Julaha

{{short description|Community in the Indian Sub-Continent}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox Ethnic group | group = Julaha | population = | popplace = {{hlist|Indian subcontinent}} | langs = {{hlist|Hindi|Urdu|Bhojpuri|Punjabi|Haryanvi|Gujarati}} | rels = Hindu, Islam, Sikh | related = Salvi, Panika, Ansari, Devanga, Padmasali (caste), Koshta, Kori, Balai, Meghwal }}

The '''Julaha''' are a community within the Indian subcontinent, which adopted the profession of weaving.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Kalsi |first=Sewa Singh |url=https://crp.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2015/09/kalsi1992.pdf |title=The Evolution of a Sikh Community in Britain: Religious and Social Change Among the Sikhs of Leeds and Bradford |publisher=Community Religions Project Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds |year=1992 |isbn=9781871363036 |pages=99–100 |chapter=4.4 Julaha Sikhs}}</ref> The caste is considered Socially and Educationally Backward. Known under many names, the Julahas have been practising this art for ages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Commission for Backward Classes |url=https://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/addmh2.pdf |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819080257/http://ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/addmh2.pdf |archive-date=19 August 2019 |access-date=10 March 2024 |website=National Commission for Backward Classes }}</ref> Both Hindu and Muslim Julaha (and even Sikh<ref name=":12" />) groups exist.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gottschalk |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fl53OdhuU7YC |title=Beyond Hindu and Muslim: Multiple Identity in Narratives from Village India |date=2005-10-27 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199760527 |language=en}}</ref> For the Julahas who are Sikhs, they are known as Ramdasia Sikhs.<ref name=":12" /> Some Muslim Julaha identify themselves as "Ansaris."<ref>{{cite journal |title= The Identity of Language and the Language of Erasure: Urdu and the Racialized-Decastification of the "Backward Musalmaan" in India |first=Sanober |last=Umar |publisher=Brandeis University |journal=Caste: A Global Journal on Social Exclusion |date=14 February 2020 |volume=1 |issue=1 |doi=10.26812/caste.v1i1.29 |page=187|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Etymology== The term ''Julaha'' may derive from the Persian ''julah'' (ball of thread).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zQRuAAAAMAAJ|title=The scheduled castes|last1=Singh|first1=Kumar Suresh|last2=India|first2=Anthropological Survey of|date=1993-01-01|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=9780195632545|language=en}}</ref>

== Statistics == Although reliable statistics are old, as per survey done in 1990s, the total population of Julahas in India was around 12 million.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}} As per Caste Based Survey of Bihar 2022, the total number of Julahas in Bihar was 4.6 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-07 |title=Bihar caste survey: groups among backwards the new bone of contention |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/bihar-caste-survey-muslim-groups-backwards-contention-8971949/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Prominent Figures == Prominent figures from the weaver community include: * Kabir * Maulana Asim Bihari

== Related groups == Other prominent weaving and handloom communities of the Indian subcontinent include the Salvi, Panika, Ansari, Devanga, Padmasali (caste), Koshta and the Kashmiri Kani weavers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 August 2018 |title=The Handloom communities of India |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/handloom-communities-india-1502670307.html |website=The Statesman}}</ref>

== See also == * Salvi * Panika * Momin Ansari * Devanga * Padmasali (caste) * Koshta * Balai * Meghwal

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Weaving communities of South Asia Category:Indian castes Category:Ethnic groups in India Category:Ethnic groups in Pakistan