The Mughal people or Mughals are a Muslim ethnic group in South Asia, primarily in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. They are descended from the Mongolic-origin Barlas tribe and historically settled in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal Empire and mixed with the native Indian population.

Etymology

The term Mughal literally means Mongol.

History

Pakistan

In Pakistan, Mughal people are mostly settled in the region of Azad Kashmir, and in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[page needed] In India, the Mughals commonly use "Mirza" as their surname. They are also sometimes referred to as Chughtais or Chagatai Turks named after Chagatai Turkic language spoken by the Barlas and other Central Asian tribes.[citation needed]

India

In Uttar Pradesh, the Sambhal, who claim Turkic descent, identify as a Biradari, literally translating to "brotherhood", which is the word used for a social unit based on kinship such as tribe or clan. The chief of the Biradari is the Sardar, who is usually an elder man annually elected as the greatest man in the Biradari. Decisions on important matters are taken only after consulting the Biradari, and once taken binding on every member. In Gujarat, the community had traditionally served as soldiers in the armies of the various Indo-Muslim dynasties which ruled the Indian subcontinent. They were and still are a community of small to medium-sized farmers. A good many are also traders. Like other Gujarati Muslims, they have a caste association known as the Jamat, which acts both as a welfare organisation and an instrument of social control. In North India, the term Mughal refers as Gürkani or Timurids.

See also