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Urdu Muslim Peoples

their Muslim neighbors, Tibetan Punjabi especially in urban areas. In and Uttar Gujarati Bengali Pradesh, a breakthrough Oriya has begun related to what God is doing in Bangladesh among the Muslim Bengali. Missionaries have been sent from this movement to start Quick Facts a similar one in India with Population: 66,000,000 promising initial success. India: 54,000,000 Indigenous Church Development Stage 1 2 3 4 5 : 12,000,000 How to Pray: Saudi Arabia: 500,000 Classes A, B, C Ratio of non-Christians United Kingdom: 400,000 for every 1 Christian Hindu persecution of Religion: (Sunni, Shia) 1 both and Chris- Believers: 0.003% B-4% 26,400 tians has brought the two Scriptures: NT, OT A-<1% communities together. Pray C-95% Ministry Tools: JRGT that this new friendship will Church Status: 1 expand the Kingdom among Mission Status: 1 the Urdu peoples. MS Subgroups: 100+ Class A- Are members of a Culturally Relevant Church Class B- Have close accss to a CRC, but have not yet joined Class C- Have no reasonable or close access to a CRC Pray for the protection of Bengali missionaries Identity: The Urdu Muslim peoples the Ajlaf (Hindu peoples which have working among the Urdu are a mixture of both the descendants converted to Islam more recently). The peoples, and for the success of Muslim foreign rule and the conver- Ashraf peoples are the (Arabic of local church outreach in sion of Hindu peoples and clans to traders and descending from Mu- every Indian metropolis. Islam. The Urdu language is a mixture hammad), Shaikhs (Arab or Persian), of Arabic, Persian and . The Moghuls (Central Asians) and Pathans Pray for the development Urdu script is based on Arabic. (Pushtun). Generally speaking, Marriage of Church leadership among between Ashraf peoples is more com- the Urdu believers meeting Lifestyle: The Urdu Muslim peoples mon than among the Ajlaf peoples. in several underground fel- were the rulers of India for 500 years lowships. before British colonial power. As such, Religion: Virtually every sect of Islam they aquired vast fortunes, estates, and is represented among the Urdu peoples. Ask God to bless the social power. During British rule, the Much of the conversion of Hindu production and distribution Urdu Muslims attempted to maintain peoples was accomplished by Sufi mis- of a Muslim-sensitive Bible their status through political maneu- sionary orders, a sect of Islam which translation in Urdu. vering, aquiring Western education, emphasizes mystical experiences with and joint business endeavors. As a God. Sufi saints are revered by both the Intercede for spiritual community today they are generally Ashraf and Ajlaf peoples in a similar way breakthrough among each more urbanized than Hindu commu- that Hindu saints are venerated. Rituals of the Muslim peoples, nities. at Sufi shrines include offerings of food, especially the four highly flowers and incense. influential Ashraf peoples Customs: Marriage among Urdu peoples follows similar protocol to the Christian Outreach: For many decades, Every year 600,000 Hindu tradition. Society is stratified outreach to Urdu peoples was scarce and Urdu Muslims die between the Ashraf (four groups which unproductive. Today the Indian Church without Christ. claim descent from foreign rulers) and is gaining a vision for reaching out to

18 Urdu Muslim Peoples Urdu Muslim Peoples (cont.)

30 Least-Evangelized Urdu Peoples People, Population, % Evangelical1

Shaikh2 25,000,000 0.01% 170,000 0.00% Pathan2 10,000,000 0.00% Mallik 140,000 0.01% Ansari 8,000,000 0.01% Ghosi 130,000 0.00% Sayyid2 5,800,000 0.00% Tawaif 120,000 0.00% Bahna 3,000,000 0.00% Bhatta 80,000 0.00% 3,000,000 0.00% 80,000 0.01% 1,700,000 0.00% Pindara 63,000 0.00% Moghal2 1,400,000 0.00% Miana 61,000 0.00% 700,000 0.00% 54,000 0.00% 600,000 0.00% 51,000 0.00% Mawalud 600,000 0.00% Kanai 40,000 0.00% Bhisti 470,000 0.00% Sikligar 28,000 0.00% Qazi 470,000 0.00% 27,000 0.00% 450,000 0.00% Abdul 26,000 0.00% Rangrez 250,000 0.00% Mukeri 20,000 0.00% Note: The Shaikh, , Moghal and Pathan are the ashraf (nobility) Urdu peoples.

6 Urdu Peoples Distributed Accross 12 States Ranked in order of state totals

State Shaikh Pathan Ansari Sayyid Bahna Faqir 7,000,000 4,800,000 4,300,000 1,300,000 1,800,000 2,200,000 Bihar 3,000,000 370,000 2,700,000 260,000 510,000 190,000 3,500,000 1,100,000 440,000 920,000 80,000 30,000 3,900,000 260,000 1,300,000 730,000 0 0 3,400,000 510,000 270,000 590,000 110,000 0 1,500,000 1,200,000 47,000 370,000 330,000 180,000 West Bengal 1,200,000 740,000 220,000 270,000 26,000 13,000 1,400,000 250,000 0 330,000 0 0 1,000,000 540,000 31,000 270,000 0 140,000 New Delhi 930,000 210,000 75,000 140,000 0 370,000 400,000 200,000 20,000 150,000 70,000 60,000 Orissa 230,000 180,000 7,300 37,000 17,000 0

Note: A percentage of 0.00% does not mean there are no believers among the group, only that the number of believers is so small it is less than one-hudredth of one percent. Likewise, a percentage of 0.20% does not mean the group is twenty percent Christian, but that believers are one-fifth of one percent.

Urdu Muslim Peoples 19