Nawayath

The Nawayaths (also spelled as Navayath or Nawayat) are a small Muslim community concentrated mostly in coastal North Kanara (Uttara Kannada), in the district of Karnataka, a south Indian state. It is an ethnic society, having its own unique traditions and distinct cultural identity. The Nawayathi community holds an important place among the other coastal Muslim communities, like Beary's of the North Kanara district, Mappilas (Moplahs) of the Malabar coast and Labbay of the Coromandel coast. There are smaller distributed pockets of Nawayaths in Byndoor, Murdeshwara, Kumta, Bhatkal, Gangolli, Shiroor, Maneki, Upponi, Hoode, Malpe, Basrur and Honnavar in Karnataka and in Arcot district in Tamil Nadu. Meenambur, a small village close to Gingee south of Madras in Tamil Nadu, is the largest of these. Navyaths also found in Dewas District of Madhya Pradesh also in Indore, Ujjain, Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh. Many have migrated to Pakistan after independence in 1947 and have predominantly settled in Karachi, Sindh. In Pakistan, Nawayath community speak Nawayathi as mother tongue. Majority of Nawayaths are involved in Small & Medium businesses.

They trace their ancestry back to the Arab and Persian traders who arrived on the Western coast of South India during the medieval era. The Nawayaths are spread around India and the rest of the world. They maintain their strong sense of community and identity. There is a large Nawayath diaspora community of economic migrants working in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

The Nawayaths belong to the Sunni Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence, unlike most Indian Muslims who generally adhere to the Sunni Hanafi school.

History of origin

Islam in India

History

Rama Varma Kulashekhara Malik Bin Deenar Kunhali Marakkar I Cheraman Juma Masjid Ali Raja Mappila Rebellion Islahi Movement in Kerala

Architecture

Mughal · Indo-Islamic Indo-Saracenic · Sharqi

Major figures

Kunhali Marakkar Moinuddin Chishti Shah Waliullah Syed Ahmed Khan Allama Iqbal Ashraf Ali Thanvi Ahmad Raza Khan Abdul Qadeer Siddiqui Sayyed Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi Ubaidullah Sindhi Abul Kalam Azad Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Abul Ala Maududi K. M. Maulavi

Communities

Northern · Mappilas (Kerala)  · Tamil Konkani · Vora Patel Memons · Kashmiris Hyderabadi · Dawoodi Bohras Khoja · Oriya · Nawayath · Bearys The Saits · Meo · Sunni Bohras Kayamkhani

Religious jurisprudence

Hanafi · Shafi`i · Ja'fari

Schools of thought

Barelvi Deobandi Shia Ahle Hadith

Mosques in India

List of mosques in India

Culture, Heritage and Museums

Muslim culture of Hyderabad Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences

Muslim managed universities

Aliah University Aligarh Muslim University Jamia Millia Islamia Jamia Nizamia Darul Uloom Deoband

Influential bodies

Ahle Sunnat Movement in South Asia All-India Muslim League Jamaat-e-Islami Hind All India Shia Personal Law Board All India Muslim Personal Law Board Indian Muslim nationalism Muslim chronicles for Indian history All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen This box: view · talk · edit

Jaffer Shariff (Qanoon-e-Islam), Colonel Wilkes (History of Mysore, vol 1), and the Imperial Gazetteer of India translate Nawayath as ‘New Comers’ (from Persian نوآید 'Nawāyad' which means newcomer). People from the Persian Gulf had established sustained trade relations with west coast of Arabian Sea since time immemorial. These authors are unanimous in their opinion that the Navayaths are eigther of Arab or Persian stock but hold divergent opinions about their actual place of origin and the reasons for their exodus from the Persian Gulf. Colonel Wilkes states that the Navayaths belong to the House of Hashem. In the early part of 8th century AD during the fearful reign of Hajaj bin Yusuf, the Governor of Iraq under the Caliph Abd-Al-Malik Marwan, many respectable and opulent persons fled Iraq fearing persecution. It is believed that they followed the route their fellow Arabs took for trade, anchoring on the west coast at several points. "While there may be some among the Navayaths whose ancestry can be traced to those who fled Iraq during Hajaj bin Yusuf’s time not all ancestors are of that type", writes Victor D’ Souza in his book "Navayaths of Kanara"(1955).

SK Lal writes in the "Legacy of Arab Dynasty in India" that although Hajaj bin Yusuf was only the Governor of Iraq his influence and rule extended even to Persian speaking regions. Thus the Arabs and Persian traders carried on their commerce together, resulting in Persian influence in the coastal Indo-Muslim colonies.

Another theory relates Navayaths to Iranians based on the influence of the Persian language on the language spoken by the Navayaths and Persian elements in Navayaths culture, there is also the presence of an Iranian graveyard in bhatkal and most of the surname are Iranians which can be traced back to Iran even today; another theory postulates that the Navayath community traces its lineage to Yemen from a noble group called Na’at in Hadramawt, Yemen. They sailed through the Arabian Sea with the intention of trade with India. Both Hadramawt and Bhatkal are at 15 degrees of latitude.

It is also claimed that integration of Arabs with the locals led to the Navayath community. D’ Souza writes, "The Arab sailors and traders who came to India have generated Muslim communities in different parts of India. Among them at least three different communities are known by the generic name of ‘Navayath’. It has been found that Navayaths are scattered in Pakistan, Srilanka, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Nellore, Arcot, Kolar, Hassan, Goa, Daman,Diu and Ratnagiri. These Navayaths unlike the Navayaths of Bhatkal (about whom this article deals with) have totally adopted the local culture and speak Urdu Or the local language.

