,400	0.78%
4	Islamabad Capital Territory	81,409	10.11%
5	Balochistan	63,032	0.96%
6	Federally Administered Tribal Areas	5,717	0.18%

Muhajir diaspora

In addition to those in Pakistan, a significant number of Muhajirs have left Pakistan and settled outside.

Regions with significant populations:

•  United States 150,000
•  Saudi Arabia 120,000
•  Canada 80,000
•  United Arab Emirates 50,000
•  United Kingdom 25,000

In recent years a large numbers of muhajir businessman have migrated to malaysia,uae,qatar and canada mostly involved in shipping,textile,garment and real estate industry

Note: These figures are likely to include 2nd and 3rd generations who have been born overseas and are considered residents of their respective countries.

Culture and lifestyle

After independence, when the Muslims arrived in Pakistan, the values the migrants brought with them varied from region to region, depending on their origin. The rich heritage brought by migrants from the urban centres of India, such as Lucknow, Delhi, and Madras and Hyderabad which had been seats of Islamic culture and learning for centuries, were to have a major influence on the cities of Pakistan, especially Karachi. The notable 20th century Islamic scholar/author Muhammad Hammidullah who was involved in formulating the first constitution of Pakistan, left because he did not find the life and values in Pakistanis conducive to his background from Hyderabad Deccan, settling in Paris as a refugee.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

Upon arrival in Pakistan, the Muhajirs did not assert themselves as a separate ethnic identity but were at the forefront of trying to a construct an Islamic Pakistani identity, Muhajirs were a key vote-bank for the anti-hardline elements. Muhajirs dominated the bureaucracy of the early Pakistani state, largely due to their higher levels of educational attainment, gradually as education became more widespread, Panjabi's and Pashtuns as well as other native Pakistani's started to take their fair share of the pool and all groups are more balanced as per their national percentage. However, the critical early years was facilitated by the experience many Muhajir had both in politics and in higher education and was appreciated by all Pakistani's especially during the tenious early years after independence.

As previously mentioned, this situation changed by the 1970s when other ethnic groups began to assert themselves more strongly and demand more rights fuelled by the widespread introduction of education and rising literacy rates particularly amongst the countries two largest ethnic groups, the Panjabi and the Pashtuns. This included the right to use local languages rather than Urdu (leading to language riots in Sindh), and quotas in Pakistan for underprivileged ethnic groups in government and educational institutions. Seeing their privileged status threatened, the Muhajirs also began to assert themselves as a separate ethnic group and began to organise themselves politically. The most notable manifestations of this were the creations of the All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organization and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (formerly the Muhajir National Movement) as a secular progressive ethnic movement. Since then, the MQM has dominated politics in the Muhajir areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, and other urban centres in Sindh. In saying this, it should be mentioned that not all Muhajir's support the MQM. Even though the MQM has sought to convert itself from an ethnic movement to a nationwide political movement, its political stronghold is still largely restricted to its Muhajir base.

Language

The phrase Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla ("The language of the exalted") written in Nastaʿlīq script.

The original language of the Mughals had been Turkish, but after their arrival in South Asia, they came to adopt Persian and later Urdu. Urdu is a Indo-European language, and in the Indo-Aryan subdivision. The word Urdu is believed to be derived from the Turkish word 'Ordu', which means camp. It was initially called Zaban-e-Ordu or language of the army and later just Urdu. The word 'Ordu' was later Anglicised as 'Horde'. Urdu, though of South Asian origin, came to be heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic and somewhat by Turkish however, its grammatical structure is based on old Parakrit or Sanskrit. Urdu speakers have

Autograph and a couplet of Last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, dated 29 April 1844

adopted this language as their mother tongue for several centuries having lost their own native tongues from the respective regions they originated from. Urdu has been the medium of the literature, history and journalism of South Asian Muslims during the last 200 years. Most of the work was complemented by ancestors of native Urdu speakers in South Asia. The Persian language, which was the official language during and after the reign of the Mughals, was then slowly starting to lose ground to Urdu during the reign of Aali Gohar Shah Alam II. Subsequently, Urdu developed rapidly as the medium of literature, history and journalism of South Asian Muslims. Most of the literatory and poetic work was complemented by various historic poets of mughal and subsequent era among which Mir Taqi Mir, Khwaja Mir Dard, Mir Amman Dehalvi, Mirza Ghalib, Bahadur Shah II Sir Syed Khan and Maulana Hali are the most notable ones. The Persian language which had its roots during the time of Moguls was then replaced later by Urdu to which Mogul kings like Shah Jahan rendered patronage as well as support. Many poets in Pakistan such as Zafar Iqbal, Sir Mohammed Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faraz, Munir Niazi and Saifuddin Saif contributed their efforts for the Urdu language.

Contribution in literature

Ghalib poem in Nastaliq

Poetry

Muhajirs brought their rich poetic culture along with them which they held in their original states centuries ago prior to independence. Some of the most notable ones historic poets are Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Mir Aman Dehalwi, Khawaja Mir Dard, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Jigar Muradabad etc. Subsequent to independence, many notable Urdu poets migrated to Pakistan, besides a large number of less famous poets, authors, linguists and amateurs. Consequently, Mushaira and Bait Bazi became a part of the national culture in Pakistan. Josh Malihabadi, Jigar Moradabadi, Akhtar Sheerani, Tabish Dehlvi, and Nasir Kazmi are a few of the noteworthy poets. Later, Jon Elia, Parveen Shakir, Mustafa Zaidi, Dilawar Figar, Iftikhar Arif, Rafi Uddin Raaz and Raees Warsi became noted for their distinction.

