BHTV's video: Stratification and Untouchability among Muslims

During my Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), I (Istikhar Ali) did a critical analysis of the social structure of the Muslim community in East Uttar Pradesh, India. It revealed that stratification among Muslims exists even untouchability practice. The basic philosophy of Islam based on the oneness of God and brotherhood among all the believers. While in practice, the pattern of stratification among Muslims is seen in three broad caste categories: Ashraf, Ajlaf, and the Arzals. The Ashrafs are the highest in the caste hierarchy, tracing their descent through well-maintained genealogies. Among themselves, they are divided into Saiyyids, Sheikhs, Pathans, and Mughals. The 'ajlaf' category is supposed to include converts from high Hindu castes, from clean occupation such as a landlord, artisan, serving castes, etc. These castes stratified into Ansaris (weavers), Raeens (vegetable sellers), Quraishis (Butchers), etc. The last category is that of the Arzals, who have the lowest social status in Muslim society. A majority of these castes are considered unclean, even by the Ajlafs. Some of these castes are lalbegis (scavengers), dafalis (the drum makers), hawaris (cleaners), dhobi (washerman), halalkhor (sweepers), gadhedi (donkey keepers), bakho (sweepers), machuara (fishermen), nalband (blacksmith), bhatiara (innkeeper), gorkan (gravediggers), etc. Muslim social groups are governed by a series of social taboos (sharing a table, marriage, sociability) and spatial restrictions (access to domestic areas and places of prayer, segregation in cemeteries, and neighborhoods). However, these taboos, which aim to distance the high castes from the low, are not based on the notion of ritual contamination in the strictest sense by which it is defined in Hinduism. They are relaxed considerably in urban areas. On a much more visible level, the most important Muslim bodies have been staffed by upper-caste Muslims. Thus, starting from the various Madrasah Boards in various states to the high religious bodies like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, various waqf boards, etc. are all monopolized by Ashraf Muslims. Similarly, most of those who claim to represent Muslims politically are Ashraf whereas the majority of the Muslims are non-Ashraf. Some of this discrimination has also been religiously legitimized. Stratification is allied with socioeconomic indicators such as education, income, and political representation. These are crucial to understanding the dimensions of exclusion, rooted in the underlying social inequalities. Istikhar Ali is pursuing Ph.D. at the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health (CSMCH), JNU. Currently, he is working on Marginalization and Health, a sociological study of Muslims in Jamia Nagar.