Muker (tribe)

Muker

Total population
27,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
•  Nepal •  India
Languages
• Urdu • Angika• English
Religion
• Islam 100% •
Related ethnic groups
• Banjara • Banjara Musalman • Shaikh

The Muker are a Muslim community, found in North India and Nepal. They are also known as Muzkeri, Mekrani, Barmaki, Ranki and Mukri.^[2]

History and origin

According to the traditions of the Uttar Pradesh Muker, they were originally members of the Banjara tribe. The name Muker is said to have derived from the Arabic makeri, meaning those who helped in the construction of Makkah. They were initially called Makkai, which meant the resident of Makkah, which was later corrupted to makeri. They are divided into two endogamous groups, the Mukeri and Shaikh Banjara. They rank themselves as Shaikh. The Shaikh Banjara are further divided into the Makrani, Muqri, Barmaki, Siddiqui and Shaikh. Different groups have different traditions to their origin, with the Makrani claiming Baluch ancestry. .^[3]

The Muker in Bihar claim to be descendants of early Arab settlers, whose initial area of settlement in South Asia was the Makran region. According to their tradition they arrived in Bihar during the period of Khilji ruler, and were initially known as Makrani, which was eventually shortened to Muker. They are found in Bhagalpur and Deogarh districts, and in Bhagalpur are found in the settlements of Amarpur, Sabour, Shahkind, Barahat and Banka. They speak both Urdu and the local Angika language.^[4]

Present circumstances

The Muker were traditionally peddlers, moving from place to place, selling goods. They historically traded food grains, tobacco and cattle. Many are now settled agriculturalists. The community are Muslim of the Sunni sect. They have their own tribal association, the International Mukeri Tanzeem.

The community is found in both Nepal and India. In India, they are concenterated in Uttar Pradesh, in the districts of Bahraich, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Basti, Gonda, Faizabad, Azamgarh, Deoria, Varanasi, Shajahanpur, Hamirpur. Orai, Meerut and Rampur. In Nepal, they are found in the Terai region.^[5]

The community in Bihar is strictly endogamous, marrying in close kinship groups. Thet practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. Unlike the Uttar Pradesh Muker, those of Bihar are essentially farmers. A few are also share croppers. There traditional occupation was the buying and selling of cattle, but many have diversified into other businesses. The community are Sunni Muslims, with the rural Muker still incorporating folk beliefs in their Islam. But the urban Muker have been coming under the influence of reformist sects of Islam, such as the Tablighi Jamat. They have their own caste association, the Bihar Muker Anjuman, which deals with community welfare issues.^[6]

See also

• Banjara (Muslim)
• Banjara
• Baloch

References

1. ^ http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php
2. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 995 to 999
3. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 995
4. ^ People of India Bihar Volume XVI Part One edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 692 to 693 Seagull Books
5. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 996
6. ^ People of India Bihar Volume XVI Part One edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 692 to 693 Seagull Books