A Socio-Economic Study of Ansaris of Bijnor District
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A SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDY OF ANSARIS OF BIJNOR DISTRICT THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIOLOGY Syed Matanat Husain Zaidi DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 1988 1 \ , b Jlj! 199V T3646 •''U ESIS SECTION i c^>' ^ DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY ALiGi.'lH "MUSLIM UNIVERSITY AL'G*.RH.:C2001 .0.7/' d CERTIFICATE This is to certiTy that the uork inrnrporated in the Ph. J. theois entilled " A SocioeC' nomic study of Ansaris of Bijnor District"„ of nr^ Syed Matanat Husain Z ni di has been carried out under my super- visiono The uork incorporates original data and u as guided by me uith periodic checks of data and other necB3,ory rnaturial at every step. CS'0u.v_d4it^ij^^ ^ S\ ADCAPO AHHAD, Ph„ D Reader. ^2KNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely grateful to my supervisor Dr. shadbano Ahmad, who not only supervised my research but also extended her help in many other ways to bring this study to its fruitful conclusion. I owe a special debt to Imtiaz Ahmad (JNU^ New Delhi)/ the v;ell-known contributor of sociological literature on Muslims* for making several thought- provoking suggestions and criticisms. I am also deeply indebted to my brother/S. Zihanat Husain for his constant support and encourag^nent. With out his moral support this task would have been difficult to accomplish. I would like to acknowledge the sincere cooperation I received from my respondents and many other respected personalities who provided informations and assistance during the fieldwork in Bijnor district. I am grateful to all the faculty members * colleagues and sta££ of the Department of sociology for their cooperation I am thankful to my wife, who inspite of her domestic responsibilities, assisted me in analysing data and preparing tables and graphs for the thesis. Lastly, I must thank Mr. Mohd. Akhlaque, who shared the responsibility of typing the script sincere ly and carefully. ^. ^^yii^L^^^^ S. MATANAT H. 2AIDI. Contents CONTENTS Page Acknowledgement CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION / - Review of Literature 13 - Historical background 20 - Historical development of Art of Weaving 25 - Objectives 2B - Notes „ ... 35 CHAPTER II RESEARCH DESIGN 37 - Research setting ... 3a - Sample selection ... 42 - The Control group .. 44 Intervievj Schedule 47 - Problems of Field-work 53 - Notes 55 CHAPTER III RESULTS 56 - Ansaris and Non-Ansaris 56 - Ansaris 62 // - Social Organization 62 - Economic, Occupational and educational structure - Family, Marriage and Divorce 78 - Political awareness S3 and Mass-Media - Religiosity ... 93 - Notes 96 CHAPTER IV DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 97 - Notes 122 APPENDIX Tables TABLE -I Sample size /23 TABLE -II Levels of education of of Respondents 124 TABLE -III Comparative average Income of Ansaris & Non-Ansarls 125 TABLE -IV Mehr, Dowry Preferences I2G TABLE -V Average income of Ansaris 127 TABLE -VI Family Size and Income IZS TABLE -VII Ownership of Residence IZ3 TABLE -vrii •.Ownership of Conveyance ISO TABLE -IX Occupations 13/ TABLE -X Ownership of Handlooms and Powerlooms. 132 /// TABLE -XI Expenditure on essential Items /33 TABLE -XII Expenditure on non-essential Items /34 TABLE -XIII Division of Labour 73^ TABLE -XIV Preference in appointments I3S TABLE -XV Socio-economic Class f^y TABLE -XVI Respondents' Children's 73^ Education TABLE-XVII Marriage alliance preferences 739 TABLE-XVIII Cousin Marriages IAQ TABLE-XIX Preference for monogamy and polygamy. /jf/ TABLE-XX Factor of Marriage perceived in Spouse selection /42 TABLE-XXI Permission to meet fiance /43 TABLE-XXII Divorce /^^ TABLE-XXIII voting Behaviour /4if^ TABLE-XXIV Political interest /46 TABLE-XXV Factors affecting Voting behaviour 14-7 TABLE-XXVI Participation of Muslims and Noo- Muslims in Government f^S TABLE-XXVII Type of Government preferred 143 TABLE-XXVIII Affiliation with different iSO organizations TABLE-XXIX Exposure to mass-media tS/ isr TABLE - XXK Exposure to Radio, Television and Cinana 152 TABLE -XXXI Study of Quran and Holy Prophet' s Biography 153 TABLE -XXXII Zakat, Namaz and Haj 154 TABLE -XXXIII Performance of Haj 155 TABLE XXXIV Reasons for non-perforraance 156 of Haj TABLE-XXXV Members of the family who 157 performed Haj TABLE-XXXVI visiting patterns to Holy Shrines I£& Distribution of Prope-rti/ 153 A P P E N D I _x - B Graphs GRAPH - 1 Frequency Polygon of comparative /6o Income GRAPH - 2 Frequency Polygon of Average Income of Ansaris /6/ GRAPH - 3 Frequency Polygon of Expenditure on Essential Items /S2 GRAPH - 4 Frequency Polygon of Expenditure on non-essential items /53 GRAT'H - 5 Bar graph showing Distribution of Occupations /^4 GRAPH - 6 Bcor graph showing Possession of Conveyance /tf5 APPENDIX-C Charts