The arrest of Maulana, who made indecent remarks on the mother of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has brought the word Chaturvedi Muslim into the limelight. This Maulana, caught from Purnia in Bihar, calls himself Chaturvedi, which is usually the surname of Hindu Brahmins. After all, how did Chaturvedi get associated with the name of a Muslim? Are they related to the knowledge of Vedas or is there some old history of conversion hidden behind it? Let us solve this mystery in detail.

What is the root of Maulana’s arrest and controversy?

In a joint action, UP Police and STF have arrested Maulana Abdullah Salim Qasmi alias Chaturvedi from Bihar. There is a serious allegation against this Maulana of making extremely objectionable and indecent remarks against the mother of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. After his arrest, he was brought to Bahraich and the local court sent him to jail. After this incident, a debate has erupted on social media regarding the word Chaturvedi attached to Maulana’s name and how this identity came to the Muslim society.

What is the story of conversion and surname?

The term Chaturvedi Muslim is generally used to describe people whose ancestors historically belonged to Hindu Brahmin families, especially the Chaturvedi or Chaube community. In the medieval period, especially during the reign of Aurangzeb, many Brahmin families accepted Islam. Despite changing religion, these families did not change their original surname i.e. Safrix to maintain their old identity and social prestige. This is the reason that even today in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, such Muslim families are found who use Chaturvedi after their name.

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Are Muslim Chaturvedis also knowledgeable about all four Vedas?

Is every Chaturvedi Muslim knowledgeable about the Vedas? The answer is technically no. But there have been some distinguished Muslim scholars in history who have been given the honorary title of Chaturvedi due to their extraordinary Sanskrit knowledge. Names like Hayat Ullah Chaturvedi and Maulana Wahidullah Ansari Chaturvedi are prominent in this list. These scholars studied the Hindu scriptures and the four Vedas so deeply that the Hindu society and scholars started respectfully calling them Chaturvedi. This was a respect for his scholarship, not some innate identity.

Use of Maulana and Chaturvedi surnames

Maulana Abdullah Salim Chaturvedi, arrested in the recent case, has been a famous Islamic scholar of Seemanchal region. However, whether the word Chaturvedi attached to his name is due to his scholarship or his family history is a matter of investigation. Often some people use such nicknames to increase their acceptance or to create a special identity. But the comment made on CM’s mother has brought the dignity associated with this name into controversy, due to which the image of real Chaturvedi scholars is also being questioned.

The criterion and reality of knowledge of Vedas

Legally and socially, a person of any religion can study the Vedas, but only the one who has assimilated all four Vedas gets the right to be called Chaturvedi. There are only a few people in the Muslim society who have actually acquired the knowledge of the Vedas. For the rest of the people it has become just a family surname.

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