Prose

See also: Urdu literature

With the emergence of Muhajirs in urban areas of Pakistan, Urdu virtually became the lingua franca. The country's first Urdu Conference took place in Karachi in April 1951, under the auspices of the Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu. The Anjuman, headed by Maulvi Abdul Haq not only published the scattered works of classical and modern writers, but also provided a platform for linguists, researchers and authors. Among them Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Shahid Ahmed Dehlvi, Josh Malihabadi, Qudrat Naqvi, Mahir-ul-Qadri, Hasan Askari, Jameel Jalibi and Intizar Hussain are significant names. Whereas Akhtar Hussain Raipuri, Sibte Hassan and Sajjad Zaheer were more inclined to produce left-winged literature. Among women writers, Qurratulain Hyder, Khadija Mastoor, Altaf Fatima and Fatima Surayya Bajia became the pioneer female writers on feminist issues.

Contribution in science and technology

Muhajirs have played an extremely important and influential role in science and technology in Pakistan. Scientists such as Ziauddin Ahmed, Raziuddin Siddiqui and Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, gave birth to Pakistan Science and later built the integrated weapons program, on request of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Muhahir later forwarded to developed the Pakistan's space program and other scientific and strategic programs of Pakistan. Many prominent scientists come from the Muhajir class including Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Ghulam Murtaza, Raziuddin Siddiqui, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, and Atta ur Rahman to name a few.

Contribution in art and music

The Muhajir community brings a rich culture with it. Muhajirs have and continue to play an essential role in defining and enriching Pakistani culture and more significantly, music. Some famous Muhajir Pakistani musicians include: Nazia Hassan, Mehdi Hassan, Munni Begum, and Ahmed Jahanzeb. Muhajirs contribution has not been limited to pop but has spanned various music genres, from traditional Ghazal singing to rock. Muhajirs in Pakistan are also famous for their contribution towards the art of painting.

Contribution in business and industry

The intial business elites of pakistan were muhajirs. Some of the prominent ones are Habib Bank Limited, Hyesons, Isphani group, Schon group etc. Nationalization proved to be catastrphpic for muhajir business and final blow to it was given by the dictatorship of zia ul haq. But in recent years many muhajirs have established there business in pakistan contributing in textile, garment, leather, food prodcts, cosmetics and personal goods industry. Few of pakistan's biggest financial institution were founded or headed by muhajirs State bank of pakistan, EOBI, PIDC, United Bank Of Pakistan, First Women Bank etc, were established by muhajir bankers.

Contribution in sports

muhajir are active in sports in pakistan many muhajir are palying in pakistani cricket team with legend like javed miandad, saeed anwar,mohsin khan,sikhander bakht and moin khan and now with younger players like asad shafiq,fawad alam,khurram manzoor playing for the international side other than cricket muhajirs are playing hockey,tennis,squash,badminton new craze for bodybuilding and weightlifting is paicking up amongst the youthfull members of muhajir coomunity

Cuisine

Main article: Muhajir cuisine

• 

  Nihari, the national dish of Pakistan was brought to Pakistan by the Muhajir people from Delhi^[5]

• 

  Boti Kebab

• 

  Thali with naan, sultani dal, raita, and shahi paneer

• 

  Kebabs are an important part of the ancient Muslim cuisine.

• 

  The Kofta is a popular main dish.

• 

  Faluda, an ancient Hyderabadi dessert.

• 

  Paan Shop

• 

  Haleem

• 

  The samosa

• 

  Traditional cuisine originated from the Old Lukhnow Nawab dynasties.

• 

  Old Hyderabadi Biryani.

• 

  Korma, a traditional cuisine originated from ancient Lukhnow royals.

• 

  Chilli Sauce and Yougurt chutney – Biryani Accompaniments

Muhajirs clung to their old established habits and tastes, including a numerous desserts, savoury dishes and beverages. The Mughal and Indo-Iranian heritage played an influential role in the making of their cuisine. In comparison to other native Pakistani dishes, Muhajir cuisine tends to use traditional royal cuisine specific to the old royal dynasties of now defunct states of ancient India. Most of a dastarkhawan dining table include chapatti, rice, dal, vegetable and meat curry. Special dishes include biryani, qorma, kofta, seekh kabab, Nihari and Haleem, Nargisi Koftay, Roghani Naan, Naan, sheer-qurma (sweet), qourma, chai (sweet, milky tea), paan and Hyderabadi cuisine, and other delicacies associated with Muhajir culture.

Intermarriages

Since Pakistan's independence in 1947, there has been a steady rise in intermarriages that have taken place between Punjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis, Balochs, Seraikis, Brahuis and Muhajirs. However majority of Muhajirs still prefer marriage within their communities.

See also

• List of Muhajirs in Pakistan
• Bangladeshis in Pakistan
• Burmese people in Pakistan

References

1. ^ Taken from The World Factbook figures based upon the 1998 census of Pakistan.
2. ^ The History of the Pakistan movement, Author Prof. M. Azam Chaudhary p. 368. published by Abdullah Brothers, Urdu Bazar Lahore.
3. ^ The Muslim Nation of Indian Subcontinent by Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi.
4. ^ 'The muslim nation of Indian sub-continent' by Dr. Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi.
5. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/country/fauziaspakistan/nihari.html

• Pakistan (Archived 2009-11-01) at Encarta
• Pakistan: The Sindhi-Muhajir confliict
• Muhajir diaspora

External links

• Quotas and Karachi^{[clarification needed]}