Ansari

The Ansaris trace their history back to the Hijri, when the Prophet Mohammed migrated from Mecca to Medina. Ansari literally means ‘supporter’ and, as the name suggests, they helped the Prophet during his travels. Also known as Momins in Maharashtra, Ansaris are found throughout South Asia, especially northern and western India (with Varanasi as their centre), Sindh in Pakistan and the Terai in Nepal. Although the Ansaris are primarily an Urdu-speaking community, these craftsmen also speak the local dialects or a mixture of the two—for instance, the Ansaris in Rajasthan speak Madri, a curious mix of Urdu and Hindi.

Primarily an urban community today, most Ansaris are politically active in Bihar and enjoy great social and financial mobility. On the other hand, many still work as unskilled labour, manufacturing bidis for a living. In Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, they are engaged in weaving gold and silver zari. They also excel in weaving the famous Banarasi brocade and have been given Geographical Indicator (GI) rights to safeguard their interests.