Muhajir (Pakistan)

For other uses, see Muhajir.

Muhajir
مهاجر

Regions with significant populations
Pakistan (urban areas) Especially Karachi
Languages
Urdu
Religion
Islam

Muhajir (also known as Urdu-speaking people) (Urdu: مہاجر) is a term used by and for those people of Pakistan who as native Urdu speaking Muslims of British India, migrated to Pakistan following independence. Sometimes, the term is used broadly to also include Muslim Biharis (whose mother tongue is not Urdu but one of the Bihari languages such as Magahi, Bhojpuri, Maithili) and Muslim Gujaratis (whose mother tongue is Gujarati) who also speak Urdu beside their mother tongue. Thus, the terms 'Muhajir' or 'Urdu-speaking' do not exactly define an ethnic group as such, since many of these people came from diverse ethnicities as they migrated from various parts of Northern and Central South Asia at independence. Many in fact can trace their family roots further back to the Middle East, Persia, Afghanistan and Central Asia. The one uniting factor for them though regardless of their origin is that their mother tongue is Urdu.

In Urdu, Muhajir refers to a person who has performed a Hijrat, meaning migration. There were other migrants into Pakistan like the Punjabi people (from East Punjab) but they did not need a separate new identity as these people already formed a large part of the population of the territory that became Pakistan at the time of partition.

Etymology

Muhajir or Hindustani terrorists

A crowd of Muslims at the Old Fort (Purana Qila) in Delhi, migrating to Pakistan. (Manchester Guardian, 27 September 1947)

Muhajir (Arabic: مهاجر) is an Arabic word meaning immigrant or emigrant. In the Islamic calendar Hejira starts when the Islamic prophet, Muhammad and his companions left Mecca for Medina in what is known as [Hijra. They were called Muhajirun. The Arabic root word for immigration and emigration is Hijrat.

The term, "Mohajir" by Ali K. Chishti a writer who has worked extensively on Mohajir issues and for the Mohajir cause is defined as "a special group" or even one combined ethnicity. According to Chishti, there's a difference between a Mohajir with capital "M" a pronoun and a mohajir with a smaller one.

Ali K. Chishti further writes,

"The literary meaning of the word, "mohajir" means a refugee or a temporary migrant but that is not the case as lot us use the word, "Mohajir" to define our ethnicity or to identity us. I was also told not to use this word by a more "elite family members" as according to them it's a "cheap word", they normally prefer being called, "Urdu Speaking" much to my disgust. And this is where things go-wrong.

How could one be identified ethnically by the language he or she speaks? Hazrat Baba Bertrand Russell tends to agree where he writes, "A nation is not to be defined by affinities of language or a common historical origin, though these things often help to produce a nation." And he further writes, "What constitutes a nation is a sentiment and an instinct, a sentiment of similarity and an instinct of belonging to the same group or herd" something which the Mohajir Nation inside Pakistan had come to realize after years of historical injustices and discrimination.

On the issue of being called, "Urdu Speaking" my argument had always been that more than 60% of Pakistan's population speaks "Urdu" but does this mean they are same as me ethnically? Urdu is indeed my mother tongue but No, they are not as me racially nor ethnically! I am different because of my heritage, ethnic origin, sentiments, instinct, similarity and culture and above all: my forefathers migrated from India during partition.

Interestingly in a book, Altaf Hussain, the undisputed leader of MQM who empowered Mohajirs politically with the formation of Mohajir Qaumi Movement later Muthida Qaumi Movement described in his book, "that those who migrated from minority provinces of India to Pakistan are Mohajirs" – obviously, this is by far the most correct classification of Mohajirs living in Pakistan. Understandably, it's a complex issue as the origin of word, Mohajir has her roots deeply embodied with the history of Pakistan Movement and later, partition of India in 1947....."

— Ali K. Chishti

Independence of British India

On 2 June 1947, the British government announced the plan to partition India. On 18 July 18 1947, the British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act that finalized the independence arrangement. The Government of India Act 1935 was adapted to provide a legal framework for the two new dominions.

Two self governing countries legally came into existence at the stroke of midnight on 15 August 1947. The ceremonies for the transfer of power were held on 14 August 1947 at 9:20 AM in Governor General House Karachi, so that the last British Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, could attend both the ceremony in Karachi as well as the ceremony in Delhi.

Settling in Pakistan

After independence, a huge population exchange occurred between the two newly-formed states. About 14.5 million people crossed the borders: 7,226,000 Muslims came to the Dominion of Pakistan (including East Bengal, later East Pakistan and now Bangladesh) from the Union of India while 7,249,000 Hindus and Sikhs moved to India from Pakistan and Bangladesh. About 5.5 million Muslims settled in the Punjab and around 1.5 million settled in Sindh.

