Indian Moors: Difference between revisions

|languages = [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[SinhaleseArwi]], [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]]{{#tag:ref|(extinct)|group="N"}}

|related = {{Hlist|[[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka]]|[[Arab people|ArabsTamils]]|[[SinhaleseSri peopleLankan Moors]]|Sinhalese[[Tamil Muslims]]}}

'''Indian Moors''' were a grouping of people who existed in [[Sri Lanka]] predominantly during its [[Colonial history of Sri Lanka|colonial period]]. They were distinguished by their [[Muslim]] faith whose origins traced back to the [[British Raj]]. Therefore, Indian Moors refer to a number of ethnic groups such as [[Memons in Sri Lanka|Memons]], [[Mustaali|Bohra]] and [[Khoja]]. These groups tended to retain their own ancestral practices and language.<ref name=Nubin>{{cite book|last1=Nubin|first1=Walter|title=Sri Lanka: Current Issues and Historical Background|date=2002|publisher=Nova Publishers|location=New York|isbn=1-59033-573-2|page=148|url=https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Iudi2JJLaUAC&pg=PA147&lpg=PA147&dqq=Indian+Moors+in+Sri+Lanka&sourcepg=bl&ots=HaTSTS5Bkw&sig=CV8Nbt5gRaTGq9Wb9KntNAzViDs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HGbcU9joL5fk8AXVtoK4Ag&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=Indian%20Moors%20in%20Sri%20Lanka&f=falsePA147|accessdateaccess-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> However the largest specific group were [[Tamil people|Tamils]] from [[South India]].<ref name=everyculture>{{cite web|title=Moor of Sri Lanka|url=http://www.everyculture.com/South-Asia/Moor-of-Sri-Lanka.html|website=Everyculture|accessdateaccess-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> Indian Moors shared a similar history to [[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka]], however due to their decline and smaller numbers the Indian Moors have either returned to India or have declared themselves as being classified as [[Sri Lankan Moors]].

The Indian Moors trace their origins back to immigrants in search of business opportunities during the [[British Ceylon|British colonial period]], however some can trace their origins as far back as [[Portuguese Ceylon|Portuguese times]]. They came from various parts of [[India]].<ref name="Country Studies">{{cite web|title=Muslims|url=http://countrystudies.us/sri-lanka/38.htm|website=Country Studies|accessdateaccess-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> Indian Moors have a similar history to that of the [[Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka]]. These people served primarily as plantation labour during the 125 years preceding the independence of Sri Lanka in 1948. Though they did not sever their connections with the land of their birth.

In 1971 Indian Moors numbered 29,416 declining from 55,400 in [[1963 Ceylon Census|1963]]. Their decline was partly due to much of the population returning to India and some declaring themselves and being enumerated as Sri Lankan Moors.<ref name=pop46>The Population of Sri Lanka, pp. 46.</ref> The presently remaining population have been categorised as "others" in the Sri Lankan census, since 1981, due to their small numbers.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

|footnote = Note: {{#tag:ref|Prior to 1911 Indian Moors were included with [[Sri Lankan Moors]]. After 1971 they were included with Others.|group="N"}}<br>Source:Data is based on [[Sri Lankan Government]] Census.<ref name=pop>{{cite web|title=Population by ethnic group, census years|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract%202013/CHAP2/2.10.pdf|website=web|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|accessdateaccess-date=2 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808035544/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract%202013/CHAP2/2.10.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2014}}</ref>

The Indian Moors was a collective of ethnic groups, identified by their Islamic faith and similar geographic origin. The Largest of those groups being [[Tamil people|Tamils]] from [[South India]]. Others included the [[Memons in Sri Lanka|Memons]], originally from [[Sind]] (in modern [[Pakistan]]), who first arrived in 1870; in the 1980s they numbered only about 3,000. The [[Bohra]]{{disambiguation needed|date=September 2014}} and the [[Khoja]] came from [[Gujarat]], [[India]] after 1880; in the 1980s they collectively numbered fewer than 2,000.<ref name="Country Studies" />

Indian Moors are predominantly followers of [[Islam]], hence their cultural identity being defined by their religion. Most Indian Moor groups follow [[Sunni Islam]], with the exception of the [[BohrasSuleimani Bohra|Bohra]]s, who are Shiites.<ref name=everyculture />