I am a pass out of Nadwa and a graduate of JNU, My name is Mohsin Atique khan and at home I am called Rukhsar. My father’s name is Mohammed Atique Khan and he is among a few big farmers of my village having a land area of 20 bighas and a mango orchid. He is a +2 drop out and a literate and cultured man and is respected in the whole area.
An incident that changed my life:
It was a bit cloudy evening, and there were some speculations of rain but since the date was fixed, two-three tractors were ready to leave the village with tralies full with Baratis to their destination, Kursy village in Barabanki where the marriage of Mohammed Izhar s/o…… was scheduled next day with a girl of that village. This fascinated me and I wanted to go with Barat and I asked my mother to allow me and to give me good cloths to wear but she did not agree and even scolded me when I insisted because I was a younger boy of four or five years and no elder of my family was going in Barat since we had no invitation for Barat. But devil had occupied me and I was determined to go with Barat so I sneaked away from the home without letting any one know about me and some how adjusted myself in an over crowded traly which left my village Satanpurwa in a few minutes. Many times the thoughts of getting down from the traly came to my mind but I did not get down and when traly passed through the village of my maternal uncles the wish of getting down was stronger but the evening had darkened and I could not dare to get down and to walk to my maternal parents home alone so I remained in the traly. We reached Kursy village at about 10 o’clock, firstly we had a light dinner then we were seated on cots, which were laid down before a stage, set up for nach for the entertainment of Baratis. We were all busy enjoying the nach when it started to shower and we all ran to resort in safe places to save our self from drenching in this helter shelter situation I met a uncle of mine of a far relation Mr. Haroon and stayed with him the whole night.
There in my village my parents felt hurt when they came to know that I was missing, they looked for me everywhere, asked peoples about me and searched me the whole night in all possible places, then someone told them that he had seen me in a traly going in Barat and they felt a bit relieved. In the morning when I was having breakfast with Barat, I was shocked to see that my father reached there with my elder Mama Faiz Mohammad on his bike, I thought that they would beat me but they didn’t. They had break fast with me and then seated me in the middle and took me to the HOTEL NASHEMAN situated in Industrial Area of Jagdishpur in Sultanpur, owned by my mother’s Mama Dr. Shamim Akhtar Khan whom I call nana because my real nana died when my mother and my mamas were too young and it is him who brought them up. At that time my faiz mama was living in Hotel occupying a special room in it as a sub owner of the hotel. There they discussed my matter and then he asked my father to leave me with him for study saying that I had become mischievous and not going to class properly and thus this incident proved to be fortunate and a turning point in my life.
In the School:
He got me enrolled in a school named Guhavir Sikcha Niketan in Jafargunj, bought me new cloths and dress and I started to go to school. There I studied one year (First standard) and the next year a new school was formed out of that one with the same name and was established in Kathaura a village near by hotel, so I joined this new school and studied there till third standard when my nana and mama decided to enroll me in Darul ululum Nadwatul ulama, Lucknow because now they wanted me to be an Alim (Islamic Scholar) seeing the illiteracy, superstition, polytheism and non Islamic activities in our family.
At Nadwa:
I joined Darul ululum Nadwatul ulama, Lucknow in 1992 the year Babri mosque was razed to ground by RSS hooligans. There I was again admitted in first standard because they did not find me eligible for third standard and I studied there for whole thirteen years till I passed out in 2004. Many bad historical incidents occurred there before my eyes like the unfortunate raid of central police on Nadwa, the death of Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi and so on. A lot of changes happened in Nadwa before me like the shifting of Maahad to secrauri, the building of many new hostels etc.
In Delhi:
In 2004 I joined Jamia Millia Islamia B.A. in (Arabic Honors) on private following my close friend Ayaz Amad without losing any year that generally happens with Madrasa students due to differences of the beginning of educational years in both institutions. The next year I tried my luck in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) B.A. second year and luckily I got selected. There I graduated in this year 2007 and still continuing my M.A. in Arabic.
MY VILLAGE:
My village Satanpurwa is a little-town-like village with combined population comprising of both Islam and Hindu religions, and diverse casts and creeds. It is situated seven or eight k.m. away in the south west of Inhauna that is seventy km. Away from Lucknow on the Lucknow-Sultanpur National Highway. Green fields and orchids of mangoes surround it. On it’s south a big canal flows that irrigates the agricultural fields in that area with the help of several minor canals. A paved road surrounds it from its east and north combining Ahouwa Bhawanin and Haider Garh. The first one is four km. From my village, and the second one is eleven km.
