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The Bayad are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India.

History and origin

The community get their name from the village of Bayad in Sabarkantha District, and are Rajput converts to Islam. According to their traditions, the accampanied a Rajput prince as he restablished his control over the Dantha state. They orignated in Kakiani in Rajasthan, and said to have converted to Islam some five hundred years ago. They are now found mainly in the town of Anjar, with a small number are found in Bhuj. At the partition of India in 1947, a large of the tribe moved to Pakistan, and are settled in the districts of Sanghar and Badin.

Present circumstances

The Bafan speak a dialect of Kutchi, with substantial Sindhi loan words. They have four lineages, the Makani, Aliyani, Jassani, and Issacuola. Each of these live in a particular locality known as falia. Each of these clans are of equal status, and intermarry. Marriages are preferred with parallel cousins.

The majority of the Bafan are settled agriculturists, and few have access to irrigation facilities. They are essentially a community of marginal farmers. Historically, the Bafan were pastoral Maldhari nomads, raising buffaloes, cows and sheep, and grazed them in the Banni region. A few families are still nomads and are involved in selling milk to Bhuj. They often migrate to Saurashtra with to graze their cattle. Like many other Kutchis, the Bafan have migrated to others parts of India in search of work.

The Bafan have a caste council, known as the Nagiari Jamat. This jamat has representatives on the Muslim Education and Welfare Society, an organization based in Bhuj. The Society provides free boarding and lodging to the poor students, and also looks into the general welfare of the Muslim community. Like most Kutchi Muslims, they are Sunni Muslims, but incorporate many folk beliefs.

See also

• Samma

References

1. People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part One edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 150-153
2. People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part One edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 150-153
3. People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part One edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 87-90
4. People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part One edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 87-90

• Social groups of Gujarat
• Tribes of Kutch
• Maldhari communities
• Muslim communities of India
• Sindhi tribes
• Samma tribes
• Muslim communities of Gujarat