Jump to content

Draft:Mumbai

Add links
From wikishia
Mumbai
Iranian Mosque of Mumbai (Mogul Masjid)
Iranian Mosque of Mumbai (Mogul Masjid)
Coordinate24°30′13″N 39°36′43″E / 24.50361°N 39.61194°E / 24.50361; 39.61194
CountryIndia
ProvinceMaharashtra
Total populationAbout 25 million
Muslim populationAbout 4 million
Shi'a populationAbout 500,000
Old nameBombay
Historical placesGateway of India
Places
ShrinesHaji Ali Dargah ● Mausoleum of Taher Saifuddin
GraveyardsRahmatabad Cemetery
MosquesIranian Mosque
HusayniyyasImambara of Shushtaris ● Imambara of Amin al-Tujjar
Famous people
ReligiousHindu ● Muslim ● Zoroastrian ● Jewish ● Buddhist


Mumbai or Bombay is one of the important and populous cities of India, where the majority of inhabitants follow Hinduism. However, this city is one of the largest centers of Muslim concentration in India, and a significant population of Shias also lives there. Among the Shias of Mumbai, groups such as the Bohras, Twelver Khojas, and Shia Mughals are considered the most well-known religious communities, each playing an important role in the religious and social life of the city.

In recent centuries, a number of Shia scholars and missionaries, including Abu al-Qasim Najafi Kashani, Haji Naji, and Mulla Qadir Husayn, have played an effective role in the expansion, organization, and strengthening of Shia institutions in Mumbai. The formation of cohesive Shia congregations, the establishment of Imambaras, and the holding of regular religious rituals were consequences of the activities of these figures.

Mumbai also houses religious and cultural places and institutions related to Shi'ism, including the Iranian Mosque, the Mausoleum of Abu Muhammad Taher Saifuddin, and the Rahmatabad Cemetery. Furthermore, the existence of libraries and active institutions in the field of Islamic and Shia studies, such as the library of the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute and the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, as well as the city's historical role in the printing and publication of Persian books and Shia works, have highlighted Mumbai's position as one of the important cultural and religious centers of Shi'ism in the Indian Subcontinent.

Introduction and Status

Mumbai (Bombay) is one of the important and populous cities of India and is considered one of the main centers of Muslim concentration in this country.[1] According to estimates, the Muslim population of this city is reported to be about four million, of which nearly 500,000 are Twelver Shias and about 200,000 are Ismaili Shias.[2]

Historical reports indicate that the presence of Muslims on the western coasts of India, including the area where the current city of Mumbai was formed, dates back to at least the early Islamic centuries.[3] In ancient Islamic sources, an independent name for the city of Mumbai is not seen, but the Konkan region is mentioned, along the coast of which this city emerged.[4]

In the late 12th century AH (18th century AD), a group of Iranians migrated to India and settled in parts of Mumbai, including an area known as Dongri.[5] Future generations of these immigrants, who became known as "Mughals" in local sources, gradually formed one of the well-known Twelver Shia groups in Mumbai and played a role in shaping the Shia religious structure of this city.[6]

Population

According to some estimates, the population of Mumbai was reported to be about 25 million by 2023.[7] The majority of the city's residents are followers of Hinduism; however, numerous religious minorities including Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists also live there.[8] The Zoroastrian population of Mumbai is reported to be higher than any other city in the world.[9]

Location

Mumbai is located in western India on the coast of the Indian Ocean and is the capital of the state of Maharashtra. This city has long been one of India's important commercial ports and has gradually become an industrial and cultural center.[10]

The name of this city was established as "Bombay" during the British colonial period. After India's independence, discussions about changing the city's name intensified with the aim of emphasizing indigenous identity and the Marathi language and removing colonial legacies. In this vein, the government of Maharashtra state changed the official name of the city to "Mumbai" in 1995; a name derived from the local goddess "Mumba Devi," which was common among indigenous residents even before the colonial period.[11][12]

Template:Shia Cities of India

Shias of Mumbai

In the city of Mumbai, groups of Shias live alongside other Muslims. Historical and social sources have reported the presence of Shias in this city in the form of several religious and ethnic groups, some belonging to the Twelver Shia branch and others to Ismaili branches.[13][14]

Among the Shia groups residing in Mumbai, the following can be mentioned:

