View source for Sindhi Shaikh

{{short description|Family name}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{infobox ethnic group
| group            = Shaikh or Sheikh
| population       = 
| popplace         = [[Sindh]] and [[India]]
| langs            = {{hlist|[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]|<br>[[Urdu language|Urdu]]}}<small>(Only for official reasons)</small>
| rels             = [[File:Allah-green.svg|18px]] [[Islam]]
| related          = {{hlist|[[Sindhi Memon]]|[[Khoja|Sindhi Khuwaja]]|[[Punjabi Shaikh]]|[[Shaikhs in South Asia|Shaikh]]}}
}}

'''Shaikh''' or '''Sheikh''' ({{Langx|sd|شيخ}}), is a [[Sindhis|Sindhi]] tribe or caste. The "Shaikh" word is an [[Arabic]] term meaning elder of a tribe, lord, revered old man, or [[Ulema|Islamic scholar]]. The Shaikhs of [[Sindh]] are one of the major tribe of the [[Sindhi people|Sindhi Muslims]] ethnic group; they are converted from [[Sindhi Hindus|Sindhi Hindu]] [[Lohana]]/[[Brahmin]] tribes. They speak the various dialects of [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], depending on their place of residence. The Shaikh are largely an urban community, residing in the towns and cities of Sindh. Shaikhs have different communities within them, namely Baghdadi, Sanjogi, Nangani, Deewan, and Chatani.<ref>Gazetteer of West Pakistan, the Former Province of Sind Including Khairpur State. Gazetteer Cell, Board of Revenue, Lahore 1968 by H. T Sorely</ref>{{pn|date=February 2019}}

== Origin ==

In Sindh, it is used as an ethnic title generally attributed to converted [[Hindus|Hindu]] trading families that became [[Muslims]].

== Notable people ==

* Khan Bahadur Shaikh [[Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah|Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah]] [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]], Pakistani politician from Sindh, first Chief Minister of Sindh (1937–1938), fifth Chief Minister of Sindh (1942–1947), first muslim Governor of Sindh (1947–1948)
* [[Shaikh Ayaz]] (1923–1997), Sindhi poet of Pakistan
* [[Marium Mukhtiar]] (1992–2015), first lady pilot of Pakistan, died while on duty
* [[Najmuddin Shaikh]] (born 1939), former Foreign Secretary, Pakistan
* [[Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh]], MPA Shikarpur Pakistan people's party PS 11
* [[Noshad A. Shaikh]], Medical practitioner and academic person
* [[Shaikh Abdul Majeed Sindhi]], Writer, politician and journalist
* [[Abdul Hafeez Shaikh]], Pakistani economist and politician
* [[Abdul Kadir Shaikh]], Pakistani politician (1926–2008)
* [[Nauman Islam Shaikh]], Pakistani politician
* [[Muhammad Ali Shaikh]], Academic person
* [[Haleem Adil Sheikh]], Pakistani politician

== References ==
{{reflist}}
 
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[[Category:Sindhi tribes]]
[[Category:Shaikh clans]]
[[Category:Surnames]]