Muslim Tyagi

Musalman Tyagi

Total population
10,00,000-12,00,000
Regions with significant populations
•  Pakistan •  India•  Saudi Arabia•
Languages
• Khari Boli • Urdu •
Religion
• Islam 100% •
Related ethnic groups
• Tyagi • Ranghar •

Muslim Tyagis (مسلم تیاگی, मुस्लिम त्यागी) are a part of the Tyagi community that follows Islam. Tyagis are a mixed Hindu and Muslim Brahmin community of North India and Pakistan.^[1] Muslim Tyagis are also known as Mulla Brahmin and in Moradabad District, and they are known as Chaudhry (which is a surname used by many Hindu Tyagis as well). They are found in the provinces of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan and the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The Muslim Bhumihar of eastern Uttar Pradesh are a community of a similar background.^[2]

History and origin

Historically, the Muslim Tyagi were found in the Yamuna Khadir region of Haryana, and the neighbouring districts of Uttar Pradesh. They claim to be originally Gaur Brahmins, and acquired the name Taga or Tyagi because they abandoned (tyag dena in Hindi) priestly functions and took to agriculture. According to some British scholars, they may be identified with the Takkas, a tribe of Scythian origin, who had the snake as its totem. The Tyagis were said to the oldest inhabitants of the upper Yamuna Khadir.^[2]

According to another tradition, in Raja Janamajaya's time, there were no Gaur Brahmins in the country, so he summoned them from beyond the sea. As half of them would not accept any money for their services, so he gave them 154 villages, so they resolved to take no offerings. There is no clarity about the Islamisation of the Tyagis. As per some British accounts, a significant number of Tyagis in western Uttar Pradesh had converted during Aurangzeb's reign and even much earlier.^[3] Their main clans are the Bachcha, Parashar, Bharadwaj and Gautam.

The Chaudharis of Bachhraon

Perhaps the most important Muslim Tyagi family was that of the Chaudharies of Bachhraon in Moradabad District. They are descendents of Bacchraj, who is said to have founded the town of Bachhraon during the rule of Sikander Lodhi. During the rule of the Mughal Emperor Babar, Bairusal, a Gaur Brahmin arrived from Delhi and married into the family of Bachraj. During a subsequent disputes with his in-laws, he proceeded to massacre the Tyagis. Fearing punishment at the hands of the Mughal Emperor, Bairusal converted to Islam and adopted the name Bahram Khan. His descendents became substantial landowners in western Rohilkhand (i.e. Badaun, Bareilly etc.), with branches in Ujhari in Hasanpur tehsil and Bhojpur near Moradabad.^[4]

Present circumstances

The Tyagi are still largely a rural community, usually found in uni-caste villages. They are largely small to medium sized farmers, and grow wheat, sorghum and sugar cane. While the peasent proprietors have done well, taking full advantage of the Green Revolution, the large landowners like the Chaudharies of Bachraon have been left destitute by the land reforms carried out in India, after independence. The community are entirely Sunni and split into Barelvi and Deobandi sects. They speak both the Khari boli dialect and standard Urdu. The community is strictly endogamous, and practice both parallel cousin and cross cousin marriages.

In Pakistan, there has been a slow and steady assimilation by the Ranghar community, with increasing inter-marriage between the to groups. They are also in the process of abandoning the Haryanvi dialect in favour of standard Urdu.

Distribution

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, almost all the Muslim Tyagis living in Haryana and Punjab states of India moved to Pakistan. They are now mainly settled in Muzaffargarh and Layyah districts of Punjab province, and Nawabshah and Mirpurkhas districts of Sindh province. While many Muslim Tyagis living in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states moved to Karachi, Sindh after the independence of Pakistan in 1947.

The Muslim Tiyagis of Uttar Pradesh are found mainly in Roorkee, Saharanpur, Moradabad (mainly in and around Hassanpur), Meerut, Hapur, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, and Muzaffarnagar districts. In the Meerut region they are known as Mahesra.