  • Bohras: Who are considered a branch of Musta'li Isma'ilism. This group, also known in sources as "Dawoodi Bohras," is considered one of the organized Shia communities in Mumbai. Their community center is located in this city, and the religious leader of this group (Da'i al-Mutlaq) also resides in Mumbai.[15][16]
  • Khojas: A portion of whom separated from Ismailism in the 19th century and converted to Twelver Shi'ism. This group, which has roots in the Gujarat regions, settled in cities like Mumbai and is mentioned in sources as one of the Shia groups of this city.[17][18]
  • Sayyids: Who consider themselves descendants of the Prophet of Islam (s) and are present in Mumbai. Sources have divided the Sayyids of this city into Sunni and Shia groups and have reported the presence of Shia Sayyids among the Muslim population of Mumbai.[19]
  • Mughals: Most of whom are introduced as Shia in sources. This group, having roots in Iranian and Central Asian migrations, is listed among the Shia groups residing in Mumbai, and their presence is particularly reported in the older parts of the city.[20][21]
  • Konkanis: Who are considered descendants of Muslim merchant seafarers on the Konkan coast. Sources mention the presence of a segment of this group among the Shias of Mumbai.[22]

According to reports, these Shia groups have resided in neighborhoods of Mumbai, especially in older areas, and are recognized as part of the religious composition of Mumbai's Muslim population.[23]

Shia Personalities

Abu al-Qasim Najafi Kashani

Main article: Abu al-Qasim Najafi Kashani

Abu al-Qasim Najafi Kashani (d. 1310 Sh/1931) migrated from Iran to Mumbai in the late 1880s with the aim of spreading Twelver Shi'ism. Supported by some Iranian merchants and through connections with Twelver Khojas, he held Friday Prayer in this city for the first time and engaged in propagating Shi'ism among the Aga Khani Khojas.[24]

Based on reports, as a result of his activities, a number of Ismaili Khojas converted to the Twelver denomination, and a mosque specifically for Shias was built in the Dongri area of Mumbai.[25] Also, from the time of Najafi Kashani's presence, instead of Mumbai Shias imitating Maraji' in Iran, Mujtahids were sent from Najaf and Qom to this city to attend to the religious affairs of the two main Shia groups, namely the Mughals and the Twelver Khojas.[26]

Mulla Qadir Husayn

Main article: Mulla Qadir Husayn

Mulla Qadir Husayn (died in the 1890s) played a role in consolidating the Twelver Shia Khoja community and spreading Shi'ism among them.[27] He engaged in holding Congregational Prayer, teaching religious knowledge, and answering theological questions in this city.[28]

Ghulam Ali Haji Ismail

Main article: Haji Naji

According to Hawzah News Agency, Ghulam Ali Haji Ismail, known as Haji Naji, authored a translation and commentary of the Quran in the Gujarati language in 1321 AH/1282 Sh. To facilitate the understanding of religious texts for Gujarati-speaking Shias, he used Gujarati equivalents for Arabic terms so that reading the Quran, supplications, and Ziyarahs would become easier.[29] In 1312 AH, with the cooperation of some companions, he also founded an assembly titled "Majlis-e-Hussaini" with the aim of holding mourning ceremonies for Imam al-Husayn (a).[30]

Dewji Jamal

Main article: Dewji Jamal

Dewji Jamal was a leader of the Shia community who, by defying the order of Aga Khan I, played a role in the formation of the Twelver Shia Khoja community in the Kutch and Kathiawar regions of Mumbai and Karachi.

Haji Dawood Habib (d. 1950), founder of the Islamic Service Center and Quran Society in Mumbai,[31] and Khalfan Rastani[32] were other influential Shias of this city.

Shia Rituals

In Mumbai, Imambaras affiliated with Iranians residing in India, including the Imambaras of Amin al-Tujjar Shirazi, Shushtaris, and Yazdis, are active during the mourning days of Imam al-Husayn (a). In these places, mourning ceremonies, chest-beating, and other Husayni mourning rituals are held.[33] Based on historical and ethnographic reports, these rituals have been held regularly in Shia neighborhoods of Mumbai since the late 19th century and have become one of the prominent manifestations of Shia social presence in this city.[34]