MY FAMILY
My family is living in a semi tribal form in a group of villages that are situated seven or eight km. Away in the south west of Inhauna that is seventy km. Away from Lucknow on the Lucknow-Sultanpur National Highway. There are seven villages in which my family is inhabiting for many generations, Satanpurwa is the biggest village among these and it is a Mauza and post uder the district Raebareli, it’s Tahsil and legislative constituency is Tiloi. All the other villages of my family fall under Satanpurwa.Three villages namely Garhi Wasil (choti garhi), Garhi Dilawar (Behrana) and Garhi Aladad (jhalia) comprise only my family and no other cast, creed or religion is found there. The four other villages that have a combined population are Satanpurwa, Bangra, Garhi Mohkam (Bari Garhi) and thakurain purwa.
The historical back ground:
(under construction)
The genealogical tree of the forefathers of my whole family that inhabits these villages is as below.
Zabardast Khan
!
Zorawar Khan Rustam Khan Dialwar Khan Khairandaz Khan
! !
! (Forefather of Garhi Dilawar)
Najaf Khan Mohkam Khan Neamat khan Razawand Khan HaiderKhan
! ! ! ! !
(child less)(Forefather of Garhi Mohkam) Wasil khan ! !
Zorawar Khan Rustam Khan Dialwar Khan Khairandaz Khan
! !
! (Forefather of Garhi Dilawar)
Najaf Khan Mohkam Khan Neamat khan Razawand Khan HaiderKhan
! ! ! ! !
(child less)(Forefather of Garhi Mohkam) Wasil khan ! !
! ! Khudabakhs ! !
! ! (Child less)
(Fore father of Garhi Wasil) !
(A son of Wasil Khan, Quasim Khan is the forefather of !
(Fore father of Garhi Wasil) !
(A son of Wasil Khan, Quasim Khan is the forefather of !
Thakurain Purwa and Mohd Latif (my grandfather) a !
son of Wasil khan’s grand son Imam Ali shifted to Satanpurw.) !
! (Childless) !
Shera Khan Aladad Khan Asad Ali Khan Abul Hasan Khan Mahmood Khan WahabKhan
! ! ! ! ! !
! (child less) ! Jumman Khan Salamat Khan
(Fore father of a few families in Satanpurwa.) ! (Child less)
! ! !
(Forefather of Bangra village)
My genealogical tree
Zabardast Khan
!
Dialwar Khan
!
Neamat khan
!
WASIL KHAN
!
Ghulam Hasan Quasim Khan Faquir Md Khan Barkat Ali Khan
!
Ahmad Hasan Mohd Hasan Khan Ramazan Ali Imam Ali Qamrul Hasan Safdar Khan
!
Mohd Nasir Khan Mohd Hanif Khan Mohd.Latif (Shifted to Satanpurwa
! from Garhi Wasil)
!
Mohd Atique Khan
!
Mohsin Atique Khan Mukhtar Atique Khan Waqar Atique khan Zeerak Khan
The economic, educational, religious, political and social conditions
Of my family
Economic Condition:
After the zamindari was abolished their economic condition became critical and it was very difficult for them to live on a little agricultural land that somehow remained in their hands, with the day-by-day increasing population, unemployment prevailed and poverty stroke them. The situation remained so till the late 20th century when the new generation started to leave the villages to big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, and Ahmadabad etc. in the search of livelihood.
The youngsters who came to Delhi adopted the hard profession of house painting and those who went to Surat and Ahmadabad indulged in hand dying and most of them set up their own hand dying shops. That industry once boomed and they made big bucks and the economic situation once looked improved and brick houses replaced the houses of mud and a number of vehicles started to appear on the roads of these villages, but soon this industry went down. In Mumbai some of them started their own little business and some involved in the same as in Surat and Ahmadabad.
Educational Condition:
Till the end of 20th century the education was nil. All the people were illiterate and there were only four or five people who passed out 10+2 but could not go ahead, with the exception of Dr. Shamim Akhtar khan who is the only well educated man not only in the family but also in the whole area. And then only two or three graduated in a college situated in Semrauta,
Some boys passed out in some Islamic Madrasas and a few of them Mr. Md. Husain s/o…..of Garhi Wasil who passed out in Darul ulum Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, Mr. Fuzail s/o Sohrab khan of Bahrana who passed out in Jamia Ashrafia, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh and Mohsin Atique Khan s/o Md. Atique Khan who passed out in Darul ulum Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow left to Delhi for further studies, followed by Md. Atique s/o Md. Matin who graduated in Samerauta college and Mukhtar Ateek s/o Md. Ateque. Mr. Husain did his graduation and post graduation in Jamia Millia Islamia and the remaining three joined Jawaharlal Nehru University respectively Whereas Mukhtar Ateek joined a college of Delhi University.
