The Momin Ansari () or Saudagar are a Muslim community of merchants found mainly in India, Pakistan, and
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
. The literal meaning of Ansar is "supporter" in Arabic.
In
North India, the community are known as Ansari or Shaikh while in
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
the community are known as Momin or Saudagar.
Although the community can be found throughout the
Indian subcontinent, the
Varanasi District in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
is always regarded by most Momin as the centre of their community. In that city, the Ansari are said to make up a third of the city's population. Important Ansari neighborhoods in the city include
Madanpura,
Adampura and Jaitpura.
[The Artisans of Benaras Popular Culture and Identity, 1880h-1986 Orient Longman]
References
{{Indian Muslim
Muslim communities of Pakistan
Muslim communities of Uttar Pradesh
Muslim communities of Nepal