The Mula of Moradabad District, are found in Thakurdwara, are a sub-group of the Tyagis.A large number of Muslim tyagi are also resides in gulf countries mainly in saudi arabia and united arab emirates.they are not saudi citizen but has been living there for a long time as immigrant on temperory basis.population of them in alone riyadh is in beetwen 5-10 thousands.

Village and towns in India

Jyotiba Phule Nagar District

Towns: ujhari, bachhraon, Hasanpur

Villages: dhakka,gangwar,burawali,dhawarsisutawali,shakargarhi,jaytoli,piploti,nehroli,noorpur,hariyana

,ashrafpur,baanska,mandaripur,chuchela,kaneta,jheal,galsua,tanda

Bijnor District

Towns and Vollages: Muslim choudharyan in Dhampur tehsil, Seahora, sahaspur, sherkot,Mangalkheda.

Bulandshahar district

Towns and Villages:Siana,aahar

Moradabad District

Towns and Villages: Hasanpur Majholi,maanpur,manota,chandwar,janeta,garhi-salempur,nehroli,ghansoorpur,chaudharpur,burhanpur,mau,mai,mehmoodpur,umari.

Muzaffarnagar District

Towns:Charthaval, Kutesra and Budhana.

Villages: Nayamu,Vigyana,Baheri,Chokra,Dhaderu Khurd, Saidpura,Navla, Basdhara, Pavti Khurd, Nirdhana, Gandaur(Hazurnagar),Mubarakpur, Barla, Chapaar, Sujru, Sarwat,and Jaroda Nara

Saharanpur District

Towns: Deoband

Villages: Bachiti, Ganjheri, Talheri Buzurg, Ambheta Shekhan, Ambheta Mohan, Khubbapur,and Jhabiran.

Haridwar District

Towns: Roorkee, Jhabrera, Piran Kaliyar Sharif.

Villages: Khajuri, Sarthedi,Chandpur,dhandera, Bedpur.

Ghaziabad District

town:Garhmukteswar

Villages: Naikpur, Saintly, Waith, khorajpur, Atseni, Phulri,kaamalpul,dehpa,saina,bhent,dotai,popai,badarnka,nahal,mansoori,dasna,dhawarsi teyala, ajraadha,asodha,ghoongrala,muraadpur,toodi.

Meerut District

Towns: Hapur, Kithore, modinagar and Muradnagar

Villages: Asoura, Tiyala, Jisori,Jisora, Radhna,Khajuri,badha gaon,shondat,aseelpur, Nanu,Asoura, Kaland, Bahrora, Saravni,Raasna,Damgadhi,Laliyana,Radhna Inayatpur, Asoura and more than a hundred villages the in the Meerut region.

Baghpat District

Towns: Baraut

Villages: Ghouspur,Basaud, Luhara, Barnawa,Vinapur and about fifty more villages.

Panipat District

Villages: Subri, Rakseda and some one or two villages

Famous Muslim Tyagi

• Javed Miandad^[5], Pakistani cricketer & EX. Captain of Pakistan national cricket team

References

1. ^ Brij Raj Chauhan, Unesco, Rural-urban articulations, A.C. Bros., 1990, ISBN 9788185489018, http://books.google.com/books?id=zenZAAAAMAAJ, "... In Saharanpur district SC Dube described the Tyagi village where half of the population is of Muslim Tyagi and the other half of the Hindu Tyagi ..." 
2. ^ ^{a b} A Glossary of the Tribes & Castes of Punjab by H. A Rose
3. ^ A Glossary of the tribes & castes of Punjab by H. A Rose
4. ^ Moradabad District Gazetteer United Provinces District Gazetteer edited by H Neville page 97
5. ^ http://www.tyagicommunity.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Muslim_Tyagi_%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%AA%DB%8C%D8%A7%DA%AF%DB%8C_%28%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AE_%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80_%29#Famous_Persons