In these ceremonies, mourners—both Shia and Sunni—carry symbolic replicas of the Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a), known in the subcontinent as "Ta'ziya" or "Taziya," along with Alams and Panja (symbol of the Five Holy Ones) through the city streets. This form of Ashura rituals is considered a common feature of Shia mourning in India and is described as a manifestation of Shia ritual culture in Mumbai.[35] Shias of Iranian descent in Mumbai also engage in Marsiya recitation, Nawha reading, chest-beating, and Zanjir-beating; these rituals are held with a large attendance of mourners, especially in the first ten days of Muharram.[36]

Furthermore, in the streets and neighborhoods leading to the Iranian Mosque and other Shia areas of Mumbai and its suburbs, Mawkibs and Azakhanas (mourning houses) are set up to hold mourning ceremonies. These activities include religious lectures, cooking Nazri (votive food), and serving the mourners.[37] Urdu sources also mention the role of these Azakhanas and mourning gatherings in preserving the religious identity of Mumbai Shias and transmitting Ashura traditions to future generations.[38]

Indigenized Shia Rituals in Mumbai

Ashura mourning procession in Mumbai (Circa 1880). A Taziya is visible on the right side of the image.

Shia rituals in Mumbai, in addition to sharing general Shia mourning traditions, possess indigenous and regional characteristics formed within the cultural, linguistic, and social context of western India. Researchers consider these rituals an example of the "indigenization of Ashura rites" in the Indian subcontinent, where Shia ritual elements have merged with local cultural patterns.[39]

One of the most distinct ritual manifestations of Shi'ism in Mumbai is the holding of the "Ta'ziya" ceremony in its Indian sense. In this usage, Ta'ziya refers to models and symbols made of the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a), which are carried in mourning processions during Muharram and especially on the days of Tasu'a and Ashura. These Taziyas, usually made of wood, bamboo, paper, and sometimes metal, are ritually buried in places called "Karbala" after the ceremony ends. This meaning of Ta'ziya differs from the theatrical Ta'ziya common in Iran and is considered a specific feature of subcontinent Shia rituals.[40]

Another characteristic of Mumbai's Shia rituals is interfaith participation in Ashura ceremonies. In many processions and mourning gatherings, in addition to Shias, groups of Sunnis and sometimes followers of other religions are present. This ritual coexistence, described as one of the characteristics of Muharram mourning in India, has strengthened the social position of Shia rituals in the public space of Mumbai.[41]

Imambaras in Mumbai often possess distinct ethnic and migratory identities; such as Imambaras affiliated with Shushtaris, Yazdis, and Shirazis. In addition to their religious function, these Imambaras act as centers of collective identity for Iranian immigrant Shias and Twelver Khojas, each having a specific style of Nawha reading, Marsiya recitation, and ceremony conduct.[42]

Shia Printing and Publishing in Mumbai

From the late 19th century and especially in the 20th century, Mumbai became one of the important centers for the printing and publication of Shia religious works in the Indian Ocean region. According to Shireen Mirza, networks of Twelver Shias that linked Mumbai to cities like Hyderabad, Shia scholarly centers in Iraq, and Shia communities in East Africa used printing technology to produce and distribute religious books and periodicals. As a result of these connections, Mumbai became a main base for the publication of Twelver Shia texts in this geographical expanse.[43]

In this process, language played an important role in expanding the audience range of Shia works. According to Mirza's report, Shia texts and publications in Mumbai were published in various languages to cover the needs of diverse Shia communities. The Gujarati language, common among Twelver Khojas, held a special place in the publication of periodicals and religious books. Alongside it, Shia works were printed and distributed in English for transnational audiences and immigrant communities, and in Swahili for East African Shias. Furthermore, the translation and republication of Shia texts from Arabic, Persian, and Urdu was common, indicating Mumbai's connection with Shia scholarly traditions in Iran and Iraq and the religious atmosphere of the Indian subcontinent.[44]

According to Mirza, this linguistic diversity and geographical scope of publication caused Shia religious and educational texts to circulate beyond the local environment, forming a transnational print-based space in which Twelver Shia teachings and identity were reproduced and re-read in different cultural contexts.[45]

