Moria people

Maria Muslims (also spelled Moriya or Moria Muslims) are an indigenous Muslim community of Assam in northeast India, traditionally associated with brass and bell-metal metalworking.They are considered part of the Assamese-speaking Muslim population rather than Bengali-origin migrant Muslims. Historically, the Maria (Moriya) are believed to descend from Mughal Muslim soldiers who settled in Assam after the Ahom–Mughal conflicts of the early 16th century. According to ethnographic studies, these Muslim soldiers were captives from the 1532 invasion led by Turbak Khan; after being defeated by the Ahoms, they remained in Assam and became metalworkers, eventually being known as "Moriyas".

Etymology

The term Moriya (also spelled Maria or Moria) is believed to derive from the Assamese word moriyā (Assamese: মৰিয়া) which meaning "one who hammers or beats metal", reflecting the community’s historical occupation as brass and bell-metal workers. The root mor or mar in Assamese implies striking or shaping metal objects, and the term gradually became a community label. Though the name sounds similar to "Miya", which denotes Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam, the Maria/Moriya are culturally and linguistically distinct.

Historical origins

The Moriyas are traditionally believed to be descendants of Mughal Muslim prisoners of war taken by the Ahoms after General Turbak Khan's invasion in 1532. These captives settled permanently in Assam and took up the trade of brass and bell-metal craft.

By the late 19th century, Moriyas were recognized in the Census of India as a distinct low-status Muslim group. The 1891 and 1901 censuses listed "Moriya Musalmans" separately in the Assamese Muslim population.