Mochi (Muslim) - Revision history

Stuee.Singh: updated

2026-01-16T00:33:17Z

updated

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:03, 16 January 2026
Line 4:		Line 4:
	{{ethnic group\|		{{ethnic group\|
	\|group= Mochi		\|group= Mochi
	\|population =~~3,431,000 <ref name=A>[http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php Mochi, Muslim]</ref>~~		\|population =
	\|popplace = • ~~{{flagcountry\|~~Pakistan}}• ~~{{flagcountry\|~~India}}•~~{{flagcountry\|~~Bangladesh}}		\|popplace = • Pakistan • India • Bangladesh
	\|langs = • [[Urdu]] in India • [[Bengali language\|Bengali]] in Bangladesh • [[Panjabi language\|Panjabi]] in Pakistan.		\|langs = • [[Urdu]] in India • [[Bengali language\|Bengali]] in Bangladesh • [[Panjabi language\|Panjabi]] in Pakistan.
	\|rels= ~~• [[~~Islam~~]] 100% •~~		\|rels= Islam
	\|related= ~~• chose from [[Chamar]] to islam~~		\|related=
	}}		}}

	'''Mochi''' are a community, found in [[North India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]]. They are the traditional shoemakers of [[South Asia]].~~<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 978 to 981</ref>~~		'''Mochi''' are a community, found in [[North India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]].They are the traditional shoemakers of [[South Asia]].

	~~== Origin ==~~

	They are mainly chamars, who chose [[Islam]] as their religion during mid 14th to 16th century AD. The community was also involved in the manufacture of protective leather dresses for soldiers and as such were closely associated with army. The word mochi is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''mochika'', meaning a cobbler. Traditionally, the Mochi was the cobbler and shoemaker of village India. <ref>Tribes and Castes of North Western provinces and Oudh Volume III pages 497 by William Crook</ref>

	== Muslim Mochi of Uttar Pradesh ==		== Muslim Mochi of Uttar Pradesh ==
	The Muslim Mochi in [[Uttar Pradesh]] are further divided into ''biradaris'', which theoretically descend from a common ancestor. Marriages are preferred within the biradari, with the Mochi practising both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. Major Mochi clans include Bagri, Barwar, Bargujar, Jadon, Jat and Shaikh. The Mochi are found in multi-caste villages, occupying their own distinct quarters. Each settlement contains a biradari pamchayat or caste council, which acts as an instrument of social control, as well as dealing with intra community disputes. The Mochi have ~~also set up~~ the ~~Uttar Pradesh Muslim Mochi Sangh, which acts as a community lobbying organization. They have now been granted~~ [[Other Backward ~~Classes~~]] status, which allows them to access a number of affirmative ~~actions~~ schemes by the [[Government of India]]. <ref>http://www.ncbc.nic.in/Pdf/Uttar%20Pradesh/Uttanpradesh-Vol1/5.pdf</ref>		The Muslim Mochi in [[Uttar Pradesh]] have been given the [[Other Backward Class]] status, which allows them to access a number of affirmative action schemes by the [[Government of India]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120328165738/http://www.ncbc.nic.in/Pdf/Uttar%20Pradesh/Uttanpradesh-Vol1/5.pdf Uttar Pradesh] </ref>

	The community found throughout [[Uttar Pradesh]], however the districts of [[Lucknow District\|Lucknow]] and [[Faizabad District\|Faizabad]] have a greater concentration. They speak various dialects of [[Hindi language\|Hindi]], such as [[Awadhi language\|Awadhi]], although many understand [[Urdu]]. The Mochi are entirely [[Sunni]], but like [[Muslims of Uttar Pradesh\|Uttar Pradesh Muslims]], they are divided by the [[Barelvi]] [[Deobandi]] split.

