The Kokani Muslims

The Kokani Muslims: Mausim's Children fills a void: that of the unexplored world of a littoral community, the Kokani Muslims. A multiracial, multi-ethnic community, their story begins 1,300 years ago when Arab and Persian merchants riding the mausim (monsoon) came to the Konkan to trade and returned with the onset of the reverse monsoon winds. Welcomed by the rulers of the region, the traders were permitted to settle and they lived in peaceful coexistence with the locals. Facing persecution from 699 CE, Arab and Persians sought refuge in trader-settlements in the Konkan. Both traders and refugees assimilated with the people of the land, bringing into existence the Kokani Muslims. The community grew when locals embraced their faith and when Muslim migrants from Gujarat, the Deccan and Uttar Pradesh of India and from Africa joined the fold. This melange of populations brought about a composite culture which shines through in the houses, attire, cuisine, life-cycle rituals and traditions of the Kokani Muslims. The authors present in this book short biographies of men and women of the community who have set themselves apart from others by their enterprise, ingenuity and perseverance. Today, the community of about a quarter of a million people is spread across the globe, with the majority in India.