2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags: OBC, SC, ST

TADVI BHIL MUSLIMS

For: Preliminary

Topic covers: Tribal information

News Flash

Payal Tadvi, the medical student who committed suicide in Mumbai belonged to this community.

Tadvi Bhil, a tribal community listed under Scheduled Tribes, is found in small pockets of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Who are Tadvi Bhil Muslims?

The community is concentrated in four states (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra) of India. They are a sub-caste of the larger Bhil community. Those who adopted Islam are known as Tadvi Bhil Muslims.
The Tadvi Bhil Muslims are syncretic and unrigid in their practice of Islam. They also retain many aspects of Hindu culture.
They wear sari, fold and join their hands in front of an idol. They offer namaz but their lifestyle remains traditionally and culturally Hindu.

What is the history of Tadvi Bhil Muslims?

The Bhil Muslims were a nomadic tribe living in mountains and hills. “Due to the Forest Act, several were displaced. They slowly spread out from North of Maharashtra and took up farm jobs.

In Maharashtra, they are spread over Nandurbar, Dhule and Jalgaon.
Tadvi Bhil converted to Islam when Aurangazeb toured Burhanpur, an important Mughal outpost (in modern day Madhya Pradesh).

What is the level of education among Tadvi Bhil Muslims?

Very few in the community are educated. Literacy rates remain low.
They are among the last to gain benefits of government schemes and reservation quotas.

Dialect

The Tadvi speak a dialect of their own, also known as Tadvi, but many are switching to Hindi and Marathi.
Their language is also Dhanka, which belongs to the Bhil group of the Indo-Aryan language family.
They inhabit villages, which are largely Tadvi. The community consists mainly of small cultivators.

Source: Indian Express

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