Qalandar (caste) - Revision history

Srcsdoon: enhance information additionally per sources

2025-12-21T15:00:10Z

enhance information additionally per sources

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 21 December 2025
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			{{Short description\|Muslim ethnic group in north India and Pakistan}}
	{{Other uses\|Qalandar (disambiguation)}}		{{Other uses\|Qalandar (disambiguation)}}
			{{More citations needed\|date=May 2024}}
	{{EngvarB\|date=April 2019}}		{{EngvarB\|date=April 2019}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=~~April 2019~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2025}}
	{{Infobox ethnic group		{{Infobox ethnic group
	\|group= Qalandar		\|group = Qalandar
	\|poptime =		\|poptime =
	\|popplace = India • Pakistan		\|popplace = {{hlist\|India\|Pakistan}}
	\|langs = [[Urdu]] • [[Hindi]]		\|langs = {{hlist\|[[Urdu]]\|[[Hindi]]}}
	\|rels= [[Islam]]		\|rels = Islam
	\|related= [[Jogi (castes)\|Jogi]] • [[Jogi Faqir]] • [[Sai (caste)\|Sai]]		\|related = {{hlist\|[[Jogi (castes)\|Jogi]]\|[[Jogi Faqir]]\|[[Sai (caste)\|Sai]]}}
	}}		}}

	The '''Qalandar''' ({{~~lang-~~hi\|क़लन्दर}}, {{~~lang-~~ur\|قلندر}}) are a [[Muslim]] [[ethnic group]], found in [[North India]] and [[Pakistan]]. They are also known as '''Qalander Faqir'''.<ref name="Joseph C 2004">Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages ~~235to~~ 255 in Customary strangers : new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN\|0897897714}}</ref> A few Qalandar are also found in the [[Terai]] region of [[Nepal]].~~<ref name="A Hasan pages 647">Qalandar in People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 677 to 682</ref>~~<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53">''Peripatetic peoples and Lifestyles by Aparna Rao'' in Disappearing peoples? : indigenous groups and ethnic minorities in South and Central Asia / edited by Barbara A. Brower, Barbara Rose Johnston pages 53 to 72 {{ISBN\|1598741209}}</ref>		The '''Qalandar''' ({{langx\|hi\|क़लन्दर}}, {{langx\|ur\|قلندر}}) are a Muslim [[ethnic group]] found in [[North India]] and Pakistan. They are also known as '''Qalander Faqir'''.<ref name="Joseph C 2004">Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235 to 255 in Customary strangers: new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN\|0897897714}}</ref> A few Qalandar are also found in the [[Terai]] region of Nepal.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53">''Peripatetic peoples and Lifestyles by Aparna Rao'' in Disappearing peoples?: indigenous groups and ethnic minorities in South and Central Asia / edited by Barbara A. Brower, Barbara Rose Johnston pages 53 to 72 {{ISBN\|1598741209}}</ref>

	==History and ~~origin~~==		==History and origins==
			In Pakistan, the Qalandar are found mainly in [[Punjab (Pakistan)\|Punjab]]. According to their traditions, they are descended from ancestors that arrived from [[Balkh]] and [[Bukhara]] in Central Asia in the distant past{{When\|date=May 2024}}. They were said to be devotees of the [[Sufism\|Sufi]] saint [[Bu Ali Shah Qalandar]] of [[Panipat]]. Unlike the [[Uttar Pradesh]] Qalandar, who moved east, the Qalandar of what became Pakistan began a slow migration westward, with small groups arriving in Punjab by the mid-15th century. At the time of the [[partition of India]] in 1947, the Muslim Qalandar of [[east Punjab]], which included Panipat and [[Karnal]], moved to Pakistan, joining groups who were already settled there.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/>
	The Qalandar in India trace their origin back to the devotees of the [[Sufi]] saint [[Bu Ali Shah Qalandar]], who is buried in [[Panipat]], in what is now [[Haryana]]. These devotees left their homes in the cities of [[Karnal]] and [[Panipat]] for some unknown reason and settled in territory that now forms part of the modern state of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Initially, these devotees belonged to the Sufi order of the [[Qalandariyah]] Faqirs, who then took to the profession of bear fighting. The Qalandar consists of three sub-divisions, the Langre in eastern [[Rohilkhand]], the Rohilla in western [[Rohilkhand]] and the Machhle in [[Awadh]], all of whom are found in [[Uttar Pradesh]], and speak their own dialect, known as Qalandari.<ref name="A Hasan page 677">Qalandar in People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 677 to 682 Manohar Publications</ref>