Earlier there was only one government primary & middle school and a miny Islamic Madrasa In Satanpurwa and a Madrasa in Behrana. Later in 2000 private schools started to appear in Satanpurwa .A school namely BRIGHT WAY PUBLIC SCHOOL was set up by Mr. Faiz Mohammad Khan and Mr. Vash Mohammad Khan in Satanpurwa and a semi Madrasa type school in Garhi Aladad (Jhalia), and later a school BRIGHTWAY BALIKA INTER COLLEGE was started by Dr. Shamim Akhtar Khan at Bangra. They had to work hard to get students for their schools because peoples mostly send even their sons of early ages to work in cities and don’t know the importance of education. Any ways the educational condition of them has gradually started to improve now.
Religious Condition:
Even after they all are Muslims the scenes of superstition, polytheism and un-Islamic rites, rituals and customs are very common there. I won’t be wrong if I say they are unaware of the soul of Islam and the Tauhid does not exist there. They get blessings from tombs and most of them aspire to visit Places of tomb worship like Ajmer, Dewa, kichaucaha etc. Even many of them believe that a man’s visit to ajmer seven times in his life is equal to a Hajj. Many say if there had been a more Mazar (tomb) in Ajmer the Hajj would have been organized here, and so on.
Several kind of Fatihas, Tija, Chaliswan, Urs and Muharram are considered the symbols of Islam here. Gyarhvin or fatiha of Bare-pir (sayed Abdul Qadir jeelani) is celebrated warmly and in the same way Barhvin the birthday of our prophet Mohammad (S.A.S.) is also celebrated.
Muharram is the main festival of them. Many of them keep zarih (they call it tazia) at their doors in the festive season of Muharram. The importance of Muharram among them can be understood by the returning of pardesis to their homes in large numbers at the time of Muharram. It is celebrated there very warmly and with excitement and enthusiasm. The Navin and Dasvin (the Ninth and tenth day of Muahrram) of Satanpurwa are very famous in the region. The satvin (the seventh day of Muahrram) is celebrated in Garhi Wasil and the athvin (the eighth day of Muahrram) is celebrated in Garhi Mohkam(Bari Garhi), in these days the nights are decorated and lit with the tube lights, bulbs and kumkuas by the support of generators, several kind of regional sweat cousins are cooked. A special item namely khichchar is prepared and the stalls of sharbat are set up at several places. In these, the money is spent in excess since the people donate a huge amount of money in the name of Muharram without hesitation.
The Political Situation:
In and before colonial period they were Zamindars. None of them played an active role in the freedom struggle like other peoples of the area because they all were illiterate and did not have any leader and their villages were isolated and the voice of freedom struggle did not reach there well. After the independence too they could not produce even a district level neta (political leader).
At the level of national politics they all have inclination to the Congress because their villages are located in the parliamentary constituency of Amethi where the key leaders of congress like Rajive Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been fighting and winning elections for long.
At the state level politics they are divided and they incline to different political parties like Samajwadi party, Congress party and Bahujan Samaj party.
Since they (my family) outnumber other people in the Mauza(Satanpurwa) the home level politics or politics of pardhani was and is in their hands. Among them, there have been two factions for long and two names have bee in use, one of Doctor Shameem Akhtar and the other of Ahmad Pradhan and the two were known and referred in public as Doctor and Pardhan. In late seventies and early eighties there was a severe rivalry among them and my family and the people of the area were either this side or that side. In late eighties they reconciled and bitterness and sourness were gone but something still remained. Ahmad pradhan hold the post of Pardhani till 2000, for more than forty years. In 2000 instead of him, his son Shakeel Ahmad fought election and lost to Muazzam supported by Dr. Shamim. In next election in 2005 Shkeel won. And now again two names are referred in the region one of Muazzam and the other of Shakeel and the politics of pardhani revolves around them. But this time people are not as divided as they were at that time. But no doubt the bitterness in relations is found there.
