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{{other uses|Abdal (disambiguation)}}
{{Short description|Muslim community in South Asia}}
{{infobox ethnic group
{{infobox ethnic group
|group= Abdal
| group           = Abdal
| population = 58,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309110117/http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php |archive-date=2009-03-09 }}</ref>
| population       =  
|popplace = {{flagcountry|India}} • {{flagcountry|Pakistan}} • {{flagcountry|Nepal}}
| popplace         = India • Pakistan • Nepal
|langs = [[Urdu language|Urdu]] • [[Maithili language|Maithili]] • [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] • [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
| langs           = [[Urdu language|Urdu]] • [[Maithili language|Maithili]] • [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] • [[Bengali language|Bengali]]
|rels= [[Image:Allah-green.svg|18px]] [[Islam]] 100%
| rels             = Islam
|related= [[Jogi Faqir]] • [[Faqir (caste)|Faqir]] • [[Qalandar (caste)|Qalandar]] • [[Rawal]] • [[Sai (caste)|Sai]]  
| related         = [[Jogi Faqir]] • [[Faqir (caste)|Faqir]] • [[Qalandar (caste)|Qalandar]] • [[Rawal (caste)|Rawal]] • [[Sai (caste)|Sai]] • [[Abdal people (West Asia)]]
}}
}}


The '''Abdal''' (Shekh Hashmi) are a [[Muslim]] community found in [[North India]]. They are a sub-group within the [[Faqir|Arabic old shekh]] community.<ref name="bihar">Abfal in People of India Bihar Volume XVI  Part One edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 28 to 31 Seagull Books</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Marginal Muslim Communities in India edited by M.K.A Siddiqui pages 344-356</ref> They are related to the [[Abdal of Turkey]], because some of them went to Iran in Khorasan, from there some went to [[Central Anatolia]] with the [[Seljuq dynasty]].<ref>Marginal Groups and Itinerants by Ingvar Savanberg pages 602 to 612 in Ethnic groups in the Republic of Turkey / compiled and edited by Peter Alford Andrews, with the assistance of Rüdiger Benninghaus (Wiesbaden : Dr. Ludwig Reichert, 1989) {{ISBN|3-88226-418-7}}</ref>
The '''Abdal''' (Shekh Hashmi) are a Muslim community found in [[North India]]. They are a sub-group within the [[Faqir (clan)|Arabic old Shekh community]].<ref name="ReferenceA">Marginal Muslim Communities in India edited by M.K.A Siddiqui pages 344-356</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=abdal+of+uttar+pradesh |title=India's Communities |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |first1=N. K. |last1=Singh |first2=A. P. |last2=Mishra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H8HT5OMWVssC&q=Mirasi&pg=PA563 |title=Global Encyclopaedic Enthnography Of Indian Muslim (3 vol. set) |date=August 2008 |publisher=Global Vision Publishing House |isbn=978-81-8220-297-9 |language=en}}</ref> They are classified as an [[Other Backward Caste]] in Bihar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Central List of OBCs for the State of Bihar |url=https://www.ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/bihar.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427025323/https://www.ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/bihar.pdf |archive-date=2025-04-27 |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=ncbc.nic.in}}</ref>
 
== Origin ==
 
The Abdal are one of a number of [[Muslim]] semi-nomadic community, traditionally associated with begging at shrines of [[Sufi]] saints. They are likely to be a division of the [[Domba|hashmi]] community. The word ''Abdal'' is the plural form of the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word [[Abdul]], which means slave or follower. According to the traditions of the Abdal, they acquired this name on account of the fact that they were followers of various [[Sufi]] saints. The Abdal of [[Bihar]] speak the [[Maithili language|Maithili]] language, and are found mainly in the district of [[Purnea]], while other Abdal communities speak the language of the region they reside in.<ref name="bihar" />
 
In [[Gujarat]], the Abdal are a community of beggars, who are also known as Dafali Ansaudagar, Shekh Hashmi and Daff Wala. Their traditional occupation was beating drums at [[Muslim]] shrines. The community is found mainly in [[Ahmedabad]] city.<ref name="R.B Lal, P.B.S pages 31-34">People of India Gujarat Volume XXI  Part  One edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 31-34</ref>
 
In [[West Bengal]], according to the traditions of the community, the community is known as Abdal, as they are true slaves of God, and the word Abdal means a servant of God. Little is known when the community emerged in [[West Bengal]], but presently form a distinct Muslim community.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
 
== Current circumstances ==
 
The Abdal of [[Bihar]] are now mainly a land owning community. A significant number are involved in the manufacture of horse shoes. They are [[Sunni]] [[Muslims]], with a small number are employed as village [[imam]]s. The Abdal have a well-organized caste association, the Panchayat Jamiate shekh Hashimi.<ref name="bihar" />
 
In [[Gujarat]], the community is mainly involved in singing and begging at [[Sufi]] shrines. A small number of Abdal are now farmers. Like other [[Gujarati Muslim]]s, they have a caste association known as the Abdal Samaj. They are an [[endogamous]] community, and marry close kin.<ref name="R.B Lal, P.B.S pages 31-34"/>
 
The Abdal in [[West Bengal]] are found mainly in the districts of [[24 Parganas]], [[Murshidabad District|Murshidabad]], [[Birbhum District|Birbhum]] and [[Burdwan District|Burdwan]]. They are in [[West Bengal]], a landless community whose traditional occupation is seeking alms on festive occasions. Most have now given up their traditional occupation, and are now landless agricultural labourers. A few Abdal are marginal farmers. The  community speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]] among themselves and with outsiders, and usually live in multi-caste villages with [[Shaikh of Bihar|Khotta Muslim]]s living in the vicinity of the Abdal. They are strictly endogamous, with absolutely no intermarriage with other Muslim groups.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
 
 


== See also ==
== See also ==
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{{Indian Muslim}}
{{Indian Muslim}}


[[Category:Dalit Muslim]]
[[Category:Social groups of Bihar]]
[[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Social groups of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Bihar]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of India]]
[[Category:Dom in India]]
[[Abdal of Turkey]]

Latest revision as of 18:25, 5 February 2026

For other uses, see Abdal (disambiguation).
Abdal
Regions with significant populations
India • Pakistan • Nepal
Languages
Urdu • Maithili • Gujarati • Bengali
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Jogi Faqir • Faqir • Qalandar • Rawal • Sai • Abdal people (West Asia)

The Abdal (Shekh Hashmi) are a Muslim community found in North India. They are a sub-group within the Arabic old Shekh community.[1][2][3] They are classified as an Other Backward Caste in Bihar.[4]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Marginal Muslim Communities in India edited by M.K.A Siddiqui pages 344-356
  2. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1998). India's Communities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  3. ↑ Singh, N. K.; Mishra, A. P. (August 2008). Global Encyclopaedic Enthnography Of Indian Muslim (3 vol. set). Global Vision Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8220-297-9.
  4. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Bihar" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-04-27. Retrieved 2025-08-03.

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