CHART (i) Marital preferences /66 CHART (ii) Patterns of Marriage Alliances j^y V APPENDIX - D Newspaper cuttings - Press news regarding the socio economic problems of Ansaris. /65 Matrimonials on basis of caste /69 considerations. ^ Role Of political, orqa.n.lza.t?ons / 70 APPENDIX - E References. / 7/ APPENDIX - F - Interview schedule. /^^ CONTENTS Page Acknowledg«nent CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION - Review of Literature - Historical background - Historical development of Art of Weaving - Objectives - Notes CHAPTER II RESEARCH DESIGN - Research setting ... - Sample selection ... - The Control group .. - Interviev/ schedule - Problems of Field-work - Notes CHAPTER III RESULTS - Ansaris and Non-Ansaris - Ansaris - Social Organization - Economic, occupational and educational structure - Family, Marriage and Divorce - Political awareness and Mass-Media - Religiosity ... - Notes CHAPTER IV DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION - Notes ... ... APPENDIX - A Tables TABLE -I Sample Size TABLE -II Levels of education of of Respondents TABLE -III Comparative average income of Ansaris & Non-Ansaris TABLE -IV Mehr, Dowry Preferences TABLE -V Average income of Ansaris TABLE -VI Family Size and Income TABLE -VII Ownership of Residence TABLE -VIII...Ownership of Conveyance TABLE -IX Occupations TABLE -X Ownership of Handlooms and Powerlooms. TABLE -XI Expenditvure on essential Items TABLE -XII Expenditure on non-essential Items TABLE -XIII Division of Labour TABLE -XIV Preference in appointments TABLE -XV socio-econofnic Class TABLE -XVI Respondents' Children's Education TABLE-XVII Marriage alliance preferences TABLE-XVIII Cousin Marriages TABLE-XIX Preference for monogamy and polygamy. TABLE-XX Factor of Marriage perceived in Spouse selection TABLE-XXr Permission to meet fiance TABLE-XXII Divorce TABLE-XXIII Voting Behaviour TABLE-XXIV Political interest TABLS-XXV Factors affecting Voting behaviour TABLE-XXVI Participation of Muslims and Norj- Muslims in Government TABLE-XXVII Type of Government preferred TABLE-XXVIII Affiliation with different organizations TABLE-XXIX Exposure to mass-media TABLE ~ XXX Exposure to Radio, Television and Cinema TABLE -XXXI Study of Uuran and Holy Prophet's Biography TABLE -XXXII Zakat, Namaz and Haj TABLE -XXXIII Performance of Haj TABLE XXXIV Reasons for non-performance of Haj TABLE-XXXV Members of the family who performed Haj TABLE-XXXVl Visiting patterns to Holy Shrines APPENDIX - B Graphs GRAPH - 1 Frequency Polygon of comparative Income GRAPH - 2 Frequency Polygon of Average Income of Ansaris GRAPH - 3 Frequency Polygon of Expenditure on Essential Items GRAPH - 4 Frequency Polygon of Expenditure on non-essential items GRAT'H - 5 Bar graph showing Distribution of Occupations GRAPH - 6 Bar graph showing Possession of Conveyance APPENDIX-C Charts CHART (i) Marital preferences CHART (ii) Patterns of Marriage Alliances APPENDIX - D Newspaper cuttings Press news regarding the socio economic problems of Ansaris. - Matrimonials on basis of caste considerations. APPENDIX - E References• A I- P E N D I X - F Interview schedule. Chavterl 1 Over the past two decades, comftiendable efforts have been made by sociologists to analyse and understand the nature of social organization among Indian Muslims(Mujeeb 1947; Gupta 1956; Karlm 1957; Ansari i960; Misra 1964; Dube 1969; Leach (ed) 1971; Ahmad (ed) 1973; Bhatty 1976). These studies have highlighted data which have enabled sociologists to understand Muslims in India. The debate on the nature, of social stratification and kinship orga nization among Muslims in India is un-ending and much research has been undertaken on these aspects. Apart from this, research findings on Muslim education, rituals, religion, politics and culture are also available (Jafar 1936; Atmad 1973, 1976, 1976, 1981, 1983; Madan 1976; Hag 1910). However, little research has been undertaken on the socioeconomic aspect of contemporary Indian Muslims. The present study is a modest atteeupt in that direction. The study is aimed at gaining insight into the socioeconomic structure of the Ansaris of Bijnor district. The Ansaris form the pivot of this study - firstly because they have the dubious distinction of being identi fied as Julaha and considered quite separate from the real 2 Ansarie - the direct descendents of "Ansar-e-^^adina" (the helpers of the Prophet Mohammad). The real Ansaris 3 or Faranql Mahlls , as they prefer to call themselves^ appear to bear a contempt against the Julahas who have taken the appellation of "Ansaris" . The real Ansaris 4 are considered 'Ashraf' while the Jula ha-Ansaris are included in the category of "Ajlaf. The fact that the Julahas call themselves Ansaris'is indicative of the fact that they have a desire to be identified as such so as to elevate their status in society. This desire of upward mobility and social respectability has often been accompanied by