	In [[Pakistan]], the Qalandar are found mainly in [[Punjab (Pakistan)\|~~Pakistani~~ Punjab]]. According to their traditions, ~~the Qalandar~~ are descended of ancestors that arrived in from [[Balkh]] and [[Bukhara]] in [[Central Asia]] in the distant past. ~~These settlers~~ were ~~all~~ said to be devotees of the Sufi saint Bu Ali Qalandar of Panipat. Unlike the Uttar Pradesh Qalandar who moved east, the Qalandar of what became Pakistan began a slow migration westward, with small groups ~~moving into~~ Punjab by mid 15th ~~Century~~. At the time of the [[partition of India]] in 1947, the Muslim Qalandar of [[east Punjab]], which included Panipat and Karnal moved to [[Pakistan]], joining groups who were already settled there.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/>

	==Present circumstances==		==Present circumstances==

	===In India===		===In India===
			In [[North India]], some Qalandar began leading bears, monkeys, and other performing animals with which they wandered, announcing their presence with an hourglass-shaped drum called a ''damru'', which was used in their performances for emphasis, while a larger group settled in Uttar Pradesh, [[Bihar]], and [[Bengal]] and began a sedentary life while continuing to hold their traditional mystic religious beliefs{{Clarify\|date=May 2024\|reason=It should be clarified what is meant by "traditional mystic beliefs"}}. Some of them became connected to different [[khanqah]] in Bihar, especially in [[Bihar Sharif]] and [[Danapur]].<ref>''Qalandar'' in The last wanderers: nomads and gypsies of India by Tejinder Singh Randhawa page 166 {{ISBN\|0-944142-35-4}}</ref> Historically, all Qalandar were once nomadic, but many are now settled.{{Citation needed\|date=May 2024}} In 1972, bear hunting and capture were declared illegal in India,{{Citation needed\|date=May 2024}} and there has been persistent effort by the Indian government to clamp down on bear performing.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=LMurray \|date=17 December 2007 \|title=The Dancing Bears of India: Moving Toward Freedom \|url=https://explore.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/the-dancing-bears-of-india-moving-toward-freedom \|access-date=10 September 2025 \|website=Saving Earth {{!}} Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> In addition, the traditional occupation of bear fighting has received much criticism from animal rights activists in the West and has been banned in India.{{Citation needed\|date=May 2024}} Many Qalandar have become farmers, though their holdings are small, and many are sharecroppers. A much larger group of Qalandars are daily wage labourers, and they exist as a marginalized community, both socially and economically.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>
	In [[North India]], ~~a part of these people started~~ leading bears, monkeys and other performing animals with which they ~~wander~~, announcing ~~the~~ presence with an ~~hour glass~~ shaped drum called a ''damru'', which is used in their performances for emphasis, while a larger ~~part of these people~~ settled in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal and began a sedentary life while continuing ~~the old~~ traditional mystic religious beliefs. Some of them ~~got~~ connected to different khanqah in Bihar especially in ~~Biharsharif~~ and ~~Danapoor~~.<ref>''Qalandar'' in The last wanderers : nomads and gypsies of India by Tejinder Singh Randhawa page 166 {{ISBN\|0-944142-35-4}}</ref> Historically, all Qalandar were once a nomadic ~~community~~, but many are now settled. In 1972, bear hunting and ~~capturing~~ were declared illegal in India, and there has been persistent effort by the Indian government to clamp down on ~~the activity of~~ bear performing. In addition, the traditional occupation of bear fighting has ~~come to~~ much criticism from ~~the~~ animal rights activists in the ~~west,~~ and ~~have now~~ been ~~proscribed by [[~~India]]. ~~They are now undergoing settlement~~, ~~with many taking to cultivation. But~~ their holdings are ~~extremely~~ small, and many are sharecroppers. A much larger group of Qalandars are ~~now~~ daily wage labourers, and they ~~are extremely~~ marginalized community, both socially and economically.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53~~"/>~~

