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{{ | {{Short description|Community from the state of Gujarat in India}} | ||
{{Infobox ethnic group | {{Infobox ethnic group | ||
| group = Sunni | | group = Sunni Vahora | ||
| population = | | population = | ||
| popplace = {{Flatlist| | | popplace = {{Flatlist| | ||
* India | * India | ||
* United Kingdom | |||
* USA | * USA | ||
* Canada | |||
* Pakistan | * Pakistan | ||
* South Africa | * South Africa | ||
* Australia | |||
* United Arab Emirates | * United Arab Emirates | ||
* Mauritius | |||
* Reunion | |||
* Zambia | |||
}} | }} | ||
| langs = {{Flatlist| | | langs = {{Flatlist| | ||
* [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] | * [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] | ||
* [[ | * [[Urdu]] | ||
* [[Arabic]] (liturgical) | * [[Arabic]] (liturgical) | ||
* [[English language|English]] | * [[English language|English]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
| rels = | | rels = [[Sunni Islam]] | ||
| related = {{Flatlist| | | related = {{Flatlist| | ||
* [[Gujarati Muslims]] | * [[Gujarati Muslims]] | ||
* [[Memon people|Memon]] | * [[Memon people|Memon]] | ||
* [[Khoja]] | * [[Khoja]] | ||
* [[Mustaali|Bohra]] | * [[Mustaali | Shia Bohra]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Sunni | '''Sunni Vohras''' or '''Sunni Bohras''', are a Muslim community from the state of [[Gujarat]] in [[India]]. Sharing the same name as the [[Dawoodi Bohras]], they are often confused with that community. A few families use the slightly different spelling of "Vora" or "Vahora" as their surname. Another common surname is [[Patel]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Misra |first=Satish C. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.118788 |title=Muslim Communities In Gujarat |date=1964}}</ref> | ||
Sunni Bohras have had a large presence in the historical [[Indian Ocean trade|Indian Ocean maritime trade]], and the Sunni Bohra merchant Mulla Abdul Ghafur was one of the richest merchants of the 18th Century.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2012-03-17 |title=Insights into India's Business History |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2012/11/book-reviews/insights-indias-business-history.html |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |language=en |quote=At the end of the 17th century, Abdul Ghafur of the Bohra community was the richest merchant in Surat, if not in the whole of India.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Congress |first=Indian History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQ1DAAAAYAAJ&q=abdul+ghafur+richest+merchant+world |title=Proceedings |date=1998 |publisher=Indian History Congress |language=en |quote=The commercial world of Gujarat at the beginning of the 18th century was dominated by the Bohra family of Abdul Ghafur, undoubtedly the richest merchant of his time ; hence his title' Umdat-ut Tujjar', 'Chief of Merchants'}}</ref> | |||
==History and distribution== | ==History and distribution== | ||
There are multiple Gujarati Muslim communities that use the Vohra name. The community is split into four different sects.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
=== Bharuchi and Surti Sunni Vohras === | |||
The Sunni Vohras of South Gujarat are a large community spanning from [[Khambhat|Cambay]] to [[Valsad district|Valsad]]. The ones north of the river Narmada are commonly known as Bharuchi Sunni Vohras, and the ones South of Narmada are commonly known as Surti Sunni Vohras. Many Vohras from this community, especially north of the Narmada, use the [[Patel]] surname. Historically this community was involved in farming and trade. Many members of this community have substantial amounts of Middle Eastern ancestry from the large Middle Eastern settlements in ancient South Gujarat (see [[Gujarati Muslims#Origins of Bharuchi and Surti Muslims|Origins of Bharuchi and Surti Muslims]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nakhuda |first=Ismaeel |title=An East India Company massacre in British Gujarat in 1810 |url=https://www.basair.net/an-east-india-company-massacre-in-british-gujarat-in-1810/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Basair.net |language=en-US |quote=The Sunni Bohras (also known as Vohras) are several traditionally endogamous Muslim communities found in Gujarat.. they are of mixture of ancestry – some may have certainly converted while others are descendants of foreign Muslim groups (Arabs and Persians) who over the centuries settled in Gujarat.}}</ref> Some members of this community were converted from the dominant South Gujarat landowning farmer communities during Muslim rule in Gujarat.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> | |||
