- Surti Muslims
Surti Muslims (Surtees) adhere to Hanafi Sunni Islam. They originated from the districts of
Surat andAnkleshwar in the state ofGujarat ,India . Outside of India, Gujarati-speakingSunni Muslims are also regarded as Surti or Surtees. A large number of Gujarati-speaking Muslims have immigrated throughout the world, especially toPakistan ,United Kingdom ,South Africa , United States of America andCanada . The majority followDarul Uloom Deoband for their religious guidance. They have established manymosques and Islamic schools throughout the world and have produced a large number of well-respected Ālim and Hifz. They are aGujarati Muslim community.Surti around the World
Many Surti Muslims live in
Mumbai , especially in the Northern and Western suburbs such asAndheri ,Jogeshwari ,Goregaon ,Malad ,Kandivali andNala Sopara where theMuslim population is quite high. They share the living space in Mumbai with Gujarati Hindus andJains , especially along the busySV Road . Most of them are Gujarati-speaking and are characterized by writing in theGujarati script rather than in theArabic script . They are mostly engaged in medium-sized businesses, and some of them are very prominent industrialists while some are very poor people. They still retain the traditional dress - the men wear a white skullcap known astopi and wear a white cotton full-sleeved shirt flowing and reaching down to the knees and sometimes to above the ankles, cut across to the upper thighs. The women still wear the all-envelopingBurqa sometimes referred to as theoonghat orghoomto . This usually covers the head and hair, but not the face. Affluent women sometimes wear "designer" Burqas embroidered and sequinned. Many Surti Muslims live in the middle-class residential areas such asSunder Nagar , Madinah Manzil and Rani Sati Nagar onSV Road . Many Surti Muslims can be found , usually engaged in the Dairy-business, such as owningMilk andDairy products' stores , owning large Milking Centres andCow andBuffalo sheds. Many of them are also professionally qualified Doctors and Engineers , and some have diversified into other business, like theMeat-Processing industry inMumbai , and thePharmaceutical Retail business. Surti Muslims are divided on the lines ofCaste and Class like most otherGujarati Muslim communities. The Vohra (merchant) Caste is at the top of the social ladder, while theBackward Castes such asKhalipha (musician),Hajjam (barber) andDhobi are much lower in the socio-economic ladder.fact|date=February 2008Further it has been suggested that the Vohra merchant caste are largely descended from the union of
Arab merchants with Hindu women, who settled in Gujarat in medieval times.In
Gujarat the Surati Muslims reside mainly in theValsad ,Navsari ,Surat ,Ankleshwar andBharuch districts, and also in the major cities ofVadodara ,Ahmedabad ,Rajkot andSurat .fact|date=February 2008Many Surati Muslims have immigrated to
South Africa ,Zimbabwe ,Kenya ,Myanmar ,Britain and America.fact|date=February 2008Some famous Surti Muslims -
Hashim Amla ,Mufti Ebrahim Desai .fact|date=February 2008urti Muslim Vohras in BURMA (Myanmar)
A large community of
Surti Muslims especially Vohras(Sunny) are settled in Burma (nowMyanmar ). Majority in Rangoon (nowYangon ).Mandalay andMolmein - three big cities of Burma but pockets of them can be found all over Burma. Their existence can be traced back to 18 century A.D. to Burmese monarchy period. During the rule ofMindon King in 19th.Century, his financial Minister was Ismail Mulla - a SurtiVohra . It is believed some other Surti Vohras were also King's advisers. On their suggestions, particularly of his minister Mulla, Burmese king Mindon made first ever contact withHijaz (nowSaudi Arabia ). Sent a delegation with gifts for the ruler and built a BURMESE RABAT (meaning a free guest house)in Mecca to facilitate Burmese Muslim pilgrims. The seat of Government was then in Mandalay.After the occupation of Burma by British in 19th. Century (1886~1948) more Surtis migrated from
SURAT, Gujarat , India - their place of origin - to Burma and settled at Rangoon which developed into a city & capital of Burma during British Rule. Among them prominent were migrants fromRander ,Variav ,Kathore ,Waracha ,Barbodhan ,Bharuch etc. - the villages of Surat District in India. They were religious minded business class of people. They built Madressas (elementary religious schools), Schools, Clinics, Hospitals, Markets and residential cum business buildings throughout Burma, especially at Rangoon & Mandalay.Surti Bara Bazar Company is notable as this company built Bazars at many big cities and town in early 20th. century. TheSurti Bara Bazar at Rangoon & Mandaly were huge consisting of many blocks of the cities. These bazars are still existent though the company was Nationalised immediately after achieving independece in January 1948. These Surti Sunni Vohra though a small community in Burma were in fact the back bone of Burmese economy till 1962 when the military Dictator General Ne Win, took over the country & Nationalised all businesses & industries.The Nationalisation rendered joblessness and some of the Surti Muslim Vohras migrated to India- their origin, Pakistan and U.K., U.S.A. etc. in search of lively hood.
References
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