Social Condition:
In the local society they hold higher position and are respected. They are proud of their family status and some times the words of proud come to their tongue. But most of them don’t know how to live an Islamic or standard life. Most of the youngsters who visit their homes in the season of marriages waist their hard earned money in Nautankeys and Nach. Bachelor girls don’t wear Naqabs and don’t do any kind of Pardah whereas married women do wear Naqabs of Indian styles. Since the young boys have started to work in cities the respect and honor of elders had disappeared from the scene and the regional language has changed to some extant. Earlier a women who visit shops or do marketing was considered wrong in the society, but lately it has become a trend among the women especially of Garhi villages to visit Inhauna for shopping on every Thursday, pretending the visit of a Mazar (tomb) there.
All the seven villages have mosques and the mosque of Satanpurwa is the biggest. Only a few old people keep the mosque alive otherwise they are deserted. Many of the young who work in cities don’t keep fast in Ramadan not to speak of offering prayer (namaz). In marriage and other ceremonies many non-Islamic activities are performed like Band Baja, nach, dance and so on.
! (Childless) !
Shera Khan Aladad Khan Asad Ali Khan Abul Hasan Khan Mahmood Khan WahabKhan
! ! ! ! ! !
! (child less) ! Jumman Khan Salamat Khan
(Fore father of a few families in Satanpurwa.) ! (Child less)
! ! !
(Forefather of Bangra village)
My genealogical tree
Zabardast Khan
!
Dialwar Khan
!
Neamat khan
!
WASIL KHAN
!
Ghulam Hasan Quasim Khan Faquir Md Khan Barkat Ali Khan
!
Ahmad Hasan Mohd Hasan Khan Ramazan Ali Imam Ali Qamrul Hasan Safdar Khan
!
Mohd Nasir Khan Mohd Hanif Khan Mohd.Latif (Shifted to Satanpurwa
! from Garhi Wasil)
!
Mohd Atique Khan
!
Mohsin Atique Khan Mukhtar Atique Khan Waqar Atique khan Zeerak Khan
The economic, educational, religious, political and social conditions
Of my family
Economic Condition:
After the zamindari was abolished their economic condition became critical and it was very difficult for them to live on a little agricultural land that somehow remained in their hands, with the day-by-day increasing population, unemployment prevailed and poverty stroke them. The situation remained so till the late 20th century when the new generation started to leave the villages to big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, and Ahmadabad etc. in the search of livelihood.
The youngsters who came to Delhi adopted the hard profession of house painting and those who went to Surat and Ahmadabad indulged in hand dying and most of them set up their own hand dying shops. That industry once boomed and they made big bucks and the economic situation once looked improved and brick houses replaced the houses of mud and a number of vehicles started to appear on the roads of these villages, but soon this industry went down. In Mumbai some of them started their own little business and some involved in the same as in Surat and Ahmadabad.
Educational Condition:
Till the end of 20th century the education was nil. All the people were illiterate and there were only four or five people who passed out 10+2 but could not go ahead, with the exception of Dr. Shamim Akhtar khan who is the only well educated man not only in the family but also in the whole area. And then only two or three graduated in a college situated in Semrauta,
Some boys passed out in some Islamic Madrasas and a few of them Mr. Md. Husain s/o…..of Garhi Wasil who passed out in Darul ulum Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, Mr. Fuzail s/o Sohrab khan of Bahrana who passed out in Jamia Ashrafia, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh and Mohsin Atique Khan s/o Md. Atique Khan who passed out in Darul ulum Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow left to Delhi for further studies, followed by Md. Atique s/o Md. Matin who graduated in Samerauta college and Mukhtar Ateek s/o Md. Ateque. Mr. Husain did his graduation and post graduation in Jamia Millia Islamia and the remaining three joined Jawaharlal Nehru University respectively Whereas Mukhtar Ateek joined a college of Delhi University.
Earlier there was only one government primary & middle school and a miny Islamic Madrasa In Satanpurwa and a Madrasa in Behrana. Later in 2000 private schools started to appear in Satanpurwa .A school namely BRIGHT WAY PUBLIC SCHOOL was set up by Mr. Faiz Mohammad Khan and Mr. Vash Mohammad Khan in Satanpurwa and a semi Madrasa type school in Garhi Aladad (Jhalia), and later a school BRIGHTWAY BALIKA INTER COLLEGE was started by Dr. Shamim Akhtar Khan at Bangra. They had to work hard to get students for their schools because peoples mostly send even their sons of early ages to work in cities and don’t know the importance of education. Any ways the educational condition of them has gradually started to improve now.
