Casteism among Indian Muslims

The Indian public sphere has witnessed a gradual increase in discussions on caste among Muslims over the past two decades. It is important to understand the social structures of Indian Muslims in order to ascertain their political behaviour. Casteism among Muslims raises the question of whether it is exclusive to Hinduism or not. This question has cultural and structural dimensions. First, the institution of caste is fundamental to Hinduism. Second, anthropologists describe caste in structural terms that apply to relations between two and more groups in various religions and communities by birth.

Islamic society is built on the principle of equality (Masawat). But Indian Muslims have a social structure that is nearly identical to that of Hindu society’s caste system. K M Ashraf has written that “with the adoption of Islam, an average Muslim could not change his old environment, which was deeply affected by caste discrimination and general social exclusion.” As a result, Indian Islam gradually began to assimilate the casteist elements found in Hindu society.