''Shaikh'', also rendered as ''Sheikh'', ''Sheik'', ''Shaik'', ''Shaykh'', ''Shaikh'', ''Shekh'', ''Cheikh'', ''Šeih'', ''Šejh'', ''Şeyh'' and other variants (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: , ''shaykh''; pl. ''shuyūkh''), is a title given to many South Asian Muslim castes. It originally was a word or

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

term in the

Arabic language Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

that commonly designated a chief of a tribe,

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

member, Muslim

religious scholar Religious studies, also known as religiology or the study of religion, is the study of religion from a historical or scientific perspective. There is no consensus on what qualifies as ''religion'' and its definition is highly contested. It des ...

, or " Elder". However in

Northern India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

, Shaikh was used as an ethnic title, by those with

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

descent & Upper caste coverts to Islam like

Khatri Khatri () is a caste system in India, caste originating from the Malwa (Punjab), Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are war ...

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

s &

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

s etc, particularly from prominent

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

figures such as the

Rashidun Caliphs The Rashidun () are the first four caliphs () who led the Muslim community following the death of Muhammad: Abu Bakr (), Umar (), Uthman (), and Ali (). The reign of these caliphs, called the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), is considered in ...

, majority of these.

Origin

In North India, it is not just an ethnic title but an occupational title attributed to Muslim trading families. Many Shaikhs from North India are descended from

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

, and adopted 'Shaikh' as their last name through marriage or their job. In

Frontier Regions The Frontier Regions (often abbreviated as FR) of Pakistan were a group of small administrative units in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), lying immediately to the east of the seven main tribal agencies and west of the settled dist ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

of Pakistan, or

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

, the title ''shaikh'' was given to those who had descended from upper caste natives such as the

Kayastha Kayastha (or Kayasth) denotes a cluster of disparate Indian communities broadly categorised by the regions of the Indian subcontinent in which they were traditionally locatedthe Chitraguptavanshi Kayasthas of North India, the Chandraseniya Ka ...

s and

Sub-divisions

The subdivisions of the Shaikh include: * Shaikh

Qidwai The Qidwai or Kidwai (, ) are a community of Muslim Shaikhs in South Asia. They are mostly settled in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India and Karachi, Pakistan. They are also settled in the city of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, and also in area ...

, who claim to be descendants of the Qazi Qidwa, a son of the Sultans of Rum. The Qidwai were recruited in the household cavalry of

Shuja-ud-Daula Shuja-ud-Daula (19 January 1732 – 26 January 1775) was the third Nawab of Oudh and the Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 until his death 26 January 1775. He was a key 18th-century Mughal ally who despised the Maratha-backed Imad-ul-Mulk. ...

, which was mainly composed of the Sheikhzadgan. These clans had not taken any profession other than a soldier or a civil officer. * Shaikh

Hashmi Al-Hashimi, also transliterated Al-Hashemi (), Hashemi, Hashimi, or Hashmi () is an Arabic and Persian surname.Al-Hashimi

, who claim to be descendants of the

Banu Hashim Banu Hashim () is an Arab clan within the Quraysh tribe to which the Islamic prophet Muhammad belonged, named after Muhammad's great-grandfather Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. Members of this clan, and especially their descendants, are also referred ...

clan of the

Banu Quraish The Quraysh () are an Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably including the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founding prophet Muhammad was born. By the seventh centur ...

tribe. The Islamic prophet,

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

belonged to this clan. Usually carry the title

Sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...

. * Shaikh

Siddiqui Siddiqui () are a Muslim community, found mainly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and in communities in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa. It is also an Islamic-based common name in reference to the 1st Rashidun Caliph Abu Bakr ...

, who claim to be descendants of

Abu Bakar Abū Bakr () is an Arabic given name meaning "Father of a Young Camel" (Abu meaning 'Father of' and Bakr meaning 'Young Camel') that is widely used by Sunni Muslims. Other transliterations include Abu Bakar, Abu Bekr, Ebubekir, Aboubacar, Abubaka ...

, the first

Khalifa ''Khalifa'' or ''Khalifah'' (; commonly "caliph" in English) is a name or title which means "successor", "ruler" or "leader". It most commonly refers to the leader of a Caliphate, but is also used as a title among various Islamic religious groups ...

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. * Shaikh Usmani (Osmani), who claim to be descendants of

Uthman Ibn Affan Uthman ibn Affan (17 June 656) was the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruling from 644 until Assassination of Uthman, his assassination in 656. Uthman, a second cousin, son-in-law, and notable Companions of the Prophet, companion of ...

the third

of Islam * Shaikh

Farooqi Farooqui (); also transliterated as Farooqi, Faruki or Al Farooqui), is a given name or surname of Arabic origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Umar, second Caliph of Islam, associate of Muhammad * Hafsa bint Umar, wife of Muhammad * ...

, Honorific reverence to Umar Farooq Bin Al-Khattab * Sheikh Alavi (Alvi), who claim to be descendants of

Ali Ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...

, the fourth

of Islam * Sheikh Abbasi, who claim to be descendants of Abbas ibn abd-Muttalib, the uncle of holy

Prophet Muhammad In Islam, Muhammad () is venerated as the Seal of the Prophets who transmitted the Quran, eternal word of God () from the Angels in Islam, angel Gabriel () to humans and jinn. Muslims believe that the Quran, the central religious text of Isl ...

* Sheikh

Mirza Mirza may refer to: * Mirza (name), a name derived from a historical royal and noble title * ''Mirza'' (lemur), a genus of giant mouse lemurs * "Mirza", a 1965 French-language song by Nino Ferrer * Mirza, Kamrup, a town in Assam, India * Mirza me ...

, who claim to be descendants of Umar Sheikh Mirza, the son of the conqueror

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

. They usually associate themselves with Mirza or

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

caste, while some with the Sheikh caste while carrying the title

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaikhs In South Asia Titles Islamic culture Muslim communities of India Shaikh clans Muhajir communities

Origin

Sub-divisions

See also

References