The Fracture of Masawat: Colonial Classification, Internal Stratification, and the Political Economy of Contemporary Muslim Castes in Bihar

Abstract

This article examines the historical construction, sociological evolution, and contemporary material realities of Islamic identity and internal social stratification in South Asia, with a specific focus on the post-partition administrative geography of Bihar. Moving beyond reified, theology-centric definitions of religion, we utilize the framework of "lived religion" to analyse how intra-Muslim contestations act as the primary engine for identity formation. By tracing the historical trajectories of conversion, the systemic emergence of the Biradri system, and the tripartite stratification of Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal classes, this paper deconstructs the persistent tension between scriptural egalitarianism (Masawat) and lived hierarchical realities. Finally, utilizing empirical survey data, twentieth-century commission reports, and recent census figures, we demonstrate how this social hierarchy is actively weaponized by severe socio-economic marginalization, educational deficits, and structural displacements within Bihar’s contemporary political economy.