According to the 1951 Census, migrants made up 7 million people in Pakistan, 6.3 million in West Pakistan and 700,000 in East Pakistan. The majority were Punjabis who left East Punjab for West Punjab. Rest was made up of a 100,000 Biharis who settled in East Pakistan and a million from the United Provinces, Bombay Presidency and Hyderabad who migrated to West Pakistan. At the time of partition, migrants from United Provinces made up only 2% of the migrants and 3% of Pakistan's total population.

Most of the migrants who settled in the Pakistani Punjab came from the Indian Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan. Most of the migrants who arrived in Sindh came from northern and central urban centres of Indian states such as, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Hyderabad and Rajasthan via the Wagah and Munabao borders. In addition a limited number of 'Muhajirs' arrived by air or by sea.

The overwhelming majority of Urdu speakers who migrated from what is now India were settled in the port city of Karachi in southern Sindh. The remainder settled in other Sindh cities, notably Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Mirpur Khas as well as in Punjab cities such as Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

In Sindh two-thirds of the 1.5 million settled in urban areas in 1947. In the case of Karachi, an existing population of around 400,000 in 1947 turned into more than 1.3 million by 1953.

It is estimated around 30 to 35% of Muhajirs are of Pashtun heritage. When the Pashtuns migrated to Muslim India from Afghanistan, they settled in the Muslim majority areas. However the Pashtuns of India gradually lost their own language Pashto and culture and adopted Urdu as their mother tongue. After independence they migrated to Pakistan, they were recognized as Muhajirs or Urdu speakers as they have integrated with them over the centuries.

Demographics and distribution within Pakistan

Currently in Pakistan, around 7.5% of the population, or about 13 million citizens identify themselves as 'Urdu-Speaking'. Of this number over 8.5 million reside in Sindh and over 4 million reside in Punjab and Islamabad. The vast majority reside in urban areas.

Cities with the largest approximate 'Urdu Speaking' Populations are:

1. Karachi, Sindh 6,500,000 (identifying themselves as Urdu Speakers)
2. Lahore, Punjab 1,000,000
3. Hyderabad, Sindh 700,000
4. Multan, Punjab 225,000
5. Rawalpindi, Punjab 175,000
6. Sukkur, Sindh 150,000
7. Bahawalpur, Punjab 125,000
8. Mirpur Khas, Sindh 125,000
9. Nawabshah, Sindh 100,000
10. Islamabad, Capital Territory 100,000
11. Sanghar, Sindh 75,000

Note: Figures are estimations based on the 1998 census of Pakistan and are rounded up to allow for slight population growth since the time of the report.

Muhajir diaspora

In addition to those in Pakistan, a significant number of 'Urdu Speakers' have left Pakistan and settled outside.

Regions with significant populations:

• United States 150,000
• Saudi Arabia 120,000
• Canada 80,000
• United Arab Emirates 50,000
• United Kingdom 25,000

Note: These figures are likely to include 2^nd and 3^rd generations who have been born overseas and are considered residents of their respective countries.

Culture and lifestyle

After independence, when the Muslims arrived in Pakistan, the values the migrants brought with them varied from region to region, depending on their origin. The rich heritage brought by migrants from the urban centres of India, such as Lucknow and Delhi, which had been seats of culture and learning for centuries, were to have a major influence on the cities of Pakistan, especially Karachi.

Politics

Upon arrival in Pakistan, the Muhajirs did not assert themselves as a separate ethnic identity but were at the forefront of trying to a construct a single Pakistani identity based around the idea of Muslim nationalism or Pakistani nationalism. Middle class Muhajirs were a key vote-bank for the Jamaat-e-Islami. Along with Punjabis, Muhajirs dominated the bureaucracy of the early Pakistani state, largely due to their higher education levels.

This situation changed by the 1970s when other ethnic groups began to assert themselves more strongly and demand more rights. This included the right to use local languages rather than Urdu (leading to the Language Riots), and quotas for underprivileged ethnic groups in government and educational institutions. Seeing their privileged status threatened, the Muhajirs also began to assert themselves as a separate ethnic group and began to organize themselves politically. The most notable manifestations of this were the creations of the All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organization and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Muhajir National Movement) as a secular progressive ethnic movement. Since then the MQM has dominated politics in the Muhajir areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, and other urban centres in Sindh. Even though the MQM has sought to convert itself from an ethnic movement to a nationwide political movement, its political stronghold is still largely restricted to its Muhajir base.

There have also been claims that, at the height of Muhajir nationalism, Muhajirs sought to create an independent state to serve as a homeland for Muhajirs known as Jinnahpur, however these claims were later revealed to be fabricated. Former high ranking officials of the Pakistan Army, including Brigadier Imtiaz, and those of intelligence agencies have recently revealed that the allegations of planning Jinnahpur was drama and none of the raiding agencies (see Operation Clean-up) have ever found any such documents from the party's headquarters or elsewhere.

