Bohras and Khojas
Also called: Dawoodi Bohras · Topic: India, a Home to Many: Diasporas and Refuge · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Bohras and Khojas are Muslim trading communities, found mainly in Gujarat and western India. Both follow Ismaili Shia traditions. Ismailis are a branch of Shia Islam. The Bohras trace their faith to missionaries who came from Yemen from about the 11th century. The Khojas trace theirs to preachers of the Nizari Ismaili branch, who converted many local trading families. They show how Islam spread along the western coast through trade and preaching, not conquest.
Example
The Dawoodi Bohras are the largest Bohra group. They have strong business networks in Gujarat and Mumbai. Many Khojas follow the Aga Khan as their spiritual head.
Don't confuse with
- Mappila: they are a Muslim community of Kerala, formed largely by Arab traders who married local women, and they are mostly Sunni. The Bohras and Khojas are Gujarati and Ismaili Shia.