This community is now found in towns and villages in South Gujarat, and the diaspora is found in many places around the world, especially in places such as [[South Africa]], [[Canada]], [[United Kingdom|Britain]], [[Myanmar|Burma]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[Barbados]], [[Réunion|Reunion]] (known as [[Zarabes]]), [[Mauritius]] etc. In many places they have played a substantial role in establishing some of the first Sunni Muslim mosques and being a leading part of the Muslim community, as well as pioneering technological and economic advancements. Many prominent figures such as [[Ismail ibn Musa Menk|Mufti Menk]], [[Hafiz Patel]], [[Amode Ibrahim Atchia|Major Atchia]], [[Ahmed Deedat]], [[Ajum Goolam Hossen]], [[Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi|Ghulam Vastanvi]], [[Mohsin and Zuber Issa]], [[Alimuddin Zumla]] and [[Ahmed Kathrada]] belong to this community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bharuchi Vahora Patel – Gujarati Writers' Guild UK |url=https://www.mahek.co.uk/gwg/publications/bharuchi-vahora-patel/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.mahek.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rivière |first1=Marc Serge |title=AMODE IBRAHIM ATCHIA ('MAJOR') 1868-1947: MAURITIAN PIONEER IN ELECTRICITY, INNOVATOR, AND PHILANTHROPIST |journal=New Horizons |volume=12 |issue=1 |date=2018 |pages=55–68 |id={{ProQuest|2063293631}} |url=http://www.greenwichjournals.com/index.php/NH/article/view/367 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Yangon Time Machine |url=http://www.yangontimemachine.com/en/index.html |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.yangontimemachine.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-26 |title=Gujarat's 'Rangoon Wallas' |url=https://www.himalmag.com/gujarats-rangoon-wallas/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Himal Southasian |language=en-GB}}</ref> | |||
=== Patani Bohras === | |||
[[Patani Bohras]] or [[Jafari Bohras]] are converts of the Ismaili [[Dawoodi Bohra|Bohras]] in Patan during Muslim rule of Gujarat. Some Dawoodi Bohras underwent persecution during Muslim rule after the [[Alauddin Khalji's conquest of Gujarat|Muslim conquest of Gujarat]] and converted from [[Mustaali]] [[Ismaili]] to [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Bombay (Presidency) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MZBIAQAAMAAJ |title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency |date=1899 |publisher=Government central Press |language=en}}</ref> The leader of part of this conversion movement to [[Sunni Islam]] was said to be Jafar Patani, himself a Bohra convert to [[Sunni Islam]]. In 1538, [[Syed Jafar Ahmad Shirazi]], a missionary from [[Sindh]], convinced Patani Bohras to cease social relations with Ismaili Bohras making the Patani Sunni Bohras a distinct sect.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=CXH4RHYwkEsC&dq=Patani+Bohras&pg=PA283 Patani Bohras]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=r_FExBRnC3YC&dq=sunni+vohras&pg=PA39 Sunni Vohras]</ref> | |||
=== Kadiwal Vohras === | |||
Kadiwal Vohras are located in [[Kadi, India|Kadi]] and [[Ahmedabad]] and are traditionally followers of Pir Muhammad Shah.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
=== Charotar Vohras === | |||
Charotar Vohras are located in [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]] and converted from farming communities in Anand during the [[Gujarat Sultanate|Gujarat Sultunate]].<ref name=":0" /> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[Gujarati Muslims]] | * [[Gujarati Muslims]] | ||
* [[ | * [[1857 Bharuch riot]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 47: | Line 62: | ||
[[Category:Bohra]] | [[Category:Bohra]] | ||
[[Category:Muhajir communities]] | [[Category:Muhajir communities]] | ||
[[Category:Muslim communities of Gujarat]] | [[Category:Muslim communities of Gujarat]] | ||
[[Category:Sunni Islam in India]] | [[Category:Sunni Islam in India]] | ||
[[Category:Sunni Muslim ethnoreligious groups]] | |||
Latest revision as of 11:30, 15 January 2026
| Regions with significant populations | |
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| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Sunni Vohras or Sunni Bohras, are a Muslim community from the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing the same name as the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. A few families use the slightly different spelling of "Vora" or "Vahora" as their surname. Another common surname is Patel.[1]
