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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 7400 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
TheBehlim are a Muslim community found mainly inNorth India. A small number are also found in the city ofKarachi in Pakistan.[1][full citation needed]
During the 1947partition of India, some members of the Behlim community migrated from the border regions ofFazilka and other districts ofPunjab andHaryana toSouth Punjab in Pakistan, mainly settling in areas such asFort Abbas andHasilpur.[citation needed]
The Behlim trace their descent theSufi Masud Ghazi, and the word is said to be a corruption of the wordba-ilm, meaning those who are knowledgeable inArabic. There are in fact two distinct communities of Behlim, those ofGujarat, who are found mainly inMehsana andBanaskantha districts, while those ofUttar Pradesh, who are found mainly in theDoab region of that state.[1]
The Behlim are an agrarian community, found mostly in north Gujarat. According to some traditions, they were onceRajputs, and their customs are similar to otherMuslim Rajput communities, such as theMaliks. The Behlim intermarry with otherGujarati Muslim communities of similar status such asPathan,Shaikh andMolesalam Rajputs. Unlike other Gujarati Muslims, they have no caste association, and generally are allied to other Rajput landholding classes. They speakGujarati , Teli in south Punjab and areSunni Muslims.[1]