Wattal (Muslim traditions) in India


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

Like many communities in India, the surname and the name of the people group are the same. Watal is a surname, but also the name of a people group. Traditionally they were tanners, and they still work in the tanning industry. This is one of the lowest status jobs in South Asia.


Where Are they Located?

All of the Watal people live in the Kashmiri Valley. They speak Kashmiri.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Although, according to India's constitution, caste is prohibited, it does exist and affects everyday life for Muslim communities as well as Hindu ones. For example, the Watal people often experience prejudice when they try to enter a mosque. They are Muslims, but being tanners, they are given low status not only by Hindus, but also by other Muslim communities.

They are landless, illiterate, poor, and without political or social power. Feeling powerless, one Watal individual complained, "We are like dropped leaves from a tree being swept away by the wind in unknown directions. We have no shelter over our heads; successive governments have done so much for the poor, but we still remain deprived of benefits."


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Wattal people are all Sunni Muslims. They believe that the Koran has life's spiritual answers, though almost none of them can read this holy book written in Classical Arabic.


What Are Their Needs?

They need to understand that the God of the Bible gives them dignity, worth and hope. They also need ways to earn a better living, so their children can get a good enough education to move forward economically.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth His harvesters into this field to share with them His glorious message.
May the Watal people be eternally grateful to the God who can give them dignity because of their relationship with Jesus Christ.
May they learn His ways and teach them to others.


Scripture Prayers for the Wattal (Muslim traditions) in India.


References

J&K book, pp 690-96)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watal
http://kashmirasitis.com/kashmiri-surnames


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Wattal (Muslim traditions)
People Name in Country Wattal (Muslim traditions)
Alternate Names Batel; Batol; Battal; Batul; Seraj; Sheikh; Shupri; Watal; वत्तल (मुस्लिम ट्रेडिशन्स)
Population this Country 6,500
Population all Countries 6,500
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 4  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 18330
ROP3 Code 113880
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Districts Interactive map, listing and data download
Specialized Website South Asia Peoples
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 1
  Jammu and Kashmir 6,500
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Kashmiri (2,000 speakers)
Language Code kas   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
Dogri
1,100
Purig
900
Gujari
900
Balti
300
Shina
300
Urdu
200
Khowar
100
Primary Language Kashmiri (2,000 speakers)
Language Code kas   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 8
Secondary Languages
  Dogri 1,100
  Purig 900
  Gujari 900
  Balti 300
  Shina 300
  Urdu 200
  Khowar 100
People Groups Speaking Kashmiri
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Create International  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


Joshua Project logo    Terms of Use   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Copyright © 2024