The Momin Ansari[1] (Urdu: مومن أنصاري) or Saudagar are a Muslim community of merchants found mainly in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. The literal meaning of Ansar is "supporter" in Arabic.[citation needed]
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Pakistan • India • Nepal | |
| Languages | |
| Urdu • Punjabi and Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Momin/Ansari |
In North India, the community are known as Ansari or Shaikh while in Maharashtra the community are known as Momin or Saudagar.[citation needed]
Although the community can be found throughout the Indian subcontinent, the Varanasi District in Uttar Pradesh is always regarded by most Momin as the centre of their community.[2][3] In that city, the Ansari are said to make up a third of the city's population. Important Ansari neighborhoods in the city include Madanpura, Adampura and Jaitpura.[4][5]
They are against partion of India.[6] They are listed in OBC list of Haryana.[7]
References
edit- ^ Kumar, Nita (2017-03-14). The Artisans of Banaras: Popular Culture and Identity, 1880-1986. Princeton University Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4008-8699-9.
- ^ Raman, Vasanthi (2012-08-21). The Warp and the Weft: Community and Gender Identity Among the Weavers of Banaras. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-51800-3.
- ^ Shirazi, Faegheh (2023-04-06). Islamicate Textiles: Fashion, Fabric, and Ritual. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-29125-6.
- ^ The Artisans of Benaras Popular Culture and Identity, 1880h-1986 Orient Longman
- ^ Singh, K. S. (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.
- ^ Dixit, Neha (2025-04-24). The Many Lives of Syeda X: A People's History of Invisible India. Footnote Press. ISBN 978-1-80444-228-9.
- ^ "List of Backward Classes | Directorate of Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes, Government of Haryana". haryanascbc.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2025-04-24. Retrieved 2025-08-03.