Impact of Education Led Economic Mobility on Caste Behaviour among Muslims

Abstract

It has been established that Sunni Muslims in India are divided into three major social groups – Ashraf (noble), Ajlaf (uncivil), and Arzal (impure). This paper has explored the dynamic social relationship between these caste groups in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. It has been identified that education acts as a means/tool for this dynamism. The paper has explored the empowering role of education in mitigating caste prejudice. Education has pushed members of marginalized Arzal castes, such as Halalkhor, toward economic upward mobility and increased their social acceptance among the community. The family of the Halalkhor caste recalls the behavioural change among castes belonging to the upper and backward categories, especially Ansaris. It also deals with the question of the ‘degree of untouchability’ among Muslims, the most intriguing question persistently lingers in the mind of a scholar. At last, paper concludes that although education has a positive role in the social acceptability of Halalkhor, it does not omit caste practices.