The Banu Israil or Bani Israili are a Indian Muslim community of Jews origin.[The Lost Tribes of Israel: The History of a Myth by Tudor Parfit page 131]
Origin
The exact circumstances of their settlement in India is unclear, but their traditions make clear that they were Jews at the time of their settlement. They are largely an urban community, occupying distinct quarters in a number of towns and cities in western
Uttar Pradesh, such as Banu Israilyan in
Aligarh. Quite a few of them occupied important administrative positions under both the Sultanate of Delhi and its successor, the
Mughal Empire. This was especially true of the Banu Israil of Aligarh, where the community were the heredity
, a post which entailed being both the head of police and garrison commander.
[Boundaries and identities : Muslims, work and status in Aligarh by E. A. Mann ]
See also
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