	== Muslim Mochi of Punjab ==		== Muslim Mochi of Punjab ==
			The Mochi in rural Punjab is still dependent on the local landlord, who acts as patron.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Samiuddin \|first=Abida \|url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Global_Encyclopaedic_Ethnography_of_Indi/qEXFxCK-ulUC?hl=en \|title=Global Encyclopaedic Ethnography of Indian Muslim \|last2=Khanam \|first2=R. \|publisher=Global Vision Publishing House \|isbn=978-81-8220-299-3 \|pages=524-526 \|language=en}}</ref> Often, are paid from each cash crop at the end of the harvesting season according to a system called '''seypi'''.<ref>Justice in Practice Legal Ethnography of a Punjab Village by Muhammad Azam Chuadhary Oxford University Press 1999</ref> Presently, many Mochis are no longer involved in their traditional occupation of shoemaking. Many are now landless agricultural labourers. Overall, the condition of the Mochi community in Punjab has worsened. There has been a marked shift towards manufactured shoes, which has seen a severe decline in the demand for their traditional skill. Many of their patrons from the locally dominant castes such as the [[Muslim Jats\|Jat]]s no longer pay the traditional seypi. Unlike in India, the [[Government of Pakistan]] has not provided any affirmative actions programmes. As such, the Mochi are one of the most vulnerable ethnic community in Pakistan, and are often victims of societal discrimination. The Muslim Mochi are entirely [[Sunni]] and speak [[Punjabi language\|Punjabi]].<ref>Kinship, Honour and Money in Rural Pakistan by Alain Lefebvre Curzon Press 1999</ref>

	In [[Punjab (Pakistan)\|Punjab]], the word Mochi signifies a worker in tanned leather, as distinct from a tanner. The Muslim Mochi of Punjab is said to be by origin [[Chamar]] to [[Islam]]. However, the exact circumstance of their status is unclear. Historically, Muslim Mochi were found throughout Punjab with a concentration in [[Kasur]], [[Lahore]], [[Okara District\|Okara]], [[Pakpattan]], [[Faisalabad]] and [[Toba Tek Singh]], but like other Muslim groups, they had to emigrate from [[Punjab (~~India~~)\|Indian Punjab]], where they were based in the Patiala and Nabha States and [[Hoshiarpur]] District at the time of [[partition of India]]. Like those of [[North India]], the Mochi in Punjab is further divided into a number of clans, called '''gots''' from the [[Sanskrit]] [[gotra]], or clan. The Shirazi sub-division claim themselves to be superior to the other gots on account of their alleged descent from [[Iran\|Iranian]] immigrants. Historically, the Mochi practiced clan [[exogamy]], but this is no longer the case, with marriages taking place with close kin. Below is a list of the other major gots:<ref>A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of Punjab and the North West Frontier Province Volume III by H A Rose</ref>		==See also==
	*Ballu		*[[Mochi (Hindu)]]
	*Bhangar
	*Bero
	*Biswan
	*Jabbar
	*Jakhar
	*Jhalli
	*Summan
	* Toor
	*Khillar
	*Mahman
	*Rattanpal
	The Mochi in rural Punjab is still dependent on the local landlord, who acts as patron. Often, the Mochi does not own his property, but rents from the landlord. The Mochi is thus entirely dependent on the locally dominant caste, and are paid from each cash crop at the end of the harvesting season according to a system called '''seypi'''. <ref>Justice in Practice Legal Ethnography of a Punjab Village by Muhammad Azam Chuadhary Oxford University Press 1999</ref> Presently, many Mochis are no longer involved in their traditional occupation of shoemaking. Many are now landless agricultural labourers. Overall, the condition of the Mochi community in Punjab has worsened. There has been a marked shift towards manufactured shoes, which has seen a severe decline in their traditional occupation. Many of their patrons from the locally dominant castes such as the [[Muslim Jats\|Jat]]s no longer pay the traditional seypi. Unlike in India, the [[Government of Pakistan]] has not provided any affirmative actions programmes. As such, the Mochi are one of the most vulnerable ethnic community in Pakistan, and are often victims of societal discrimination. The Mochi are entirely [[Sunni]] and speak [[Punjabi language\|Punjabi]]~~. <ref>Kinship, Honour and Money in Rural Pakistan by Alain Lefebvre Curzon Press 1999</ref>~~

	==References==		==References==
Line 48:		Line 31:
	[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]		[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
	[[Category:Social groups of Bangladesh]]		[[Category:Social groups of Bangladesh]]
	~~[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]~~
	[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, Pakistan]]		[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, Pakistan]]

->Rodw: Disambiguating links to Okara (link changed to Okara District) using DisamAssist.

2021-10-16T09:18:12Z

Disambiguating links to Okara (link changed to Okara District) using DisamAssist.

