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Sindhi Shaikh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shaikh or Sheikh
Regions with significant populations
Sindh and India
Languages
(Only for official reasons)
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups

Shaikh or Sheikh (Sindhi: شيخ), is a Sindhi tribe or caste. The "Shaikh" word is an Arabic term meaning elder of a tribe, lord, revered old man, or Islamic scholar. The Shaikhs of Sindh are one of the major tribe of the Sindhi Muslims ethnic group; they are converted from Sindhi Hindu Lohana/Brahmin tribes. They speak the various dialects of Sindhi, depending on their place of residence. The Shaikh are largely an urban community, residing in the towns and cities of Sindh. Shaikhs have different communities within them, namely Baghdadi, Sanjogi, Nangani, Deewan, and Chatani.[1][page needed]

Origin

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In Sindh, it is used as an ethnic title generally attributed to converted Hindu trading families that became Muslims.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ Gazetteer of West Pakistan, the Former Province of Sind Including Khairpur State. Gazetteer Cell, Board of Revenue, Lahore 1968 by H. T Sorely