	Although the community are [[Sunni]], they incorporate many folk traditions and beliefs. This includes special reverence to the [[Sufi]] saint Bu Ali Qalandar, who is buried in [[Panipat]]. They visit his shrine every year on occasion of his birth. Many of the settled Qalandar are undergoing Islamization, and some of their folk beliefs are being discarded. But they remain an extremely marganilized community, interacting little with neighbouring [[Muslim]] communities.<ref name="A Hasan page 677"/>

	===In Pakistan===		===In Pakistan===
			The basic unit of the Qalandar society is the tent, or ''puki''. Each puki represents a [[commensal]] group, comprising a female, her spouse, and unmarried children. A collection of ''puki'' forms a ''dera'', or camp. Most members of the ''dera'' are related to each other. Marriages are formed with close kin, and the Qalandar practice both [[Parallel and cross cousins\|cross-cousin and parallel-cousin]] marriages.<ref>Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235 to 255 in Customary strangers: new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN\|0897897714}}</ref>

	The basic unit of the Qalandar society is the tent or ''puki''. Each puki represents a [[commensal]] group, comprising a female, her spouse and unmarried . A collection of puki forms a ''dera'' or camp. Most members of the dera are related to each other. Marriages take place with close kin, and the Qalandar practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages.<ref>''Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235to 255'' in Customary strangers : new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN\|0897897714}}</ref>		Unlike their Indian counterparts, the Pakistan Qalandar are still nomadic, with most involved in their traditional occupations of entertainment routines involving trained bears, monkeys, dogs, and goats. In addition, they are often jugglers, acrobats, magicians, impersonators, and beggars. The Qalandar travel from community to community, setting up camp in [[fallow]] fields.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/> In Pakistan, bears are trapped by members of the [[Kohistani people\|Kohistani]] ethnic group and then sold to the Qalandar in markets in [[Peshawar]] and [[Rawalpindi District\|Rawalpindi]]. The Qalandar are an extremely marginalized group, suffering from discrimination, and often victims of abuse by state officials such as the police or municipal staff.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>

	Unlike their Indian counterparts, the Pakistan Qalandar are still nomadic, with most ~~still~~ involved in their traditional occupations of entertainment routines involving trained bears, monkeys, dogs and goats. In addition, they are often ~~skilled~~ jugglers, acrobats, magicians, impersonators and beggars. The Qalandar travel from community to community, setting camp in fallow fields.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/> In Pakistan ~~the~~ bears are trapped is by members of the [[Kohistani people\|Kohistani]] ethnic group, and then sold to the Qalandar in markets in [[Peshawar]] and [[Rawalpindi District\|Rawalpindi]]. The Qalandar are an extremely ~~marganilized~~ group, suffering from discrimination and often victims of abuse by state officials such as the police or municipal staff.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>

	==See also==		==See also==
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	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	~~{{Dom people}}~~
	{{Indian Muslim}}		{{Indian Muslim}}

	~~[[Category:Dalit Muslim]]~~
	~~[[Category:Dom in India]]~~
	~~[[Category:Dom in Pakistan]]~~
	~~[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]~~
	~~[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]~~
	[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]		[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
	~~[[Category:Indian castes]]~~
	~~[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]~~
	~~[[Category:Muslim communities of Nepal]]~~
	[[Category:Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh]]		[[Category:Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh]]
	~~[[Category:Dom people]]~~
	~~[[Category:Romani in India]]~~
	~~[[Category:Romani in Pakistan]]~~

Ajay Kumar: Included a reliable source for verification.

