Mallaah

The Mallah (or Nishad) are the traditional boatmen caste and ethnic group of North India, East India and Pakistan. A small number of Mallah are also found in Nepal.

The word mallaah is said to come from an Arabic word which means a motion of moving like bird’s wing. In Bengali the words majhi and mallah usually go together and refer to communities affiliated with the river and sea. Those of India are largely Hindu, with a small Muslim minority, while those of Pakistan are Muslim. Phoolan Devi, the controversial dacoit and politician belonged to the Mallah community.

Nishad may refer to:

In North India

The community is found along the banks of the Yamuna and Ganges rivers of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Most Mallah groups trace their descent from the ancient Nishada tribe, mentioned in the Mahabharata. They are related to the Kewat community, who form the bulk of the boatmen class of North India. Other Mallah sub-groups include the Bind, the Goriya, the Chai, Tiar and Dhimar tribes. All of these groups of Hindu Mallaah are endogamous. Among the Muslim Mallaah, the Chaudriya are largest sub-group, followed by the Jarya. The Muslim Mallaah are found mainly in western Uttar Pradesh. Many Mallaah are now cultivators, with a few now have also taken to other occupations. In Uttar Pradesh, they speak Khari boli, Awadhi and Hindi.The majority of the community are Hindu, although there are a small number of Muslim Mallah.