The Malkana are a Muslim ethnic group found in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of India.[1]
History and origin
In Agra District, the Malkana claimed descent from a number of Hindu castes. Those of Kiraoli, where they occupy five villages, claim descent from a Jat.[2]
In Bihar, the Malkana are mainly concentrated in the erstwhile Shahabad district.[1] In 1923, there were a recorded 1300 Malkanas in Shahabad alone. They adopted Islam due to Sufi saints. Because of being plundered by foreign invaders they adopted Islam [citation needed]. Arya Samaj Swami Shraddhanand's Shuddhi movement aimed at converting them to Hinduism, which led to Abdul Rashid, who shot him death in Delhi.[3][1] Many Muslim leaders attempted to counter this leading to religious tensions in Shahabad, Gaya and Munger.[1]
There were splits in the community, with many members of the community converted to Hinduism in the early part of the 20th century, during the course of the shuddhi movement. The shuddhi campaign among the Malkanas, was launched in early 1923 and led by the Arya Samaj under Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. This re-conversion campaign reached its peak by the end of 1927, by which time some 1,63,000 Malkana Muslims are said to have been brought into the Hindu fold.[4]