2023-07-23T15:08:50Z

Included a reliable source for verification.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 23 July 2023
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	\|poptime =		\|poptime =
	\|popplace = India • Pakistan		\|popplace = India • Pakistan
	\|langs = [[~~Urdu language\|~~Urdu]] • [[~~Hindi language\|~~Hindi]]		\|langs = [[Urdu]] • [[Hindi]]
	\|rels= [[Islam]]		\|rels= [[Islam]]
	\|related= [[Jogi (castes)\|Jogi]] • [[Jogi Faqir]] • [[Sai (caste)\|Sai]]		\|related= [[Jogi (castes)\|Jogi]] • [[Jogi Faqir]] • [[Sai (caste)\|Sai]]
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	==History and origin==		==History and origin==

	The Qalandar in India trace their origin back to the devotees of the [[Sufi]] saint [[Bu Ali Shah Qalandar]], who is buried in [[Panipat]], in what is now [[Haryana]]. These devotees left their homes in the cities of [[Karnal]] and [[Panipat]] for some unknown reason and settled in territory that now forms part of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh. Initially, these ~~devotee~~ belonged to the Sufi order of the [[Qalandariyah]] Faqirs, who then took to the profession of bear fighting. The Qalandar consists of three sub-divisions, the Langre in eastern [[Rohilkhand]], the Rohilla in western [[Rohilkhand]] and the Machhle in [[Awadh]], all of whom are found in [[Uttar Pradesh]], and speak their own dialect, known as Qalandari.<ref name="A Hasan page 677">Qalandar in People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 677 to 682 Manohar Publications</ref>		The Qalandar in India trace their origin back to the devotees of the [[Sufi]] saint [[Bu Ali Shah Qalandar]], who is buried in [[Panipat]], in what is now [[Haryana]]. These devotees left their homes in the cities of [[Karnal]] and [[Panipat]] for some unknown reason and settled in territory that now forms part of the modern state of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Initially, these devotees belonged to the Sufi order of the [[Qalandariyah]] Faqirs, who then took to the profession of bear fighting. The Qalandar consists of three sub-divisions, the Langre in eastern [[Rohilkhand]], the Rohilla in western [[Rohilkhand]] and the Machhle in [[Awadh]], all of whom are found in [[Uttar Pradesh]], and speak their own dialect, known as Qalandari.<ref name="A Hasan page 677">Qalandar in People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 677 to 682 Manohar Publications</ref>

	In [[Pakistan]], the Qalandar are found mainly in [[Punjab (Pakistan)\|Pakistani Punjab]]. According to their traditions, the Qalandar are descended of ancestors that arrived in from [[Balkh]] and [[Bukhara]] in [[Central Asia]] in the distant past. These settlers were all said to be devotees of the Sufi saint Bu Ali Qalandar of Panipat. Unlike the Uttar Pradesh Qalandar who moved east, the Qalandar of what became Pakistan began a slow migration westward, with small groups moving into Punjab by mid 15th Century. At the time of the [[partition of India]] in 1947, the Muslim Qalandar of east Punjab, which included Panipat and Karnal moved to [[Pakistan]], joining groups who were already settled there.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/>		In [[Pakistan]], the Qalandar are found mainly in [[Punjab (Pakistan)\|Pakistani Punjab]]. According to their traditions, the Qalandar are descended of ancestors that arrived in from [[Balkh]] and [[Bukhara]] in [[Central Asia]] in the distant past. These settlers were all said to be devotees of the Sufi saint Bu Ali Qalandar of Panipat. Unlike the Uttar Pradesh Qalandar who moved east, the Qalandar of what became Pakistan began a slow migration westward, with small groups moving into Punjab by mid 15th Century. At the time of the [[partition of India]] in 1947, the Muslim Qalandar of [[east Punjab]], which included Panipat and Karnal moved to [[Pakistan]], joining groups who were already settled there.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/>

