Kashmiri Muslims

Kashmiri Muslims are an Islamic people currently living in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir or those originally with Kashmiri kinship and descent living in Pakistan.

Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris originating from the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir or the erstwhile state of Kashmir . Presently Kashmiri Muslim population is predominalty found in Kashmir valley as well as significant population of Kashmiri origin in Chenab region of Jammu with Kashmiri language being the main language in both these regions. Smaller Kashmiri communities also live in other regions of the Jammu and Kashmir state. Muslims of Kashmiri origin are also found in the upper region of Pakistani Punjab since their settlement there many generations back. This article does not include other ethnic groups of Kashmir such as the Pothwari/Pahari, Gilgiti, Balti or Ladakhi Muslims who have their own distinct identities. Kashmiri language , or Kashur, belongs to the Dardic group and is the only Dardic language which has ancient script and is widely spoken.

Kashmiri Muslims are natives to the Kashmir Valley . The majority of Kashmiri Muslims are Sunni. They refer to themselves as "Koshur" in their mother language. Presently, the Kashmiri Muslim population is predominantly found in Kashmir Valley . Smaller Kashmiri communities also live in other regions of the Jammu and Kashmir state. One significant population of Kashmiris is in the Chenab valley region, which comprises the Doda , Ramban and Kishtwar districts of Jammu . There are also ethnic Kashmiri populations inhabiting Neelam Valley and Leepa Valley of Azad Kashmir . Since 1947, many ethnic Kashmiri Muslims also live in Pakistan . Many ethnic Kashmiri Muslims from the Kashmir Valley also migrated to the Punjab region during Dogra and Sikh rule. Kashmiri language , or Kashur, the most widely spoken Dardic language, is the mother tongue of the majority of Kashmiri Muslims. Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris . As in Pakistan, Sunni Muslims comprise the majority population of Kashmir, whereas they are a minority in Jammu, while almost all Muslims in Ladakh are Shias. Census of India, 1941 . The Muslims living in the southern part of the Kashmir Province are of the same stock as the Kashmiri Pandit community and are usually designated Kashmiri Muslims; those of the Muzaffarabad District are partly Kashmiri Muslims, partly Gujjar and the rest are of the same stock as the tribes of the neighboring Punjab and North \Vest Frontier Province districts. : |volume= has extra text ( help ) Kashmiri Pandits: Looking to the Future . The Kashmiri Pandits are the precursors of Kashmiri Muslims who now form a majority in the valley of Kashmir...Whereas Kashmiri Pandits are of the same ethnic stock as the Kashmiri Muslims, both sharing their habitat, language, dress, food and other habits, Kashmiri Pandits form a constituent part of the Hindu society of India on the religious plane. Journal of Human Ecology . Thus the two population groups, Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims though at the time constituted ethnically homogenous population, came to differ from each other in faith and customs. Journal of Human Ecology : 16 . The Sheikhs,but,dar,lone are descendants of Hindus and the pure Kashmiri Muslims, professing Sunni faith, the major part of the population of Srinagar district and the Kashmir state. Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris . Small numbers of ethnic Kashmiris also live in other parts of J&K. There are Kashmiris who live in areas that border the Kashmir Valley, including Kishtwar (Kishtawar), Bhadarwah, Doda and Ramban, in Jammu in Indian J&K, and in the Neelum and Leepa Valleys of northern Azad Kashmir. Since 1947, many ethnic Kashmiris and their descendants also can be found in Pakistan. In the early twentieth century, famine and the policies of the Dogra rulers drove many Kashmiri Muslims to flee their native land and further augment the number of their brethren already resident in the Punjab. Kashmiri Muslims constituted an important segment of the populace in a number of Punjabi cities, especially Sialkot, Lahore, Amritsar and Ludhiana.

Ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam in the Kashmir Valley Ethnic group Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam and are native to the Kashmir Valley of Indian -administered Jammu and Kashmir . The majority of Kashmiri Muslims are Sunni, while Shias form a minority. They refer to themselves as "Koshur" in the Kashmiri language . Presently, the Kashmiri Muslim population is predominantly found in Kashmir Valley. Smaller Kashmiri Muslim communities also live in other regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmiri Muslims are of the same stock as the Kashmiri Hindu community. Both Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims trace their descent patrilineally. Certain property and titles may be inherited through the male line, but certain inheritances may accrue through the female line. After Kashmiri Hindus had converted to Islam they largely retained their family names ( kram ) which indicated their original profession, locality or community. In the Jammu region , sizeable population of Kashmiri Muslims lives in the Doda , Ramban and Kishtwar districts, sometimes collectively referred to as the Chenab valley . There are also ethnic Kashmiri Muslim populations inhabiting Neelum and Leepa Valleys of Pakistani-administrated Kashmir . Since 1947, many ethnic Kashmiri Muslims have also lived in Punjab, Pakistan . Many ethnic Kashmiri Muslims from the Kashmir Valley also migrated to the Punjab region during Dogra and Sikh rule. The Kashmiri language is the mother tongue of majority of Kashmiri Muslims. Kashmiri Muslims represent the majority population in Kashmir Valley, while Kashmiri Hindus represent a small but significant minority community. It has borders with Pakistan and China." Snedden, Christopher (2015). Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris . As in Pakistan, Sunni Muslims comprise the majority population of Kashmir, whereas they are a minority in Jammu, while almost all Muslims in Ladakh are Shias. Census of India, 1941 . The Muslims living in the southern part of the Kashmir Province are of the same stock as the Kashmiri Pandit community and are usually designated Kashmiri Muslims; those of the Muzaffarabad District are partly Kashmiri Muslims, partly Gujjar and the rest are of the same stock as the tribes of the neighboring Punjab and North \Vest Frontier Province districts. Kashmiri Pandits: Looking to the Future . The Kashmiri Pandits are the precursors of Kashmiri Muslims who now form a majority in the valley of Kashmir...Whereas Kashmiri Pandits are of the same ethnic stock as the Kashmiri Muslims, both sharing their habitat, language, dress, food and other habits, Kashmiri Pandits form a constituent part of the Hindu society of India on the religious plane. Journal of Human Ecology . Thus the two population groups, Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims though at the time constituted ethnically homogenous population, came to differ from each other in faith and customs. Journal of Human Ecology : 16 . The Sheikhs,but,dar,lone are descendants of Hindus and the pure Kashmiri Muslims, professing Sunni faith, the major part of the population of Srinagar district and the Kashmir state. Kashmiri Pandits: Looking to the Future . The Kashmiri Pandits are the precursors of Kashmiri Muslims who now form a majority in the valley of Kashmir...Whereas Kashmiri Pandits are of the same ethnic stock as the Kashmiri Muslims, both sharing their habitat, language, dress, food and other habits, Kashmiri Pandits form a constituent part of the Hindu society of India on the religious plane. Journal of Human Ecology . Thus the two population groups, Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims though at the time constituted ethnically homogenous population, came to differ from each other in faith and customs. Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris . Small numbers of ethnic Kashmiris also live in other parts of J&K. There are Kashmiris who live in areas that border the Kashmir Valley, including Kishtwar (Kishtawar), Bhadarwah, Doda and Ramban, in Jammu in Indian J&K, and in the Neelum and Leepa Valleys of northern Azad Kashmir. Since 1947, many ethnic Kashmiris and their descendants also can be found in Pakistan. In the early twentieth century, famine and the policies of the Dogra rulers drove many Kashmiri Muslims to flee their native land and further augment the number of their brethren already resident in the Punjab. Kashmiri Muslims constituted an important segment of the populace in a number of Punjabi cities, especially Sialkot, Lahore, Amritsar and Ludhiana.