Shaikhs in South Asia

Shaikh, also rendered as Sheikh, Sheik, Shaik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Shekh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants (Arabic: شيخ, shaykh; pl. شيوخ shuyūkh), is a title given to many South Asian Muslim castes. It originally was a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that commonly designated a chief of a tribe, royal family member, Muslim religious scholar, or "Elder". However in South Asia it was used as a title by castes that rarely had any Arab descent.[1]

A Shaikh man from Aligarh, c. 1858-1868

Origin

In South Asia it is not just an ethnic title but an occupational title attributed to Muslim trading families. Many Shaikhs claimed to be descendants of Arabs, however some Shaikhs did not actually descend from Arabs. In the former Frontier Regions and Punjab of Pakistan, the title shaikh was given to recent converts and not those of Arab descent.[2]

Sub-divisions

The subdivisions of the Shaikh include:

See also

References
  1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/sheikh
  2. Nyrop, Richard F. (1983). Pakistan a country study (4 ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 149.
  3. Robinson, Rowena (2004). Sociology of religion. SAGE Publications. p. 90.
  4. Khanam, Azra (2013). Muslim backward classes: a sociological perspective. SAGE Publications. p. 22. ISBN 9788132118077.
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