Dafali

The Dafali are a Muslim community found in India with the majority being in the state of Uttar Pradesh surname Masoodi^{[clarification needed]}. They are categorized as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in Uttar Pradesh. Dafali are also found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

They are Dalit Muslims; along with other Dalit Muslim communities, they are called Arjal or Arzal. They are categorized as an EBC (Economically Backward Class) in Bihar.

Origin

The Dafali are found throughout the country, including in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, but live primarily in Uttar Pradesh. In the west of the state, they are concentrated in the Pilibhit, Rampur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Badauon, Saharanpur, Kanpur and Bareilly districts, where the community speaks Khari boli. In Awadh, they are found mainly in the districts of Lucknow, Bahraich, Balrampur, Gonda, Shravasti, Sitapur, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, and Jaunpur, where they are known as Hashmi and speak Awadhi and their tribal language, Madaah.

References

↑ "National Commission for Backward Classes: Bihar" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
↑ Choudhary, Kushal (3 April 2021). "How the Halalkhor Community Fights Untouchability and Exclusion". NewsClick. Retrieved 9 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
↑ "Pasmanda outfit cites Bihar OBC, EBC list to demand caste census for Muslims". The Indian Express. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
↑ "Draft list of Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes and Semi-Nomadic Tribes of India" (PDF). Government of India.
↑ Singh, K. S. (2005). Hasan, A; Das, J C (eds.). People of India: Volume XLII: Uttar Pradesh (in 3 Parts). Anthropological Survey of India. Manohar Publications. pp. 398–402. ISBN 978-81-7304-114-3.

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[1] "National Commission for Backward Classes: Bihar" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2015.

[2] Choudhary, Kushal (3 April 2021). "How the Halalkhor Community Fights Untouchability and Exclusion". NewsClick. Retrieved 9 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[3] "Pasmanda outfit cites Bihar OBC, EBC list to demand caste census for Muslims". The Indian Express. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2026.

[4] "Draft list of Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes and Semi-Nomadic Tribes of India" (PDF). Government of India.

[5] Singh, K. S. (2005). Hasan, A; Das, J C (eds.). People of India: Volume XLII: Uttar Pradesh (in 3 Parts). Anthropological Survey of India. Manohar Publications. pp. 398–402. ISBN 978-81-7304-114-3.