Muslim Khatris


Khatri, originally a warrior community, later transitioned itself to the trading profession. They derive their values in keeping their words at any cost. The community is scattered through out Punjab and Kutch region, and found both as nucleated and extended family. They had monopoly of trade in Bharatvarsha.

Nomenclature

Due to similarity in the names, the community had been misidentified with Kshatriya community. However, with the passage of time the boundary between the two communities got dissolved, and both names began to be referred to a single community.

History

Exact roots of the community is not known till date, but tangible evidences suggest that the community was resent during Mughal Era. On the other hand, intangible evidences date back their presence even during Delhi Sultanate. They were frequent travelers of Middle East, and having impressed by the high spirit of Islam, they adopted the religion.

Saudagaran-e-Delhi

In addition, the Punjabi Saudagaran-e-Delhi community are also of Khatri ancestry. Historically, this community lived in Delhi, and other North Indian towns, but after the Partition of India, a lot of these people moved to Pakistan. In Pakistan also, the Muslim Khatris are engaged in various occupations.