What is Memon caste?

Memon people, a collection of ethnic groups from the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent. Memons come from the Lohana caste of Gujarat. Memons (Kathiawar), usually simply called Memons that speaks Memoni Language, further divided into sub-group which is generally refer to their ancestral village or town.

Who was the first Memon?

The Memon community came into being in the 14th-15th centuries. The Muslim missionary, Seyid Yusuf-Ud-Din (or Pir Yusuf Sindhi), a descend- ant of the famous Baghdad theologian of the 12th century, Abdul Kadir Gilani, is regarded as its founder.

Are Memons Bohra?

They laid the foundation of the Bohra and Khoja communities. In the sixteenth century, the Memon community immigrated from Sindh and settled in Kutch and Kathiawar. While in Bharuch and Surat, a schism occurred among the Bohras and a new community of Sunni Bohras was created.

Are Khojas Shia or Sunni?

The term Khoja is not a religious designation but a purely caste distinction that was carried over from the Hindu background of the group. Thus, there are Sunni Khojas and Shīʿite Khojas.

Are Memons Pakistani?

The Memon ethnic group originated in the Northwestern part of ancient India, currently the Sindh region of modern-day Pakistan. The Memon people have cultural similarities with the Khoja, Khatri (Vohra), and Gujarati peoples. Memon people speak the Memoni language as their first language.

How many types of Memons are there?

Memon community can be divided in three main groups. Those who traced their ancestors from Kutch region are identified as Kutchi Memon and they speak Kutchi dialects. Those who traced their ancestry to Kathiawar are identified as simply Memon or Kathiawadi Memons or Halai Memons and they speak the Memon language.

Why is Memon rich?

It is from there that Kutchi Memons migrated to Kathiawar and mainland Gujarat. Surat in Gujarat was an important trading centre from 1580 to 1680 and Memons made their bounty there. Memons became significantly affluent as a result of trading in Surat.

Are Memon Shia?

The Memon ethnic group originated in the Northwestern part of ancient India, currently the Sindh region of modern-day Pakistan. The majority of the Memon people around the world follow the Hanafi fiqh of Sunni Islam.

Is Azim Premji a Khoja?

Azim Hashim Premji was born in the bosom of a Gujarati family converted to Islam (“Khojas”) of the Shi’ism Ismaili branch.

Who converted Memons Islam?

Sindhi, Gujarati origins According to Anthovan, those Lohanas of Thatta who converted from Hinduism to Islam became Memons and were invited by Rao Khengarji Jadeja, ruler of Bhuj in the 16th century, to settle in Bhuj. It is from there that Kutchi Memons migrated to Kathiawar and mainland Gujarat.

Is Karachi cleaner than Mumbai?

From the air, Karachi looks more orderly than our cities, particularly Mumbai, and is laid out in straight lines. It is also much cleaner than Mumbai, but more about the comparison later.

Who are the Khojas and what do they do?

“Khoja” is the form used in India for the Persian term “Khwajah,” meaning “a rich or respectable man; a gentleman; an opulent merchant.” Khojas are the major Muslim trading caste of western India. The Khojas of the Punjab are Sunni and are largely derived from the Hindu caste Khatri.

Where does the Khoja community live in India?

The Khojas ( Sindhi: Pakistan ‎; Gujarati: ખોજા) are a mainly Nizari Isma’ili Shia community of people originating in India. In India, most Khojas live in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and the city of Hyderabad.

Who is the leader of the Khoja tribe?

The Khojas are an ethnic group in India and Pakistan, formerly a Hindu trading caste, founded in the fourteenth century by a famous saint, and followers of the Agha Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili sect.

What kind of law does the Khoja tribe follow?

The Khojas are mainly governed by customary law. In 1847, the Bombay High Court held that the Muslim law of succession does not apply to them and that, as under Hindu law, their females are excluded from immediate succession. Khojas have many observances and customs differing from those of regular Muslims.