Shaikh of Bihar
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (1,084,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India and  Pakistan
|
|
| Languages | |
| Urdu, Hindi, and Maithili | |
| Religion | |
 Sunni Hanafi Islam 100% |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Gwalvanshi, Kulhaiya, Shershahabadia, Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh, Shaikh of Rajasthan, Shaikh, and Punjabi Shaikh |
The Shaikh is a Muslim community commonly found in the state of Bihar in India. They are part of the larger Shaikh community of South Asia. A number of Bihari Shaikh families are also found in the city of Karachi in Sindh province of Pakistan. Common surnames used by the community include: Sayyid, Farooqi, Osmani, Ansari and Shaikh.
The word Shaikh in Arabic means a tribal elder or headman.
The Kulhaiya Shaikh are found mainly in Araria District and in Kadwa. They get their name from the custom of not marrying within their clan or kul in Hindi, or within their village. They speak Maithili and Urdu. Traditionally the title Shaikh signifies Arab descent and hence within the South Asian Muslim context, higher societal standing. Shaikh along with Syed, Maliks and Khan/Pathans are considered to be amongst the Ashraf communities within the Bihari Muslim.
The term Shaikh now covers a large number of communities of no definite origin, since the name has been used by any individuals of wide background. This is especially the case in Bihar, for example in the Purnea division, where the Shaikh form just under one-third of the population.
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