Notes

  1. ↑ Izadi, "Research and Article about Mumbai", Gemnama.
  2. ↑ Izadi, "Research and Article about Mumbai", Gemnama.
  3. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, p. 354.
  4. ↑ Samii, "Bombay", p. 556.
  5. ↑ Izadi, "Research and Article about Mumbai", Gemnama.
  6. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, pp. 355–356.
  7. ↑ "Which are the most populous cities in Asia?", Rooziato.
  8. ↑ "Familiarity with Dawoodi Bohra Shias", Hawzah News Agency.
  9. ↑ Mohiuddin and Poonawala, "Iranians of Mumbai", p. 205.
  10. ↑ Mohammadi, "Mumbai City", p. 204.
  11. ↑ Gupta, Charu. “Politics of Naming: Bombay to Mumbai.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 32, no. 44, 1997, pp. 2869–2872.
  12. ↑ Kidambi, Prashant. The Making of an Indian Metropolis: Colonial Governance and Public Culture in Bombay, 1890–1920. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007, p. 3.
  13. ↑ Samii, "Bombay", p. 557.
  14. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, pp. 354–356.
  15. ↑ "Familiarity with Dawoodi Bohra Shias", Hawzah News Agency.
  16. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, pp. 372–374.
  17. ↑ Samii, "Bombay", p. 557.
  18. ↑ Jones, Justin. Shiʿa Islam in Colonial India: Religion, Community and Sectarianism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 143–146.
  19. ↑ Samii, "Bombay", p. 557.
  20. ↑ Samii, "Bombay", p. 557.
  21. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, pp. 355–356.
  22. ↑ Samii, "Bombay", p. 557.
  23. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, p. 356.
  24. ↑ "Twelver Khoja Shias: A Successful Model of a Dynamic and Cohesive Religious Minority", Journal of Shia Studies.
  25. ↑ Mohiuddin and Poonawala, "Iranians of Mumbai", p. 207.
  26. ↑ Mohiuddin and Poonawala, "Iranians of Mumbai", p. 207.
  27. ↑ Arab Ahmadi, *Twelver Khoja Shias in the World Scope*, 1389 Sh, p. 340.
  28. ↑ Arab Ahmadi, *Twelver Khoja Shias in the World Scope*, 1389 Sh, p. 19.
  29. ↑ "Mawlana Haji Ghulam Ali Naji, Religious Reformer and Pioneer of Shia Cultural Writing in Gujarat", Official Hawzah News Agency.
  30. ↑ Roghani, *Khoja Shias in the Mirror of History*, 1387 Sh, p. 136.
  31. ↑ Roghani, *Khoja Shias in the Mirror of History*, 1387 Sh, p. 144.
  32. ↑ Roghani, *Khoja Shias in the Mirror of History*, p. 66.
  33. ↑ "Setting up Husayni Mourning Tents in 100 Religious Bodies in Mumbai, India", ABNA.
  34. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shi‘a of India. London: Luzac, 1953, pp. 356–358.
  35. ↑ Jones, Justin. “Shi‘a Islam in Colonial India.” Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 171–173.
  36. ↑ Mohiuddin and Poonawala, "Iranians of Mumbai", p. 208.
  37. ↑ "Mourning Ceremony for the Master of Martyrs Held in the Iranian Assembly of Mumbai", IRNA.
  38. ↑ Rizvi, Syed Ali. “Tradition of Azadari-e-Husain in Mumbai”, *Shia Studies Journal* (Urdu), Delhi, 2015.
  39. ↑ Jones, Justin. Shiʿa Islam in Colonial India: Religion, Community and Sectarianism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 168–175.
  40. ↑ Hollister, John Norman. The Shiʿa of India. London: Luzac, 1953, pp. 356–358.
  41. ↑ Metcalf, Barbara D. “Islam in South Asia in Practice.” Princeton University Press, 2009, pp. 238–240.
  42. ↑ Mohiuddin and Poonawala, "Iranians of Mumbai", p. 208.
  43. ↑ Mirza, Shireen. “Travelling Leaders and Connecting Print Cultures: Two Conceptions of Twelver Shiʿi Reformism in the Indian Ocean.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 24, no. 3, 2014, pp. 455–475.
  44. ↑ Mirza, Shireen. “Travelling Leaders and Connecting Print Cultures: Two Conceptions of Twelver Shiʿi Reformism in the Indian Ocean.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 24, no. 3, 2014, pp. 455–475.
  45. ↑ Mirza, Shireen. “Travelling Leaders and Connecting Print Cultures: Two Conceptions of Twelver Shiʿi Reformism in the Indian Ocean.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 24, no. 3, 2014, pp. 455–475.

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Mumbai&oldid=201503"