Sunni Bohras have had a large presence in the historical Indian Ocean maritime trade, and the Sunni Bohra merchant Mulla Abdul Ghafur was one of the richest merchants of the 18th Century.[2][3]
History and distribution[edit | edit source]
There are multiple Gujarati Muslim communities that use the Vohra name. The community is split into four different sects.[1]
Bharuchi and Surti Sunni Vohras[edit | edit source]
The Sunni Vohras of South Gujarat are a large community spanning from Cambay to Valsad. The ones north of the river Narmada are commonly known as Bharuchi Sunni Vohras, and the ones South of Narmada are commonly known as Surti Sunni Vohras. Many Vohras from this community, especially north of the Narmada, use the Patel surname. Historically this community was involved in farming and trade. Many members of this community have substantial amounts of Middle Eastern ancestry from the large Middle Eastern settlements in ancient South Gujarat (see Origins of Bharuchi and Surti Muslims).[4] Some members of this community were converted from the dominant South Gujarat landowning farmer communities during Muslim rule in Gujarat.[1][5]
This community is now found in towns and villages in South Gujarat, and the diaspora is found in many places around the world, especially in places such as South Africa, Canada, Britain, Burma, Zimbabwe, Barbados, Reunion (known as Zarabes), Mauritius etc. In many places they have played a substantial role in establishing some of the first Sunni Muslim mosques and being a leading part of the Muslim community, as well as pioneering technological and economic advancements. Many prominent figures such as Mufti Menk, Hafiz Patel, Major Atchia, Ahmed Deedat, Ajum Goolam Hossen, Ghulam Vastanvi, Mohsin and Zuber Issa, Alimuddin Zumla and Ahmed Kathrada belong to this community.[6][7][8][9]
Patani Bohras[edit | edit source]
Patani Bohras or Jafari Bohras are converts of the Ismaili Bohras in Patan during Muslim rule of Gujarat. Some Dawoodi Bohras underwent persecution during Muslim rule after the Muslim conquest of Gujarat and converted from Mustaali Ismaili to Sunni Islam.[5] The leader of part of this conversion movement to Sunni Islam was said to be Jafar Patani, himself a Bohra convert to Sunni Islam. In 1538, Syed Jafar Ahmad Shirazi, a missionary from Sindh, convinced Patani Bohras to cease social relations with Ismaili Bohras making the Patani Sunni Bohras a distinct sect.[10][11]
Kadiwal Vohras[edit | edit source]
Kadiwal Vohras are located in Kadi and Ahmedabad and are traditionally followers of Pir Muhammad Shah.[1]
Charotar Vohras[edit | edit source]
Charotar Vohras are located in Anand and converted from farming communities in Anand during the Gujarat Sultunate.[1]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Misra, Satish C. (1964). Muslim Communities In Gujarat.
- ↑ "Insights into India's Business History". Economic and Political Weekly. 2012-03-17.
At the end of the 17th century, Abdul Ghafur of the Bohra community was the richest merchant in Surat, if not in the whole of India.
- ↑ Congress, Indian History (1998). Proceedings. Indian History Congress.
The commercial world of Gujarat at the beginning of the 18th century was dominated by the Bohra family of Abdul Ghafur, undoubtedly the richest merchant of his time ; hence his title' Umdat-ut Tujjar', 'Chief of Merchants'
- ↑ Nakhuda, Ismaeel. "An East India Company massacre in British Gujarat in 1810". Basair.net. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
The Sunni Bohras (also known as Vohras) are several traditionally endogamous Muslim communities found in Gujarat.. they are of mixture of ancestry – some may have certainly converted while others are descendants of foreign Muslim groups (Arabs and Persians) who over the centuries settled in Gujarat.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bombay (Presidency) (1899). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. Government central Press.
- ↑ "Bharuchi Vahora Patel – Gujarati Writers' Guild UK". www.mahek.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ↑ Rivière, Marc Serge (2018). "AMODE IBRAHIM ATCHIA ('MAJOR') 1868-1947: MAURITIAN PIONEER IN ELECTRICITY, INNOVATOR, AND PHILANTHROPIST". New Horizons. 12 (1): 55–68. ProQuest 2063293631.
- ↑ "Yangon Time Machine". www.yangontimemachine.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ↑ "Gujarat's 'Rangoon Wallas'". Himal Southasian. 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
- ↑ Patani Bohras
- ↑ Sunni Vohras