Bhadala

The Bhadala (Gujarati: ; Arabic: بدل‎; Hindi: ) are an ethnic group found in Pakistan and India. They are found mainly in the Kutch District of Gujarat. In Pakistan, they are found mainly in Karachi.

Origin

The word Bhadala meant a seamen or fishermen in the Kutchi language,but now refers to a distinct community found along the coast of Kutch and Saurashtra. According to their traditions, they were originally settled in the town of Keti Bandar in Sindh, where members of the community are still said to be found. The community were said to be invited to settle in Kutch by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. Their original settlement was the village of Mota Salaya in Mandvi Taluka. The community are now settled in a number of villages in Mandvi Taluka such as Mandis Bhadala Phool and Juna Salaya. In the 18th Century, a large number of Bhadalas moved to Saurashtra, where they settled in the ports of Veraval, Jamnagar, Dwaraka and Porbandar. A second migration took place in the 19th Century, which saw many Bhadala move to Mombasa, Lamu and Daresalam in East Africa. They were pioneers in the Asian settlement of East Africa. The community now speak Kutchi, while those in Saurashtra also speak Gujarati.