The Chhimba Darzi are a Muslim community, found in the province Punjab, Pakistan. Darzi means tailor in Urdu. They are also known as Idrisi or Idrisi Shaikh.
Contents
History and origin
The Chhimba Darzi, are said to be Muslim converts from the Hindu Chhimba caste, and have several territorial divisions. These include the Sirhindi, Deswal and Multani. The Punjabi Darzi are almost entirely Sunni.
The word Darzi literally means tailor in the Urdu language. It is said to be derived fromj the Persian word darzan, which means to sew. They claim descent from Idris, (Enoch) one of the biblical prophets. According to their traditions, Idris was the first person to learn the art of sewing. They are said to have settled in South Asia during the early period of the Sultanate of Delhi. According to other traditions, the Chhimba Darzi are Rajputs who converted to Islam, and took up the occupation of tailoring. The Chhimba Darzi have two sub-divisions, based on sectarian affiliation, the Shia and Sunni. They speak various dialects of Punjabi depending on the region they reside in.
Present circumstances
In Punjab, the Chhimba Darzi are immigrants from East Punjab. Many in that rural area own agricultural land and have taken to cultivation, while those in urban areas have opened up small businesses. The Chhimba Darzi belong to the Muslim Rajput community. They are entirely Sunni, and many belong to the orthodox Deobandi sect. A significant number of Chhimba Darzi are now found in the city of Manchester in the United Kingdom.And many Chihiba Darzi are Hindus mostly in Indian Punjab Haryana Himachal.