https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Muslim_GhosiMuslim Ghosi - Revision history2026-10-28T11:07:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Ghosi&diff=519278&oldid=prevFreeman14H at 08:10, 31 March 20262026-03-31T08:10:14Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian community in North India}}<br />
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|popplace = {{Flag|India}}<br />
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|rels=[[File:Star and Crescent.svg|18px]] [[Islam]]<br />
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The '''Ghosi''' are a Muslim community found mainly in [[North India]]. It is said that [[Ahir]] and gopas were originally [[Hindu|Hindus]] who converted to [[Islam]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Congress |first=Indian History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QXAYwwyxgAsC |title=Proceedings |date=1950 |publisher=Indian History Congress |pages=99 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Commissioner |first=India Census |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glJFAQAAMAAJ |title=Census of India, 1901 |date=1902 |publisher=Printed at the Government central Press |pages=245 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kumar Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bBdWAAAAYAAJ |title=People of India: Uttar Pradesh (3 pts.) |date=1992 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-85579-09-2 |pages=542–545 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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==History and origin==<br />
The Ghosi in [[West Bengal]] claim [[Gowala (caste)|Gowala]] ancestry.<ref name="Siddiqui2004">{{cite book|author1=M. K. A. Siddiqui|author2=Institute of Objective Studies (New Delhi, India)|title=Marginal Muslim communities in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygNuAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=1 June 2011|year=2004|publisher=Institute of Objective Studies|isbn=978-81-85220-58-1|pages=295–305}}</ref><br />
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The Ghosi of West Bengal are found mainly in the districts of [[24 Parganas]] and [[Midnapore District|Midnapore]], in particular near the towns of [[Barrackpur]] and [[Kharagpur]] . According to the traditions of this community, they emigrated from [[Kanpur]], in what is now Uttar Pradesh some five centuries ago. The community thus took up the occupation of cattle rearing, and settled in Midnapur.<ref name="Siddiqui2004"/><br />
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The community is now divided between those who still engage in the selling of milk, and the rest of the community who are now small and medium-sized farmers. They reside in multi-caste villages, which tend to have ''ghosiparas'', "Ghosi areas". The community now speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]], although most have knowledge of Hindi. They remain strictly endogamous, and are unique among [[Bengali Muslims]] in practising clan exogamy. Their main clans are the Rathore, Dogar, Chauhan, Khaleri, Totar, Lehar and Maidul. The Ghosi of West Bengal have an informal caste council, known as a ''panchayat'', which acts as an institution of social control, resolving disputes within the community, and providing social welfare.<ref name="Siddiqui2004"/><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Ahir]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==Further reading==<br />
*Verma, V. 1996. ''Gaddis of Dhauladhar: A Transhumant Tribe of the Himalayas''. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.<br />
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{{Indian Muslim}}<br />
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[[Category:Social groups of West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Muslim communities of West Bengal]]</div>Freeman14H