India’s violence-hit Sambhal town has Turkic past

The town, colloquially known as ‘little Türkiye,’ serves as a living museum of traditions and customs thousands of miles away from the steppes of Türkiye and Central Asia

By Iftikhar Gilani

The city of Sambhal in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, recently found itself ensnared in violence, with clashes leaving five Muslim youth dead and numerous others, including 20 police officers, injured.

The conflict erupted during a court-ordered survey of the centuries-old Shahi Jama Masjid, sparking tensions in a community marked by its profound historical roots.

While this recent turmoil captured headlines, few outside India are aware of Sambhal’s deeper story—a rich tapestry of Turkic connections that traces back centuries, influencing its culture, politics, and society even today.

Sambhal, situated approximately 299 kilometers from India’s capital, New Delhi, is a hidden enclave of Turkic culture, woven into the fabric of India’s diverse historical tapestry.

The town, colloquially known as ‘little Turkey,’ serves as a living museum of traditions and customs thousands of miles away from the steppes of Türkiye and Central Asia.

The region is home to a significant Turkic population, spread across the towns of Sambhal, Moradabad, Rampur, Amroha, and Nagina. This demographic plays a pivotal role in local politics, swaying the outcomes in several key constituencies with a strong sense of Turkic identity.

Here, a significant Muslim electorate, constituting 40 to 55 percent, proudly traces its lineage to Turkic ancestors. These residents have historically played a pivotal role in shaping electoral outcomes across five Parliament and 17 provincial Assembly constituencies.

Sambhal’s reputation as a hub of artisanal craftsmanship is well-known, with local artisans deftly turning animal horns into exquisite decorative pieces. This town is also a major player in the cultivation and export of mentha oil, essential in a myriad of products from pharmaceuticals to perfumes.

Delving into the historical tapestry of the region, Hafeezu Rahman, a local political activist and researcher, recounts the origins of the Turkic people here, linked to the 12th century warrior-saint Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud, or Ghazi Miyan. Even after his era, the influx of Turks continued under various Muslim rulers, enriching the cultural fabric of the area.

A memorable episode unfolded a decade ago when Hasan Gogus, then Turkish ambassador to India, expressed his astonishment at the thriving Turkic culture in Sambhal during a seminar in nearby Moradabad.

His successor, Halil Akinci, also visited in 2007, receiving traditional Turkish handicrafts as a token of the community’s enduring heritage.

Professor Abhay Kumar Singh from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University in Bareilly notes the region has been a settling ground for several Turkic sub-tribes, documented by historians like KA Nizami and AL Srivastava.

The Turks are divided into three sub-tribes Jhoja Turk, Khoja Turk and Bobna Turk. There is one more sub-tribe called Tirklu Turks, but they inhabit deep down South India in the regions of Hyderabad and Mehboob Nagar.

Turkic traditions

This ethnic diversity is reflected in the daily customs still practiced here, deeply rooted in Turkic traditions.

Noor Jahan Begum, a local housewife, shares insights into these traditions. “On festive occasions, our families gather to eat from Rakavi, a large aluminium plate, a common practice in Turkic countries.

Guests are welcomed with ‘Turki Tabaq’, a special rice dish served in Rakavi,” she explains.

While in India tea is served with milk, this is an island, where community prefers Cay (Turkish tea), black tea prepared without sugar and milk.

The political landscape, too, has felt the influence of Turkic descent. Shafiq u Rahman Barq, a towering figure of Turkic ethnicity in Indian politics, represented the region until his passing a year ago. His grandson, Zia u Rahman Barq, continues his legacy as a current MP.

The only other Turk descendent in the regional political life was Maulana Ismael Sambhali. He was one of the top leaders of Muslim League led by founder of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah, but switched over to Congress. He did not migrate to Pakistan in 1947, when the British left the sub-continent. He represented the region in the provincial assembly several times.

A section of Hindus believe that Sambhal is a mythological place reserved for reincarnation of Hindu god Vishnu as Kalki avatar in Kalyug.

Several Hindu nationalist organizations have been working behind the scene to encourage a section of kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva) to perform jalabhishek (a ritual water offering) at the local Jama Masjid, also known as second Babri Masjid, built by a Mughal general Mir Hindu Beg in 1526, almost at the same time when a similar mosque was being built by another general Mir Baqi in Ayodhya.

This mosque was recently at the centre of storm that led to the violence, after a Hindu nationalist organisation secured court order to survey foundations of the mosque to find relics of a Hindu temple.

The Sambhal mosque is the only surviving Mughal building constructed during the time of Emperor Babar, as two others, one in Panipat is in ruins and another at Ayodhya stands demolished by a mob in 1992.

The mosque is also under protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Hindus had already lost a claim over the site in 1877 in a court case.

Sambhal’s artisans, known for their craftsmanship in transforming animal horns into ornate decorative pieces, embody the town’s unique cultural identity.

This artisanal skill, alongside the cultivation and export of mentha oil, underscores the economic importance of traditional industries to the local economy.

The town is distinguished by hosting Asia’s largest mentha oil market, involving around 500,000 individuals in the cultivation, extraction, and export processes of this essential oil, widely used in various industries including pharmaceuticals and perfumery.

Sambhal crafts

Sambhal town is also, known for horn and bone craft manufacturing.

Some 40,000 artisans mostly Muslims in filthy surroundings are engaged in transforming soiled bones and animal horns into world class ornaments.

Abdul Wahid engaged in the trade for over past 35 years says politicians during elections promise them an uninterrupted power supply, but the plastic combs and Chinese goods were killing his trade. “I purchase an animal horn for 80 Indian rupees ($1.14) from a trader and then after finishing and working on it for over 10-15 hours, the ornament sells for a meagre 150 Indian rupees ($2.14),” he says.

Having inhaled bone dust over all these years, Wahid is a chronic asthma patient. “Banks want us to produce endless identities and papers and I am not sure, even after arranging all these things, if I can then repay loans,” says Wahid, who vouches for the secular alliance candidate, feeling that he identifies with the poor.