	==Present circumstances==		==Present circumstances==
Line 31:		Line 31:
	The basic unit of the Qalandar society is the tent or ''puki''. Each puki represents a [[commensal]] group, comprising a female, her spouse and unmarried . A collection of puki forms a ''dera'' or camp. Most members of the dera are related to each other. Marriages take place with close kin, and the Qalandar practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages.<ref>''Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235to 255'' in Customary strangers : new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN\|0897897714}}</ref>		The basic unit of the Qalandar society is the tent or ''puki''. Each puki represents a [[commensal]] group, comprising a female, her spouse and unmarried . A collection of puki forms a ''dera'' or camp. Most members of the dera are related to each other. Marriages take place with close kin, and the Qalandar practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages.<ref>''Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235to 255'' in Customary strangers : new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN\|0897897714}}</ref>

	Unlike their Indian counterparts, the Pakistan Qalandar are still nomadic, with most still involved in their traditional occupations of entertainment routines involving trained bears, monkeys, dogs and goats. In addition, they are often skilled jugglers, acrobats, magicians, impersonators and beggars. The Qalandar travel from community to community, setting camp in fallow fields.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/> In Pakistan the bears are trapped is by members of the Kohistani ethnic group, and then sold to the Qalandar in markets in Peshawar and Rawalpindi. The Qalandar are an extremely marganilized group, suffering from discrimination and often victims of abuse by state officials such as the police or municipal staff.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>		Unlike their Indian counterparts, the Pakistan Qalandar are still nomadic, with most still involved in their traditional occupations of entertainment routines involving trained bears, monkeys, dogs and goats. In addition, they are often skilled jugglers, acrobats, magicians, impersonators and beggars. The Qalandar travel from community to community, setting camp in fallow fields.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/> In Pakistan the bears are trapped is by members of the [[Kohistani people\|Kohistani]] ethnic group, and then sold to the Qalandar in markets in [[Peshawar]] and [[Rawalpindi District\|Rawalpindi]]. The Qalandar are an extremely marganilized group, suffering from discrimination and often victims of abuse by state officials such as the police or municipal staff.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>

	==See also==		==See also==

108.217.22.24: /* In India */

2020-07-09T07:39:27Z

In India

New page

{{Other uses|Qalandar (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|group= Qalandar
|poptime =
|popplace = India • Pakistan
|langs = [[Urdu language|Urdu]] • [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
|rels= [[Islam]]
|related= [[Jogi (castes)|Jogi]] • [[Jogi Faqir]] • [[Sai (caste)|Sai]]
}}

The '''Qalandar''' ({{lang-hi|क़लन्दर}}, {{lang-ur|قلندر}}) are a [[Muslim]] [[ethnic group]], found in [[North India]] and [[Pakistan]]. They are also known as '''Qalander Faqir'''.<ref name="Joseph C 2004">Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235to 255 in Customary strangers : new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN|0897897714}}</ref> A few Qalandar are also found in the [[Terai]] region of [[Nepal]].<ref name="A Hasan pages 647">Qalandar in People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 677 to 682</ref><ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53">''Peripatetic peoples and Lifestyles by Aparna Rao'' in Disappearing peoples? : indigenous groups and ethnic minorities in South and Central Asia / edited by Barbara A. Brower, Barbara Rose Johnston pages 53 to 72 {{ISBN|1598741209}}</ref>

==History and origin==

The Qalandar in India trace their origin back to the devotees of the [[Sufi]] saint [[Bu Ali Shah Qalandar]], who is buried in [[Panipat]], in what is now [[Haryana]]. These devotees left their homes in the cities of [[Karnal]] and [[Panipat]] for some unknown reason and settled in territory that now forms part of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh. Initially, these devotee belonged to the Sufi order of the [[Qalandariyah]] Faqirs, who then took to the profession of bear fighting. The Qalandar consists of three sub-divisions, the Langre in eastern [[Rohilkhand]], the Rohilla in western [[Rohilkhand]] and the Machhle in [[Awadh]], all of whom are found in [[Uttar Pradesh]], and speak their own dialect, known as Qalandari.<ref name="A Hasan page 677">Qalandar in People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 677 to 682 Manohar Publications</ref>

