Sheikh caste
| Total population |
|---|
| 216,099,000[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
•  Pakistan •  India • Bangladesh |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
• |
| Related ethnic groups |
|
• Arabs • Shaikh of Punjab • Shaikh of Kashmir • Shaikh of Sindh • Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh • Shaikh of Gujarat • Shaikh of Rajasthan • Shaikh of Bihar |
Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants (Arabic: شيخ, shaykh; pl. شيوخ shuyūkh), is a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that literally means "elder." It is commonly used to designate an elder of a tribe, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar. Although the title generally refers to a male, a very small number of female sheikhs have also existed in history.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Origin
The Shaikh title is used by the descendants of Arab and other Muslim immigrants who settled in South Asia as well as the converts who were assimilated in the family of such migrants.
[edit] Foreign Muslim origin
In South Asia, the term Shaikh does not necessarily signify Arab ancestry. Shaikhs may be of Middle-eastern or Central Asian origin.
[edit] Sub-divisions
The subdivisions of the Shaikh include:
- Shaikh Quraishi, members of the Banu Quraish tribe. The Prophet Muhammad belonged to this tribe.
- Shaikh Hashemi, members of the Banu Hashim clan of the Banu Quraish tribe. The Prophet Muhammad belonged to this clan.
- Shaikh Siddiqui, descendants of Hazrat Abu Bakr, the first Khalifa of Islam.
- Shaikh Farooqi, descendants of Hazrat Umar Farooq, the second Khalifa of Islam.
- Shaikh Usmani (Osmani), descendents of Hazrat Usman the third Khalifa of Islam
- Shaikh Kidwai, descendants of Qazi Moizuddin Qidwa, son of Merak Shah of Rum
- Shaikh Kashmiri Converts to Islam from Kashmiri Pundit Community
[edit] Linguistic groups
The Shaikhs of South Asia are found within all the major Muslim ethnic groups in the region, for example there are Punjabi Shaikhs found within the Punjabi ethnic groups, and Sindhi Shaikhs are found within the Sindhi ethnic group, Gujarati Shaikh and Rajasthani Shaikh and so forth.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php
- ^ People of India by Sir Herbert Risely
