Memon
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The Memon people are an ethnic group that originated either in modern-day Pakistan or India. They speak an Indo-Aryan language sometimes called Memoni, that is similar to Gujarati and Sindhi. Some estimates put the number of Memons worldwide at one million [1] (http://www.memonworld.net/population.html).
The Memon language cannot be written (or the system of writing it has been lost), consequently there is no clear record of the history of the Memon people. There are minor variations in the language. These differences arose in different villages in India. There are also related ethnic groups such as the Kutchi (or Cutchi) Memons and Sindhi Memons.
Most (if not all) Memons are Hanafi Sunni Muslims, and it is widely believed that they originated when a group of Hindus from Sindh belonging to the Lohana caste converted to Islam at the hands of a Sufi of the Qadiri order [2] (http://www.memonworld.net/Comm_Origin.html). It has also been theorized that Memons were originally Buddhists, or even "gypsies." The date of their conversion is not known, and it is not certain whether the term Memon applies exclusively to Muslims. Even the meaning of the word Memon is disputed. Memons are thought to have migrated from Sindh to Kutch, and Kathiawar (Kathiawad) in modern Gujarat following their conversion.
Memons spread throughout the Indian Ocean basin in the 19th century, but most Memons lived in Kathiawar, prior to the partition of India, although they dispersed thereafter. Today, they are scattered throughout India and Pakistan, with significant communities in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
The devotion of Memons to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (founder of the Qadiri order) is well-known. Although Memons tend to be religious, they have retained many customs from their pre-Islamic past.
Memons are known for their involvement in business and philanthropy, with Memon immigrants having played a major part in the building of Pakistani industry, although an increasing number of Memons are turning to professional occupations. The success of many Memons has aroused some jealousy from other ethnic groups, who sometimes stereotype Memons as greedy money-lovers.
Interestingly, Mahatma Gandhi (who came from the same area in India as the Memons) was retained by a Memon businessman to look after his legal affairs in Durban, South Africa. It was in South Africa that Gandhi launched his political activities.
The Memon language is falling into disuse in many parts of the world.
Famous Memons have included Pakistani statesman Nisar Memon (Sindhi Memon), Indian Mafia kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and Chief Justice of South Africa and Namibia, Ismail Mahomed.
External links
- Description of the Memon Language from Ethnologue.com (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=MBY)
- Memon.com (http://www.memon.com)
- A Memon portal (http://www.memonworld.net/)
- Memon organization in Pakistan (http://www.umj.com.pk/)
- An examination of Memon business in Pakistan (http://members.tripod.com/richpaki/memons.htm)