Khumra

Khumra are a Muslim community found mainly in the Rohilkhand region of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Sangtarash and Hansiri. A few were also found in Panipat and Karnal in Haryana, most of whom are now found in Pakistan. They generally refer themselves as Khumra Shaikh. The community has been granted Other Backward Classes status in Uttar Pradesh.

Origin

The community was traditionally associated with the manufacture of millstones (chaki in Urdu), which they then peddled throughout North India and Punjab. According to their traditions, they descend from the Muslim soldiers, who are said to have settled in India sometime at the start of Muslim rule in North India. Like other Indian Muslim artisan communities, they have suffered from a decline in their traditional occupation as a result of growing mechanization, and many are now involved in daily wage labour.

The Khumra speak Urdu, and the Khari boli dialect of Hindi. They are exclusively Sunni, and claim to be of Shaikh status. They are found mainly in Rohilkhand, in particular the districts of Bareilly, Bijnor, Moradabad and Rampur. The Khumra are largely an urban community, occupying their own distinct quarters. A small number of Khumra are found in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh, mainly in the districts of Hardoi, Unnao and Sitapur.