Language

See also: Canara Konkani

The Community speaks a dialect called ‘Nawayathi’. It is an amalgam of Persian, Arabic, Marathi and Hindi with Konkani as its base. The Navayath language uses Persian script for writing,it is interesting to note that "Persian script" was being used to write by the Nawayti's long before the language Urdu came into existence.

Family names

Nawayathi family names are distincty different from the Urdu speaking people of the area.

Some of common Navayathi family names are: Ekkery, Ajaib, Ali Akbara, Alikku, Askery,Akrami, Armar, Aydrusa, Baandeh, Barmawar,Bengre,Bhatti, Bota, Chamundi, Dabapu, Damda, Damdemanna, Damudi(Amudi), Dawalji, Dhinda, Durga, Fakerde, Faqqi Bhao, Fakhroo,Gaima, Gangawali, Gawai, GM, Goltey, Guda Manna, Hajeeb, HajiAmeen, Hattulbe, Hejib, Ismailji (Keppa), Jakti, Jeddy, Jiddah, Jushiddi, Kadli, Kak Mohiddina (KM), Kasarkod, Katangiri,Kazi, Kazia, Kelair, batte, Kola, Karani, Koteshwar, Kashimji, Khateeb, Khattal, Khazi, Lowna, Louda, Maddas, Mahammdu Jaupa (MJ),Manna, Manegar, Mawda, Mohammada, Motiya, Moulavi, Muallim, Muhammad Habibi (MH), Mulla, Muniri, Musba, Naitey, Nakhuda, Nilawar, Peshmam, Patel, Qazi, Quazi, Ruknuddin, Ruknuddin Shekrey (RS), Ruknuddin Shipai (RS), Sada, Sawda, Shahbandri, Shahbandri Patel (SP), Shakir, Shingeri, Shingeti, Showpa, Siddi Ahmada, Siddibapa, Siddiqua, Siddique, Sukri, Syed Jamaluddina (SJ), Syed Moheddina (SM), Syed Kazmi (SK), Zangi etc.

Attire

Navayathi men are generally light skinned, and their attire consists of Jubba (A shirt almost knee length)/ Shirt, and lungi.

Women have generally adopted the local way of dressing, however they observe strict Burkah (Islamic Veil). Anklets and nose studs are not a common practice. In fact its discouraged.

Festivals

The traditional Islamic festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha (also known as Bakrid) are celebrated. Special Eid prayer is offered during these two occasions. Bhatkal City has a centralised Eidgah in Bunder Road where congregational special prayers or Salat al Eid is held. Usually in the central Eidgah the Qadhi leads the Eid prayer and delivers Khutba. Colourful costumes, delicious food, exchanging the Eid greetings - Eid Mubarak (Arabic/Persian/Urdu: عید مبارک) and generous charity to the poor and needy are part of Eid celebration. Other occasions celebrated are 12th Rabi' al-awwal of the third month of Islamic calendar commemorating Meelad-al-Nabi - prophet Muhammad's birthday. Moon citation is an event of rejoice for Nawayathi folk.

Food

Main article: Cuisine of Bhatkal

See also: Indian cuisine

The traditional food of the Nawayathis has always been rice, fish, and meat. The people of bhatkal have adopted most of their foods from the surrounding regions including Kerala and other parts of India.

Seafood has been the mainstay of the Nawayathi diet for centuries.

Meat and rice are other staple foods; Beef and Poultry are the more favored meats, then goat and lamb.

Popular beverage is tea, which can be supplemented with cardamom or mint to give them a distinct flavor.

Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, so it is not included in local menus.

Alcohol is prohibited in hotel and restaurants.

Dishes forming part of the Bhatkali cuisine:

• Bhatkali Biryani
• Mudkale (small balls of rice dough steamed and put into prepared curry)
• Navari (Rice dough Steamed and stuffed with mixed preparations of coconut scrapings/onion/jaggery AND made into cakes covered with leaves) of different varieties
• Godan aka Kheer (A sweet dish preparation of ingredients like jaggery, coconut juice and ghee) of different varieties. Eg; Gavan Godan (wheat Kheer),

Mooga Godan (Green gram kheer), Macaroni Godan (Coconut milk and macaroni kheer), Amatya Godan (Hog Plums Kheer)

• Puttu (Made of rice powder and grated coconut, steamed in a metal or bamboo holder)
• Tawsuli (Rice Pudding)
• Taryepoli (Rava Pudding)
• Khubusapoli (Bread Pudding)
• Chappipoli (Plain Pancake)
• Shoupa Pana Poli (Dill Pudding)
• Terlouz (Egg Dessert)
• Bhanduli (Bhanuli)
• Sawdano
• Shinawniyo (Spicy Oysters)
• Waatve
• Shayya Biryani (Seviya Biryani)

And varieties of Appos (Pancakes)

• Goda Appo (Jaggery Pancake)
• Malpura Appo
• Shoupa Pana Appo (Dill Pancake)

References

• D'Souza, V.S. The Navayats of Kanara- study in culture contacts. Page 12-20, KRI Monogs. No. 3. 2nd ed. Dharwar: Kannada Research Institute 1955.
• Colonel Wilkes, History of Mysore, vol 1

terlos(which is made by eggs

External links

• SahilOnline English Daily Newspaper
• SahilOnline Urdu Daily Newspaper
• Bhatkal Blog
• Nawayaths of Hyderabad, by M.A. Bhatkali
• Bhatkalvoice.com
• Pictures of Nawayaths of Bhatkal
• Islamic Education and Research Center, Gangolli
• Bhatkal Community Portal