Author:

Khagesh Singha
Department of History
University of North Bengal
Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

Email: khageshsingha2@gmail.com

Abstract:: Abstract:The great historian Gibbon describes the rise and expansion of Islam as “One of the most
memorable revolutions which has impressed a new and lasting character on the nations of the globe”. Most
of the Muslims in this subdivision are converted Muslims.They were the Surjapuri Rajbanshis, who later
converted into Muslim. Later they came to be known as Surjapuri Nasya Shaikh Muslims. The term
‘Surjapuri’ has been associated with them for positional and linguistic regions. The generosity of Islam,
oppression of upper caste Hindus against lower caste Hindus and perhaps to escape the death penalty of
Muslim rulers, many Surjapuri Rajbanshis and other Hindus converted into Islam over time. Centuries ago,
Surjapuri Nasya Shaikh Muslims worshiped Sonatani Hindu Deities like Goddess Kali, Bhagwati ,
Bishohari etc along with their Allah. Even after several centuries conversion into Islam, many Nasya Shaikh
Muslim women used to put vermilion on her forehead. Many Mosques and Dargah or Mazar were built
during the Mughal period and the British period. Which strengthened the foundation of Islam. Even today,
Many cultural similarities can be observed between the Surjapuri Rajbanshis and the Surjapuri Nasya
Shaikh Muslims.

Key Words::Dargah,Islampur, Muslims,Mosque, Mazar, Surjapuri, Rajbanshis, etc.