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|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 950,000+[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Tulunadu,Chikmagalur district,Kodagu,Hassan district,Uttara Kannada,Persian Gulf States | |
| Languages | |
| Beary | |
| Religion | |
 Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nawayath,Mappilas,Labbay |
| Part ofa series on |
| Islam |
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TheBeary (also known asByari) are a community concentrated along the southwestcoast of India, mostly in theMangalore district of thesouth Indian state ofKarnataka.
The Beary community ofTulunadu is one among the earliestMusliminhabitants ofIndia, with a clear history of more than 950 years.[2]
The wordBeary is said[by whom?] to be derived from theTulu wordByara, which means trade or business. Since the major portion of the community was involved in business activities, particularly trading, the local Tulu-speaking majority called them as Beary or Byari.[3]
Another popular theory is that the wordBeary comes fromArabic wordBahar (Arabic: بحر).Bahar meansocean andBahri (Arabic: بحري) meanssailor or navigator. It is said[by whom?] that the Beary community had trade relations with Arab businessmen travelling to CoastalSouth India, especially the coastline ofTulunaduMalabar. Inscriptions have been found inBarkur that prove Arab trade links withTulunadu.[citation needed]
A third theory says that the wordBeary is derived from the root wordMalabar. The IslamicDa'ee,Malik bin Deenar, had arrived on the coast of Malabar during the 7th century with a group of Da'ees, or Islamic propagators. A member from his group, Habeeb bin Malik travelled through Tulunadu and preached Islam. He had also built Mosques inKasaragod,Mangalore andBarkur.[4]
Ahmed Noori, a journalist and himself a member of the Beary community, claimed that there are several documents available which suggest that at least 90 years prior to the invasion ofMuhammad bin Qasim inNorth India,Hadhrami andPersian Muslim businessmen were thriving in theSouth India. This would prove that Islam was prevalent in South India much beforeMuslim conquerors came to North India.[citation needed]
Noori disputes the claim that the first Muslims came to India along withAlauddin Khalji between 1296 and 1316 AD and points out that according to historianHenry Miers Elliot, writing in 1867, the first ship bearing Muslim travellers was seen on the Indian coast as early as 630 CE. Noori also notes thatHugh George Rawlinson (1913) claimed the firstHadhrami Muslims settled on the Indian coast in the last part of the 7th century and that Bartholomew also has similar things to say about the early Muslim settlers in India, while J. Sturrock (1894) said thatParsi and Hadhrami businessmen settled in different places of theMalabar coast during the 7th century. Noori has quoted these and other sources to validate his argument that the Arab and other settlers came to India much before the Arab, Turk andAfghan conquerors came to North India.[citation needed]
The language spoken by Beary community isBeary base (language).[5]While theNawayath Muslims of Uttara Kannada speak a dialect ofKonkani, and theMappila Muslims of Kerala speakMalayalam (Mappila Malayalam),Beary language is made ofTulu phonology and grammar withMalayalam idioms. Due to the trading role of the community, the language acquired loan words from other languages ofTulu,Malayalam,Kannada and also from Perso-Arabic sources.This language is traditionally recognized as a dialect of Malayalam because of the similarities withOld Malayalam.The language usesArabic andKannada scripts for writing.[6]
In April 2006, The World Beary Convention was held in DubaiWorld Beary Sammelana & Chammana 2006.[7] A similar event was held in 2010.[8]
The beary women have a love of ornaments and use them on occasions such asMangila,Sunnat Mangila,Appate Mangila,Birnd,Moilanji and other social gatherings. There were different types of ornaments used by the Beary community in past which is at the verge of vanishing today due to the cultural invasion and urbanisation. These ornaments are made out of mainly gold and silver and used for the ornamentation of head, ears, neck, waist, wrist, fingers and feet. Beary research scholars are of the opinion that Beary ornaments were largely influenced by Jain ornament patterns. The ornament storage box used by Bearys was made out of brass and other metals was also used by Jain community and was calledKharjana by both Bearys and Jains.[9][need quotation to verify]
Beary cuisine is highly influenced by the South Indian cuisine. Just like Mangalorean cuisine it uses a lot ofcoconut,curry leaves, ginger, chilli and spices like pepper and cardamom. Beary cuisine includes a type ofbiryani which is very different from types made elsewhere. Rice preparations, both fresh and dry fish, meat and eggs feature in Beary daily menus.[citation needed]
The Beary Sahitya Academy is an association ofBeary-speaking people located mainly in Tulu Nadu, which includes the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka state and Kasaragod in Kerala state.[citation needed] In 2022, the foundation-laying ceremony for the construction of a new building for Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy at Thokkottu was held.[10]
Karnataka Beary Sahithya Academy
With the establishment of Karnataka Beary Sahithya Academy, the language got formal recognition and academic status from the government of Karnataka. This led to a boom in Beary literary and cultural activities and a script was developed for the language in 2020.
The main motive of the Academy is to reckon the rich culture and heritage of Bearys and to cultivate and motivate the emerging young talents in the Beary community. By creating awareness of Beary culture, language and literature, the Academy aims to accomplish its goal in overall development of Beary language to build a healthy society.
In 2022, the foundation-laying ceremony for the construction of a new building for Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy at Thokkottu was held.[10]
In 2010, the Bearys Welfare Association, based inBengaluru, distributed 80 scholarships for the needy.[11]
The Bearys Welfare Forum (BWF) ofAbu Dhabi is an association of Bearyexpatriates inAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[12] It was established in 2004 with an intention of working for all sections of the society. It has helped the victims ofCommunal riots inMangalore by providing medical assistance and other aids.[citation needed] It The BWF has organised severalmass marriage ceremonies inMangalore.[13][14][15]
Bearys Cultural Forum, in the United Arab Emirates, was constituted to provide education to the people of the coastal parts of the State of Karnataka. BCF's main objective is to promote, educate and create social, cultural and educational awareness amongst the Bearys and the population of the coastal Karnataka State and the UAE. The BCF regularly conducts cultural, sports, talent search, educational activities, Career Guidance Seminars, Iftar Party, etc. every year. BCF also provides educational scholarships to students for pursuing their higher studies in the field of Medicines, Engineering, Pharmacy, Business, Nursing, Journalism, Dentistry, etc.[citation needed]
In April 2012, 'Chammana 2012' hosted by Bearys Cultural Forum,Dubai, at the Radisson Blue Hotel, Dubai, attracted more than 1,200 people to its programme.[16]
In August 2018, BCF distributed scholarship to the downtrodden community.[17]
