Saraiki people

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Saraikis
سرائیکی
Total population
26 million[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
 Pakistan19,614,053[1]
 United Kingdom30,000
Languages
Saraiki, Urdu
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam
Minority Hinduism, Christianity and Sikhism

The Saraikis (Saraiki: سرائیکی قوم‎), are an ethnolinguistic group in central and southeastern Pakistan, primarily southern Punjab. Their language is Saraiki.[2] The Saraiki people did not see themselves as a distinct ethnic group until the 1960s.[3] An Islamic identity formed the basis of the majority community's group consciousness for centuries prior to the establishment of Pakistan.[3]

Pakistan has more than sixty spoken languages, with Urdu as the official language, which is understood by 80% of its population. As is the case for all Pakistan’s ethnic groups, the Saraiki people consider their language as a significant part of their identity. Saraiki is an ancient language belonging to the Lahnda branch of Indo-Aryan languages. Along with Punjabi, Saraiki is regarded as one of the regional languages in the country and spoken as the first language in Bahawalpur, Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Bhakkar. It is also spoken as a second language in areas of Northern and Western Sindh, Karachi, and parts of Balochistan.[4]

The Saraiki language also shares a wide range of vocabulary with the Persian language. It was previously called by different regional names but adopted the name Saraiki in 1962 to promote linguistic and cultural awareness among the Saraiki people. Their natural flair for poetry resulted in numerous famous poets and writers belonging to this region who in return contributed towards their recognition. However, many of ancient Saraiki literature are also unreported due to the lack of patronage, although an increase of Saraiki publications has been recorded in recent decades.[4]

Saraiki people are popular for its Sufi poetry and among the most celebrated poets are Khwaja Ghulam Farid, Sachal Sarmast, Shakir Shuja Abadi, and philosopher Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.[4]

Multan - Spiritual Home of Saraiki Speakers

The Saraiki people follow many religions, though most are predominantly followers of Islam. A small minority of Saraikis follow Hinduism, Christianity and Sikhism. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947,[5] many Hindus and Sikhs migrated [6] to India where they are known as Multanis, Derawalis and Bhawalpuris.[7]

Due to many Baloch and Sindhis adhering to their age-old customs, in turn, Saraiki culture is also seen as consisting of Neeli Ajrak (Blue Ajrak), and Jhumar danceform (also performed in Punjab).[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Saraiki". Ethnologue.
  2. ^ Minahan, James (2012). Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 283. ISBN 9781598846591.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Minahan, James (2012). Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598846591.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Saraiki People of Pakistan". Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  5. ^ Aslam Rasoolpuri, Siraiki Qumi Sawal https://www.scribd.com/Rasoolpuri/documents
  6. ^ Dalrymple, William. "The Mutual Genocide of Indian Partition". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
  7. ^ Bhatia, Tej K.; Ritchie, William C. (2008-04-15). The Handbook of Bilingualism. John Wiley & Sons. p. 803. ISBN 9780470756744.
  8. ^ "Jhumar Dance - Folk Dance Performed on Marriage Ceremonies by Men". web.archive.org. 2015-08-29. Retrieved 2020-12-24.

External links[]


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