The work aims to answer the question of bio-cultural identity of Muslim from exclusively anthropological perspective. The concept prevailing currently and accepted by the native population dichotomizes Muslims. Those who came and settled in India during the various invasion and historical migrations constituted one group while the other group was believed to be formed by mass conversions of the local Hindu populations of a comparatively lower order in the caste hierarchy. Based on this, a clear line of distinction was drawn between ‘shurfa’ and ‘nau-Muslim’ and non Muslim elements present in the Indian sub-continent. The ‘shurfa’ was believed to comprise Shiekhs of Arabia, Sayyads of Persia and Moghuls and Pathans of the Persian Gulf and north-western frontiers. While ‘nau-Muslims’ were accepted to be drawn from innumerable occupational Hindu groups, Pathans being from our immediate neighbourhood represents a true picture of racial entity, whereas Moghuls being numerically negligible do not form a statistically sizable population to conduct research and derive any inference. From historic times Moghuls have been widely referred to and described as being the ruling family. That is the only evidence we have of Moghuls and a few families of Delhi who claim to be their descendants.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR S H M Rizvi
Dr. Syed Hasan Mujtaba Rizvi (Ph. D., University of Delhi) is a research anthropologist and has carried out empirical studies in the field of bio-cultural anthropology among the tribes, and Muslims of northern, western, north-western and north-eastern India. He, along with Dr. Shibani Roy, has written eleven books based upon original research. One of the Professor Emeritus (Anthropology) while reviewing his books stated that ".this indicates his understanding of the subject of anthropology in totality and in modern anthropological world, works of such nature are always encouraged."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shibani Roy
Shibani Roy was born and brought up at Delhi. Her schooling had been at the Lady Irwin School and Post-School studies from Miranda House. She received her B.Sc. (Hons.) Degree in Anthropology in 1967 and Master Degree from the same Discipline specializing in SocialAnthropology. After a year of research work in the field of "Consanguinity among Muslims of North India", she joined department of Anthropology as a Ph.D. student in 1970 and was awarded the Ph.D. Degree in 1976. She was a part-time lecturer in Lady Irwin college, New Delhi, teaching post graduate classes during 1972-73. She was the recipient of senior research fellowship of C.S.I.R. for her project entitled "Changes in value Orientation of contemporary Muslims" carried out amongst the Bohras of Bombay. Her articles in Hindustan Times and Youth Times equally provoked the social scientists and laymen and made them have a new perspective towards this minority community. From 1976 to 1978 she had been actively engaged in a project on female fertility financed by World Health Organization. The entire work had been centred around Rajput Women of Rajasthan. At present she is holding the post of Assistant Anthropologist (Cultural) with the Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India. She has participated in national and international seminars and has a few publication to her credit in the field of Muslim women. Dr. Shibani roy has further stepped into the secluded privacy of the Muslims by marrying a Muslim fellow anthropologist and has a daughter.
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