ASHRAFS
Recently more than 3,000 people Attended the ‘Ashraf Sangamam 2018,’ the get-together of the All Kerala Ashraf Collective at the Kozhikode beach in Kerala.
About:
- Although Islam does not recognize any castes, Muslim communities in South Asia apply a system of social stratification.
- It developed as a result of ethnic segregation between the foreign conquerors (Ashraf) and the local converts (Ajlaf), as well as influence of the indigenous Hindu culture.
- Ghaus Ansari (1960) named the following four broad categories of Muslim social divisions in India:
- ASHRAF, who claim foreign-origin descent from Balochs, Afghans, Arabs etc. e.g. Sayyid, Mughal, Baloch, Pathan, and Sheikh
- Converts from upper castes e.g. Muslim Rajputs
- Converts from other "clean" castes e.g. Darzi, Dhobi etc.
- Converts from untouchable castes which are considered clean by Muslims and part of Ummah e.g. Bhangi
- ASHRAF, who claim foreign-origin descent from Balochs, Afghans, Arabs etc. e.g. Sayyid, Mughal, Baloch, Pathan, and Sheikh
- The non-Ashrafs are categorized as ‘AJLAF’.
- The untouchable Hindu converts are also categorized as ‘ARZAL’. They are relegated to menial professions such as scavenging and carrying night soil.
Source: The Hindu