In [[Pakistan]], the Qalandar are found mainly in [[Punjab (Pakistan)|Pakistani Punjab]]. According to their traditions, the Qalandar are descended of ancestors that arrived in from [[Balkh]] and [[Bukhara]] in [[Central Asia]] in the distant past. These settlers were all said to be devotees of the Sufi saint Bu Ali Qalandar of Panipat. Unlike the Uttar Pradesh Qalandar who moved east, the Qalandar of what became Pakistan began a slow migration westward, with small groups moving into Punjab by mid 15th Century. At the time of the [[partition of India]] in 1947, the Muslim Qalandar of east Punjab, which included Panipat and Karnal moved to [[Pakistan]], joining groups who were already settled there.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/>

==Present circumstances==

===In India===

In [[North India]], a part of these people started leading bears, monkeys and other performing animals with which they wander, announcing the presence with an hour glass shaped drum called a ''damru'', which is used in their performances for emphasis, while a larger part of these people settled in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal and began a sedentary life while continuing the old traditional mystic religious beliefs. Some of them got connected to different khanqah in Bihar especially in Biharsharif and Danapoor.<ref>''Qalandar'' in The last wanderers : nomads and gypsies of India by Tejinder Singh Randhawa page 166 {{ISBN|0-944142-35-4}}</ref> Historically, all Qalandar were once a nomadic community, but many are now settled. In 1972, bear hunting and capturing were declared illegal in India, and there has been persistent effort by the Indian government to clamp down on the activity of bear performing. In addition, the traditional occupation of bear fighting has come to much criticism from the animal rights activists in the west, and have now been proscribed by [[India]]. They are now undergoing settlement, with many taking to cultivation. But their holdings are extremely small, and many are sharecroppers. A much larger group of Qalandars are now daily wage labourers, and they are extremely marginalized community, both socially and economically.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>

Although the community are [[Sunni]], they incorporate many folk traditions and beliefs. This includes special reverence to the [[Sufi]] saint Bu Ali Qalandar, who is buried in [[Panipat]]. They visit his shrine every year on occasion of his birth. Many of the settled Qalandar are undergoing Islamization, and some of their folk beliefs are being discarded. But they remain an extremely marganilized community, interacting little with neighbouring [[Muslim]] communities.<ref name="A Hasan page 677"/>

===In Pakistan===

The basic unit of the Qalandar society is the tent or ''puki''. Each puki represents a [[commensal]] group, comprising a female, her spouse and unmarried . A collection of puki forms a ''dera'' or camp. Most members of the dera are related to each other. Marriages take place with close kin, and the Qalandar practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages.<ref>''Why Bulbuls bark: conflict, continuity, and identity among professional strangers / Joseph C. Berland pages 235to 255'' in Customary strangers : new perspectives on peripatetic peoples in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia / edited by Joseph C. Berland and Aparna Rao. Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004.{{ISBN|0897897714}}</ref>

Unlike their Indian counterparts, the Pakistan Qalandar are still nomadic, with most still involved in their traditional occupations of entertainment routines involving trained bears, monkeys, dogs and goats. In addition, they are often skilled jugglers, acrobats, magicians, impersonators and beggars. The Qalandar travel from community to community, setting camp in fallow fields.<ref name="Joseph C 2004"/> In Pakistan the bears are trapped is by members of the Kohistani ethnic group, and then sold to the Qalandar in markets in Peshawar and Rawalpindi. The Qalandar are an extremely marganilized group, suffering from discrimination and often victims of abuse by state officials such as the police or municipal staff.<ref name="Aparna Rao' pages 53"/>

==See also==
* [[Jogi (castes)|Jogi]]
* [[Mirshikar]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Dom people}}
{{Indian Muslim}}

[[Category:Dalit Muslim]]
[[Category:Dom in India]]
[[Category:Dom in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Nepal]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Dom people]]
[[Category:Romani in India]]
[[Category:Romani in Pakistan]]