CASTE DYNAMICS, MUSLIM COMMUNITY, AND AGRARIAN TRANSFORMATION: A STUDY OF WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH

The Muslim community in India, representing 14.2% of the population, remains the nation's most substantial religious minority (Census, 2011). A significant number among them trace their lineage to historical conversions from the lower castes, influenced by the egalitarian principles of Sufi saints. This vast community, contrary to monolithic perceptions, embraces an array of sects and socio-religious divisions (Alam, 2022). This article delves deep into the socio-economic contours of Muslims in Western Uttar Pradesh. It underscores the transformative consequences of tenancy reforms and the green revolution on the region's agrarian landscape. Utilizing primary data, the study examines the rise and power of organizations like the Bhartiya Kisan Union and the Tabligh Jamaat, and these organizations in addition to the established structures that exist in the landscape of power in the region, like Khap panchayats, provide a depth of understanding of the relationship among politics, religion, socio-economic conditions, and gender relationships. Additionally, the paper highlights the continuing struggles of the women: abuse, gender violence and political maneuvering, in a region that continues to struggle with them. The study should serve as a useful prism through which to gain insight and knowledge of the complex nature of the lives of Muslims and women in Western UP.