to link to this article: DOI:10.1080/09700160801886330

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09700160801886330

The Sunni Muslims of South Asia are divided into two major sub-sects, i.e. Deobandi and Barelvi, named after their places of origin in India in the 19th century. Because of abiding differences between them, these twosub-sects have built up walls of hatred and mistrust between them overtime. The faultline between them has erupted violently in Pakistan sincethe late 1970s. While there are some pioneering works available on theirseparate worldviews, no study has yet been attempted to critically analyse the nature of their interaction at the political level. This article discusses the pattern of interaction between the sub-sects since the colonial days, during the movement for Partition, and later in Pakistani politics.

Author is Ashok K. Behuria, research fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, and an alumnus of the APCSS.

 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,