Shekh-Qureshi (in Punjab)

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This article is an extract from PANJAB CASTES SIR DENZIL CHARLES JELF IBBETSON, K.C. S.I. Being a reprint of the chapter on The Races, Castes and Tribes of the People in the Report on the Census of the Panjab published in 1883 by the late Sir Denzil Ibbetson, KCSI Lahore : Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Punjab, 1916. Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees with the contents of this article.

Tribes and castes included under Shekh-Qureshi

— The figures below shows the number of people who have returned themselves as Qureshi : —

The Qureshi is the Arab title which the Prophet belonged. Conse quently it is the favourite tribe from which lo claim descent, and it is to be feared that comparatively few of those who have returned themselves as Qureshi have any real title to the name. Among those who so style themselves many claim to belono- to the Faruqis or descendants of Umar the second Caliph, or to the Sadiqis or descendants of Abul Bakar the first Caliph, both of whom were Qureshi by tribe. But the term Sadiqi is often confused with Sidqi, a title derived from the same root and meaning the true ;but which, in the east of the Panjab at any rate, is commonly used as an equivalent to Naumuslim to distinguish converts of Indian descent from original Mahomedan immigrants.

Naumuslim

means nothing more than a new Musalman ; and only 3,491 of our Shekhs have, by returning themselves as Shekh Naumuslim, admitted their true origin. These men are scattered in small numbers about the Pro vince, but 1,437 of them are in Bahawalpur.

Ansari

Ansari or auxiliaries was the title given to the believers of Medina who welcomed Mahomet after his flight from ^ Mecca ; and those who claim descent from these men style themselves Ansari. As many as 7,21 5 of our Shekhs have so returned themselves, of whom 1,501 are in Ambala, 1,539 in Multan, and the rest scattered about the Province. One large section of the Shekhs of Panipat commonly style themselves Ansari ; but they would appear to have now returned themselves as Muhajarin.

Muhajarin

The faithful who accompanied Mahomet in his Hajirah or flight from Mecca were called Muhajarin or the fugitives or emigrants,and their descendants still retain the title. In the Karnal district 8,560 persons have so returned themselves, and are doubtless the men of Panipat just alluded to.