Nawayath

The Nawayath (also spelled as Naiti, Navayath and Nawayat) are an Indian community and a subgroup of Konkani Muslims.

Anonymous 16th century Portuguese illustration from the Códice Casanatense, depicting a couple of "naitiás", who were Muslim descendants of West Asians and native Indian (Hindu) women. The inscription reads: "People called naytias, moors".

The Indian historian, Omar Khalidi, says they are one of the three groups of Indian Muslims that have used the Nawayarh name. These groups have common origins in the Arabian Peninsular and the Persian Gulf regions, where they were mariners and merchants. They have been called Nait, Naiti, and Naita. The first group is based mainly in the Hassan, Bhatkal, Tonse, Malpe, Shiroor, Gangolli,Sagar, Kandlur, Murdeshwar -Hassan- Karnataka, while the second group is nowadays found in Chennai, around Royapettah, who have moved from Meenambur, a small village located between Gingee and Villupuram in the Villupuram District in the State of Tamil Nadu. The third group is generally known today as Konkani Muslims, after the region in which they live.[1]

History

Nawayats are migrants predominantly from Yemen and Turkey, who married into another community (Marwari/Gujarathi) who had been converted to Islam more than 1,000 years ago.[2][3]

References
  1. Khalid, Omar (2006). Muslims in the Deccan: A Historical Survey. New Delhi: Global Media Publications. pp. 17–18.
  2. "Don't hold a few bad apples against us, says Bhatkal". Business Standard. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. "How prosperous Bhatkal town earned terror tag". The Times of India. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
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