| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India (West Bengal,Assam,Bihar)Bhutan | |
| Languages | |
| Rajbongshi | |
| Religion | |
 Islam, | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Koch,Rabha,Boro,Deshis |
| Islam in Bangladesh |
|---|
 |
Ideology/schools of thought |
TheNashya Shaikh or Nashya Sekh is aMuslim community found in northern parts of the state ofWest Bengal in India. They are culturally and linguistically similar to both people of northern Bangladesh andGoalpara of Assam. A small number of the community are also found in the neighboring state ofBihar, where they are known as the Bengali Shaikh. The group is descended from a set of tribals which were collectively referred to as Koches, who converted to Islam as they were unable to find a favourable position in Hindu society and came to be known as the Rajbanshi Muslims.[1][2] They are homogeneous with theKoch people and are bilingual, speaking bothBengali andSurjapuri.
The Nashyas trace their origin to the indigenous communities ofKoch people of northernWest Bengal, though some of them are also fromMech community. Their conversion toIslam is said to have taken over two to three centuries, and the Nashya still retain many cultural traits of their pre-Islamic past.For instance the reverence ofpirs was a continuation of their previous beliefs. Most people of the community are non-practicing Muslims though the newer generations are becoming increasing Islamic due to globalization. From historic evidence, it seems a segment of the population of northernBengal began to convert to Islam when the region fell under the control ofBakhtiyar Khilji. Some of the earliest converts were the chiefsAli Mech andKala Pahar. Tradition also ascribes the conversion of several lineages toSufi saints such as Torsa Pir, Pagla Pir, Shah Fakir Sahib and Shah Gari Sahib.[2]
At the time of the 1891 census in Cooch Behar, the Nasya Sheikh were the predominant Muslims in the state with a population of 1,69,551 while other immigrant Muslim communities were only 1,195. They made up 29.29% of Cooch Behar's population at the time.[3]
Politically the community has remained supportive of the establishment - whether the Raja of Cooch Behar, the Congress during Partition, or the Left Front and Trinamool Congress during their time in power.
The Nashya were once substantial landowners, generally known asjotedars. Below this class was a substantial strata of medium-sized peasants. With the independence of India in 1947, the larger estates were divided. The community's contribution to the agriculture of northern West Bengal is substantial, with the Nashya growing jute, tobacco, and rice.[2]
The Nashya as a community were once strictly endogamous but their marriage with mainstream Bengali Muslims brought them more close to Bengali culture. Their physical appearance seems more similar to Bengalis than to Rajbongshi people. They are divided into lineages such as Bepari, Pramanik, Sarcar and Sekh. Each of these lineage groups intermarry. The community is mainly follows hanafi school ofSunni Islam. They are concentrated in the districts ofCooch Behar,Jalpaiguri,Darjeeling, andDinajpur (north and south). They are also found in the neighbouringPurnia Division ofBehar, where they are known asBengali Shaikh.
The community have set up their own political and cultural organization, the Uttar Bango Angrassar Muslim Sangram Samiti, which acts as a pressure group for the community.