Odia Muslims are a community of people hailing from the Indian state of
Odisha who follow Islam. They mostly descend from
indigenous converts to Islam along with a small proportion that migrated from
northern India.
History
It is impossible to state with any certainty when Islam first arrived in Odisha. It is believed that the first significant Islamic presence dates from the invasion of the Bengal general,
Kalapahad. Commanding the army of Sultan
Sulaiman Khan Karrani, the
Sultan of Bengal, Kalapahad defeated Raja Mukund Deva of
Cuttack in 1568 CE.[1]
Karrani brought with him Muslim soldiers who settled down in Odisha, however their number was very few.[citation needed] Later migration continued under
Mughal as well as the
Nawab of Bengal's rule. The majority of these were traders or clergy, sent to preside over the courts, both secular and Islamic.[2]
Demographics
Islam has had a very slow rate of growth in Odisha even during the
Muslim rule as there had never been any major Muslim
missionary work. The current population of Muslims in Odisha is 911,670 (2011 census), roughly 2.2% of the total population. The city of Bhadrak has the maximum number of Muslims as a percentage of the total population (about 35%).[3]
Farhat Amin (born 1967), journalist and social activist
References
^History of Modern Orissa: 1936-2000 page:5 by Kartik Chandra Rout, Published by Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 2004,
ISBN81-261-2006-1,
ISBN978-81-261-2006-2