Religious Condition:
Even after they all are Muslims the scenes of superstition, polytheism and un-Islamic rites, rituals and customs are very common there. I won’t be wrong if I say they are unaware of the soul of Islam and the Tauhid does not exist there. They get blessings from tombs and most of them aspire to visit Places of tomb worship like Ajmer, Dewa, kichaucaha etc. Even many of them believe that a man’s visit to ajmer seven times in his life is equal to a Hajj. Many say if there had been a more Mazar (tomb) in Ajmer the Hajj would have been organized here, and so on.
Several kind of Fatihas, Tija, Chaliswan, Urs and Muharram are considered the symbols of Islam here. Gyarhvin or fatiha of Bare-pir (sayed Abdul Qadir jeelani) is celebrated warmly and in the same way Barhvin the birthday of our prophet Mohammad (S.A.S.) is also celebrated.
Muharram is the main festival of them. Many of them keep zarih (they call it tazia) at their doors in the festive season of Muharram. The importance of Muharram among them can be understood by the returning of pardesis to their homes in large numbers at the time of Muharram. It is celebrated there very warmly and with excitement and enthusiasm. The Navin and Dasvin (the Ninth and tenth day of Muahrram) of Satanpurwa are very famous in the region. The satvin (the seventh day of Muahrram) is celebrated in Garhi Wasil and the athvin (the eighth day of Muahrram) is celebrated in Garhi Mohkam(Bari Garhi), in these days the nights are decorated and lit with the tube lights, bulbs and kumkuas by the support of generators, several kind of regional sweat cousins are cooked. A special item namely khichchar is prepared and the stalls of sharbat are set up at several places. In these, the money is spent in excess since the people donate a huge amount of money in the name of Muharram without hesitation.
The Political Situation:
In and before colonial period they were Zamindars. None of them played an active role in the freedom struggle like other peoples of the area because they all were illiterate and did not have any leader and their villages were isolated and the voice of freedom struggle did not reach there well. After the independence too they could not produce even a district level neta (political leader).
At the level of national politics they all have inclination to the Congress because their villages are located in the parliamentary constituency of Amethi where the key leaders of congress like Rajive Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been fighting and winning elections for long.
At the state level politics they are divided and they incline to different political parties like Samajwadi party, Congress party and Bahujan Samaj party.
Since they (my family) outnumber other people in the Mauza(Satanpurwa) the home level politics or politics of pardhani was and is in their hands. Among them, there have been two factions for long and two names have bee in use, one of Doctor Shameem Akhtar and the other of Ahmad Pradhan and the two were known and referred in public as Doctor and Pardhan. In late seventies and early eighties there was a severe rivalry among them and my family and the people of the area were either this side or that side. In late eighties they reconciled and bitterness and sourness were gone but something still remained. Ahmad pradhan hold the post of Pardhani till 2000, for more than forty years. In 2000 instead of him, his son Shakeel Ahmad fought election and lost to Muazzam supported by Dr. Shamim. In next election in 2005 Shkeel won. And now again two names are referred in the region one of Muazzam and the other of Shakeel and the politics of pardhani revolves around them. But this time people are not as divided as they were at that time. But no doubt the bitterness in relations is found there.
Social Condition:
In the local society they hold higher position and are respected. They are proud of their family status and some times the words of proud come to their tongue. But most of them don’t know how to live an Islamic or standard life. Most of the youngsters who visit their homes in the season of marriages waist their hard earned money in Nautankeys and Nach. Bachelor girls don’t wear Naqabs and don’t do any kind of Pardah whereas married women do wear Naqabs of Indian styles. Since the young boys have started to work in cities the respect and honor of elders had disappeared from the scene and the regional language has changed to some extant. Earlier a women who visit shops or do marketing was considered wrong in the society, but lately it has become a trend among the women especially of Garhi villages to visit Inhauna for shopping on every Thursday, pretending the visit of a Mazar (tomb) there.
All the seven villages have mosques and the mosque of Satanpurwa is the biggest. Only a few old people keep the mosque alive otherwise they are deserted. Many of the young who work in cities don’t keep fast in Ramadan not to speak of offering prayer (namaz). In marriage and other ceremonies many non-Islamic activities are performed like Band Baja, nach, dance and so on.