New page

{{Short description|Community, found in North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{ethnic group|
|group= Mochi
|population =3,431,000 <ref name=A>[http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php Mochi, Muslim]</ref>
|popplace = • {{flagcountry|Pakistan}}• {{flagcountry|India}}•{{flagcountry|Bangladesh}}
|langs = • [[Urdu]] in India • [[Bengali language|Bengali]] in Bangladesh • [[Panjabi language|Panjabi]] in Pakistan.
|rels= • [[Islam]] 100% •
|related= • chose from [[Chamar]] to islam
}}

'''Mochi''' are a community, found in [[North India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]]. They are the traditional shoemakers of [[South Asia]].<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 978 to 981</ref>

== Origin ==

They are mainly chamars, who chose [[Islam]] as their religion during mid 14th to 16th century AD. The community was also involved in the manufacture of protective leather dresses for soldiers and as such were closely associated with army. The word mochi is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''mochika'', meaning a cobbler. Traditionally, the Mochi was the cobbler and shoemaker of village India. <ref>Tribes and Castes of North Western provinces and Oudh Volume III pages 497 by William Crook</ref>

== Muslim Mochi of Uttar Pradesh ==
The Muslim Mochi in [[Uttar Pradesh]] are further divided into ''biradaris'', which theoretically descend from a common ancestor. Marriages are preferred within the biradari, with the Mochi practising both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. Major Mochi clans include Bagri, Barwar, Bargujar, Jadon, Jat and Shaikh. The Mochi are found in multi-caste villages, occupying their own distinct quarters. Each settlement contains a biradari pamchayat or caste council, which acts as an instrument of social control, as well as dealing with intra community disputes. The Mochi have also set up the Uttar Pradesh Muslim Mochi Sangh, which acts as a community lobbying organization. They have now been granted [[Other Backward Classes]] status, which allows them to access a number of affirmative actions schemes by the [[Government of India]]. <ref>http://www.ncbc.nic.in/Pdf/Uttar%20Pradesh/Uttanpradesh-Vol1/5.pdf</ref>

The community found throughout [[Uttar Pradesh]], however the districts of [[Lucknow District|Lucknow]] and [[Faizabad District|Faizabad]] have a greater concentration. They speak various dialects of [[Hindi language|Hindi]], such as [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]], although many understand [[Urdu]]. The Mochi are entirely [[Sunni]], but like [[Muslims of Uttar Pradesh|Uttar Pradesh Muslims]], they are divided by the [[Barelvi]] [[Deobandi]] split.

== Muslim Mochi of Punjab ==

In [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]], the word Mochi signifies a worker in tanned leather, as distinct from a tanner. The Muslim Mochi of Punjab is said to be by origin [[Chamar]] to [[Islam]]. However, the exact circumstance of their status is unclear. Historically, Muslim Mochi were found throughout Punjab with a concentration in [[Kasur]], [[Lahore]], [[Okara District|Okara]], [[Pakpattan]], [[Faisalabad]] and [[Toba Tek Singh]], but like other Muslim groups, they had to emigrate from [[Punjab (India)|Indian Punjab]], where they were based in the Patiala and Nabha States and [[Hoshiarpur]] District at the time of [[partition of India]]. Like those of [[North India]], the Mochi in Punjab is further divided into a number of clans, called '''gots''' from the [[Sanskrit]] [[gotra]], or clan. The Shirazi sub-division claim themselves to be superior to the other gots on account of their alleged descent from [[Iran|Iranian]] immigrants. Historically, the Mochi practiced clan [[exogamy]], but this is no longer the case, with marriages taking place with close kin. Below is a list of the other major gots:<ref>A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of Punjab and the North West Frontier Province Volume III by H A Rose</ref>
*Ballu
*Bhangar
*Bero
*Biswan
*Jabbar
*Jakhar
*Jhalli
*Summan
* Toor
*Khillar
*Mahman
*Rattanpal
The Mochi in rural Punjab is still dependent on the local landlord, who acts as patron. Often, the Mochi does not own his property, but rents from the landlord. The Mochi is thus entirely dependent on the locally dominant caste, and are paid from each cash crop at the end of the harvesting season according to a system called '''seypi'''. <ref>Justice in Practice Legal Ethnography of a Punjab Village by Muhammad Azam Chuadhary Oxford University Press 1999</ref> Presently, many Mochis are no longer involved in their traditional occupation of shoemaking. Many are now landless agricultural labourers. Overall, the condition of the Mochi community in Punjab has worsened. There has been a marked shift towards manufactured shoes, which has seen a severe decline in their traditional occupation. Many of their patrons from the locally dominant castes such as the [[Muslim Jats|Jat]]s no longer pay the traditional seypi. Unlike in India, the [[Government of Pakistan]] has not provided any affirmative actions programmes. As such, the Mochi are one of the most vulnerable ethnic community in Pakistan, and are often victims of societal discrimination. The Mochi are entirely [[Sunni]] and speak [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]. <ref>Kinship, Honour and Money in Rural Pakistan by Alain Lefebvre Curzon Press 1999</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, Pakistan]]