Who Are the Shaikh?
The Shaikh were among the first people to embrace Islam on the advice of the Prophet Mohammed and were given the title Shaikh — an Arabic word meaning elder or chief, implying someone who executes justice. Originally given to those of Arabic descent, it has since been adopted by Muslim converts from lower-caste Hinduism.
The Shaikh community is moderately literate. Parents educate both boys and girls, though girls are often taken out of education earlier. Many depend on agriculture, trade, government service, weaving, woodwork and masonry — and many are renowned for exquisite embroidery and skilled craftsmanship.
The African elephant has an Asian nephew — the Indian elephant — a natural link to the Shaikh people of India, who are vast in number and deeply embedded in the fabric of their society.