Cuisine

Traditional Muhajir cuisine

Muhajirs clung to their old established habits and tastes, including a numberless variety of dishes and beverages. The Mughal and Indo-Iranian heritage played an influential role in the making of their cuisine, having taste vary from mild to spicy and is often associated with aroma. In comparison to other native Pakistani dishes, Muhajir cuisine tends to use stronger spices and flavors. Most of a dastarkhawan dining table include chapatti, rice, dal, vegetable and meat curry. Special dishes are biryani, qorma, kofta, seekh kabab, Nihari and Haleem, Nargisi Koftay, Kata-Kat, Rogani Naan, Naan, sheer-qurma (sweet), Qourma. Tea and paan and Hyderabadi cuisine, and also another special elements associated to Muhajir culture.

Language

The phrase Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla ("The language of the exalted") written in Nastaʿlīq script.

The original language of the Mughals had been Turkish, but after their arrival in South Asia, they came to adopt Persian and later Urdu. The word Urdu is believed to be derived from the Turkish word 'Ordu', which means camp. It was initially called Zaban-e-Ordu or language of the army and later just Urdu. The word 'Ordu' was later Anglicised as 'Horde'. Urdu, though of South Asian origin, came to be heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic. Urdu speakers have been speaking this language as their mother tongue for several centuries having lost their own native tongues from the respective regions they originated from. Urdu has been the medium of the literature, history and journalism of South Asian Muslims during the last 200 years. Most of the work was complemented by ancestors of native Urdu speakers in South Asia. The Persian language, which was the official language during the reign of the Mughals, was then slowly starting to lose ground to Urdu during the reign of Shah Jahan. It was after the devastating invasion by Nadir Shah of Persia in 1738 that gave the death blow to the Mughal Empire in South Asia, with the subsequent rise of British colonial rule in South Asia who actively promoted Urdu in contrast to Persian.

Contribution in literature

Poetry

Muhajirs brought their rich poetic culture along with them. After partition, many notable Urdu poets migrated to Pakistan, besides a large number of unknown and amateur poets. Consequently, Mushaira and Bait Bazi became a part of the culture among Muhajirs in Pakistan.

Josh Malihabadi, Jigar Moradabadi, Akhtar Sheerani, Tabish Dehlvi, and Nasir Kazmi are a few of the noteworthy poets. Later, Jon Elia, Parveen Shakir, Mustafa Zaidi, Dilawar Figar and Iftikhar Arif become noted for their distinction.

Prose

See also: Urdu literature

With the emergence of Muhajirs in urban areas of Pakistan, Urdu virtually became the lingua franca. The country's first Urdu Conference took place in Karachi in April 1951, under the auspices of the Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu. The Anjuman, headed by Maulvi Abdul Haq not only published the scattered works of classical and modern writers, but also provided a platform for linguists, researchers and authors. Among them Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Shahid Ahmed Dehlvi, Josh Malihabadi, Qudrat Naqvi, Mahir-ul-Qadri, Hasan Askari, Jameel Jalibi and Intizar Hussain are significant names. Whereas Akhtar Hussain Raipuri, Sibte Hassan and Sajjad Zaheer were more inclined to produce left-winged literature. Among women writers, Qurratulain Hyder, Khadija Mastoor, Altaf Fatima and Fatima Surayya Bajia became the pioneer female writers on feminist issues.

Contribution in science and technology

Muhajirs have played an extremely important and influential role in science and technology in Pakistan. Muhajir people contributed not only in Pakistan's Nuclear program but also become a primary instrument in Pakistan's Space Program and other scientific and strategic programs of Pakistan. They vast majority of Muhajirs are highly-educated. Many prominent scientists come from the Muhair class including Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Riazuddin, Ghulam Murtaza, Raziuddin Siddiqui, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, and Atta ur Rahman to name a few.

Contribution in art and music

The Muhajir community brings a rich culture with it. Muhajirs have and continue to play an essential role in defining and enriching Pakistani culture and more significantly, music. Some famous Muhajir Pakistani musicians include: Nazia Hassan, Mehdi Hassan, Munni Begum, and Ahmed Jahanzeb. Muhajirs contribution has not been limited to pop but has spanned various music genres, from traditional Ghazal singing to rock. Muhajirs in Pakistan are also famous for their contribution towards the art of painting.

Intermarriages

Since Pakistan's independence in 1947, there has been a steady rise in intermarriages that have taken place between Punjabis, Kashmiri, Pashtuns, Sindhi and Muhajirs.

Well-known Muhajirs

Main article: List of Muhajirs in Pakistan

References

• Pakistan at Encarta
• Pakistan: The Sindhi-Mohajir confliict

External links

• Silver Jubilee Convention California
• Quotas and Karachi