| |
|---|---|
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Bangladesh (Faridpur DistrictKhulna District) West Bengal (Malda division,Presidency division) | |
| Languages | |
| South Bangali orRarhi (native) Standard Bengali (mostly spoken as anL2) | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bengalis,Domba |
| Islam in Bangladesh |
|---|
 |
Ideology/schools of thought |
TheKan (Bengali:কান), also known asKhalifa (Bengali:খলিফা,romanized: Khôlifa), are a Muslim community native toBangladesh and theIndian state ofWest Bengal.[1]
The Kan, a smallMuslim community, were traditionally involved in the repairing ofumbrellas. According to traditions, the Kan were originally members of theDom community who converted toIslam. In addition to repairing umbrellas, the community is also involved in the manufacture of fishhooks. The community is found mainly in the districts of Murshidabad,24 Parganas andNadia inWest Bengal andFaridpur District inBangladesh.[2]
The Kan are still involved in the traditional occupation of umbrella repairing, and during the chaitra or rainy season, the community entirely devotes itself to the construction and repairing umbrellas. This season last for almost six months, while for the remaining six months the community is involved in daily wage labour. A significant numbers of the community are now cultivators. They grow mainly paddy and wheat.
The Kan occupies distinct quarters in villages known as a paras. Each of these settlements contains an informal caste council known as apanchayat, which acts as an instrument of social control. The community are strictly endogamous, and marry close kin.[3]
| Indo-Aryans | |
|---|---|
| Austro-Asiatic | |
| Dravidian | |
| Tibeto-Burman | |
| Others | |
| Immigrants and expatriates | |
