 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| • India • Pakistan | |
| Languages | |
| Urdu, Gujarati | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| •Sindhi Shaikh •Shaikh of Rajasthan •Shaikh |
TheGujarati Shaikh are a Muslim community found in the state ofGujarat in India. The Shaikhs of Gujarat have no single definite origin, as anyone could take up the title "shaikh" and thus different groups could be called Shaikhs, regardless of common or diverse origin. Socioeconomically, they range from poor labourers to the urban lower class. They speak heavily GujaratizedUrdu.[1]
The Sodagar or "Arab Shaikh" are a small sub-group within the larger Shaikh community. They originate from theHadhramaut region ofYemen, and settled in the city ofPatan, during the period ofMughal rule, and intermarried with theSunni Bohra community. The community were involved the buying and selling of silk, and exporting it to theMiddle East. They still maintain links with theMiddle East, being fluent inArabic. However, the Sodagar mohalla in Patan has declined, with many of their houses becoming crumbling ruins. They have their own caste association, the Jamat Shams Sodagaran, which is involved in the up keep of their jamat khana, in the town of Patan. They are strictly endogamous, and do not marry with other Shaikh groups. However, there are still cases of intermarriage withArab communities in theMiddle East.[2]