Muslim Gaddi
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (10,93000 ) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
•  Pakistan •  India •  Nepal• |
|
| Languages | |
| • Urdu • Khari Boli • Awadhi • Haryanvi | |
| Religion | |
•  Islam 100% • |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| • Gaddi • Gujjar • Ghosi |
The Muslim Gaddi are a Muslim community found mainly in North India. After the independence in 1947, the Gaddi of the states of Haryana and Delhi migrated to Pakistan and are now found in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. In Pakistan, the community is often referred to as Gadi Rajput, and sometimes Gaddi. A few Gaddi are also found in the Terai region of Nepal.
There a number of theories as to the origin of the Gaddi community. In South Asia, there are two distinct groups who go by the name Gaddi. In the foothills of the Himalaya, in what are now the states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir resides a Hindu nomadic community known as the Gaddi. The Muslim Gaddi of North India is not an alpine community, but are found in the plains of North India, distributed in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and have never been nomadic. Prior to the independence in 1947, Muslim Gaddi communities were also found in Haryana. In fact, it is unclear whether there is any connection between the two groups other than the sharing of a common name.
With regards to the Muslim Gaddi, there are different theories as to their origin. According to some sources, the Gaddi are said to be Gurelbansi Ahir, who were converted to Islam, during the rule of the Mughals, although the exact circumstances of their conversion are unclear. While in Haryana and Rajasthan, the Gaddi themselves claim to be of Rajput origin, and those of Bihar claim Arab ancestry. The Gaddi in Bihar and Jharkhand claim descent from a Sufi saint Gaddi Salahuddin Elahi, and said to have arrived in the region in the 19th century. This is shown by the fact that most Gaddi in Bihar and Jharkhand still speak Bhojpuri, the language of eastern Uttar Pradesh, and not the local Sadri language. According to some other sources, they were the earliest inhabitants of Awadh, and this region they are often also referred to as Muslim Ahir.
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