Niishad Shetty at 13:07, 15 March 2026

2026-03-15T13:07:05Z

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{{Short description|Family name of Indian muslims}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2023}}
[[File:Portret van Shaikh Zeaoollah uit Aligarh Sheikh Zeaoollah. Soonee mahomedan Sheikh caste. Allyghur (titel op object), RP-F-2001-7-1122C-30.jpg|thumb|A Shaikh man from [[Aligarh]], c. 1858–1868]]
'''''Shaikh''''', also rendered as '''''Sheikh''''', '''''Sheik''''', '''''Shaik''''', '''''Shaykh''''', '''''Shaikh''''', '''''Shekh''''', '''''Cheikh''''', '''''Šeih''''', '''''Šejh''''', '''''Şeyh''''' and other variants ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{lang|ar|شيخ}}, ''shaykh''; [[plural|pl.]] {{lang|ar|شيوخ}} ''shuyūkh''), is a title given to many South Asian Muslim castes. It originally was a word or [[honorific]] term in the [[Arabic language]] that commonly designated a [[Tribal chief|chief of a tribe]], [[royal family]] member, Muslim [[Ulama|religious scholar]], or "[[Elder (administrative title)|Elder]]". However in [[Northern India]], Shaikh was used as an ethnic title, by those with [[Arabs|Arab]] descent & upper caste converts to Islam like [[Khatri]]s, [[Brahmin]]s, [[Kayastha|Kayasthas]] & [[Rajput]]s, etc., particularly from prominent [[Muslims|Muslim]] figures such as the [[Rashidun|Rashidun Caliphs]], majority of these{{Vague|reason=These last three words: "majority of these" make the sentence seem incomplete as if more was meant to be added.|date=September 2025}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/sheikh | title=Sheikh | Meaning, Title, Significance, & History | Britannica | date=7 June 2023 }}</ref>

==Origin==
In [[North India]], ''Shaikh'' is both an ethnic and occupational title attributed to [[Muslim]] trading families. Many Shaikhs from North India are descended from [[Arabs]], and adopted 'Shaikh' as their last name through marriage or their job.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2009 |title=Shaikh |encyclopedia=The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World |publisher=Oxford University Press |last=Eaton |first=Richard M. |editor-last=Esposito |editor-first=John L. |editor-link=John L. Esposito |pages=251–252 |isbn=9780195305135}}</ref>

In the [[North-West_Frontier_Province|Frontier Regions]] and [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], the title ''Shaikh'' was given to recent converts who were not of foreign descent as a polite [[euphemism]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FaggQsmGFWkC&q=sheikh+occupational+title+in+pakistan&pg=PA149#v=snippet&q=sheikh%20occupational%20title%20in%20pakistan&f=false |title=Pakistan, a Country Study |date=1975 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |language=en}}</ref>

==Sub-divisions==
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2020}}
[[File:Shuja Daulah Cavalry.png|thumb|Camp of [[Shuja-ud-Daula]] of [[Awadh]]]]
The subdivisions of the Shaikh include:
* Shaikh [[Qidwai]], who claim to be descendants of the Qazi Qidwa, a son of the Sultans of Rum. The Qidwai were recruited in the household cavalry of [[Shuja-ud-Daula]], which was mainly composed of the Sheikhzadgan.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FIIQhuAOGaIC&dq=sheikzadi&pg=PA73 |page=73 |author= Pradeep Barua |title=The state at war in South Asia |date=2005 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=9780803213449 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CG0wAQAAIAAJ&q=They+belonged+to+the+Qidwai+clan+whose+1700+warriors+preferred+to+lay+down+their+lives+at+Buxur+rather+than+retreat+and |title= Lucknow, Fire of Grace:The Story of Its Revolution, Renaissance and the Aftermath |author=Amaresh Misra |date=1998 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers India |isbn= 9788172232887 }}</ref> These clans had not taken any profession other than a soldier or a civil officer.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=R8As_JziO2kC&dq=sheikhs+kakori+awadh&pg=PA9 |title= Surya Narain Singh |date=2003 |publisher=Mittal Publications|page=9 |isbn= 9788170999089 }}</ref>
* Shaikh [[Hashmi]], who claim to be descendants of the [[Banu Hashim]] clan of the [[Quraysh (tribe)|Banu Quraish]] tribe. The Islamic prophet, [[Muhammad]] belonged to this clan. Usually carry the title [[Sayyid]].
* Shaikh [[Siddiqui]], who claim to be descendants of [[Abu Bakar]], the first [[Caliph|Khalifa]] of [[Islam]].
* Shaikh [[Osmani|Usmani]] (Osmani), who claim to be descendants of [[Uthman Ibn Affan]] the third [[Caliph|Khalifa]] of Islam
* Shaikh [[Farooqi]], Honorific reverence to [[Umar|Umar Farooq Bin Al-Khattab]]
* Sheikh [[Alvi|Alavi]] (Alvi), who claim to be descendants of [[Ali|Ali Ibn Abi Talib]], the fourth [[Caliph|Khalifa]] of Islam
* Sheikh [[Abbasi (surname)|Abbasi]], who claim to be descendants of [[Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib|Abbas ibn abd-Muttalib]], the uncle of holy [[Muhammad|Prophet Muhammad]]
*Shaikh [[Ansari]],who belong & related with Hazarat [[Abu|Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari]] origin from Madina who was one of sahabi of holy [[Muhammad |Prophet Muhammad]].
* Sheikh [[Mirza (name)|Mirza]], who claim to be descendants of [[Umar Shaikh Mirza I|Umar Sheikh Mirza]], the son of the conqueror [[Timur]]. They usually associate themselves with Mirza or [[Mughal people|Mughal]] caste, while some with the Sheikh caste while carrying the title [[Mirza (name)|Mirza]].

== See also ==
* [[Sheikh]]
* [[Shaikhzada]]
* [[Sindhi Shaikh]]
* [[Punjabi Shaikh]]
* [[Muslim Kayasths]]
* [[Kashmiri Shaikh]]s
* [[Gujarati Shaikh]]
* [[Rajasthani Shaikh]]
* [[Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Indian Muslim}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaikhs In South Asia}}
[[Category:Titles]]
[[Category:Islamic culture]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Shaikh clans]]
[[Category:Muhajir communities]]

Shaikhs in North India - Revision history

Niishad Shetty at 13:07, 15 March 2026