Muhajir History or History of Muhajirs refers to the history and origins of the Muhajir people in Pakistan. Most Muhajirs migrated from what is now Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, and West Bengal and that results in close ties between the ethnic groups and histories.
Ancient period
Hominin expansion from Africa is estimated to have reached the Indian subcontinent approximately two million years ago, and possibly as early as 2.2 million years before the present. But anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. These were the ancestors of most South Asian ethnic groups including Muhajirs.
Bronze Age (c. 3300 – c. 1800 BCE)
The mature Indus civilisation flourished from about 2600 to 1900 BCE, marking the beginning of urban civilization on the Indian subcontinent. The civilization included cities such as Dholavira, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, and Lothal in modern-day India where the Muhajirs originated from.
Iron Age (c. 1800 – 200 BCE)
The Iron Age in South Asia from about 1200 BCE to the 6th century BCE is defined by the rise of Janapadas, which are realms, republics and kingdoms—notably the Iron Age Kingdoms of Kuru, Panchala, Kosala, Videha. Many of the Janapadas were run by the ancestors of the modern Muhajir People.
Classical period (c. 200 BCE – c. 650 CE)
The time between the decline of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE and the end of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century CE is referred to as the "Classical" period of India, during which the ancestors of the Muhajirs started losing influence.
Mughal Empire
Muhajirs are sometimes called ''the grandchildren of Mughals''. Most of the Muhajir culture is derived from the Mughal culture, especially the cuisine. Many Muhajirs are descendants of Mughals. The development of Urdu, the most famous Muhajir language, as a common language of communication for people speaking different dialects is considered the greatest contribution in the field of literature during the Mughal rule. Mughals especially the later kings have the most vital role in the development and evolution of the Urdu language. They patronized literary men and created an enabling environment for the development of Urdu.
1857 War for Independence
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form of a mutiny of sepoys of the company's army in the garrison town of Meerut, an Urdu-speaking city, northeast of Delhi. It then erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions chiefly in the upper Gangetic plain and central India. Most of the rebellion took place in Urdu-speaking areas of India such as UP and Delhi, where Muhajirs are from.
British era
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement () was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the perceived need for self-determination for Muslims under British rule at the time. Muhammad Ali Jinnah lead this movement after the Pakistan Resolution was passed by the All-India Muslim League, on March 23, 1940.
The Pakistan Movement started originally as the Aligarh Movement, and as a result, the British Indian Muslims (mostly Urdu-speakers) began to develop a secular political identity. Soon thereafter, the All India Muslim League was formed, which perhaps marked the beginning of the Pakistan Movement. Many of the top leadership of the movement were educated in Great Britain, with many of them educated at the Aligarh Muslim University. Many graduates of the Dhaka University soon also joined. In 1937, the Punjabis, Sindhis and Pushtuns rejected the “Muhajir” AIML. Jinnah won in India's UP and elsewhere (with AIML second only to Congress in India overall), yet received almost absolute rejection in Pakistan. The largest support for independent Pakistan was from Muhajirs, chiefly from UP. Most of Pakistan's founders were Muhajirs.
Migration
It was the largest involuntary migration in human history, many Muslims migrating from India to Pakistan were killed by Hindus and Sikhs, many Muslims lost their families. However, the Muslims struck back and killed many innocent Hindus and Sikhs as well, who were migrating from Pakistan to India.
First stage (August–November 1947)